khourianya's review against another edition
5.0
A moody teenager. A screaming kindergartner. A marriage with a lost owner's manual. An aging parent who doesn't recognize you. Any one of those might be enough to make a woman want to run away. But most never would. Becca thought this was her lot in life until one day she had finally had enough and took the off ramp to escape.
Much of Elena Aitken's book is spent thoroughly making the reader FEEL what Becca is going through. She expertly build you into Becca's world, though still allows you to see the areas that Becca herself has trouble understanding. More than once I found myself nodding in agreement to the situations - they were raw and very real as she worked through her feelings about her self-propelled marriage and her hopelessness about her father's battle with Alzheimer's Disease. The attitudes and temperaments of her children gave me glimpses into the future with my own. Aitken has a way of masterfully crafting female characters. Of modeling them until they are painfully realistic.
The story has a simple premise:
Mom never thought this would be her life
Mom gave up every bit of herself for her husband and family
Mom tried not to be resentful of everything she's given up
Mom is depressed
Mom snaps and abandons her family to find herself
It is a mommy fantasy - "What if I just took that off ramp and disappeared for a while?" and Aitken has allowed a glimpse at how it might play out. As Becca escapes into the mountains, to a family cabin she didn't know her family had, she begins to allow the ties that bind and gag her to loosen. A dalliance with the man sent to maintain the property serves to simultaneously simplify and complicate her life. New connections emerge to the mother she never knew and finding the answers to the questions that surface on her "time-out" from life help her see that she needs to take ownership of her life.
If anything, this story makes me less likely to want to run away when the going gets tough. It makes me appreciate the time I claim away from my kids. The story shows the seedy underbelly of the other side of that mommy fantasy. And, ultimately, the story seems unfinished because she never does resolve the issues that caused her to run away in the first place. It makes it difficult to see a happy ending - all that is left is the hard work of re-building the life she wants from the pieces she is left with.
I think it sounds like I am a bit down on the story itself. Don't get me wrong - I did really enjoy the story. It was pure, raw emotion and these emotions are very difficult to put into the written word. It speaks the world of Aitken's talent as a writer. The story was like daydreams made real and proven that reality cannot live up to the rose-coloured glasses of a daydream. If you are a fan of women's fiction - I recommend you pick this one up for your Kindle.
Much of Elena Aitken's book is spent thoroughly making the reader FEEL what Becca is going through. She expertly build you into Becca's world, though still allows you to see the areas that Becca herself has trouble understanding. More than once I found myself nodding in agreement to the situations - they were raw and very real as she worked through her feelings about her self-propelled marriage and her hopelessness about her father's battle with Alzheimer's Disease. The attitudes and temperaments of her children gave me glimpses into the future with my own. Aitken has a way of masterfully crafting female characters. Of modeling them until they are painfully realistic.
The story has a simple premise:
Mom never thought this would be her life
Mom gave up every bit of herself for her husband and family
Mom tried not to be resentful of everything she's given up
Mom is depressed
Mom snaps and abandons her family to find herself
It is a mommy fantasy - "What if I just took that off ramp and disappeared for a while?" and Aitken has allowed a glimpse at how it might play out. As Becca escapes into the mountains, to a family cabin she didn't know her family had, she begins to allow the ties that bind and gag her to loosen. A dalliance with the man sent to maintain the property serves to simultaneously simplify and complicate her life. New connections emerge to the mother she never knew and finding the answers to the questions that surface on her "time-out" from life help her see that she needs to take ownership of her life.
If anything, this story makes me less likely to want to run away when the going gets tough. It makes me appreciate the time I claim away from my kids. The story shows the seedy underbelly of the other side of that mommy fantasy. And, ultimately, the story seems unfinished because she never does resolve the issues that caused her to run away in the first place. It makes it difficult to see a happy ending - all that is left is the hard work of re-building the life she wants from the pieces she is left with.
I think it sounds like I am a bit down on the story itself. Don't get me wrong - I did really enjoy the story. It was pure, raw emotion and these emotions are very difficult to put into the written word. It speaks the world of Aitken's talent as a writer. The story was like daydreams made real and proven that reality cannot live up to the rose-coloured glasses of a daydream. If you are a fan of women's fiction - I recommend you pick this one up for your Kindle.
wildflowerz76's review against another edition
4.0
This was one of my first d/l when I got my Kindle for Cmas last year. It was probably free or really cheap. I recently went back through and added some of my early d/l to my "Gym Reading" folder and have been trying to make my way through them.
I rather enjoyed this one. There's not a lot that's all that new here, but I thought it was done pretty well. If you're thinking about reading it at the gym, I might advise you pick something that's a little less serious and definitely skip reading the ending in public because it was all I could do to keep from tearing up. :)
I rather enjoyed this one. There's not a lot that's all that new here, but I thought it was done pretty well. If you're thinking about reading it at the gym, I might advise you pick something that's a little less serious and definitely skip reading the ending in public because it was all I could do to keep from tearing up. :)
sirenfae89's review against another edition
5.0
I was at turns comforted and annoyed by Becca. I alternated between wanting her to buck up and DO something and identifying with her and cheering her on in her effort to find herself. It was one of those books that makes you take stock of yourself.
singh_reads_kanwar2's review against another edition
3.0
The story of family with so much in turmoil, a daughter who love a man child, and mother don't like it, a daughter who crib for things when she got refused, a mother who is in turmoil of self-doubt a workaholic man with ignorant behaviour, and this family is a mess until mother take off and trip to quite place and then some secrets revealed , A one night stand, a lost mother found, a relationship of love and comfort, an accident , a sacrifice parents make for children , a new found artist in herself by mother.
All in all its a Good-read and medium pace, with slightly uplifted plot.
The story of a women, who is frustrated with herself and don't feel good about her body and her life, as she thinks she is just became a house wife with monotonous routine and her best friend went for a trip, and next few days was more depressed then ever, so she make up mind she is facing too much a father who doesn't remember her, a step mother who loved her but she is confused about her with her feelings, and then she take off when she came to know about a place called Rainbow valley and there she met a man and she had a good time and they were so comfortable around that they had share more than just hugs, later a woman who can read colours of people soul met her and a big surprise is yet to unfold and it unfolded when her brother landed there suddenly , and they got a news about Jordan accident and the guy she dating is dead in an accident they all were involved in, later she understand that she have to gave space to children to explore and not just be bound to what the rules there parents lay down.
All in all its a Good-read and medium pace, with slightly uplifted plot.
The story of a women, who is frustrated with herself and don't feel good about her body and her life, as she thinks she is just became a house wife with monotonous routine and her best friend went for a trip, and next few days was more depressed then ever, so she make up mind she is facing too much a father who doesn't remember her, a step mother who loved her but she is confused about her with her feelings, and then she take off when she came to know about a place called Rainbow valley and there she met a man and she had a good time and they were so comfortable around that they had share more than just hugs, later a woman who can read colours of people soul met her and a big surprise is yet to unfold and it unfolded when her brother landed there suddenly , and they got a news about Jordan accident and the guy she dating is dead in an accident they all were involved in, later she understand that she have to gave space to children to explore and not just be bound to what the rules there parents lay down.
mae0524's review against another edition
4.0
Our main character Becca struggled to become true to herself. She had to self-discover before she could heal but also face some difficult truths. Even through it all she is dedicated to her family.
Becca desperately needed an escape from her life that was starting to suffocate her. Unknown to her, she takes off to the same place her mother did, when her life became to much for her, this is where she attempts to find herself. She is helped by store owner Sheena and her helper Jason whom try to teach her that she needs to let go of the expectations and find a balance in her life.
The main lessons taught in this book were taking care of yourself, balance your wants with your responsibilities, to be careful of what expectations you put upon yourself, and never stop being true to yourself.
Becca desperately needed an escape from her life that was starting to suffocate her. Unknown to her, she takes off to the same place her mother did, when her life became to much for her, this is where she attempts to find herself. She is helped by store owner Sheena and her helper Jason whom try to teach her that she needs to let go of the expectations and find a balance in her life.
The main lessons taught in this book were taking care of yourself, balance your wants with your responsibilities, to be careful of what expectations you put upon yourself, and never stop being true to yourself.
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