Nineteen Eighty

Exciting Series Conclusion

Author Sarah M. Cradit has masterfully created a rich, sordid backstory for her main Deschanel characters who filled pages and hearts in the author’s House of Crimson and Clover series. 1980: The Seven is the series wrap-up, and it cannot be read as a standalone. Each of the seven books primarily focuses on one of the Deschanel siblings during their teen and young adult years.

In this final book, I truly felt Irish Colleen’s age and weariness. She is old beyond her years. I definitely felt the passage of time from Irish Colleen’s tired resignation. Her worry for her children is palpable. Her fractured relationships with Evangeline & Elizabeth broke my heart, so I greatly appreciated one of the daughter’s small acknowledgement of her mother’s good intentions and efforts.

Ms. Cradit’s research efforts are evident in all her books. She thoroughly studies locations as well as historic detail. Her pop culture references for the 1970-1980 decade are great! From new sports trends to new power sources, she sends her readers through a time machine. With each page I was increasingly delighted to find links to the Deschanel siblings' future. Fans of her House of Crimson and Clover series will relish the superb foreshadowing that Ms. Cradit built into 1980. The strings of the siblings’ storylines are woven together setting their path for the future. They each had trials and tribulations that made them or broke them.

“You cannot change the future, Elizabeth Sullivan. You can embrace it. You can live.”

I really enjoyed each book in this series. Both the character analysis and “prequel” storyline are great.