rwidiani's review against another edition
4.0
What a tearjerker. I believe losing your child is the worst that can happen to someone...
chrissireads's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book but felt it was longer than it should've been. Still, good writing and some interesting characters.
king_maria21's review against another edition
3.0
Most of the story is filled with a slap in the face of how cruel and unfair and sad life can be. Out of all her books, I can't say it was favourite, but i liked it.
bibliobethreads's review against another edition
4.0
Easy to read and full of emotion, my first foray into Elizabeth Noble's world was a thoroughly pleasant one. There are a lot of characters, but I found this enriched the story rather than hindering it. I will definitely pick up another book by this author.
van_anna_'s review against another edition
did not finish, didn't get into the story and I don't think it was worth it
posadafan's review against another edition
4.0
This review is written in consideration of the book's genre, and because this First Reads publisher is looking for "early feedback."
Must say, I love the Aussie colloquialisms of this author.
I thought the premise was interesting, and the story line was a good one. A few reviews cited this book as boring and uneventful, but "boring" is subjective and "uneventful" isn't necessarily a bad thing. The pacing seemed okay, and though it's been mentioned that the book is long, if you enjoy the book, it prolongs the ending (haven't we all wished a good book wouldn't end?).
The characters themselves seem a bit removed from the reader...but perhaps this was a conscious effort on the author's part to portray how people's grief is so interior, so private and unique to them. Maggie - sometimes cold, distant, yes - but that seemed real to me. The bereaved can be selfish, angry, withdrawn, etc. I didn't warm up to her character, and that was quite okay with me. I did sympathize with her. Separated husband Bill's journey through the bereavement process was more complex and interesting.
Kate, the bottle-washer/confidante/uber-perfect housemate, was rather contrived. Perhaps the author could have made this more believable by having Kate request $$ for her services...it seems kind of fairy wand-ish that this modern-day Mary Poppins would be so willing to do strangers' smelly laundry, cook, make beds, etc...for nothing in return except their company.
The book cover is pleasant enough, but seems to have little to do with the story. The woman in the picture looks serene; if anything, a prominent theme in the book is Maggie's disconnect with her family. The flower is held by?? Little boy? Who is this - Stan? Or Jake as a younger person? What is the significance of it all? The back cover, on the other hand, gives away too much of the plot, like a movie trailer you wished you hadn't seen.
All that said - I enjoyed the book, and looked forward to reading it at night before lights out.
Must say, I love the Aussie colloquialisms of this author.
I thought the premise was interesting, and the story line was a good one. A few reviews cited this book as boring and uneventful, but "boring" is subjective and "uneventful" isn't necessarily a bad thing. The pacing seemed okay, and though it's been mentioned that the book is long, if you enjoy the book, it prolongs the ending (haven't we all wished a good book wouldn't end?).
The characters themselves seem a bit removed from the reader...but perhaps this was a conscious effort on the author's part to portray how people's grief is so interior, so private and unique to them. Maggie - sometimes cold, distant, yes - but that seemed real to me. The bereaved can be selfish, angry, withdrawn, etc. I didn't warm up to her character, and that was quite okay with me. I did sympathize with her. Separated husband Bill's journey through the bereavement process was more complex and interesting.
Kate, the bottle-washer/confidante/uber-perfect housemate, was rather contrived. Perhaps the author could have made this more believable by having Kate request $$ for her services...it seems kind of fairy wand-ish that this modern-day Mary Poppins would be so willing to do strangers' smelly laundry, cook, make beds, etc...for nothing in return except their company.
The book cover is pleasant enough, but seems to have little to do with the story. The woman in the picture looks serene; if anything, a prominent theme in the book is Maggie's disconnect with her family. The flower is held by?? Little boy? Who is this - Stan? Or Jake as a younger person? What is the significance of it all? The back cover, on the other hand, gives away too much of the plot, like a movie trailer you wished you hadn't seen.
All that said - I enjoyed the book, and looked forward to reading it at night before lights out.
More...