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Once Upon a Time, There Was You
Even on their wedding day, John and Irene sensed that they were about to make a mistake. Years later, divorced, dating other people, and living in different parts of the country, they seem to have nothing in common—nothing except the most important person in each of their lives: Sadie, their spirited eighteen-year-old daughter. Feeling smothered by Irene and distanced from John, Sadie is growing more and more attached to her new boyfriend, Ron. When tragedy strikes, Irene and John come together to support the daughter they love so dearly. What takes longer is to remember how they really feel about each other. Elizabeth Berg’s immense talent shines in this unforgettable novel about the power of love, the unshakeable bonds of family, and the beauty of second chances.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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2595 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Berg
68 books4,973 followersElizabeth Berg is an American novelist.
She was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and lived in Boston prior to her residence in Chicago. She studied English and Humanities at the University of Minnesota, but later ended up with a nursing degree. Her writing career started when she won an essay contest in Parents magazine. Since her debut novel in 1993, her novels have sold in large numbers and have received several awards and nominations, although some critics have tagged them as sentimental. She won the New England Book Awards in 1997.
The novels Durable Goods, Joy School, and True to Form form a trilogy about the 12-year-old Katie Nash, in part based on the author's own experience as a daughter in a military family. Her essay "The Pretend Knitter" appears in the anthology Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting, published by W. W. Norton & Company in November 2013.
She was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and lived in Boston prior to her residence in Chicago. She studied English and Humanities at the University of Minnesota, but later ended up with a nursing degree. Her writing career started when she won an essay contest in Parents magazine. Since her debut novel in 1993, her novels have sold in large numbers and have received several awards and nominations, although some critics have tagged them as sentimental. She won the New England Book Awards in 1997.
The novels Durable Goods, Joy School, and True to Form form a trilogy about the 12-year-old Katie Nash, in part based on the author's own experience as a daughter in a military family. Her essay "The Pretend Knitter" appears in the anthology Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting, published by W. W. Norton & Company in November 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,108 reviews
December 31, 2017
Oh boy--
The good news is that this book was a quick read. The bad news is I took some issues with it. You have a divorced couple with a single daughter, Sadie. Irene and John never wanted to get married and somehow made it work for 8 years before they officially called it quits. Sadie gets into some trouble (which I had major issues with) and her parents have to come together to what? I guess I just don't understand the point of this book. None of the characters grew at all and Irene (the mother/ex-wife) was so annoying I almost threw this book across the room. What a selfish, know it all. The daughter was also a prat-- her "trouble" was ridiculously unbelievable. I actually appreciated the plot point that threw me off so early on in the novel, however based on how that turned out I quickly threw it in the trash because that's how garbage it was. It's almost as though the author came up with some crazy threads because she needed something to throw in to keep the reader interested. Oh, also the whole boyfriend storyline was equally ridiculous. I'm glad to be finished with this one, and couldn't recommend it in good conscious.
The good news is that this book was a quick read. The bad news is I took some issues with it. You have a divorced couple with a single daughter, Sadie. Irene and John never wanted to get married and somehow made it work for 8 years before they officially called it quits. Sadie gets into some trouble (which I had major issues with) and her parents have to come together to what? I guess I just don't understand the point of this book. None of the characters grew at all and Irene (the mother/ex-wife) was so annoying I almost threw this book across the room. What a selfish, know it all. The daughter was also a prat-- her "trouble" was ridiculously unbelievable. I actually appreciated the plot point that threw me off so early on in the novel, however based on how that turned out I quickly threw it in the trash because that's how garbage it was. It's almost as though the author came up with some crazy threads because she needed something to throw in to keep the reader interested. Oh, also the whole boyfriend storyline was equally ridiculous. I'm glad to be finished with this one, and couldn't recommend it in good conscious.
November 14, 2024
Once Upon a Time There Was You by Elizabeth Berg is an engaging study of family dynamics, its humor, frustrations, scares, scars and secrets.
The author’s character development is superb.
Like them or not, her characters ring true, flaws and all.
The story is a portrayal of love: love between a man and a woman, the love they have for their coming of age child, and the sometimes-spotty love a soon to be adult child has for her parents.
The novel is a realistic look at the pains and perils of raising children in today’s world of broken relationships.
This was a quick read for me.
One that I enjoyed for the most part, but leave it to you to decide for yourself.
The author’s character development is superb.
Like them or not, her characters ring true, flaws and all.
The story is a portrayal of love: love between a man and a woman, the love they have for their coming of age child, and the sometimes-spotty love a soon to be adult child has for her parents.
The novel is a realistic look at the pains and perils of raising children in today’s world of broken relationships.
This was a quick read for me.
One that I enjoyed for the most part, but leave it to you to decide for yourself.
August 15, 2011
I used to love Elizabeth Berg's books, eagerly awaiting the publication of each novel and then snatching it off the shelf to read immediately. The last few have been less than stellar and sadly, Once Upon a Time, There Was You continues the slide.
A disjointed book at best, this novel tells the story of Irene and John, divorced some years now, who are brought back together by a tragedy involving their daughter, Sadie, who is 18. Both Irene and John are selfish, self-absorbed and dull, dull, deadly dull.
The tragedy involving Sadie is a crime and as phoney/baloney as you can imagine, both in what happens and in her reaction to it. The irony is supposed to be that Sadie is wiser about life and marriage than her parents, but that only results in Sadie and her year older boyfriend/husband coming off as the fakest teens ever every time they open their mouths.
I think this needed a serious edit. There were unresolved plot lines, characters that seemed extraneous and the most ridiculous amount of use of the word banquette ever! (I mean, not more times than in any book I ever read before, but crammed into this book more than in all the other books I have read combined)!
Avoid this one and go back to Ms. Berg's earlier work.
A disjointed book at best, this novel tells the story of Irene and John, divorced some years now, who are brought back together by a tragedy involving their daughter, Sadie, who is 18. Both Irene and John are selfish, self-absorbed and dull, dull, deadly dull.
The tragedy involving Sadie is a crime and as phoney/baloney as you can imagine, both in what happens and in her reaction to it. The irony is supposed to be that Sadie is wiser about life and marriage than her parents, but that only results in Sadie and her year older boyfriend/husband coming off as the fakest teens ever every time they open their mouths.
I think this needed a serious edit. There were unresolved plot lines, characters that seemed extraneous and the most ridiculous amount of use of the word banquette ever! (I mean, not more times than in any book I ever read before, but crammed into this book more than in all the other books I have read combined)!
Avoid this one and go back to Ms. Berg's earlier work.
May 13, 2011
This book is by one of my favorite authors, so it pains me to tell you that it’s a huge disappointment. I wasn’t even sure what it was about for a long time, but think it’s supposed to be telling a coming of age story of Sadie, and how her (divorced) parents Irene and John deal with her process of separating from them and becoming an adult. The problem is that there are so many sidetracks that really do nothing at all to move the story forward, and worse, are boring. They drag it down. There is a proliferation of extraneous information that presumably is in there to help you get to know the characters better, but really it’s more like dense underbrush that made me long for a scythe to just cut it all away and get to the point, already. The John and Amy story line was sort of interesting, but that’s it really. None of the characters are particularly likeable. Some of the scenes, like the “strip scene” between Irene and her best friend Val (and what a strip scene is doing in a book by Berg in the first place I have no idea) are just ridiculous; it’s very hard to imagine that it could every really happen. Skip this one. The Last Time I Saw You (also by Berg) is excellent; read that instead.
April 16, 2011
Elizabeth Berg novels are usually enjoyable because of the interesting character development and insights into human motivation and psychology.
This story included completely unlikable characters, implausible decisions and plot contrivances and required complete suspension of disbelief.
Irene and John should never have gotten married, never told each other that they loved each other while married, despite evidence that at one time they did love each other.
They are now divorced and living thousands of miles apart but raising a pretty cool, 18 year old, Sophie.
Sophie gets kidnapped by a crazy dude. She's rescued because her boyfriend just happened to see her get into the crazy dude's car and memorized the license plate. After police questioning, she doesn't call her parents (she's now been gone for two days, and her mom has filed a missing person report with the police), but instead elopes with her 18 year old boyfriend......All in all, the only upside to this book is that it was a quick read.
This story included completely unlikable characters, implausible decisions and plot contrivances and required complete suspension of disbelief.
Irene and John should never have gotten married, never told each other that they loved each other while married, despite evidence that at one time they did love each other.
They are now divorced and living thousands of miles apart but raising a pretty cool, 18 year old, Sophie.
Sophie gets kidnapped by a crazy dude. She's rescued because her boyfriend just happened to see her get into the crazy dude's car and memorized the license plate. After police questioning, she doesn't call her parents (she's now been gone for two days, and her mom has filed a missing person report with the police), but instead elopes with her 18 year old boyfriend......All in all, the only upside to this book is that it was a quick read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2011
As I continue my way through the works of Elizabeth Berg I found myself with her newest release, Once Upon A Time There was You. I felt almost from the beginning that this book was going to be predictable. A few pages in, I felt as though I knew how it would all end and with a resigned sigh, I proceeded deeper into the book.
It made me, and hopefully you as well, happy to know I was wrong.
Irene was not a strong woman. She was self conscious about her body, her age, and the fact that her daughter soon would go off to college and she would be alone. Irene dated yes, but never really connected with anyone. Even her best friend Valerie said that Irene was restless... never satisfied with just staying put.
"It's like you're all the time digging in the tomato bin, saying, 'Where are the apples?'"
~ Valerie to Irene page 276
And John was actually the more likable of the once couple. He was calm, patient, and thought before he spoke, unlike Irene who's every emotion ran right out her mouth.
Really though, this book centers around Sadie and Sadie's "happening" is the plot of this book, and I have to say, a weak plot at that. What happened to Sadie could have been quite a powerful story line. In fact when it was happening I was thinking whoa.... this is going to really be explosive of how the book moves forward.
But...
it wasn't.
And so the book moves on from this point and I along with it, wondering what big thing would happen.... but alas, did not.
As I turned the last page (actually I really did turn the last page because I did not realize it was the last page...) I do not know if I had a full sense of closure. Yes, most of the story was brought full circle, but in the end... it felt.... incomplete to me.
An enjoyable light read. Nothing more.
It made me, and hopefully you as well, happy to know I was wrong.
Irene was not a strong woman. She was self conscious about her body, her age, and the fact that her daughter soon would go off to college and she would be alone. Irene dated yes, but never really connected with anyone. Even her best friend Valerie said that Irene was restless... never satisfied with just staying put.
"It's like you're all the time digging in the tomato bin, saying, 'Where are the apples?'"
~ Valerie to Irene page 276
And John was actually the more likable of the once couple. He was calm, patient, and thought before he spoke, unlike Irene who's every emotion ran right out her mouth.
Really though, this book centers around Sadie and Sadie's "happening" is the plot of this book, and I have to say, a weak plot at that. What happened to Sadie could have been quite a powerful story line. In fact when it was happening I was thinking whoa.... this is going to really be explosive of how the book moves forward.
But...
it wasn't.
And so the book moves on from this point and I along with it, wondering what big thing would happen.... but alas, did not.
As I turned the last page (actually I really did turn the last page because I did not realize it was the last page...) I do not know if I had a full sense of closure. Yes, most of the story was brought full circle, but in the end... it felt.... incomplete to me.
An enjoyable light read. Nothing more.
August 28, 2016
At First Sight: At age 36, John and Irene got married against their better judgement, mostly because they were growing older and didn't want to be alone. But neither of them had a good example to follow, both coming from broken homes and with less than ideal mother figures.
So it's no surprise that 20 years later they are divorced and living at different ends of the country - Irene in San Francisco and John in San Paul- with only their 18 year old daughter Sadie as a link between them.
While Irene has become a bit of a serial dater in the years since the divorce, afraid of being alone; John never quite dated until very recently. But they surprisingly think quite often of each other.
And when their daughter's impulsive decisions force them to be together for a while, they can't help exploring the marriage they left behind, where they went wrong and the things they did right.
Second Glance: I'm not exactly sure how I feel about Once Upon a Time, There Was You, I think that it had been written by a man it would be called "Literary Fiction" and I'm not sure I'm a literary fiction kind of girl, but I'm sure that this neither is Chick Lit or a contemporary romance or anything like that. I can't even really call it Woman's Fiction because John's point of view is both important and takes about a third of the book.
The narrative alternates between Irene, John and Sadie and I have to say that I found that quite distracting, further more I found the plot to be a bit flat. It's so grounded and so day-to-day that there is very little spark to the story.
The most interesting parts were the ones that had to do with John and Irene's pasts, at least for me, and I wasn't really interested in their current lives. Sadie, I thought I was going to like her at first but I didn't, not really. I did like the guy she was dating, and that was something but not much.
Bottom Line: This is not a lighthearted, easy to read story. If you're looking for something realistic and a bit complex, this might be your type of read, but I don't see myself going back to this type of book any time soon. The writing is quite decent though.
So it's no surprise that 20 years later they are divorced and living at different ends of the country - Irene in San Francisco and John in San Paul- with only their 18 year old daughter Sadie as a link between them.
While Irene has become a bit of a serial dater in the years since the divorce, afraid of being alone; John never quite dated until very recently. But they surprisingly think quite often of each other.
And when their daughter's impulsive decisions force them to be together for a while, they can't help exploring the marriage they left behind, where they went wrong and the things they did right.
Second Glance: I'm not exactly sure how I feel about Once Upon a Time, There Was You, I think that it had been written by a man it would be called "Literary Fiction" and I'm not sure I'm a literary fiction kind of girl, but I'm sure that this neither is Chick Lit or a contemporary romance or anything like that. I can't even really call it Woman's Fiction because John's point of view is both important and takes about a third of the book.
The narrative alternates between Irene, John and Sadie and I have to say that I found that quite distracting, further more I found the plot to be a bit flat. It's so grounded and so day-to-day that there is very little spark to the story.
The most interesting parts were the ones that had to do with John and Irene's pasts, at least for me, and I wasn't really interested in their current lives. Sadie, I thought I was going to like her at first but I didn't, not really. I did like the guy she was dating, and that was something but not much.
Bottom Line: This is not a lighthearted, easy to read story. If you're looking for something realistic and a bit complex, this might be your type of read, but I don't see myself going back to this type of book any time soon. The writing is quite decent though.
February 26, 2022
DISCLAIMER: This is going to deviate a lot from my normal review format because I just can’t bring myself to devote any more time to this book, so here goes…
Synopsis: Two people (John and Irene) who never wanted to get married to each other get married to each other, have a kid (Sadie), get divorced, and are brought together again because their now eighteen-year-old daughter did something ridiculously and mind-numbingly stupid.
Why I read this: I read Berg’s Open House and rated it 3/5. It was okay enough that I decided to take another chance and read The Story of Arthur Truluv, which I rated 4/5. I was feeling pretty good and dived into Once Upon a Time, There Was You. I now find myself in a hate-love-hate relationship with Elizabeth Berg. I blame Arthur for this false sense of security.
Questions: First, What was the actual point of this book?!; Second, What in the world was Berg thinking when she wrote the event involving Sadie that sets the stage for her parents’ reunion? It felt forced and came absolutely out of left field. I don’t mind a shocking event if it’s going to add some depth to the story, but this one felt wildly out of place and came and went faster than promises made on election day; Third and Fourth, Who wrote the synopsis for this book and Did they actually read the book? When tragedy strikes, Irene and John come together… Tragedy? That’s REALLY overstating what happened. What takes them longer is to remember how they really feel about each other. That might be the case if it wasn’t for the fact that Irene’s mouth has been estranged from her brain for quite a while so that any relationship involving her is doomed as soon as her lips part. There are more examples, but my brain is beginning to hurt a little bit now.
My rating: Every book I read automatically begins with a star. I mean, the author actually published a book and I haven’t so there’s that. I gave it another star because the relationship between Sade and her father was nice and the ending between John and Irene—unlike other parts of the book—actually made sense and was appropriate.
Moral of the story: Always go with your gut instincts, no matter how terrifying or humiliating the consequences may seem to be. Just suck it up, buy yourself an iced white chocolate mocha, hide under the covers, and wait for common sense to kick in…or the sugar and caffeine, whichever comes first.
Synopsis: Two people (John and Irene) who never wanted to get married to each other get married to each other, have a kid (Sadie), get divorced, and are brought together again because their now eighteen-year-old daughter did something ridiculously and mind-numbingly stupid.
Why I read this: I read Berg’s Open House and rated it 3/5. It was okay enough that I decided to take another chance and read The Story of Arthur Truluv, which I rated 4/5. I was feeling pretty good and dived into Once Upon a Time, There Was You. I now find myself in a hate-love-hate relationship with Elizabeth Berg. I blame Arthur for this false sense of security.
Questions: First, What was the actual point of this book?!; Second, What in the world was Berg thinking when she wrote the event involving Sadie that sets the stage for her parents’ reunion? It felt forced and came absolutely out of left field. I don’t mind a shocking event if it’s going to add some depth to the story, but this one felt wildly out of place and came and went faster than promises made on election day; Third and Fourth, Who wrote the synopsis for this book and Did they actually read the book? When tragedy strikes, Irene and John come together… Tragedy? That’s REALLY overstating what happened. What takes them longer is to remember how they really feel about each other. That might be the case if it wasn’t for the fact that Irene’s mouth has been estranged from her brain for quite a while so that any relationship involving her is doomed as soon as her lips part. There are more examples, but my brain is beginning to hurt a little bit now.
My rating: Every book I read automatically begins with a star. I mean, the author actually published a book and I haven’t so there’s that. I gave it another star because the relationship between Sade and her father was nice and the ending between John and Irene—unlike other parts of the book—actually made sense and was appropriate.
Moral of the story: Always go with your gut instincts, no matter how terrifying or humiliating the consequences may seem to be. Just suck it up, buy yourself an iced white chocolate mocha, hide under the covers, and wait for common sense to kick in…or the sugar and caffeine, whichever comes first.
October 23, 2011
I haven't read any of Elizabeth Berg's other works but I have to admit that despite the praise, I'm not overly impressed. Everything about this book seemed to just fall a little short. I felt like what could have been a very poignant story about the mistakes of life, finding your true self and the complexity and raw emotion of being a parent was turned into a rushed, glossy version that had to remain under 300 pages.
Over the first few chapters, I was expecting a rock climbing accident or a car accident that would kill the boyfriend or severely injure the daughter. Instead she gets into a stranger's car, is kidnapped, and held in an abandoned shed only to be rescued by the police before any real "harm" comes to her because her boyfriend happened to drive up as she got into the car and got the license plate number. I mean, really? Even as far-fetched as that was, the focus then becomes the fact that Sadie got married. How can there never be a true exploration of how this affects Sadie, other than her panic the first time she is alone? How can you pass over the parents fears and emotions of almost losing their daughter? Those surely don't go away just because she's home. If anything, the truth of what could have been would have been larger than life. Then on top of that, throw in the Irene's eternal online dating and John's fledgling relationship with Amy whom me mistakenly met at a surviving spouse's support group.
Despite all of the criticism, I didn't dislike the book. It was ok. It was just disappointing to see the seeds of what could have truly been a deeply moving and profound story and finish knowing that they failed to grow.
Over the first few chapters, I was expecting a rock climbing accident or a car accident that would kill the boyfriend or severely injure the daughter. Instead she gets into a stranger's car, is kidnapped, and held in an abandoned shed only to be rescued by the police before any real "harm" comes to her because her boyfriend happened to drive up as she got into the car and got the license plate number. I mean, really? Even as far-fetched as that was, the focus then becomes the fact that Sadie got married. How can there never be a true exploration of how this affects Sadie, other than her panic the first time she is alone? How can you pass over the parents fears and emotions of almost losing their daughter? Those surely don't go away just because she's home. If anything, the truth of what could have been would have been larger than life. Then on top of that, throw in the Irene's eternal online dating and John's fledgling relationship with Amy whom me mistakenly met at a surviving spouse's support group.
Despite all of the criticism, I didn't dislike the book. It was ok. It was just disappointing to see the seeds of what could have truly been a deeply moving and profound story and finish knowing that they failed to grow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2011
This was my first Elizabeth Berg book. I chose it because it was one the few audiobooks available on the library website whose description appealed to me. On the positive side, I was engrossed while listening to it. I like her style and flow. However, I found the plot to be totally unrealistic. First of all, I found it really cowardly that Berg chose to make Sophie's "trauma" so innocuous. Really - if you don't have the heart to create a really traumatic scene, don't write one at all. The abduction was so lame. What purpose did it serve? There was no follow-up. No trial. Why would he abduct her and then just leave her there? It made no sense whatsoever. Then, Sophie's reaction to it! What? I think Elizabeth Berg was totally out-of-touch with what a real 18 year-old would do. I consulted a panel of experts - the 18 year-old daughters of my friends. To a girl, they agreed that they would not have called Ron from the police station, that they would've called their dads. Not a one of them would've gone to hang out in the park for a while. My initial reaction was that I would've felt dirty, both physically and emotionally, and I would've wanted to get in a hot shower as soon as humanly possible. I don't think I'd be wanting to hang out for a while and then go get married. The whole book just seemed so pointless.
June 8, 2018
Just did a re-read of this book (June 2018), after taking it out accidentally--and was happy to realize that I still really (really) liked it. Here's the old review (and I agree with all of it):
I see that I'm in the minority in thinking this book was great. But I'm going to stick with five stars (four and a half?) because I enjoyed the book so thoroughly. You seldom get to read about relationships between people in older middle age-- and the conversations and details feel very real.
The story at the center of the book: what happens to the primary characters' daughter, Sadie, and the aftermath of a terrifying event. I was hooked on the plot and the believable resolutions of all of the story's conflicts. It felt like a sweet, realistic story which offered hope and joy for some characters (often characters whose prospects were not predictably great)-- and change for others, without having an all-loose-ends-tied-up happy ending.
I really like Elizabeth Berg's stories. And I especially liked this one. Gave me things to think about--which is always a plus.
I see that I'm in the minority in thinking this book was great. But I'm going to stick with five stars (four and a half?) because I enjoyed the book so thoroughly. You seldom get to read about relationships between people in older middle age-- and the conversations and details feel very real.
The story at the center of the book: what happens to the primary characters' daughter, Sadie, and the aftermath of a terrifying event. I was hooked on the plot and the believable resolutions of all of the story's conflicts. It felt like a sweet, realistic story which offered hope and joy for some characters (often characters whose prospects were not predictably great)-- and change for others, without having an all-loose-ends-tied-up happy ending.
I really like Elizabeth Berg's stories. And I especially liked this one. Gave me things to think about--which is always a plus.
May 4, 2019
Elizabeth Berg, your first half-dozen books were keepers for me; I could read lines from these books over and over again and they would make me cry and laugh at the same time, every time. Not so your last three novels. (I feel terribly sad telling you this. Yet I feel I must tell you this.)
You start with a promising premise: A man and woman marry, both feeling great misgivings about the wedding, and later divorce. But it never felt like you loved these characters like I felt you loved your characters in past books. And that's what I thought was missing from the last few books.
I probably will continue to try your novels, but if it continues to feel like you are just going through the motions, I probably won't finish them. (Please know that I write this painful review only because I loved your first books so much.) Honestly, the design of the cover is the best part of this book.
You start with a promising premise: A man and woman marry, both feeling great misgivings about the wedding, and later divorce. But it never felt like you loved these characters like I felt you loved your characters in past books. And that's what I thought was missing from the last few books.
I probably will continue to try your novels, but if it continues to feel like you are just going through the motions, I probably won't finish them. (Please know that I write this painful review only because I loved your first books so much.) Honestly, the design of the cover is the best part of this book.
June 10, 2022
2.5 stars
I used to love Elizabeth Berg--she was one of my all-time favourite authors, but lately, anything I've read of hers has been incredibly ageist and judgmental of women. At 56, the protagonist is over the hill and too old for love, and why would someone in their forties possibly be interested in her? Only if he's a weirdo with some fetish for elderly ladies (eye roll). I don't know what was worse, the part where the protagonist strips in front of her friend to get a harsh assessment of her decrepit body, because her body must be the reason her relationships aren't working out. (No mention of what the men's bodies looked like, of course.) "Sweetheart. This is not the time of our bodies," her friend says, looking sad. Wow. Nice friend. Are all the fifty-something women in Berg's life pathetic, lonely, and sad? Because that's how she writes them. Does she feel this is at all comforting to her readers? Then we have the time she describes an "older" woman dressed up in a bar: "...with a frizzed-out blond perm and what must have been at one time a pretty spectacular body now stuffed into a blue silk dress." Wow.
"I don't think she's a prostitute," our charming main character says. Seriously, f*ck this judgemental protagonist. All of the women Berg writes tend to tread this path in the last few books of hers I've read.
My other issue was the thing I used to love about her writing--how she has a way of noticing the ordinary things in life and celebrating the beauty of them. But it becomes an issue when EVERYONE talks and thinks like this. Ask any female character in one of Berg's books what they like, and they practically burst into a rendition of, "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things." It's especially off-putting when it's a man doing it. In Berg's world, straight middle-aged men notice when a woman has on fresh lipstick. Or they pick up on the notes in a woman's perfume and ascribe colors to them. Really? Has Berg ever talked to a man? If someone asks me what I like, the first thing to leap to mind would not be, "Striped shirts. Bacon on Sundays. The birds every morning. Reading the first paragraph of a book and knowing you're going to love it." Who are these people?
Even though I've finished this book, I'm not sure what it was about. I guess the best way to describe it was slice-0f-life, because there wasn't really any plot. It just kind of limped along and fizzled. So disappointed.
I used to love Elizabeth Berg--she was one of my all-time favourite authors, but lately, anything I've read of hers has been incredibly ageist and judgmental of women. At 56, the protagonist is over the hill and too old for love, and why would someone in their forties possibly be interested in her? Only if he's a weirdo with some fetish for elderly ladies (eye roll). I don't know what was worse, the part where the protagonist strips in front of her friend to get a harsh assessment of her decrepit body, because her body must be the reason her relationships aren't working out. (No mention of what the men's bodies looked like, of course.) "Sweetheart. This is not the time of our bodies," her friend says, looking sad. Wow. Nice friend. Are all the fifty-something women in Berg's life pathetic, lonely, and sad? Because that's how she writes them. Does she feel this is at all comforting to her readers? Then we have the time she describes an "older" woman dressed up in a bar: "...with a frizzed-out blond perm and what must have been at one time a pretty spectacular body now stuffed into a blue silk dress." Wow.
"I don't think she's a prostitute," our charming main character says. Seriously, f*ck this judgemental protagonist. All of the women Berg writes tend to tread this path in the last few books of hers I've read.
My other issue was the thing I used to love about her writing--how she has a way of noticing the ordinary things in life and celebrating the beauty of them. But it becomes an issue when EVERYONE talks and thinks like this. Ask any female character in one of Berg's books what they like, and they practically burst into a rendition of, "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things." It's especially off-putting when it's a man doing it. In Berg's world, straight middle-aged men notice when a woman has on fresh lipstick. Or they pick up on the notes in a woman's perfume and ascribe colors to them. Really? Has Berg ever talked to a man? If someone asks me what I like, the first thing to leap to mind would not be, "Striped shirts. Bacon on Sundays. The birds every morning. Reading the first paragraph of a book and knowing you're going to love it." Who are these people?
Even though I've finished this book, I'm not sure what it was about. I guess the best way to describe it was slice-0f-life, because there wasn't really any plot. It just kind of limped along and fizzled. So disappointed.
April 6, 2011
Oh, I do love Elizabeth Berg, however her last two novels have been predictable, just ok. I wanted to like this one, but like her last one, it just didn't resonate much. The characters were prone to spend a lot of time reminiscing about things that didn't add to the story at all. Ms. Berg usually weaves these kinds of things throughout her stories in impeccable fashion, but not here.
I really enjoy much of her older work, but Home Safe is the last novel of hers I really enjoyed.
Bummer.
I really enjoy much of her older work, but Home Safe is the last novel of hers I really enjoyed.
Bummer.
November 28, 2011
I am an Elizabeth Berg FAn. She has written some of my favorite novels.
This was good but just did not seem to be as good as some things that I have read by her in the past such as, Open House (I loved this one) and Talk Before Sleep ( I didn't think I would stop crying when I read this).
The one factor that all of the works, that I have read, by Berg have in common is that the emotions the characters have are so authentic or realistic. While I found Irene to be prickly and a little hard to like, at times, I could certainly relate to the way she loved her daughter and wanted only good things for her.
I could also sympathize with Sadie. She does something incredibly foolhardy and as a parent I was screaming at her don't don't don't but there is part of me that can still relate to that trusting 18 year old and remember how it was to not really be able to feel that anything truly bad could happen to me.
While parts of this book were hard to concentrate through, I could really relate to the characters. They felt real, which is why I cannot give it anything lower than three stars even though it was not a favorite of mine from this author.
This was good but just did not seem to be as good as some things that I have read by her in the past such as, Open House (I loved this one) and Talk Before Sleep ( I didn't think I would stop crying when I read this).
The one factor that all of the works, that I have read, by Berg have in common is that the emotions the characters have are so authentic or realistic. While I found Irene to be prickly and a little hard to like, at times, I could certainly relate to the way she loved her daughter and wanted only good things for her.
I could also sympathize with Sadie. She does something incredibly foolhardy and as a parent I was screaming at her don't don't don't but there is part of me that can still relate to that trusting 18 year old and remember how it was to not really be able to feel that anything truly bad could happen to me.
While parts of this book were hard to concentrate through, I could really relate to the characters. They felt real, which is why I cannot give it anything lower than three stars even though it was not a favorite of mine from this author.
October 7, 2012
1.5 star DNF
I just couldn't bring myself to care what happened to these tedious, unlikeable people. Spoilers
The abduction subplot was silly. Being knocked around and then locked in a shed and never bothered for over 2 days seemed unlikely beyond belief. Much as I didn't want Sadie to be raped or murdered, it was unrealistic that being locked up was the extent of her experience.
But mainly, I just could not stand Irene. Every little anecdote that was thrown in was more boring than the next, and not a single one made her into someone I could relate to. That's pretty remarkable, considering I'm a 50 something woman with teenagers in their last years of high school, just like her.
Irene's ex, John, seemed like a decent guy, but by the time I gave up in the book, it seemed the rest of the plot would be John and Irene getting back together, and I really didn't want to see that happen to poor John.
I just couldn't bring myself to care what happened to these tedious, unlikeable people. Spoilers
The abduction subplot was silly. Being knocked around and then locked in a shed and never bothered for over 2 days seemed unlikely beyond belief. Much as I didn't want Sadie to be raped or murdered, it was unrealistic that being locked up was the extent of her experience.
But mainly, I just could not stand Irene. Every little anecdote that was thrown in was more boring than the next, and not a single one made her into someone I could relate to. That's pretty remarkable, considering I'm a 50 something woman with teenagers in their last years of high school, just like her.
Irene's ex, John, seemed like a decent guy, but by the time I gave up in the book, it seemed the rest of the plot would be John and Irene getting back together, and I really didn't want to see that happen to poor John.
June 3, 2019
Não me convenceu :(
Sinceramente achei que foi enfadonho, uma descrição da vida de duas pessoas que se divorciaram e a historia das suas vidas antes, durante e após o casamento.
Uma analise dos seus arrependimentos e da sua evolução
Não acrescentou nada de novo
Sinceramente achei que foi enfadonho, uma descrição da vida de duas pessoas que se divorciaram e a historia das suas vidas antes, durante e após o casamento.
Uma analise dos seus arrependimentos e da sua evolução
Não acrescentou nada de novo
November 3, 2014
Once Upon a Time, There was You by Elizabeth Berg, is an engaging study of family dynamics, its humor, frustrations, scares, scars and secrets.
Even on their wedding day, John and Irene had serious reservations whether they were doing the right thing. But their plans were made and they did what was expected of them. Now divorced and living in different parts of the country, the one thing they have in common is their mutual love for their eighteen-year-old daughter, Sadie.
Sadie lives with her mother in San Francisco, John lives in their original home state, Minnesota. Four times a year Sadie visits her father, mostly in Minnesota, but sometimes he comes to California. She’s a bright girl, itching to be on her own. It’s late summer when the story takes place, and Sadie is looking forward to college and independence.
Irene passionately loves her daughter, knows it’s time to begin letting go, but is finding it hard to accept that Sadie will soon be on her own. The empty nest is looming, but she’s not ready to let it happen. John, as the absent parent, is seen at the “good guy,” someone Sadie can confide in, and sometimes Sadie can get him to intercede for her with her mother.
Sadie has a boyfriend, Ron, whom she’s dated on several occasions, but hasn’t yet introduced to her mother. She’s asked her mother’s permission to go on a rock climb, but with no success. Rock climbing isn’t something Irene could imagine anyone doing and she can’t fathom why Sadie would want to do such a dangerous thing. At Sadie’s request, John talks to Irene, who reluctantly gives in. Sadie has actually made other plans, the rock climb is a ruse, but her clandestine plan backfires. When tragedy strikes, Irene and John come together to support Sadie.
Author Elizabeth Berg’s character development is superb. Like them or not, her characters ring true, flaws and all. The story is a portrayal of love: love between man and woman, love toward their child, and the sometimes spotty love a child has for her parents. The novel is a realistic look at the pains and perils of raising a child in today’s world of broken relationships.
Even on their wedding day, John and Irene had serious reservations whether they were doing the right thing. But their plans were made and they did what was expected of them. Now divorced and living in different parts of the country, the one thing they have in common is their mutual love for their eighteen-year-old daughter, Sadie.
Sadie lives with her mother in San Francisco, John lives in their original home state, Minnesota. Four times a year Sadie visits her father, mostly in Minnesota, but sometimes he comes to California. She’s a bright girl, itching to be on her own. It’s late summer when the story takes place, and Sadie is looking forward to college and independence.
Irene passionately loves her daughter, knows it’s time to begin letting go, but is finding it hard to accept that Sadie will soon be on her own. The empty nest is looming, but she’s not ready to let it happen. John, as the absent parent, is seen at the “good guy,” someone Sadie can confide in, and sometimes Sadie can get him to intercede for her with her mother.
Sadie has a boyfriend, Ron, whom she’s dated on several occasions, but hasn’t yet introduced to her mother. She’s asked her mother’s permission to go on a rock climb, but with no success. Rock climbing isn’t something Irene could imagine anyone doing and she can’t fathom why Sadie would want to do such a dangerous thing. At Sadie’s request, John talks to Irene, who reluctantly gives in. Sadie has actually made other plans, the rock climb is a ruse, but her clandestine plan backfires. When tragedy strikes, Irene and John come together to support Sadie.
Author Elizabeth Berg’s character development is superb. Like them or not, her characters ring true, flaws and all. The story is a portrayal of love: love between man and woman, love toward their child, and the sometimes spotty love a child has for her parents. The novel is a realistic look at the pains and perils of raising a child in today’s world of broken relationships.
August 1, 2021
Didn't love it, didn't hate it. There were definitely a number of parts that I really disliked, or found completely ridiculous or unrealistic. If I had been reading the print book I'm sure I would have given up on it. I listened to it while working my delivery job, and for that it worked out okay. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone though.
April 9, 2019
I am soooo glad that I borrowed this book and didn't buy it. This was one of the more depressing reads that I have voluntarily chosen for this year! Also, one that was written with a lot of unlikeable character's, major inner-dialoguing, and what amounted (to me) incorrect research.
This is the story of a marital break-up and its aftermath and a new marriage.
>>>>WARNING<<<<<
This review/rant is going to be filled with spoilers, so if you are thinking of reading this book stop here!
>>>>>SPOILERISH<<<<<
There are several things I absolutely HATED about this book.
One of them, as you can plainly see, is the incessant inner-dialogue. The second would be the naivete of most of the main character's (except for maybe John, the ex-husband/father).
I hate having to "blame the victim for the crime". I know it is not politically correct -I know it is wrong. However in this circumstance, when a crime like this is used to prove that a marriage is a good thing, or to push a marriage through-well I just can't go with the flow. This is what I'm talking about:
Sadie (the daughter -18 years old) is waiting for her boyfriend. When he doesn't show up on time and through bizarre circumstances, she flashes boob at someone who has stopped to get directions from her and then accepts a ride from this unknown guy. She decides to go with this guy to make her boyfriend 'jealous' if he sees her with this guy. Well, naturally she gets kidnapped, threatened and then abandoned. Left for several days with no food, water or bathroom.
Because said boyfriend just happened to be driving by in time to see what happened-the police eventually come to get her. Now correct me if I'm wrong but shouldn't there have been an ambulance with the cops? No, what happened is the cop kicks the door of the shed that Sadie has been in for at least 3 days and says she needs to come to the station to answer a few questions.
Secondly -instead of Sadie going back to her extremely worried parents-she takes off with her boyfriend and gets married!!! Yes, she is 18 and of age, but seriously??? Childish much?
So here is how I stand -If Sadie was stupid enough and childish enough to go with a stranger---then she is not at all adult enough to be married...period. And yes, I am blaming her for what happened. If she thinks she is old, smart, wise enough to get married then she certainly knows what the consequences are for such childish behavior.
>>>>END SPOILER<<<<
Enough said.
This is the story of a marital break-up and its aftermath and a new marriage.
>>>>WARNING<<<<<
This review/rant is going to be filled with spoilers, so if you are thinking of reading this book stop here!
>>>>>SPOILERISH<<<<<
There are several things I absolutely HATED about this book.
One of them, as you can plainly see, is the incessant inner-dialogue. The second would be the naivete of most of the main character's (except for maybe John, the ex-husband/father).
I hate having to "blame the victim for the crime". I know it is not politically correct -I know it is wrong. However in this circumstance, when a crime like this is used to prove that a marriage is a good thing, or to push a marriage through-well I just can't go with the flow. This is what I'm talking about:
Sadie (the daughter -18 years old) is waiting for her boyfriend. When he doesn't show up on time and through bizarre circumstances, she flashes boob at someone who has stopped to get directions from her and then accepts a ride from this unknown guy. She decides to go with this guy to make her boyfriend 'jealous' if he sees her with this guy. Well, naturally she gets kidnapped, threatened and then abandoned. Left for several days with no food, water or bathroom.
Because said boyfriend just happened to be driving by in time to see what happened-the police eventually come to get her. Now correct me if I'm wrong but shouldn't there have been an ambulance with the cops? No, what happened is the cop kicks the door of the shed that Sadie has been in for at least 3 days and says she needs to come to the station to answer a few questions.
Secondly -instead of Sadie going back to her extremely worried parents-she takes off with her boyfriend and gets married!!! Yes, she is 18 and of age, but seriously??? Childish much?
So here is how I stand -If Sadie was stupid enough and childish enough to go with a stranger---then she is not at all adult enough to be married...period. And yes, I am blaming her for what happened. If she thinks she is old, smart, wise enough to get married then she certainly knows what the consequences are for such childish behavior.
>>>>END SPOILER<<<<
Enough said.
June 13, 2020
I love Elizabeth Berg's work. Occasionally, she writes a book I don't like. Once Upon a Time, There Was You falls into this category.
John and Irene Marsh marry later in life, well, in the thirties, and both have doubts about the wisdom of getting married to each other. They have a child, Sadie and divorce when Sadie is eight years old. John stays in Minnesota while Irene moves to San Francisco and takes Sadie with her.
Sadie appears to be a daughter who rolls with the flow of her parents' personalities (difficult to do when they are at distant edges of the spectrum). She calls when she arrives at her destinations even if it's just a friend's house and calls when she's on her way home. A switch is flipped when she turns 18 and she begins not telling her parents everything. She is dating Ron and she's told no one about him and then one day she lies to her parents about a weekend trip with Ron. I won't tell you the rest in case you want to be surprised. This was when the book fell apart completely for me.
I will say the story is flawed on so many levels. Nothing is realistic, the characters are flat and wildly unattractive except for Irene's boss and her best friend. I understand that flawed people are realistic, but these folks are so unlikeable it became a very frustrating read. I expect even the worst, most unlikeable characters to evolve at least a little. The worst part is this is not a usual comfort, feel good read that Elizabeth Berg's books are for me.
Skip this book and read her recent Arthur Trulove series or go back and re-read Talk Before Sleep, Range of Motion, The Art of Mending, Say When, Open House, Pull of the Moon, The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted.
John and Irene Marsh marry later in life, well, in the thirties, and both have doubts about the wisdom of getting married to each other. They have a child, Sadie and divorce when Sadie is eight years old. John stays in Minnesota while Irene moves to San Francisco and takes Sadie with her.
Sadie appears to be a daughter who rolls with the flow of her parents' personalities (difficult to do when they are at distant edges of the spectrum). She calls when she arrives at her destinations even if it's just a friend's house and calls when she's on her way home. A switch is flipped when she turns 18 and she begins not telling her parents everything. She is dating Ron and she's told no one about him and then one day she lies to her parents about a weekend trip with Ron. I won't tell you the rest in case you want to be surprised. This was when the book fell apart completely for me.
I will say the story is flawed on so many levels. Nothing is realistic, the characters are flat and wildly unattractive except for Irene's boss and her best friend. I understand that flawed people are realistic, but these folks are so unlikeable it became a very frustrating read. I expect even the worst, most unlikeable characters to evolve at least a little. The worst part is this is not a usual comfort, feel good read that Elizabeth Berg's books are for me.
Skip this book and read her recent Arthur Trulove series or go back and re-read Talk Before Sleep, Range of Motion, The Art of Mending, Say When, Open House, Pull of the Moon, The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted.
August 16, 2011
Berg returns to some familiar themes: love, marriage, parenting, childhood memories, and sense of self. On their wedding day both John and Irene realize they should not get married, but they go ahead. Years later, divorced, they are brought back together to deal with a crisis involving their 18-year-old daughter Sadie. John lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Irene and Sadie live in San Francisco. Most of the questions raised in this novel are about marriage. Why do some marriages succeed and others fail? Can you be too young to marry successfully? -- or too old? When should you tell your friends about problems you're having? -- and when should you keep it to yourself? There's a lot of other "issues" in this book, too: helicopter parents, kidnapping, personal ads, career choices, widowhood...
What I love about Berg is how she drags us into the minds - the thoughts and memories - of her characters. I admire how they are able to remember small incidents or happenings to support an argument they are making in their conversations. When someone asks me to tell an anecdote or "tell about a time when.....", my mind always goes completely blank.
These characters are not all admirable, but they have depth, and we can identify with their weaknesses as well as their strengths -- and we sympathize with them even when they screw up. Cuz haven't we all?
A quick summertime read, and really, who can resist a new Berg book, even if there are other books on my must-read shelf?
What I love about Berg is how she drags us into the minds - the thoughts and memories - of her characters. I admire how they are able to remember small incidents or happenings to support an argument they are making in their conversations. When someone asks me to tell an anecdote or "tell about a time when.....", my mind always goes completely blank.
These characters are not all admirable, but they have depth, and we can identify with their weaknesses as well as their strengths -- and we sympathize with them even when they screw up. Cuz haven't we all?
A quick summertime read, and really, who can resist a new Berg book, even if there are other books on my must-read shelf?
August 6, 2011
Here's something that doesn't happen often, an Elizabeth Berg novel that I didn't particularly enjoy.
The good: It is refreshing to occasionally read a story about some inconceivably bad event happening to a character, and the character actually getting past it. So many books I've read have had a terrible thing happen, and it rips apart the lives of anybody even loosely connected to that character. In this case, the repercussions of "the event" are widespread, but on a realistic level.
The bad: When Sadie, the daughter of the main characters, undergoes her traumatic event, it is practically just another blip in the saga of John and Irene's failed marriage, and the ensuing years of failed communication. It is almost as though every chapter is just a discourse on why these two particular middle-aged adults are so dysfunctional, and their handling of their daughter's disappearance and the fallout just provides evidence to support that. Sure, maybe in real life not all similar events explode into a People magazine headline, but nor are there books written about all of them. I could better envision "Once Upon a Time, There Was You" as a short story that would be engrossing for all of its twenty pages.
The good: It is refreshing to occasionally read a story about some inconceivably bad event happening to a character, and the character actually getting past it. So many books I've read have had a terrible thing happen, and it rips apart the lives of anybody even loosely connected to that character. In this case, the repercussions of "the event" are widespread, but on a realistic level.
The bad: When Sadie, the daughter of the main characters, undergoes her traumatic event, it is practically just another blip in the saga of John and Irene's failed marriage, and the ensuing years of failed communication. It is almost as though every chapter is just a discourse on why these two particular middle-aged adults are so dysfunctional, and their handling of their daughter's disappearance and the fallout just provides evidence to support that. Sure, maybe in real life not all similar events explode into a People magazine headline, but nor are there books written about all of them. I could better envision "Once Upon a Time, There Was You" as a short story that would be engrossing for all of its twenty pages.
July 11, 2011
I have read many of Berg's books and I must say this is perhaps the one that I have liked the least.
Irene and John were married for about nine years and then divorced. They had one daughter, Sadie who lived with her controlling mother and missed her father who remained in their hometown of Minneapolis while they moved to San Francisco. The few weeks a year when Sadie went to go visit her father never seemed to be enough for either of them.
One day, Irene is frantic and calls John. There is a crisis involving Sadie. John leaves the new relationship that he has just started and rushes out to San Francisco. During the time that he is there staying with Irene, they begin to explore how they really feel about each other.
Although Berg does a good job developing her characters I found the story to be a bit unbelievable. The struggle between an 18 year old about to go off on her own and a mother was very realistic, however.
If I was going to recommend a book to a friend, this would not be the one that I would tell them to add to their list.
Irene and John were married for about nine years and then divorced. They had one daughter, Sadie who lived with her controlling mother and missed her father who remained in their hometown of Minneapolis while they moved to San Francisco. The few weeks a year when Sadie went to go visit her father never seemed to be enough for either of them.
One day, Irene is frantic and calls John. There is a crisis involving Sadie. John leaves the new relationship that he has just started and rushes out to San Francisco. During the time that he is there staying with Irene, they begin to explore how they really feel about each other.
Although Berg does a good job developing her characters I found the story to be a bit unbelievable. The struggle between an 18 year old about to go off on her own and a mother was very realistic, however.
If I was going to recommend a book to a friend, this would not be the one that I would tell them to add to their list.
December 8, 2015
This was an enjoyable but ultimately forgettable portrait of a marriage and divorce. The best part of the book was the description of the fairly dire situation the couple's daughter finds herself in near the beginning, which ultimately causes the divorced parents to interact with each other and provides the opportunity for them each to review the relationship.
The last third of the book had too much talking-head relationship rumination for my taste. All the characters got a turn to talk to one of the others about how they felt. This didn't seem realistic. Everyone seemed to have far too much insight into their own and others' motivations and too much politeness and empathy. Real relationships are far more messy and not amenable to neat dissection. And there were a few situations that strained credulity--like someone popping up in a cafe at a too-convenient moment.
Ultimately, though, this was a quick, not-too-taxing read and just what I needed over the weekend.
The last third of the book had too much talking-head relationship rumination for my taste. All the characters got a turn to talk to one of the others about how they felt. This didn't seem realistic. Everyone seemed to have far too much insight into their own and others' motivations and too much politeness and empathy. Real relationships are far more messy and not amenable to neat dissection. And there were a few situations that strained credulity--like someone popping up in a cafe at a too-convenient moment.
Ultimately, though, this was a quick, not-too-taxing read and just what I needed over the weekend.
March 2, 2012
I always hesitate to write a bad review. (I worry, what if the author reads my review and I hurt the author feelings?) I apologize in advance Elizabeth Berg.
This book was terrible. Lifetime Original Movie terrible.
Here is just a small portion of some of the long list of things squeezed in the plot of this book:
(Spoiler)
Divorced couple rekindling their romance. (I didn't actually get to this point in the book, I gave up well before.)
Teenage love hidden from parents
Teenagers with cancer
Teenage elopement
Rethinking careers
Man having to confess to new girlfriend that he crashed the Bereavement Group to meet her.
Kidnapping by stranger
Young man with romantic interest only in OLD women.
I didn't even skip to the end. I just put the book down.
This book was terrible. Lifetime Original Movie terrible.
Here is just a small portion of some of the long list of things squeezed in the plot of this book:
(Spoiler)
Divorced couple rekindling their romance. (I didn't actually get to this point in the book, I gave up well before.)
Teenage love hidden from parents
Teenagers with cancer
Teenage elopement
Rethinking careers
Man having to confess to new girlfriend that he crashed the Bereavement Group to meet her.
Kidnapping by stranger
Young man with romantic interest only in OLD women.
I didn't even skip to the end. I just put the book down.
May 4, 2011
Sigh. I'm really starting to wonder why I continue reading Elizabeth Berg. I just don't like her characters anymore. The characters in "Once Upon a Time, There Was You" were just TOO selfish and TOO immature. I spent half the time yelling at Irene for being such a controlling bitch and half the time yelling at Sadie for being an uncaring brat. And then in the end, basically everyone gets what they want and is happy... except for Irene? Not fair, not satisfactory... not her best book at all.
On the positive side, I LOVED Amy and Jeffery... I wish they'd been bigger characters. But then maybe I'd have grown to hate them if they'd been more present.
On the positive side, I LOVED Amy and Jeffery... I wish they'd been bigger characters. But then maybe I'd have grown to hate them if they'd been more present.
August 24, 2018
I love Elizabeth Berg’s books. I am always left with a lingering sense that the characters are still with me. The main characters tend to be middle-aged women dealing with some crisis or curve ball life has thrown at them. I get so completely tangled up with the characters! This particular story is about a divorced couple who develop a new friendship after their college aged daughter experiences a crisis. The story is so complex and well-told. I loved them all. I am still wondering how they are doing! I recommend Berg’s books highly, especially if you are tired of too-young main characters.
August 11, 2011
I am sorry to say that I found this book to be terribly boring and very hard to finish. Halfway through I wanted to give up on it and quit, but I kept hoping that it would have some sort redeeming factor to it, but unfrotunatly it did not. I found Irene, one of the main characters to be boring, and her attitude throughout the book was just maddening! She is the main reason why I did not like this book at all. I wanted to jump into the book and say IRENE!! Grow up!!!!
This book was just not what I thought it would be and sadly, is one of the worst books I have read this year.
This book was just not what I thought it would be and sadly, is one of the worst books I have read this year.
July 15, 2012
A return to familiar themes in Berg's books: marriage, divorce, a teenage daughter. She handles these topics better than anyone, in my opinion. Yes, the characters are a bit dysfuntional but still very compex and likeable, in this case the father and the daughter moreso. And I am glad the ending wasn't what I had expected.
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