Twelve Times Blessed

by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Jacquelyn Mitchard is one of America's best-loved storytellers. Fans adore her novels for their exquisite, gripping stories about family bonds. Now this master of the drama of daily life offers readers a different kind of boy-meets-girl tale, by turns frank and playful, that ponders the Can love conquer marriage? It is True Dickinson's forty-third birthday, and her best friends have gathered on this snowy night in Cape Cod at a trendy neighborhood restaurant to celebrate. True has never felt more alone. It's been eight years since the death of her husband, a pilot who, ironically, died in a car crash, leaving her to raise their son on her own. Both her son and her small business are thriving, and True's life is full. The success of her company, the love of her friends, and the proximity of her mother (for better and for worse) leave her with very little time for reflection, but if not now, when? Coming up on forty-three makes True realize that there is an empty space in her life that friends and family cannot fill. She feels her youth and beauty slipping away, and the possibility for romance has never seemed more remote. But everything will change the moment True and her beloved assistant, Isabelle, slide into a snow-filled ditch on the drive home. Saved by a young man she met earlier at the restaurant, True comes face-to- face with the opportunity to let love back into her life -- that is, if she can overcome her own fears, and if these two spirits can find a way to tame each other's wild hearts and to curb their supremely independent natures. Twelve Times Blessed is the story of one year of transformation in a woman's life, and an unforgettable tale of the perils and pleasures of love in the modern age.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Drama, Literary Fiction

544 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2003

About the author

Jacquelyn Mitchard’s first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, was named by USA Today as one of the ten most influential books of the past 25 years – second only to the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (but second by a long shot, it must be said.)

The Deep End of the Ocean was chosen as the first novel in the book club made famous by the TV host Oprah Winfrey, and transformed into a feature film produced by and starring Michelle Pfeiffer.

Most of Mitchard’s novels have been greater or lesser bestsellers – and include The Most Wanted, A Theory of Relativity, Twelve Times Blessed, The Breakdown Lane, The Good Son, and Cage of Stars. Critics have praised them for their authentic humanity and command of story. Readers identify because they see reflected, in her characters – however extreme their circumstances – emotions they already understand.

Mitchard also has written four novels for young adults.

The first, Now You See Her, from HarperTeen, is the story of a pampered, driven young actress who fakes her own abduction.

All We Know of Heaven told the story of lifetime best friends Bridget and Maureen, who are just sixteen when a fatal crash on an icy road and a poignant case of mistaken identity divide their small Minnesota town forever.

The Midnight Twins was the first in a trilogy of teen mysteries about identical twin sisters born on New Year’s Eve – one a minute before and a minute after midnight – Meredith and Mallory Brynn learn on the night they turn thirteen that their psychic abilities will force them to intervene in dire events, although one twin can see only the future and one can see only the past. The Midnight Twins is in development as a TV series by Kaleidoscope Entertainment.

Mitchard's newest novel for adult, A Very Inconvenient Scandal, out in November 2023 from Mira/HarperCollins, is the story of an acclaimed young underwater photographer whose famed marine biologist father shatters their family by marrying her best friend., a woman 35 years his junior.

At the local coffee shop, Mitchard is best-known as the mother of Rob, Dan, Marty, Francie, Mia, Will and Atticus , as the grandma of Hank and Diana and the wife of handsome Chris Brent.

Her favorite color is periwinkle blue; her favorite holiday is Halloween; her favorite flower is freesia; her favorite word is "smite," and her second favorite is "Massachusetts"; her lucky number is 119 (anyone who can guess where that comes from wins free first editions of her novels for life). She lives in her favorite place on earth, Cape Cod, summering in a villa on the Amalfi Coast. (Guess which part of that sentence is fiction.)

Her essays have appeared in publications including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune Magazine and Reader's Digest, and are widely anthologized and used in school curricula. She has taught in MFA programs in Vermont, Ohio, and Massachusetts, and is part of the faculty at the Summer Writers Institute at Yale University. She is a member of the Tall Poppies Writers and has been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the Ragdale Foundation.

Her pet peeves are known authors and editors who cannot and will not learn the difference between “lie” and “lay” and family signs pluralized with apostrophes.

She would love to appear on just ONE episode of any incarnation of ‘Law and Order,’ as has everyone else in America. She still is willing to play the role of a murder victim – except one found by earth-moving equipment in a landfill – though she would do that in a pinch.

Mitchard would like to have a swimming pool, because, although she lives near the ocean, she is afraid of the dark water and hates sand. She would love to have a clawfoot tub, or any tub.

She believes that stories are the ways that human beings make sense of life and that our stories will save us.

Reviews

[Arlene · Rating 1 out of 5]

Since The Deep End of the Ocean was one of my favorite books I tried to read other Mitchard offerings only to be extremely disappointed in most of them. This one however, is far and away Mitchard's absolute worst! Every single character was immature, annoying, and generally unlikable. Relationships (mother-daughter, mother-son, husband-wife, employer-employee, etc) lacked realism and often were so out of touch that they ended up being just plain silly. Perhaps the worst aspect of this book is that Mitchard's heroine paints a very negative picture of 40-something women, widows, mothers, businesswomen. At least I learned that I should never be tempted to read anything else by Mitchard. Awful beyond description!

[Twila Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book infuriated me. At first, I thought the writing was great--eloquent even. And then it began to fall apart page by page. I couldn't stop reading since I really believed that all would work out in the end. But really? Tell us that Hank indeed does have a fling with a woman as True is literally holding their hours old baby? And then they chat like old friends???? And to attempt to get the reader to not wonder why Hank was not at the hospital with his other son when he had been every where else with him days prior? Oh, so many holes and weird situations. Mad that I stayed up late to finish it.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Becoming a new fan of Jacquelyn Mitchard's after reading 'Still Summer', I was somewhat dissapointed with 'Twelve Times Blessed'. It was a quick and easy read, I'll give it that, but I just didn't connect with the characters. True Dickenson is a single-widowed mom who runs her own successful business in Cape Cod. I thought I'd be able to like her and cheer her on in her newly found dating-a-restaraunt-owner-from-Louisanna life...... but I couldn't stand how cuckoo she was, or became. She was nuts! I just couldn't grasp the relationship between her and this new guy and found myself constantly saying 'she's so stupid'! I don't know, you get some, you don't get some - this book I did not get. But it will not stop me from reading more of Mitchard, I'm still hooked.

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

*audiobook

[Kathleen Blue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well… this book just didn’t reel me in. Honestly, I ended up skipping the last twenty pages to get to the quick—and rather predictable—ending. The biggest issue, I think, was the lack of character development. Even with a somewhat cliché plot, it could have worked if the characters had been more compelling or layered.

An acquaintance passed it along to me, but I wouldn’t recommend it—especially when there are so many stunning books out there just waiting to be discovered. If you're in the mood for something light in tone, I’m not typically an Anita Shreve fan, but her work offers more depth and polish than what came through in this title.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very predictable, characters annoying and stereotypical, repetitive, what else can I say. Don't waste your time.

[Victoria Brennan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually live her books but this one was hard to finish.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could give this 2 1/2 stars. I did not dislike the book, it was quite readable. And I read through to the end, if only to see if True could lighten up. This story has a bit of everything - widows, love, the strange way older men choosing younger women is fine but a woman and a man ten years younger is ridiculous, there are business up-and-downs, grandparents abound, a good kid who cannot understand adults, a high-risk pregnancy, etc. etc. Actually as a beach read this would get 3 1/2 stars since my beach reads don't have be as compelling or full of substance, more like reading lite. I suppose I keep wishing I'd find another book of hers I liked as much as "The Deep End of the Ocean" which is probably not fair to the book.

[Dori · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

It was a good book, interesting story; but sometimes the dialogue wandered a bit as did the internal thought process of the main character. Left me scratching my head a few times...
I enjoyed it overall though

[Lynette Burnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. I started reading Twelve Times Blessed by Jacquelyn Mitchard three and a half years ago. I got to the middle of the book and lost interest. I picked it up again thanks to my reading group #bookhoarders. We’re reading books we already own; few to no new book buys. So I started this one again, and surprisingly, Hank is from Metairie, Louisiana outside New Orleans. This weekend, I travelled to New Orleans and loved hearing about Hank’s Creole family, and their adventures in New Orleans. This is a long story (600+ pages), and there are times the story drags. But I pushed through, and enjoyed it.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not finish this book. A woman obsesses about her age, weight, poor over indulged kid, her nanny who is going to leave her when she gets married. (Yeah, her life is over because she turns 43. Wah. This point is brought up multiple times before I stopped reading).
There is a man. Handsome and somewhat quirky, but younger. Oh the drama.
A little more drama brought on early in the book, as her little group of friends have a birthday dinner for her at a restaurant everyone has to drive to....in spite of a wicked blizzard....which she drives to without being dressed for the weather, having no winter gear in her car....the woman and the plot are pathetic and predictable.

[Peggy Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a tough time downgrading one of Mitchard's books, because I generally really like her writing. Her characters are well drawn, but you just want to slap a couple of them 'upside the head!! Our heroine is swept off her feet by a younger man that falls for her hard and fast, but the problems they have are not unexpected. PLUS, he absolutely should have known that what he did was unforgiveable, and he absolutely did not deserve another chance. Loved the characters. Loved the idea of the business she was running. The story itself? Not so much.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it wasn't as terrible as some of the reviews indicate, it would have been better had it been shortened by quite a bit. The online business for new babies' gifts was actually pretty clever...wonder if anyone has tried that.

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hmm, I'm starting to detect a trend: I pick up the second novel from a critically praised author and I hate it. We've got this one, Janet Fitch, Sue Monk Kidd, Julia Glass...

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book about working through problems and learning to grow and change. Discard the old and untrue and learn to enjoy the moment.

[Sandy]

not keeping my interest . . very hard to keep reading
i had to stop reading this book halfway. I didn't like it at all

[M. Schilling · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not care for this book. Couldn't wait to get to the end so I could read something else.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not feel twelve times blessed for reading this one

[Ebony · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing but couldn't stop reading, hoped and hoped it would get better

[Stasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

First time in a long that I have taken so long to finish a book! It was not bad at all, just think that the story could have been shorter...a cute story nevertheless.

I must say that I liked the fact that the situations which came up between True and her beau were presented realistically, instead of tying everything up neatly and nicely. Personally, I could not see myself marrying someone so quickly after meeting them but I am not judging. Glad that they remained true to themselves but at the same time were keen on making an effort to fight for what was important to them both.

I also liked the fact that True stood up to her mom and called her out for interfering with her life. Good on her for that. As much as parents often mean well, sometimes they do more harm than good when they make a habit of meddling in their grown children's lives. It was nice to see that the mother took the steps to making a life of her own instead of trying to dictate True's own on her own terms.

The supporting characters were good but my favourite was True's son, Guy. So smart and such a good sport about everything.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was kind of a weird book for me, yet I ultimately enjoyed it. I had a hard time liking either True or Hank, and absolutely despised Kathleen. Although I didn't really care for any of the main characters, I did end up getting sucked into their journey. And while it aggravated the hell out of me, it did ring true. In the end, I have to admit that this is a very real portrait of a relationship (man/woman, mother/child, adult/parent) and doesn't fictionalize the ugly bits. Although True's manner annoyed me, I could see where she was coming from and why she did the things she did. I have to give Mitchard credit, because she reeled me in despite my initial misgivings. I think I'll even keep this one around for awhile.

[Beverly Diehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mitchard has long been one of my favorite authors, but this book didn't quite hit for me. I found it somewhat meandering. The 9/11 attack happens in the middle of it, and that left EVERYONE more than a little disjointed.

I found the heroine, True Dickinson, more annoying than appealing. Her business of chic personalized handmade baby gifts feels excessive in these days of so much homelessness, and her obsessing over her attraction to a not-that-much-younger man seems silly.

That said, did I read it to the end? Yes. Is the author a compelling and beautiful writer? Yes.

[Els · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. It started off well, it was easy to read, it had some insightful comments, it seemed promising, but I found True to be a bit of a whinger, sorry to say, and some of the relationships didn't seem to gel for me. I just 'liked' a review which said
"One of those books where you get to page 300 and you realise it's going nowhere, and you really don't care what happens to any of the characters."

[Lee Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book dragged on for me. I don’t know when it has taken me so long to actually finish a book, but there was nothing compelling about the story. I often thought about stopping, but I loved The Deep End of the Ocean, so I felt better might be coming. It wasn’t. Instead, all my predictions about the plot and characters were right, so there were no surprises. Definitely not Jacquelyn Mitchard’s best work.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The good thing about reading a bad book is that you don't have to finish it. The stereotypes were offensive and the message was whiney and encouraged co-dependency. Every 40 something lady, not matter how successful, must have a baby and accept cheating. Oh and must be insecure about her weight. So disappointed, based on her other books. Her writing has definitely gone down hill.

[Naomi Schneider · Rating 2 out of 5]

For the first third of the book, I just kept reading trying to figure out where it was going. The second third was pretty annoying but I was invested enough to want to know what happens. The last third was actually pretty captivating. I think I actually like the author but not this book. None of the characters are very likable.

[Heather Richmond · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was awful. The characters were shallow and immature. The content went on an on without a real plot. The language was terrible. Some content was not necessary. This one can't leave my home fast enough. I wasted too much of my precious time on this one.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my usual read, this interested me somewhat as an older woman-younger man romance. I'd say they were evenly matched at the maturity level. Not the author's best, I understand, but the twists and turns of the plot kept me reading.

[Valerie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kind of hated this book and the main character. She was so accomplished, yet so insecure—about her looks. Is that the fate of a beautiful woman? To lose her security as she loses her looks? I mostly wanted to shake her.

[Debbie Berris · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Wonderful…

Wow, does Jacquelyn Mitchard know relationships, and women. Especially mothers. Twelve Times Blessed is, itself, a blessing. It is about the real ingredients of love and lust, of growing and learning, of accepting and bearing. And life.