A Hundred Silent Ways by Mari Jojie

I received a free copy of A Hundred Silent Ways by Mari Jojie from TLC Book Tours. All opinions are my own.

About A Hundred Silent Ways:

How do you trust and let yourself be comforted by the idea that the sun and the moon give out equal brilliance?

On the brink of a crumbling marriage, Kate Pineda-McDowell runs away from the only life she has ever known—straight into the heart of the Philippines where her estranged father lives. As she waits for her connecting flight from Tokyo to Manila, she meets Liam Walker, whose disquieting stares express deeper things than his reluctant words. Unbeknownst to both, their chance meeting circles back to a closely linked past that holds little hope for new beginnings.

Shortly after arriving in Manila, Kate finds herself drawn to seek out Liam. In a span of a few magical days, what began as a spark ignites into an electric affair that compels Liam to let someone into his silent world while Kate confronts her heartbreaking sorrows. But falling for each other means opening old wounds and revealing their most intimate yearnings.

Emotionally gripping and endearingly hopeful, A Hundred Silent Ways examines the many different paths people take to obtain a second chance at happiness while asking the most heartrending question of all: How much are we willing to endure to keep love alive?

About the Author:

Mari Jojie was born and raised in Manila, Philippines. It was home for half of her life. Married to a retired US Navy senior chief, she is grateful to have experienced living in other parts of the world, including these two very contrasting cities—the historic and authentic Napoli, and the forward-thinking and innovative Dubai. Currently, she resides in Oxnard, California, with her husband, daughter, and son.

Tokyo was the first foreign city she ever visited. She was there for one week as an exchange student. Her fondest memory from that trip was a cup of creamy soup her host family served upon her arrival. For a teenage girl from a tropical country experiencing her first cold winter night, that warm, hearty soup tasted like heaven.

Many, many years later, in an attempt to finish the leftover baked ham from Thanksgiving, she put together some canned Campbell’s soup, heavy cream, corn, onion, and cubed ham in a crockpot. Three hours after, she had a flashback of that night as soon as she tasted her extempore dish. She unknowingly created the soup she thought was an impossible thing to ever taste again. She’s a believer of providential full circle.

A Hundred Silent Ways is her debut novel. And was for several years, just an imagined courage beyond her wishful thinking.

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You can purchase A Hundred Silent Ways on Amazon.com

“Jojie’s bittersweet romance offers up some clever spins on the classic meet-cute while also effectively tackling themes of communication, place, and family. But what starts out as a clever trans-Pacific soap opera gets weighed down by a devastating reveal; finally knowing Kate’s haunting tragedy enriches her character, but it also takes much of the fun out of the book’s later twists.

This jarring tone shift is buoyed, however, by Jojie’s mastery of Kate’s inner monologue–even when she has thoughts that seem irrational, readers will be firmly on her side–and the secondary characters are entertaining and diverse. A smart romance that shows great promise despite a sudden turn into tear-jerker territory.” – Kirkus Reviews

“In her debut novel, Mari Jojie writes with a straightforward and introspective style. Touching on love, self-identity, and forgiveness, A Hundred Silent Ways is a book for anyone looking to begin again. It is a book about learning to find peace in the past while staying open to the present. Jojie’s words highlight the power of hope and serve as a reminder to all that joy can be found, as long as one is willing to look.” – Brian Galetto, award-winning author of Not So Simple: Observations on Poverty and People

“A Hundred Silent Ways is a meditation on grief and ultimately hope against all odds. Mari Jojie has written a moving debut that explores the utterly isolating depths of loss and what happens next in the unknown. It’s a story of healing, of redemption.” – Arielle Avila, journalist and magazine writer, The Strategist

My Opinion:

What I love about reading is that I get to “visit” places I will most likely never see in my lifetime. A good book offers me the opportunity to go back in time or forward for that matter. It allows me to immerse myself in worlds I could never dream of inhabiting.

In the case of A Hundred Silent Ways I found myself in the Philippines. A place a knew very little about. The heroine, Kate is leaving a bad marriage and going to Manila to see her estranged father. In the airport she meets a man named Liam. The connection is instantaneous.

But they get separated and Manila is big, complicated, diverse city. Will they find each other? Can Kate let go of whatever it is that keeps her from truly loving? You know I am not going to tell you.

What you get with A Hundred Silent Ways is a book that moves along – at times you think it’s moving slowly and then BAM you get hit with a plot turn that just keeps you wanting more. It’s not always easy or pleasant, but neither is life. Or love for that matter.