Marlene Hauser

Lily’s life is a struggle.
Geraniums is a beautifully written and compelling literary fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed. Marlene Hauser has a style that ensnares the reader because of her ability to step inside the minds of her characters and enable the reader to experience, through them, the events of the novel. There’s a painterly writing style too, with descriptions that place the reader at the heart of the narrative.
The plot is elegantly wrought, with Lily’s perspective leading the reader through the events of her family’s life in such a realistic way that it is clear any generic family could be just as dysfunctional, controlling and abusive as Jack’s so that Geraniums makes the reader realise that we never truly know those around us or understand quite what they may be capable of doing.

Geraniums (The Book Guild) is Marlene Hauser’s second novel. It’s an uncomfortable story of a young girl growing up in a dysfunctional family in the US with a father in the forces and his ever-interfering mother for whom no one is good enough for her boy. Certainly not her daughter in law who is despatched to the margins, or even her granddaughter, Lily who is guilty by association – her mother incarnate and infecting her brother and sister. The emotional attachment is punctuated by sometimes harrowing and sudden detachment, and the family moves on with new towns, new schools, and Dad’s new girlfriends. Through the constant change, being put down, and the insistence on conformity, Lily’s remarkable positivity and will has you pulling for her. The abuse of trust and responsibility has to come to a head, and it’s well handled and redemptive while keeping you turning the pages with empathy and curiosity. The author Marlene Hauser is unagented, and I understand has many more books in the pipeline. I will certainly be back for more.

The author writes with an unselfconscious brutal honesty. This is an intense forensic exploration of a dysfunctional family. I was totally enthralled and appalled and couldn’t put the book down until I found out what happened to Lily and her siblings. I was reminded of Flowers In The Attic (the Virginia Andrews classic, not the film) but this is the truest evocation of lingering trauma I have ever read.  This bildungsroman is boldly written, at times shocking, creating an emotional rollercoaster of anger and pity. Compelling, visceral and immediate: an unconditional masterpiece.

Geraniums is a mesmerizing story of family strife and enduring belief. The main character, Lily, manages to deal with a manipulating grandmother, an abusive father and separation from her mother whom she believes she will be reunited with someday. Lily is resilient, capable, and talented. As the ever-increasing conflicts get tougher and tougher, Lily only seems to grow stronger and stronger.
Right from the start, I was entranced with this gripping and moving novel. Impossible to put down. The author writes with a compact and easy-flowing style. The story hurtles along at a quick pace. And long after reading this, I was left contemplating the unsettling impact of this brilliantly revealing novel.

A well structured and quick read, this novel pulsates with family drama and enough significantly terrifying events that you’ll find yourself rooting for Lily and her siblings to make it to adulthood. With an underlying faith in education, a stalwart high school sweetheart and through the kindness of strangers, Lily navigates the weak and narcissistic personalities of her father and grandmother and fights for sanity. The reader will rejoice in Lily’s achingly unconditional love for her absent mother and imagine no finer ending than the satisfying one offered. A good reminder to treat others with kindness for you never know what the person standing next to you had to endure before breakfast.

“Geraniums” is a poignant, heart-wrenching tale of an American family’s travails through the 1960s. Initially the three children, narrated through middle child Lily, are blissfully happy living in Europe while their GI father Jack is posted a road. When they Jack sent back to mid-West America his psychological and physical abuse of each member of the family becomes intolerable, precipitating his loving wife’s nervous breakdown. Jack’s violence is exacerbated by alcoholism and PTSD. Anyone reading this with a similar background will recognise the stunning accuracy of this form of domestic abuse. Punctuated with moments of reprieve, a mother’s tender love and initial joy, this novel is impossible to put down and a quick read. Highly recommended.

I read it in two sittings and couldn’t put it down!
Wonderful characters that have you fully invested in their journey from page one.
Narrator Lily’s triumph against all odds is very moving and had me weeping out loud at points.
Highly recommended.

It has been quite some time since I have read a novel that was so gripping. I read it over the weekend and was caught up in the beautifully depicted world of Lily and her very dysfunctional family. And yet, it is very different from other novels about dysfunctional families.
There is an attempt to be generous and to try to analyse the dysfunctionality sympathetically which gives significant depth to the novel. I particularly liked the descriptions of the various cultures the family lives in over the years and found it added richness to the story. And I was taken back in time by the closely observed and very poignant description of life in the 60s. Overall, despite some of the horrific events in the book the story is a very positive, life affirming one.
I was happy to have had the opportunity to read ‘Geraniums’ and will watch out for future novels by this author.

Having recently read (and adored) Mine by this author, I was really looking forward to reading this book too. I knew that it would be another heart-wrenching story, but the writing style is just so compelling that I knew that I’d still really enjoy this one too.
This book deals with some really sensitive issues – Jack being an emotionally scarred war veteran at a time that there was little understanding or sympathy for this kind of mental health issue.
This left me a little stuck as to how I felt about him and his actions. On the one hand I hated everything he put Laurnw and the children through – but at the same time, I had this spark of sympathy for him – he had needed help to overcome his own troubles.
Either way, all the characters really jump off the page and lodge themselves in your heart aa you read through this devastating story. I love however, that this has such an overall positive feel to it. Lily’s pure determination and the help and love of Diego that allows her to break free from the family ties and gain her independence.
Another gorgeous read by this author – I wouldn’t hesitate to instantly pick up more in the future.
💕Thank you to the author, publisher and random things tours for my ARC copy – this is my honest review 💕

The treatment of Lily, her older sister Mags and younger brother Artie, meted out by their emotionally scarred father Jack Preston and his horrendous mother Emma is insane. I know Jack suffers from PTSD, but the way he treats them is unforgivable.
Emma, crippled in her back by childhood polio, is a monster. My grandmother also had what we called a ‘Dowagers Hump’ and was only 4’9″. I never really knew what caused her spinal deformity, but she was the sweetest, kindest lady I ever knew. Emma’s disability is no excuse for her unbelievable behaviour, particularly towards Lily.
Jack meets Lauren Rose, beautiful, gentle and kind. She loves flowers, particularly geraniums, which Emma thinks are common (how dare she), and grows them in terracotta pots. Jack can be very jealous and controlling. Emma thinks Lauren Rose isn’t good enough for her son.
They have three children, but their marriage is falling apart. Jack is driving his wife to the brink and Emma is actively encouraging him to divorce her and even have her committed. It’s heartbreaking.
For the children, there is a pattern emerging that will almost destroy them. A series of ghastly women, Jack is vulnerable as well as controlling. He controls his wife and the children, while his mother and his women control him. As far as Lauren Rose is concerned, he tells the kids that she is dead to them.
Lily is determined to be reunited with her mother, who she is sure is alive somewhere. Mags believes that Lauren Rose could have done more to help them. Artie is threatening to go off the rails. It’s a difficult dilemma, because I can see where Mags is coming from. Even if her mother was mentally incapable of doing anything (I know this from personal experience), their other Nana and Granddad could have done far more to rescue them from the dysfunctional situation they were in.
Full review on blog – https://cookiebiscuit.co.uk/2023/09/25/geraniums-by-marlene-hauser/

What an utterly, emotional and compelling story! From the first page, I was immediately hooked!
The protagonist, Lily is a strong character as she’s been dealt with bad cards throughout her life, yet always gets back up and rises.
It’s set in America, during the 1960s. It reads like a TV drama. Highly recommended.

Well, this one was a bit of a rollercoaster of a read. So many emotions! Mostly rage, as the author writes with such brutal honesty.
I loved Lily, and rooted for her all the way.
This book was difficult to read at times, and I found myself quite perplexed at the abusiveness of the family. They were narcissistic as well, which added to the brutality of the read.
I gave this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ as it was a bit of a slow start, but when it picked up, I couldn’t put it down.
A massive thank you to @randomthingstours for allowing me on the tour and @bookguild for the #gifted copy of the book.

Geraniums is a fast paced book thick with family drama and tension told from main character Lily’s perspective.
The tone of the book is set from the very beginning as you get glimpses of Emma’s life, Lily’s grandmother, which lends to the reasons she is the way she is. Controlling.
Then you have Jack, Emma’s son and Lily’s father, who is unfortunately under his mothers thumb and easily persuaded by her.
Lily’s mother, Lauren Rose, never stood a chance against Emma and Jack. She was the first victim of their bullying and later abuse by Jack.
Lily is witness to everything and it’s heartbreaking knowing that her and her two siblings grew up in this environment.
This book touches on the dynamics across a family, the dysfunction, abuse, addiction, and survival. And, Lily’s journey into escaping from the toxic element and breaking the cycle. So that Lily can eventually find kindness and love…and follow her dreams.

“While I did not know how long a lifetime might be, I put the mathematics of it all out of my head, safe in the knowledge that even if Mom came back in a different shape and size, I would recognise her. I would know her by the geraniums she would grow.”
We meet middle-child Lily Preston when she is a bright four-year old, very in tune with the fact there is something not right in her family. Moved from country to country, place to place thanks in part to her father’s military career in the 1960s and 70s, Lily and her two siblings cannot seem to outrun the abuse they suffer at the hands of their father and grandmother, as well as others.
This dysfunctional family drama and coming-of-age story is at times an uncomfortable read. Hauser writes with brutal honesty and while this does indeed lead to some almost unbearably bleak scenes, it brings a great level of authenticity to both plot and characters.
M, the children’s grandmother, was a remarkably well-written narcissist, as was the children’s father. It beggars belief that people can be so cruel to children, but sadly this is the stark reality for far too many.
Our protagonist Lily is an incredible character who will stay with me for a long time. The resilience of people, and more particularly children in this case, never fails to astound me. While Lily’s (and her siblings’) story was undoubtedly full of tragedy and trauma, there was also hope which buoyed me. A heart-breaking but worthy read that will stay with me.
Thanks to @randomthingstours and the publisher for the review copy of this book as part of the book blog tour ☺️