White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This story could have been written about my life. I felt all the emotions that Juie felt. I’m actually still feeling the emotions. Being a wife and mother is hard enough without having to deal with death and so many other emotions. If you love heartfelt stories, then this is the book for you.
White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
White Picket Fences was a wonderful book, that kept me engaged start to finish. I was hesitant to read it, but kept coming back to it. I finally decided to take the chance, and I am so glad I did. I immediately was drawn in, and related to Julie. While I have not gone through the same struggles as her, I think many of her feelings are common among many mothers. The author did a great job of developing the story, and the characters. They were all very relatable and felt real. Their feelings and actions were very realistic and well written. Julie has been a mom for half of her life, and is struggling to re-discover who SHE is as a person, not as a mom or wife. And I 100% get that, been there! I enjoyed seeing all sides of the situation, not just Julie herself. We got a taste of how her kids, husband, and friends felt and handled the situation. The author jumped back and forth in the timeline, slowly uncovering the events of one fateful day. The transition was smooth and clear. I never once felt like I was missing valuable information, as it was revealed in a timely manner. My one complaint is the ending. I felt like the story was not resolved, and I wanted it to continue further. I wanted to see what happens next- for Julie, Michael and the girls. Highly recommend this book and would love to read more by the author.
White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As a former military brat I understand the transient lifestyle we were forced to lead and how it impacted my decisions as an adult as well. Until I married a military man and we have done our best to keep our girls in the same area. The same school system and maintain the same friends for as long as they last here, it is a huge military area. The sense of always giving of yourself and receiving very little in return is a hard life to lead and continually pushes you to want more.
That is what Ju;lie is experiencing, the life of motherhood is not an easy one and oftentimes very lonely. Julie decides she needs to give her kids the childhood she never had. That is until tragedy strikes and they lose someone within their inner circle. Julie tries to tighten the reins on everyone in the family to ensure their safety but in turn only ends up punching them away. Will they ever be able to move past the tragedy or will their family dynamic be the next one?
This is a story about a mother’s love, sacrifice, and the decisions we make that alter our lives forever whether that be good or bad. As someone who has walked some of that life and dealt with guilt that eats at your very soul this book was well written in a way that showcases not only the power of a mother’s love but the strength, perseverance, and survival that goes along with it. I will be recommending this book to others that may connect as deeply as I did to Julie!
White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
3.5 Stars
White Picket Fences is a poignant women’s fiction story by Kyle Ann Robertson. This family drama is an emotion infused story of motherhood and marriage and is a family portrait of love, loss, guilt, challenges, complexities, self-examination, family dynamics, self-discovery, and more.
Julie Cahill’s transient childhood left her yearning for stability and a place to call home that came with permanent roots. Now with a family of her own, Julie ensures her children to have the experiences she never did. So intent on keeping her dream of home, family, and belonging blossoming that Julie begins to lose herself in the process. Then feelings of guilt cause her to hold on so tightly, that she inadvertently causes a discordant spiral to ripple through her family. Her dreams begin to crumble, and what happens makes for a relatable and heartfelt read.
Looking forward to exploring more of Ms. Robertson’s works in the future.
Happy Reading…
Thank you, Kyle Ann Robertson!
Reviewed by @angelahayes
White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I loved this book, it keep me engaged, and as a mother and wife, I felt connected to Julie. I completely understand the feeling of being taken for granted, and feeling invisible, like you really matter until you aren’t there to care for their needs, I relate to being boxed in or at least feeling that way and like there is not enough time for everything especially time to chase your owns dreams. I felt all the emotions and would definitely recommend this book to anyone, it is a great heartfelt story, and well written to draw you in and keep you in.
White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The story kicks you right in your feelings at the start. A story of taking things for granted and losing your place when you think you are inadequate. As a mother and wife it stirs a lot of things inside you when reading White Picket Fences. Heartbreak and closure in one small book. Guilt ridden, Jules is trying to get her life back together after the tragedy. A great read, that I would recommend not reading in public if you cry easily.
White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
White Picket Fences
By: Kyle Ann Robertson
This is such a beautifully written contemporary women’s fiction story. It is wrought with complex family drama. I think that the drama and the emotions are those that many women can really relate to. This looks at the pieces of a puzzle in a marriage, in a family and how many times women struggle to see where they fit. Also, it looks at the point where the person in the mirror is not someone you recognize anymore. The main character throughout this struggles with not knowing herself anymore. She is struggling to see herself and who she is. Things begin to crumble around her and that’s when the story really begins. I definitely cannot recommend this story enough!
White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Julie grew up in a military family and as a military brat found herself moving from place to place. Nothing in her life was ever permanent and she vowed that when she had a family of her own, they would never experience a life like that. Julie worked hard to achieve that goal and when she got married with kids of her own she ensured that they had a forever home, in a forever neighborhood, complete with forever friends. Going through the motions she did everything for her family to make the best life possible for them but somewhere in the process she not only lost her sense of self but felt trapped in the life she created.
Julie finds herself feeling as though her family takes her granted and does not appreciate what she does for them. In a moment of weakness, Julie does something out of character and takes a moment to herself. That one moment changes everything and when her family needs her the most, she is not there for them. Her life and everything she worked so hard to create suddenly starts to spiral out of control when she loses her young son. Overwhelmed by grief, guilt, and thoughts of what-if, Julie finds herself struggling to keep her family together. The harder she tries, the farther she seems to drive them away.
This was a beautiful and poignant story that had me reaching for the box of Kleenex more than once. Julie’s story is one that will resonate with many women who have experienced similar situations. As a wife and mother, we often overlook our own needs and focus on those of our family. We do everything we can to keep them happy and show them that we love them through the things we do everyday. Cooking them their favorite meal, keeping a clean home, and ensuring everything is perfect. In the process we often feel as though we go unnoticed, feel taken for granted, and feel unappreciated. We lose our sense of self and no longer identify as anything other than who we are when we are with them.
In Julie’s case she struggled with all of this while simultaneously dealing with the sudden loss of a child. She was already feeling a discord in her family life and this tragedy only caused a farther rift between the family. Each member of the family is dealing with the loss in a different way, and they start to drift apart. Suddenly everything Julie holds dear to her is being ripped away from her and she risks losing it forever. This was beautifully written, and I felt as though I was reading Julie’s personal diary about her innermost thoughts and feelings.
White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson. I loved this book. I could really relate to it. Its the story of Julie Cahill who is a Army Brat so she knows what its like to move all the time. She knows what its like to not know anyone in school so she was determined not to do that to her kids. While her marriage seems perfect she is left feeling unappreciated and unloved. She is a great mom and she has given her life 100% to her kids so she is left feeling like a stranger with her husband. Clinging to her kids even more after a horrible tragedy she smothers her kids only to cause permanent damage. Will she lose her husband and kids? This book is so full of emotion and tragedy and the life that’s left after that tragedy. Please keep tissues close by and be prepared to read until you are done with this great book.
White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a really interesting read. I really loved this author’s writing. It felt like the author’s writing was describing my life in parts. As a mother I know the feeling of losing yourself when you have kids. You do everything you can to protect and support your kids that in the process you lose yourself and the relationships you had before the kids came along.
Julie Cahill has tricky life growing up. She was always on the move never staying for long periods of time in one place she never felt like she was settled or that a place was home. She vowed that her own children wouldn’t grow up that way.
Fast forward and her family are dealing with a sudden loss. No parent imagines they will have to bury their child. Now the whole family are dealing with this loss, Julie’s relationship with her husband is suffering and she is trying to hold on tighter to her girls to protect them like she couldn’t protect her son.
Julie is battling grief because the one time she did something to rediscover herself was the same day the accident happened and Curtis was taken away from the family.
This is a story of love, grief, loss of a loved one and loss of yourself and about rediscovery. It is a very heartwarming and moving story and there is definately parts that I could relate to.
White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this story. It portrayed what many mothers/wives go through – how often we give everything of ourselves to our families, friends, jobs and lose a bit of ourself in the process. This story tugged at my heart – I could feel what each character was feeling and just wanted to help make it all better. Julie and Micheal had a great start to their married life – twin girls, a son… but when death takes someone from our life at an unexpected time, it is hard to pretend that things were okay before the death and that they can go on after. The family each has their own grief and guilt to work through… but it is even more than that. It is realizing that letting go, giving space, and finding yourself is what keeps you together.
White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
White Picket Fences is a contemporary fictional story of loss, love and life and the debut book by Kyle. It is a family drama full of regret and sadness. White Picket Fences looks at the dynamics and complexities of family, marriage and one’s place in it all.
It is a story that many will relate to. I think everyone in a marriage at some point feel like they are not appreciated and taken for granted and at times almost invisible. When looking at the person in the mirror is not someone you recognise anymore, and this is what our MC goes through in this story.
There are a lot of emotions in this heartfelt and gripping tale where one person’s actions change all that they know. Where tragedy becomes a heavy burden to bear. Where everything starts to unravel. Where everything you want to keep you push further away.
Can they ever get back to forever? You will have to read it to see what this family goes through.
Reviewed by @jennadb
White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Julie is just trying to do the right thing and put her family together again after the loss of her son, Curtis. Oh my, that family would make me lose my mind. I have to say that I would do what she did also. I mean, I could not fathom that type of loss but still… The writing is beautifully done as the author transports us back and forth from the tragedy to current times. We see how the how family adjusts. It’s a lot and you feel all the emotions they are going through. The characters are well-written. Her win daughters are so relatable. I think the only semi-normal one is Roger. I did feel as if I was intruding on a private moment but that is what makes it a wonderfully done family book. Love it. 5 stars for sure. Definitely on my Best of the year for sure!
White Picket Fences is a heartfelt family drama fueled by an honest story of motherhood, written for those of us caught up in our own self-searching journeys. The one thing Julie Cahill knows because of her transitory upbringing as a military brat is that she never had a hometown. So she has made sure her kids would grow up in one forever home, in a forever neighborhood, with lots of forever friends. Yet her dream of a permanent hometown has her feeling fenced in. Set in the Delaware Bay area, Julie has achieved her dreams but struggles with having to accept invisibility, underappreciation, and being taken for granted by her family in trade for her unconditional love. Her guilt over not being available for her family on that one fateful day has her challenging karma by tightening her grip on her daughters and husband, ultimately pushing them away.
Since achieving her Creative Writing Certificate from Emory University, Kyle Ann has authored the children’s book series ” Nissa- The Woodland Fairy.” as writer BB Walsh. is the CWO (Chief Writing Officer) of the blog IF CORKS COULD TALK. And now her first novel WHITE PICKET FENCES with more to come. Kyle Ann’s a retired Physical Therapist Assistant with most of her education coming from raising four children who are all out of college, happy in their own space, and paying their own bills! She spends as much time as possible reading, writing, golfing, gardening, and enjoying a glass of wine with friends and family. KyleAnnRobertson.com
