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evaribaker's review against another edition
4.0
I am ashamed to admit that I am guilty of judging this book by its cover. It looked similar to several other books I have read of late that I didn’t care for so I ignored it. Don’t make the same mistake I did. This is a solid read, akin to Commonwealth or The Most Fun I Ever Had. It’s character driven and also has a lot of plot and explores grief and trauma and loss. Thoroughly enjoyed this.
barbaraalfond's review against another edition
3.0
I wouldn’t say ‘no‘ if someone asked me to recommend this book. Will it go on my ‘best ever’ shelf with Stegner’s Crossing to Safety and Angle of Repose; Shirley Hazzard’s The Great Fire; Hana Yanagihara’s A Little Life, and Mark Helprin’s Paris in the Present Tense? It will not, but it could snuggle nicely next to Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere and almost anything by Anne Tyler. It almost reached the pitch-perfect writing of Alice McDermott, she being, in my book, the current literary goddess of the Irish-American experience and covered a lot of the same ground—Long Island; Queens; Irish immigrants; policemen; alcoholism; mental illness; old grudges; redemption; forgiveness. It wasn’t McDermott, but it was Keane.
lnocita's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book that is very character driven. There's not a lot of action so, reader beware. There's not some deep mystery to unravel. Rather it's a moving and honest examination of human behavior and motivation. And, that the things left unsaid or undone in one's life can be catalysts for a lot of unnecessary suffering! It's also an uplifting tribute to the power of love and forgiveness. Although the pacing felt sluggish at points, overall, I loved the writing so much that I was able to overlook that. The novel spans nearly three decades and the narration shifts the p.o.v. between four characters to advance the story. While you never get all the information you might desire, the culminating result is very satisfactory. I listened to this and thought the audiobook narrator was quite good!
I really enjoyed this book that is very character driven. There's not a lot of action so, reader beware. There's not some deep mystery to unravel. Rather it's a moving and honest examination of human behavior and motivation. And, that the things left unsaid or undone in one's life can be catalysts for a lot of unnecessary suffering! It's also an uplifting tribute to the power of love and forgiveness. Although the pacing felt sluggish at points, overall, I loved the writing so much that I was able to overlook that. The novel spans nearly three decades and the narration shifts the p.o.v. between four characters to advance the story. While you never get all the information you might desire, the culminating result is very satisfactory. I listened to this and thought the audiobook narrator was quite good!
donnawr1's review against another edition
4.0
There were parts of this book I really liked. The writing at times was fabulous and I highlighted multiple passages, mostly those having to do with the medical, scientific or mental illness explanations as expressed by the characters. I really liked how Keane helped us to feel some empathy for those struggling with mental illness and alcoholism. In fact during our book group, we had a discussion about who was alcoholic and who not because she did such a good job showing how grey the line can be. I also enjoyed an inside look at what it's like to be a police officer or have one in your family. Once the main inciting incident happens, the book moves you along and you feel a satisfying level of suspense about what different characters will do, especially the unpredictable Anne.
I did feel the start of the book was too slow and found the premise of young children growing up as neighbors to become true soul mates for the rest of their lives to be a little bit stretched. Even though they were bonded by trauma after the incident, it still seemed a little bit on the romancey-side. I love intergenerational stories and how one generation will influence the next, but perhaps the book would have been improved if the author didn't try to cover quite so many themes in the same book. All wonderful themes, but their intensity and number diluted their effect for me.
I did feel the start of the book was too slow and found the premise of young children growing up as neighbors to become true soul mates for the rest of their lives to be a little bit stretched. Even though they were bonded by trauma after the incident, it still seemed a little bit on the romancey-side. I love intergenerational stories and how one generation will influence the next, but perhaps the book would have been improved if the author didn't try to cover quite so many themes in the same book. All wonderful themes, but their intensity and number diluted their effect for me.
mlleroseblanche's review against another edition
2.0
An OK family story about trauma, mental health, and how both effects those around them in all things
haleyshannonhall's review against another edition
3.0
Love me some fucked-up family drama, which was done well here, but it didn’t grab my attention like I hoped it would
fsleineweber's review against another edition
5.0
This is my idea of a love story and the hard work it requires to make it all work. There were so many challenges that needed to be faced and overcome, but I found all the characters to be triumphant in the end. Such a good book!!
stephlaird7's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
mikkikun's review against another edition
3.0
A book about letting go and learning from your mistakes. This book humanized all the characters but was slightly boring.