I don't like to give up on a book, but this time I had to. I tried to read it—3 times! But it just didn't work for me. Maybe it's because I haven't read the Wednesday Sisters?? I don't know. I received this book several years ago as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, and I am finally admitting defeat and giving up on the book so I can clear it off of my shelves.

This book was so disappointing. I had read The Wednesday Sisters and assumed this book about their daughters would be similar and as enjoyable. Not even close. It had some major writing flaws which made me wonder how it had even been published. You just can't write in the first person and in the middle of a paragraph switch to an omniscient narrator. This occurred repeatedly throughout the book and was incredibly confusing. Most of the characters were unbelievable, except for Beatrix Potter. And really, it felt that Clayton had just shoehorned Potter into the book for unknown reasons. The best part of the novel was the setting, a beautiful and remote English countryside. ( )

During the late 1960s, five extraordinary young women - Frankie, Linda, Kath, Ally and Brett - forged an amazing friendship that endured for a lifetime. Although the ladies initially had little in common with each other beyond a shared love of literature and watching the ‘Miss America Pageant’ together, their casual bond quickly blossomed into a much stronger relationship than any of the women could ever have imagined. ‘The Wednesday Sisters’ as they began calling themselves, soon realized that they were seeking out each other’s company more and more - commiserating over the myriad issues experienced in marriage and young motherhood; as well as buoying each other through the triumphs and tragedies faced in real life. And while ‘The Wednesday Sisters’ friendship lasted for four decades, the unique closeness these ladies experienced has extended into the next generation.

During the fall of 2011, Hope arrives in the English Lakes District to close up her mother Ally’s holiday cottage. Although she doesn’t anticipate anything going wrong during her visit - especially with lifelong friends Anna Page and Julie along to help - she still isn’t quite prepared for what does happen. Soon after arriving at the cottage, Hope discovers a stack of her mother’s old journals written in some sort of indecipherable code. Equally perplexing is the mysterious stranger who knocks at the door, claiming that the women are actually trespassing on private property.

The wealthy Englishman is Ally’s nearest neighbor, although she never mentioned him - either to her daughter or to anyone else. Calling himself Graham, the man invites Hope, Anna Page and Julie to take a tour of the English Lakes - in order to get a more intimate glimpse of the forests, fells, and waterfalls that inspired Beatrix Potter’s childhood classic Peter Rabbit and the poetry of William Wordsworth. However, what begins as a chance for Hope to learn more about the relationship between Ally and her eccentric English friend, quickly turns into something else entirely - something infinitely sweeter and much more meaningful to all three women. These guided tours become journeys through the emotional landscapes of their mothers’ choices in life - as well as their own.

As the daughters begin to uncover the true reasons behind Ally’s frequent trips to England - reasons that are as intricate and as personal as the secret puzzlebox that Hope carries with her - they reach a deeper understanding of the complexities of romance, the bonds of family, and the inescapable pull of the past.

First of all, let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Wednesday Sisters: A Novel by Meg Waite Clayton when I read it back in November of 2015. It only took me four days to read that book, and I was so looking forward to reading its sequel. To be perfectly honest, while I certainly enjoyed reading The Wednesday Daughters: A Novel by Meg Waite Clayton very much, I think that my expectations for this book were almost too high. In my opinion, the contemporary storyline was perhaps the most enjoyable of the two - although I appreciated that the historical storyline was also included.

I understand that Beatrix Potter was a prolific children’s author - and that she has ardent fans of her work - but I must admit that I have never read any of her books myself. As a result, I didn’t really follow the historical storyline all that well. Having said that, I would still give this book a definite B+! ( )

Received as ER edition.

As hard as I tried, I just could not get through this book. More times than I can count, I picked it up with the intention to finally finish it. It is just not going to happen. Having not read the first in the series, I had little to compare this one to. It jumps around, and I found my mind drifting. Maybe after I read the first book, this one might hold more interest.

I had a difficult time finishing this book (one of the reasons this review is long overdue). I really enjoyed the first book, "The Wednesday Sisters" so I had high hopes for this book.

The story is set in England and "The Wednesday Daughters" are: Hope, Julie and Anna, who are the children of “The Wednesday Sisters" which is the first book in the series. After Hope’s mom dies the daughters come back to the cottage that her mom used while she was working on a book about Beatrix Potter.

Overall, I thought the book jumped around too much and just didn't keep my interest. ( )