The Bungalow by Sarah Jio - A Review

Sarah Jio gave me one of the best birthday presents…and I’ve never even met her. My birthday was on Wednesday and I just wanted an afternoon to tackle the pile of unread books I’ve accumulated on my nightstand and iPad. Simple, right? Graciously, my husband obliged and I was able to indulge in hours of uninterrupted literary bliss. Yes, this makes me happy – very, very happy.

I finished the final two chapters of a book I had been working on for a month, digested a few chapters of an economics books I’ve been reading (for a year!) and started Sarah Jio’s new novel, The Bungalow. That was the plan anyway.

Time swallowed me up as day turned to night. Before I knew it, it was midnight and I turned the last page of The Bungalow. Seriously. I finished it in a single sitting…and I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way. Sometimes when you read a book, there is a natural place to grab the bookmark and pause. Not the case with The Bungalow. I just couldn’t stop.

I love wartime fiction. There’s something about a story unfolding with the backdrop of international tension, boundless courage and unknown outcomes that sucks me in -- if that story is a romance, even better. The Bungalow is an emotional story of uncertain love, true love, the lure of stability, the ugliness of pride and the beautiful intertwining of lives through generations.

The skillful, clean writing that Jio exemplified in her first novel, The Violets of March, pours over into The Bungalow, making it a true pleasure to read. It flows so effortlessly from one scene to the next while carrying the reader from a wealthy Seattle neighborhood to the jungle of Bora-Bora. As I turned the final page, I literally wanted to hug the book. Had I not been reading on my iPad, I would have (one disadvantage of e-reading: the hugs aren’t quite as satisfying).

Thanks, Sarah, for the awesome birthday present. I wasn’t expecting to spend my evening with Anne and Westry, but I’m so glad I did.