Shelter Me

By Juliette Fay

In the tradition of Marisa de los Santos and Anne Tyler comes a moving debut about a young mother's year of heartbreak, loss, and forgiveness...and help that arrives from unexpected sources

Four months after her husband's death, Janie LaMarche remains undone by grief and anger. Her mourning is disrupted, however, by the unexpected arrival of a builder with a contract to add a porch onto her house. Stunned, Janie realizes the porch was meant to be a surprise from her husband—now his last gift to her.

As she reluctantly allows construction to begin, Janie clings to the familiar outposts of her sorrow—mothering her two small children with fierce protectiveness, avoiding friends and family, and stewing in a rage she can't release. Yet Janie's self-imposed isolation is breached by a cast of unlikely interventionists: her chattering, ipecac-toting aunt; her bossy, over-manicured neighbor; her muffin-bearing cousin; and even Tug, the contractor with a private grief all his own.

As the porch takes shape, Janie discovers that the unknowable terrain of the future is best navigated with the help of others—even those we least expect to call on, much less learn to love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 6, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061977824

Juliette Fay

Juliette Fay is the bestselling author of seven novels, including THE HALF OF IT, CATCH US WHEN WE FALL, CITY OF FLICKERING LIGHT and THE TUMBLING TURNER SISTERS, a USA Today bestseller and Costco Pennie’s Book Club Pick. Previous novels include THE SHORTEST WAY HOME, one of Library Journal’s Top 5 Best Books of 2012: Women’s Fiction; DEEP DOWN TRUE, short-listed for the 2011 Women’s Fiction award by the American Library Association; and SHELTER ME, a 2009 Massachusetts Book Award “Must-Read Book” and an Indie Next pick. Juliette is a graduate of Boston College and Harvard University, and lives in Massachusetts with her family. Visit her at www.juliettefay.com, Facebook: Juliette Fay author, Twitter: @juliettefay, and Instagram: Juliette_Fay.

Reviews for Shelter Me

[pamv-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I liked it OK and it was not a book that was hard to get into or anything. There just wasn't much "meat" to the story. In fact, it was pretty predictable. For what ever reason, though, I really liked the main character of the book. I think that the author (Fay) had so many things going on in her own head that she wanted to write about that she seemed to have just thrown in a bunch of stuff she just couldn't seem to develop or she didn't have enough time to finish...Not sure.

[carolee888 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Shelter Me by Juliette Fay sat on one of my to be read shelves for a long time but I finally took it down and really enjoyed the story. After a little bit of reading it became addictive.The main character Janie LaMarche has recently lost her husband and is grieving for him. They had a wonderful life together and her husband, Robbie gave her a gift that he had not told her about, an addition of a porch to their house. Janie has two children to raise, Dylan, a bright inquistive and sensitive 4 years old boy and Carly, who is 8 months old. It seems that without the children, she might pull into herself and become a hermit. But she has to deal with getting on with life even though her husband's death still seem unreal. Her mother abandons her in her grief for a trip to Italy and she has never learned how to relate to her brother who has Asperger's. She wants shelter and comfort and reaches out the parish priest who has weekly visits to her house. But he has secrets to deal with and they become intertwined emotionally.In the background is the carpenter who creates the porch as something that is to be loved and and he emerges into her life. She feels guilt for enjoying his friendship and closeness so soon after her husband's death. The author does very well in creating believable characters and and ones that you are for. Reading it makes me feel affection for the author and I hope to read many more of her books.

[moonshineandrosefire · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Janie LaMarche has recently lost her husband Rob in a biking accident. In the four months since his death, she has been balanced on the edge of an overwhelmingly emotional crisis - teetering from heartwrenching grief to blazing anger from day to day. However, her mourning is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of a contractor with a building order to add a porch onto her house. Bewildered by his sudden arrival, Janie slowly realizes that the porch was actually meant to be a surprise from her husband - now his final gift to her.As a reluctant Janie allows the construction to begin, she steadfastly clings to the familiarity of her sorrow - mothering her two small children with a fierce protectiveness, avoiding well-meaning friends and family, and stewing in a rage she can't release. Yet Janie's self-imposed isolation is continuously breached by a motley crew of unlikely interventionists, all determined to break through her steely shell of grief. The cast of loving intermediaries includes: Janie's chatty Aunt Jude, for whom a stiff slug of ipecac solves everything; her over-manicured, tremendously nosy neighbor Shelly, whose home visits are so regular Janie can almost set her watch by them; her muffin-bearing cousin Cormac, who considers baked goods to be downright therapeutic; and even Tug, the contractor with a private grief all his own.So, as the porch begins to take shape, Janie discovers that the unknown terrain of the future is better charted a day at a time. And that any potential potholes she may encounter along the way are best navigated with the help of others - even those who she never expected to call on, much less learn to love.I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Everything about it resonated with me: the story was well-written, the characters were entirely believable, and the plot was very well-developed. I'm going to be putting this author's name right at the top of my wishlist and would certainly give this book an A+!

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Young wife loses husband in accident and struggles to move on. Lots of mis-cued emotions. Interesting subplot re the priest. Not a perfect ending, but a believable one.

[d_borahb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was one that sat unread as the description of what was between the covers didn't seem likely to hold my reading interest. I have now read it twice bought copies of the book that have by the magical power of leaving a book in public places with a note saying read me have heard people tell others how this book was to appear when they needed it.....how they have found that they must let others have the book....it has become the gift that keeps beings given in my town.

[librarymary09 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really loved this book - have been recommending it to lots of people. I liked how the main character was flawed and hurting, and all the characters were compelling -- had a hard time putting this one down!

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Janie LaMarche is suddenly widowed at age 38 after seven wonderful years of marriage. Her husband Robby, out riding his bike, was hit by an older driver. She has two children, Dylan, 4, and Carly, who is only 8 months old. Janie is sad, angry, and fearful. Into this house of emotional land mines comes Tug Malinowski, a 45 year old contractor hired by Robby to build Janie a screened-in porch. Tug doesn’t know the man who hired him is dead; he offers to tear up the contract, but Janie decides that if Robby wanted it, she should go through with it.But this isn’t a straight-forward predictable romance. There are a lot of other issues added to the story. Janie feels abandoned by her mother, who took off for Italy rather than helping Janie through this period of mourning. Janie has a twin brother Mike, but he has Asperger’s, and is not someone from whom she can get emotional sustenance. Her best friend and neighbor now has a boyfriend, and is moving away to be closer to him. Janie turns to the young parish priest, Jake, who insists on visiting her weekly, and with whom Janie gets dangerously close. Through it all, including numerous angry outbursts from Janie, Tug hangs in there, helping quietly in the background. Eventually Janie thinks there might be a path to happiness for herself, but like many people in her position, she is afraid to be happy; afraid to betray the memory of her husband, and afraid of risking more loss.Evaluation: This is a good “women’s lit” book, with perhaps too many issues thrown in (some problems of contemporary Catholicism also come into play, such as pedophilia, celibacy, and holiday Catholics; as well as conflicts with relatives and urban crime), but then again, life is complex in just that way. The author does a good job of keeping the reader’s sympathies with Janie, despite Janie’s petulance and emotional volatility.

[junipersun · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I sank into this novel as into a featherbed, & didn't want to get up. The story covers most of the year when Janie is left with 2 young children after the untimely death of her husband. I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed Janie's anger, since I am not expressive of anger. It was refreshing to read. I loved her joking relationship with her cousin Cormac. Poor Carly seems to be just an appendage--except when Janie complains of having spent the morning keeping her from crawling up the stairs we mostly see Carly being hauled around. But this fits with the story, and Janie's belated realization of how much of Carly's life she's missed. I sort of wonder why men wanted to be around her, given her attitude. All I can figure is that she was exceedingly beautiful, & that men assume that all that fiery passion will carry over to bed. Not that there was much sex--we're talking Catholics here.

[oldblack-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Reasonably pleasant reading with just enough reality to rescue it from the mushy end of the romance spectrum - although everyone does live happily ever after in the end. I listened to the audiobook version over 11 CDs and it kept me company over many kilometres of nocturnal running. Unfortunately, the reader (Marguerite Gavin) wasn't that great, IMHO. She voiced the young child with slurred speech like a drunk, and quite often put pauses in the wrong place, altering the meaning of the text.

[teenielee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is probably more of a 3.5 star book, but I'm being generous tonight. I was really glad to see some realistic emotions and mean thoughts from the main character.

[askum_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a first time reading one of Juliette's book and I am interested in reading more of her books. I found this book to be really good and very emotional the way people deal with loss.

[rockyroad2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked the book but sometimes it went off on tangents that were somewhat boring.

[teeth_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was the first book I've read by this author and I will be reading more . This book is about loss and how a mother of two deals with the loss of her husband. The charachters are very real and the emottions are raw.

[coolmama_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Juliette has such a way of writing - not trite or chick lit at all - full of full character development, with such empathy and understanding and warmth - she is quickly becoming my new favorite author!Janie LaMarche has recently been widowed. Her husband of 9 years, Robbie had an accident and left her with 4 year old Dylan, and 3 month old Carly. One day, Tug Malinowski, a local contractor, shows up at her door to talk to her husband about the plans for the porch he requested as a gift for his wife.Thrown in the mix is a local priest, Father Jack, who comes to Junie on Fridays since she won't attend a grief group...and he has his own dark secrets.This story about family, love, expectations and loss is a winner!

[readingrebecca · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Shelter Me by Juliette Fay is beyond any doubt one of the best books I’ve read in the last 10 years. This is the story of Janie LaMarche and her first year as a widow with two small children. Her emotions are raw and convincing and her anger is palpable. It sounds so easy to say I felt her pain, but I did. It was real. No matter what her loved ones did for her, there was still the absence of Robbie. No one could change that. Sometimes I wanted to shake her and tell her to straighten up, sometimes give her a big atta girl, and sometimes just wanted to sit down and have a cup of coffee with her and tell her to hang in there. Because isn’t that what we all want; just to know that someone hears you and understands you?Juliette Fay has given a truly remarkable voice to her protagonist, Janie, and has allowed her to have all her emotions, all her anger, all her distrust of her family and friends. After all, they’re not nearly in as much pain as Janie and cannot know how her life has been affected. Slowly I saw Janie come to realize that she did not live in a vacuum; there were others who were affected by Robbie’s death.The characters were all true; these were all people I have known in my former New England neighborhood. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a true to life story about anger and grief and survival, sometimes just making it from minute to minute. This is a book I will keep and read again, something I seldom ever do because there are so many books to read. But I feel connected to these characters and don’t want to let them out of my life just yet.

[krittersramblings · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An amazing read! I absolutely enjoyed and believed in each character. I feel as though each character could be walking the streets of our hometowns today. I have lost some people in my life to the world beyond - and to hear from one woman's perspective her battle with grief was both heartbreaking and eye opening. I loved how her story felt real. I felt her ups and downs and believed that each moment could be happening to a widow at any time. Without revealing the whole plot line, I appreciated her internal judgement and fear of how others would perceive her taking steps towards moving on from this tragedy.A deep and though provoking read that I would absolutely recommend.

[didishoo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good book that I read in two days. I was surprised to learn that this was Juliette Fay's first novel and I cannot wait to read more of her books. The storyline was very interesting and the characters were also very intersesting and likeable.

[nevusmom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really good, somewhat predictable. The central figure is a newly single mom, widowed after her husband is killed in an accident, and how she copes in the first year following his death. While the vast majority of the story revolves around the woman and her relationships, a few contemporary issues were given some paragraphs: the pedophile priest scandal, abuse of prescription meds, even Asperger's Syndrome. The message of forgiveness towards the end brought me to tears. While I appreciated the experience and description of the Self-Defense for Women course, it was a given that Janie would be attacked at some point. Of course.

[speedy74_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Faced with the unexpected death of her husband, Janie is now a single mother working through her first year of grief. In addition to the normal holiday "firsts" without her husband, Janie has to adjust to being a single parent and dealing with all of the people in her life that have stepped in to help her, sometimes against her will. One of these characters is Tug, a contractor hired by Janie's husband to build a porch, a project which is a total surprise to Janie and is her husband's last gift to her. Janie's irritation, sarcasm, and even her deep felt relief make this book a page turner. While the plot is for the most part predictable, this is a quick and entertaining read that may even provoke a tear or two.

[fearsomefoursome · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Janie's husband died in an accident, leaving her with two young children. As she deals with her overwhelming grief and anger at his senseless loss, a stranger arrives to build a porch on their house - a gift her husband had arranged as a surprise for her. The building of the porch is a perfect metaphor for the other changes in her life, as she must figure out how to proceed without the husband she loved. Her emotions are raw and real, and Ms. Fay captures them perfectly as Janie struggles through the everyday routine of a life she never planned and resents now having. There are so many characters, all of whom are layered and interesting, who weave through Janie's life. I was just as interested in their stories as in Janie's. I'm recommending it to my book club and look forward with great anticipation to Ms. Fay's next book.

[voracious_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was such a wonderful, heartwarming novel that I am devastated that it is over!!! Janie is a young mother whose husband was recently killed in an accident, leaving her with two young children and a broken heart. She spends the majority of the novel trying to make sense of her grief by lashing out at the world, while tryiing to care for her children. A number of memorable family members and friends play roles in stepping in to support Janie, Dylan and Carly as they start their new life without their husband/father. The lessons Janie learns throughout the novel about love, forgiveness, second chances, and unexpected relationships are memorable and poignant. I sincerely hope Juliette Fay considers bringing Janie's family back in a future novel as I miss them already!

[theunorganizedmom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As a wife and mother I cannot imagine what this character is going through, but the author, Juliette Fay did a wonderful job of showing us. This book was one of the first on my summer reading list and as soon as it arrived in the mail I couldn't wait to get started. It is a heartwarming and honest account of the life and experiences of this young widow and mother of two. Having experienced a heartbreaking loss I completely understand her answer to the question, "how are you doing", where she replied, "shitty"! This book is a must read, although the topic is sad, the book is not. Great job Juliette....I'll be anxiously awaiting your next book!

[readerwritergirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful first book, one of the best books I've read lately. Fay is an extremely accomplished writer with an amazing ability to get every word just right. Her characters are real people with whom we can sympathize, and her dialogue pulls no punches. Her writer's voice is unique and assured. More please!

[staciele · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was fortunate to get an ARC of this book from Harper Collins. I was very interested in this book because I think it hit at one of my biggest fears. As a mother and wife, I can't imagine losing my husband. Janie's emotions in the story were so raw and yet so believable. I felt her pain and have often shared the same thoughts when I dare to think about "What if?" The story deals with family relationships, friendships, motherhood, anger, grief, forgiveness, fear, and love. Really anyone could relate to some portion of this book. I loved the way the author brought in the letter writing at the homeless shelter. "Beryl" one of the homeless says to Janie "A typed letter is so cold and impersonal. It can be sent to so many people at once! Only a handwritten letter can convey the sense that the writer is actually with you, saying the words to you alone. When you write a letter with your own hand, you give a tiny piece of yourself" This was a great reminder for me and after just reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and how that was also completely letters written back and forth, I am even more driven to write more to those I love.I loved Janie's journal writings as they allowed the reader to see that real raw emotions Janie was having over the death of her husband and whatever else may be bothering her that day. I just think it made her more believable and identifiable. I liked that she too, made mistakes with her kids. No one is perfect and it's ok, if you feed Rice Krispies to your kids for supper once in a while!There were so many other parts of the story that I reflected on, cried, and laughed about. Even though the book is over 400 pages, I quickly became wrapped up in the story and hated to put it down. I believe Ms. Fay has a winner of a novel!

[staci_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

this is a new author to me and one that I will definitely be reading more of in the future. This book was truly a great read. I enjoyed how the author went between entries of Janie's journal and then back to the story. I loved Janie's character and even loved her when she would get pissed off and throw a fit. She misses her husband so much that she is drowning in the day-to-day monotony of life. With the help of her cousin and aunt, plus a few other characters you will get to know, she manages to hold on and make it through that first year of grieving. I found myself rooting for her, wanting her life to be good, wanting her to heal and to start enjoying the life she now had, one without her beloved husband Robby. Her oldest child, Dylan, will make you laugh, smile, and tug at your heartstrings. Fay has captured an old soul with this precious character. An added bonus to this book is an outstanding Author Insights Q&A, recipes (very cool!), questions for discussions for a book club (this would make for a fantastic book club read!!) and a funny story about how this book ended up all over I-89 in Vermont. If you're looking for a good book with a heartfelt story then I would totally recommend this to you.

[mholles_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very good book. Lots of levels but not too deep or too fluffy. The titlewas very fitting. Plot and characters were great.

[donna828 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Better than the average chick-lit, this book contains the requisite romance and heartache, but it goes deeper than that. Shelter Me delves into the angry, helpless feelings that consume Janie, a recent widow with two young children. she lashes out and almost drives away those in her life who care about her. But they persevere in their compassion, and she slowly begins to heal and let joy into her life again.That's the story in a nutshell; however, the way it is told and the appealing cast of characters that seem so real, make this book hard to resist. It is an exploration of one woman's reaction to grief, and it may be helpful to someone on that same path.

[mckait · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ass kicking widow? Loving mother? Betrayed daughter? Vulnerable friend?, November 16, 2008By K. wagner "*Mitakuye Oyasin or We are All Rel... (Southwest Pa.) - See all my reviews Yes. All of these and more. When this book came my way as an advance copy I expected it to be an interesting and light read. It is. It is that and so much more. Janie is a thirty something mother of two small children who lost her husband in a freak accident. There are many ways to lose a loved one, but to lose a soulmate with no time to say good-bye has to rank as one of the most difficult. I expected to find a story that was sad and depressing and maybe a little difficult to read. Sad was there, betrayal, vulnerability and fear were all there. And humor. There is lots of humor. Hard to believe I know, considering the basic story. But difficult, no...no. I was drawn into this story, and found myself caring about the characters immediately. Janie is strong, hurt but strong. When she was young, she simply did not believe that she would be one of those women who found true love and a happy life. But she did. She found a man who was able to "Get" her. To understand where she was coming from and to support her, love her and be a wonderful father to their children, Dylan and Carly. Her life had become so much more than she expected. Then he was gone. A fatal decision, a moment in time and he was gone. Suddenly a single mom who felt broken, she was carrying on as best she could. She had a wonderful supportive family behind her. Cormac, her cousin and a variety of slightly nutty but caring relatives and friends. Counseling from her priest was at first just an annoyance, but became more, much to her surprise. Life was not through with surprising her, or testing her. This book will land on my KEEPER shelf with the books never to give away and to read again and again. This will be another book I will recommend and in fact give as a gift to friends. I have said before that I love stories about strong women. Women who do not let the stumbles on lifes path get them down. I love Janie and her family and friends and I know you will too.