Book Review: The Necklace, by Claire McMillan (with spoilers)

I finished reading The Necklace over the weekend and can honestly say it is up there on the list of the best books I have read.  The plot moved along at a satisfying pace, and the characters seemed like people that we may have met one time or another in our lives.  The mystery surrounding the necklace spans from the 1920s until present day, and the time jumps add to the story, rather than distracting from it. 


The romantic entanglements between Ethan, Ambrose and May Quincy are best summed up in one word:  complicated.  May, out of obligation, marries Ethan, despite being in love with Ambrose.  The feelings between her and Ambrose only grow stronger despite being apart both in distance and by duty.  The necklace serves as a reminder of the love between Ambrose and May.


The modern Quincy relatives are an eccentric, spoiled bunch.  They behave like the spoiled heirs they are, and the only Quincy that I liked was Nell, who is a Quincy-once-removed.  Due to the way that Nell was treated by Aunt Lou, Lou bequeaths to Nell perhaps the most valuable item:  the necklace that belonged to Nell's grandmother, May.


This novel is full of intrigue, complicated family ties & emotions, and within it all: a love story.  I wholeheartedly recommend!!

Currently reading: The Necklace, by Claire McMillan

I am currently reading The Necklace, by Claire McMillan.  Touchstone Books was so wonderful to send me a copy of the book to review.

I'm about halfway through it--it is very hard to put down!   The characters are fascinating and McMillan's dialogue is refined and witty.  The Quincy family's dysfunctionality and elitism are very evident, and the book has (so far) been full of quite a lot of family drama.  The love triangle between Ambrose, Ethan, and May has been developing and I am anxious to see how that plays out in further chapters.


I have previously read another novel by Claire McMillan, Gilded Age, and it was phenomenal.  She lives near Cleveland, Ohio, where I am from, and it is always nice to read books published by local authors.  The Ohio/Cleveland references in The Necklace are nice as well :-)




I am loving it and will post another (longer) review when I am finished reading (hopefully this weekend).