Fiction
Released March 17, 2015
382 Pages
Bottom Line: Read it.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Purchased
Headline
This is a gorgeously written story that starts out quietly, but takes a suspenseful turn and will leave you dying to talk to it over with someone…making it a perfect book club selection. I’m also adding it to my 2015 Summer Reading List.
Plot Summary
When eight year old Peggy Hillcoat is taken to live in a remote cabin in the woods (die Hutte) by her survivalist father (James), she discovers the reason he told her they had to leave London is a lie and sets about to discover the truth.
Why I Read It
A couple bloggers who have steered me to great places before (Leah at Books Speak Volumes and Allison at The Book Wheel) raved about it.
What I Liked Loved
- Our Endless Numbered Days starts out as a somewhat quiet story, but gets incredibly suspenseful during the second half (or so). I stayed up way too late finishing the final third in one night.
- Fuller tells the story through the perspective of Peggy looking back on her time in the woods intermixed with chapters following her return to London. I loved this choice because, during the quieter beginning of the book, Peggy drops hints about certain things that should have alerted her to danger at the time. This gives the story a deliciously ominous feel right from the beginning.
- What kicked this book from a “really like” to a “love” for me was that the story made me take the same set of puzzle pieces it started with and look at them from a completely different perspective by the end.
- The writing is gorgeous…especially when Fuller describes mundane things in the woods in a way that makes life there seem a bit magical.
In the middle, the river was a deep green, scattered with rocks poking their noses up for a breath. The water charged around them, creating eddies and whirlpools. Closer to the bank, the current dragged lengths of weed along with it so it seemed that long-haired women swam just under the surface, never coming up for air.
What I Didn’t Like
- I honestly couldn’t come up with something I didn’t like about this book, but I do think the official marketing blurb includes way too much information (so maybe steer clear if you think you want to read it and like going in blind!). Sadly, I’ve been feeling this way about more and more books lately.
A Defining Quote
A wave of homesickness came over me, but I wasn’t sure if it was for London and shoe shops and pavements, or my father and die Hutte. I wanted both to stay and run away.
Good for People Who Like…
Gorgeous writing, child protagonists, secrets and betrayal, books that make you think, dark topics
Other Books You May Like
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
So glad you liked it!!! I totally agree that it was slow to start, and then was unputdownable by the end. Amazing debut.
Child protagonists are usually a turn-off for me, but this book sounds very tempting.
This child doesn’t come across as very child-like, so I’d give it a shot! I didn’t feel her age at all.
Boy, does that sound good to me and I think the cover is fabulous.
Yay, so glad you loved this book! Such a good “puzzle” book; I really want to read it again to learn more about how it was crafted.
I know…I want to re-read the first 2/3 and try to pick up on all little clues. Alas, time…
Thanks for great review Sarah. I’m glad you loved this.
I have it on my bookshelf as a “next to read”! I also read Station Eleven, which I very much enjoyed, and it led me to search for other books like it and this one popped up.
Now I am even more anxious to read it! Must finish “The Daylight Marriage” by Heidi Pitlor first though! I will unabashedly promote her book because she was my roommate in boston and she deserves it….
Oh good! It’s not exactly like Station Eleven, but kind of has a similar feel to it…and I thought of Station Eleven as I was reading it. I hope you enjoy it!
If you liked it, I will, too. I’ve had it but haven’t read it because everyone was talking about it and I wanted the hype to die down some. Great review.
I finished this book last weekend. What a story! I think it’s going to haunt me for a while.
I love putting together a puzzle in a book. I’ve only seen the Goodreads ratings for this one, and I have a hard time believing ratings (around 3.something) on GR. I’m glad to hear it is better than those numbers.
Weirdly, some of the books I’ve absolutely loved had been 3 stars on GR and/or Amazon. The Dinner and The Interestings come to mind. And, this one was 5 stars for me. Hmmm…
I’m so glad you liked it! I thought it was marvelous as well. I did the same thing in that once I finished, I had to go back to re-read parts because my perceptions hd changed.
You probably already know this but Claire Fuller stopped by The Socratic Salon when we discussed the novel so she adds insight in the comments. A very gracious and interesting author. Plus, there are spoilers so you can say whatever you want!
I hadn’t read this in time for TSS discussion, but I will check back and see what I missed! So cool that Claire Fuller joined in! I’d love to see what she has to say.
I totally agree the synopsis gave too much information. Some of that would have been nice to find out on our own. I’m with you though, other than that, I couldn’t find a drawback. LOVED this one! So glad you did, too. 🙂
Luckily, I hadn’t read the synopsis that closely when I read the book 🙂 I’ve been finding that there’s too much info in so many blurbs recently that I’ve stopped reading them too too closely! Especially if I hear there’s some surprises in a certain book!
Ooh. Sounds good. Adding it to my ever-growing TBR list. Gotta say. This is not one I would’ve picked up on my own because of the cover. Looks like a children’s book with a little pilgrim girl collecting twigs for the fire. 🙂 Hope you have a good weekend.
Haha!! Yes – I think that description is accurate! I don’t pay that much attention to covers – especially since I read electronically. And, I think I’d heard the raves about this one before I saw the cover…it wasn’t really on my radar screen until I read other bloggers’ reviews.
Sounds great! I’m going to add this one to my to read list!
So glad you enjoyed this so much! I loved it too – definitely the perfect summer read!
I think you sold me on this one! thanks. will put it on my TBR pile
I could have sworn I commented on this a while ago but apparently I didn’t….. I’m so glad that you liked it because I’m still raving about this book (and Claire is joining this year’s #30Authors event!). The writing is, like you said, stunning and it definitely puts a new spin on a puzzling storyline.
Yes yes yes yes yes yes. That is all.