Tolstoy and the Purple Chair Book Review

Book Description

Caught up in grief after the death of her sister, Nina Sankovitch decided to stop running and start reading. For once in her life she would put all other obligations on hold and devote herself to reading a book a day: one year of magical reading in which she found joy, healing, and wisdom.
With grace and deep insight, Sankovitch weaves together poignant family memories with the unforgettable lives of the characters she reads about. She finds a lesson in each book, ultimately realizing the ability of a good story to console, inspire, and open our lives to new places and experiences. A moving story of recovery, Tolstoy and the Purple Chair is also a resonant reminder of the all-encompassing power and delight of reading.

My Thoughts:   What a lovely read.  The prologue provided the background for Sankovitch’s Book-A-Day for a year project.  The past few years had been an emotional uproar and now her soul needed healing and reading was the prescription.  Her project was a bit selfish, but she had the support of her husband who understood the importance of their sacrifice.  She prepped her family and her home for her journey unsure of what may come but committed nonetheless to reading a book a day. 

In Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, Sankovitch’s shares her thoughts on the books she read throughout the year and yes, Tolstoy is one of the books reads and yes, there is a purple chair.  There are tons of tidbit reviews scattered throughout, but this book isn’t about book reviews, Tolstoy and the Purple Chair is about healing.  The book is a loving tribute to her sister, whose death served as a catalyst for the project. 

I connected with the book on many levels.  As a wife and mother, I wondered how receptive my family would be had I ever have to make the decision Sankovitch did.  As a book reviewer, I appreciated her commitment to reading a book a day and documenting her reviews on her website.  Lastly, as a sister, I longed to phone my sister and brother to tell them simply “I love you”.  Nothing less.  Nothing more.  Just “I love you”.  I miss my siblings so much and even though they live closer to me than ever before, we are so very far apart.  I fear a time will come where an impending loss will force us to cram all those years we’ve wasted on our differences to discovering that which makes us family. 

Overall, my soul NEEDED this read and I am grateful to Harper Perennial for introducing me to this wonderful storyteller.

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Many thanks to Harper Perennial for providing a review copy of this book.  For more information on Tolstoy and the Purple Chair or more Harper Perennial publications, visit Harper Perennial online at www.harperperennial.com



Disclosure: Many thanks to the sponsor for providing this prize for the giveaway. Opinions are my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. Click here for the Disclosure Policy of Three Boys and an Old Lady blog.