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    A Scattered Life
    A Scattered Life
    A Scattered Life
    Audiobook7 hours

    A Scattered Life

    Written by Karen McQuestion

    Narrated by Teri Clark Linden

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    “McQuestion writes with a sharp eye and a sure voice, and as a reader, I was willing to go wherever she wanted to take me.” —Carolyn Parkhurst, author of The Dogs of Babel

    Free spirit Skyla Plinka has found the love and stability she always wanted in her reliable husband, Thomas. Settling into her new family and roles as wife and mother, Skyla finds life in rural Wisconsin satisfying, but she can’t seem to quell her growing sense of restlessness. Skyla’s only reprieve is her growing friendship with neighbor Roxanne, who has five kids (and counting) and a life in constant disarray—but also a life filled with laughter and love.

    Much to the dismay of her intrusive mother-in-law, Audrey, Skyla takes a part-time job at the local bookstore and slowly begins to rediscover her voice, independence, and confidence. Throughout one pivotal year in the life of Skyla, Audrey, and Roxanne, all three very different women will learn what it means to love unconditionally.

    With the storytelling ingenuity of Anne Tyler, the writing talent of Jodi Picoult, and the subtlety of Alice Munro, McQuestion offers a satisfying debut that proves she is a gifted portraitist, a natural storyteller, and an author to watch.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateAug 23, 2011
    ISBN9781455827060
    A Scattered Life
    Author

    Karen McQuestion

    Karen McQuestion, the bestselling author of Good Man, Dalton and Hello Love, writes the books she would love to read—not only for adults but also for kids and teens. Her publishing story has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and NPR. Karen has also appeared on ABC’s World News Now and America This Morning. She lives with her family in Hartland, Wisconsin. To find out more about Karen and her books, visit www.KarenMcQuestion.com.

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    Reviews for A Scattered Life

    3.5/5

    109 ratings12 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Frankly I can't say much about the book because I'm not going to be able to listen all the way through. The narrator has good pronunciation and she's able to do different voices and so on. But the rest of her delivery is very distracting because there's an inappropriately Cherry bouncy I'm announcing something exciting sound choose some phrases that don't warrant that at all. For for example the first person narrator of the story is thinking about how her May Thomas has trouble sleeping in because he's such a rigid personality that he can't do it and one of the sentences in that paragraph and with something like he was unable to just lay there a little longer. The last several words of that sentence are lifted up to a higher pitch and end on a bright cheery note without ever dropping back down almost as though she's asking a question or announcing something exciting for sale or saying I would like to go to Hawaii instead of Australia. And there are so many sentences like that already where they warrant a neutral tone and I a downward pitch at the end of the sentence that it's jarring it sounds as though she is stopping her sentences Midway through. Another way to say it is that she's adding a motion where there shouldn't be any and it's not in keeping with the rest of the paragraph and I'm sure that's entirely unintentional. If she can conquer that she'll be a great married her because she's entertaining and her diction is good and she can do different voices. But it's unpleasant enough that I won't be finishing this book. Others may not see it that way oh, so please try a little of it before you pass on this book strictly because of that as this author has some pretty gripping and interesting stories.
    • 5/5
      When I come across a writer whose paragraphs flow from one into the other, I get excited. And when the characters jump off the page as someone I recognize,it gets even better. But when the story actually brings me into the same room the characters are in, it is Literary Art. This is one of the best novels I have read this year and I look forward to her next book.
    • 4/5
      I'd give this, like, 3.75 stars. It was fairly well written, and the story was pretty good. I was shocked to see that it was self-published via Kindle. It was far and away better than any of the books generally found in that category, and many published by the big houses.

      Thoughtful and interesting. Quiet. I just wanted a little...more. Not complaining, though, really. On the whole, a better book than anything I've read in a while.
    • 4/5
      This book was cute but grew serious towards the end. It was sad yet uplifting. It made you think about things in your life and thing around you. Where you stand in relationships. I really enjoyed this book.
    • 5/5
      A young girl finds a man she can love and marry. With him comes a controlling mother-in-law who refuses to let her sons grow up into men and stand on their own. Skyla only has her husband until a new neighbor moves in that doesn’t quiet meet the standards of her husband or his family, but she doesn’t care. She’s found a friend who can teach her to be herself and have some fun in life. Everything goes into a chaotic whirlwind when Skyla does the worst thing in her family’s eyes by taking a job. As she discovers herself others struggle with losing control of her. Along the way, everyone learns lessons that will draw them all together.This is a slower paced book that is easy to put down if you need to, but you’ll want to keep reading to discover what is happening. It’s not a sit on the edge of your seat kind, but it is not a boring pace either.The storyline is common in there is a strained relationship between the mother and daughter-in-law. Most of it stems from the mother-in-laws controlling nature, but as the story progresses the daughter-in-law discovers that she has to show mercy and welcome the changes that eventually do come from her husband’s mother. It is not a story of the age old clash of these roles but more of a story of growth, mercy, and love.The characters were unique but also very relatable. As the writer takes us into the minds of both of the main women, we can see where they are coming from even if their actions were wrong. Plus, we either have felt the same way or know someone who acts the same. Anyone who has a mother or daughter-in-law would be able to connect with the characters. They are not too perfect or all bad.This story is slow to start but that goes with the genre. I found it to be a very enjoyable read that had me bawling as I went along. If you are one to cry, get the tissues. It is a great read that I highly recommend.Note: I received this book from a colleague with no expectation of a positive review.
    • 3/5
      This is the second book I have read by Karen McQuestion, and it is a big improvement over "The Long Way Home". I found the characters more interesting, although the actions of several of the characters did not flow completely naturally. Held my interest.
    • 4/5
      Skyla's finally found structure and reliability in her husband and daughter and a good friend.
    • 4/5
      Warm story of a young mother and her family relations and friendships. The story if both funny, poignant and sad with a bittersweet ending. Reading this was like having a cup of warm tea on a cold night. This would be a good read for airflight or travel as it is easy to put down and find yourself right back in the story when you resume reading. I would read other books by this author.
    • 4/5
      This was a nice book, and a quick read. The book follows the story of Skyla Plinka, a free spirit that marries a down-to-earth older man. He tries to control her life like his mother controlled his. The book also touches on Skyla's neighbor, Roxanne (who really is the best character in the whole book) and Skyla's Mother-in-Law, Audrey.I would have enjoyed the book more had it followed a little more about Roxanne--you really don't get to know as much as you'd like about her. It also seemed to pull away from Skyla, the main character, really discovering who she is. It's almost as if the author didn't take the opportunity to make the character "go further"...working at a bookstore is not discovering who you are.Overall, this book was not a bad way to spend a day or two.
    • 4/5
      Another very inexpensive Kindle download for me from Amazon.com. I believe I snagged this for $2.99. I don't know if the price will stay down, though, as I think this one is going to be made into a movie, soon... This is a story about ordinary life situations and the regular people living them day in and day out. Its narrated from three points of view, Skyla a free-spirited young wife who lost her mother when she was a child, Audrey, a meddling mother-in-law and Roxanne an outspoken, charismatic mother of five. As the reader turns the pages in this book, its like being a fly on the wall in the lives of these three women. The strange part is as each page is flipped, the nagging question of what's the point, or is anything ever going to happen in this book continuously cross your mind? Just as the urge to give up and put this one back on the shelf becomes so strong the novel finally is turned completely upside down. "A Scattered Life" is a slow read, the author crams the lion's share of the action into the last 20% of the book. For most of the novel the reader is on his/her hands and knees desperately begging for something more. When everything finally begins to unravels the reader takes a step back and may strongly reconsider because "people are the only things that matter".
    • 5/5
      In real life truth is often stranger than fiction, and so it is in the case where Skyla Medley first meets Thomas Plinka in Karen McQuestion's novel A Scattered Life. Two different people and opposing personalities brought together by fate, Thomas was raised in a close-knit family with an interfering Mom, and Skyla was basically an orphan as well as a rolling stone who was constantly on the move.Skyla settles into life with Thomas. He has the stability she has always dreamed of, but along with that comes a very intrusive mother-in-law. Both Thomas and Skyla feel they can work at keeping the interference at a low level through their interactions, and Nora, their beautiful and precocious daughter, is the glue that binds as well as the light of their lives. Skyla has settled into this life with ease; Thomas is very controlled, thinking before he speaks, and while he is very predictable Skyla has a life she has only dreamed of. So why does it feel like something is missing?After church one day Skyla decides she wants to walk by the the house down the street. Their old neighbors have just moved away, and she is curious to meet the new people moving in. Thomas isn't interested but Skyla is hoping the new neighbors will have a little girl, someone that could be a friend for Nora. Skyla missed having friends and as she grew up had at least one in every town she moved to. She cried everytime they left because she would miss them. She did not have any friends in her new home as the women in her neighborhood were busy with careers or just more sophisticated. This made her very uncomfortable to be around them. She wants more for Nora and just knows that if the neighbors have a little girl they will be the best of friends.As they approach the driveway amidst the mess of moving, in Thomas's view more than the normal disaray, Nora spots a very young boy in some blankets sucking his thumb. No one is around and he is on his own. He looks to be two or three, and Thomas is very bothered that no one seems to know he is missing. As meeting the new neighbors goes, once Skyla alerts them to finding their absent son, which they had not noticed missing, this is not a great beginning as Thomas has already formed his opinion. Skyla, however, is fascinated and likes the hustle and the earthiness of her new neighbors. Without even knowing it, Roxanne Bear is just the friend she herself was looking for.Skyla finds too much time on her hands when school starts, and Nora is no longer at home all day so she takes to walking through town. At the end of her walk each day is a dilapidated book store, Mystic Books. While she has never been inside, she has been curious about it, so she decides to step in and check it out. The tiny elderly woman inside appears to be expecting her. She lets Skyla know that Madame, the woman that did the "readings" in the back of the book store, informed her that Skyla would be coming and would be working at the store. Skyla loves the book store and feels she can help to bring it back to its former glory as she agrees to start working there. As Skyla leaves the book store, she reflects on how she would let Thomas know about her new job, knowing he would not approve.As Skyla's life changes and brightens even further, we move into a story of love, anger, tragedy, loss, heartache, and death. And, as happens in true life, this book also brings a feeling of renewal and laughter.This is a wonderful book and hard to put down. Be prepared and bring the tissue. Karen McQuestion has written a profound and engaging book on issues that we all face in our lives, and she has found a way to bring this full circle and to add closure where it is due.This Book was recieved as a free copy from the Author. All opinions are my own based of my reading and understanding of the material.
    • 3/5
      The first half of the book is a lovely look at small town life in Wisconsin with a woman from a peripatetic life settling down with a man who hates change. The her best friend and neighbor gets cancer and the tone changes to the helplessness one feels for the dying and their family. The tone change was not entirely successful and although you knew that the family would not have a sunny and uneventful life, this change seemed rather arbitrary and forced. Some lovely characters, but overall an uneven book.