Wilhelmina Cooper is told that the key to her biological father's identity lies somewhere in her family's history. She buries herself in the research of her twisted family tree and finds that a chorus of voices from the town's past -- some sinister, all fascinating -- rises up around her to tell their side of the story.
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Wilhelmina Cooper is told that the key to her biological father's identity lies somewhere in her family's history. She buries herself in the research of her twisted family tree and finds that a chorus of voices from the town's past -- some sinister, all fascinating -- rises up around her to tell their side of the story.
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Add this copy of The Monsters of Templeton to cart. $5.97, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Thorndike Press.
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Add this copy of The Monsters of Templeton to cart. $5.97, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Thorndike Press.
Add this copy of The Monsters of Templeton to cart. $5.97, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Thorndike Press.
Add this copy of The Monsters of Templeton (Basic) to cart. $7.25, good condition, Sold by Cheryls-Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Vinemont, AL, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Thorndike Press.
I love when life and books intersect in unexpected ways. When I first started listening to the audiobook version of The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff, I happened to be driving alongside the Susqehanna River just as there was a mention of this same river and the surrounding land in the book. While the area described in the book was a little bit further up river than where I happened to be, this coincidence made the novel that much more real to me.
The Monsters of Templeton has a lot going on. There's historical fiction, a modern quest for identity, love stories both old and new, a sea monster (or lake monster, as the case may be) and even baseball, well really just plenty of baseball fans. In less capable hands, this big book could have been overwhelmed by all these very different stories, but Groff manages to weave them together seamlessly into a story that is both beautiful and enjoyable.
Set in the fictional town of Templeton, NY, loosely based on Cooperstown, NY, the novel tells the story of Willie Upton, a former resident and graduate student, who returns home after her love affair with her married professor comes to a disastrous end. Willie's story of finding herself is interspersed with the stories of Templeton's residents over the years, fitting since Willie is a descendant of the town's founder.
As Willie finds herself over the course of her summer in Templeton, she also finds that the town and its residents who she has looked down upon for years, aren't so bad after all.
Told in a beautiful style and peopled with a colorful cast of characters both
Tarri
Feb 1, 2009
You Can Go Home Again
From the Author's Note through the Epilogue you will be entertained. If you love a mystery, if you've ever wondered how a town develops, if a little fantasy is right up your alley, you are going to enjoy The Monsters of Templeton.
Ms. Groff uses quirky characters to tell the story of Temple family from the mid 1700s through the present. As Willie, the youngest member of the family, searches for her identity, we get to know her ancestors and the history of the town.
MattMrdck
Jun 16, 2008
Stephen King tipped me to this book...
...and anyone else who saw his column last summer (2007) in Entertainment Weekly.
At the time of Harry Potter Book 7's release, King wrote that he'd read a great book that was coming out in early 2008, noted the title and author and said it was as good a read as he had had all year.
I wrote it down and ordered it when I saw it was being released in February. With tone and style far more impressive and vivid than I'd expected from a first time author, Ms. Groff tangibly paints both the lives and needs of the characters and the town where everything important in the book happens as prosaically as if I, too, was a resident and lived down the street from all the action. Ms Groff's writing was much warmer than I expected, too, and that was a pleasant surprise, as well (though I'm not really sure why I thought that prior to reading this great book).