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The Possibility of You
New York Times bestselling author Pamela Redmond delivers a beautifully written novel about three generations of women in New York City and the experiences that shape and connect them to each other.
The Possibility of You weaves together three interlocking stories involving three women dealing with issues of pregnancy and motherhood at key moments in history of the last On the brink of the First World War and the dawn of the modern age; as the liberalism of the ’60s and ’70s gave way to Reagan’s 1980s; and during the autumn of Barack Obama’s election. Contemporary heroine Cait, an African-American journalist raised by white adoptive parents, goes on a search for her birth mother inspired by her own unplanned pregnancy. Orphan Billie travels from her hippie upbringing in San Francisco to discover the upscale New York grandmother she never knew existed. And Irish nanny Bridget loses the boy she cares for and loves in the 1916 polio epidemic, only to try and replace him with a child of her own.
Delving into the complex emotions that lie at the heart of unplanned pregnancy, motherhood, and the definition of family, this sweeping inter-generational saga illuminates the struggles of these very different women—and shows how the search for belonging is a connection that remains universal.
The Possibility of You weaves together three interlocking stories involving three women dealing with issues of pregnancy and motherhood at key moments in history of the last On the brink of the First World War and the dawn of the modern age; as the liberalism of the ’60s and ’70s gave way to Reagan’s 1980s; and during the autumn of Barack Obama’s election. Contemporary heroine Cait, an African-American journalist raised by white adoptive parents, goes on a search for her birth mother inspired by her own unplanned pregnancy. Orphan Billie travels from her hippie upbringing in San Francisco to discover the upscale New York grandmother she never knew existed. And Irish nanny Bridget loses the boy she cares for and loves in the 1916 polio epidemic, only to try and replace him with a child of her own.
Delving into the complex emotions that lie at the heart of unplanned pregnancy, motherhood, and the definition of family, this sweeping inter-generational saga illuminates the struggles of these very different women—and shows how the search for belonging is a connection that remains universal.
384 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2012
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1648 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
January 3, 2012
This was an easy and enjoyable read that coupled a meaningful story line with nicely developed characters. I typically enjoy books that follow characters in different timelines, but sometimes they can become too cluttered with unnecessary details or the repetition of too many family names. This book avoided all those issues and kept the action of the three main characters separate but integrated. It doesn’t matter that you can guess fairly quickly how the story will play out; that makes it easier to focus on the characters and the unique challenges they faced in their respective times and personal family dramas.
May 9, 2012
Pamela Redmond admits in the introduction to her novel The Possibility of You that she “had bookclubs in mind” when she wrote the book. And that’s exactly how this novel reads – like a book written to get women talking.
The novel tells the story of three women: Bridget, Billie and Cait and spans several decades. Cait’s present-day story begins when she falls into bed with another journalist while they are on assignment to cover the story of a missing boy. Later, Cait discovers that she is pregnant and she decides she needs to locate her birth mother.
Bille’s story takes place in the 1970s. Orphaned after the death of her drug-addicted father, she heads to New York City with her best friend, Jupe. There she meets, for the first time, her eccentric and wealthy grandmother, Maude.
Going back even further is the story of Bridget, an Irish immigrant who works in Maude’s house caring for Maude’s young son, Floyd.
That these three women’s stories should be intertwined will come as no surprise to the reader. There isn’t actually anything surprising about that – or even all that original about their stories at all, actually. And I understand that that makes me sound sort of heartless. I think Redmond’s intent was that women of all stripes should find at least one of these women, and their stories of birth and death, to be compelling and relateable. The idea that women make sacrifices and mistakes isn’t riveting in and of itself, unless the characters are somehow sympathetic.
Maude was the most modern of the characters, a famous singer in her day, she married an much older man, had affairs which she openly bragged about and sent her maid, Bridget, to get birth control so she could sleep with her boyfriend without the complications of getting pregnant or having to get married. While she seems thoroughly forward thinking in 1915, at the end of the day, she is reprehensible and selfish.
The Possibility of You seemed like it should have added up to a lot more than the sum of its parts, but for me it just seemed like a cobbled-together story with all the talking points necessary for a good book club evening over a glass of wine.
My book club discussed the book last night and none of us were all that enamoured with it. In fact once we dispensed with the book’s central idea – how do women cope with giving up a child – we veered into a much more lively discussion of local politics. Despite the book’s positive reviews, we just weren’t moved by the novel or its characters.
The novel tells the story of three women: Bridget, Billie and Cait and spans several decades. Cait’s present-day story begins when she falls into bed with another journalist while they are on assignment to cover the story of a missing boy. Later, Cait discovers that she is pregnant and she decides she needs to locate her birth mother.
Bille’s story takes place in the 1970s. Orphaned after the death of her drug-addicted father, she heads to New York City with her best friend, Jupe. There she meets, for the first time, her eccentric and wealthy grandmother, Maude.
Going back even further is the story of Bridget, an Irish immigrant who works in Maude’s house caring for Maude’s young son, Floyd.
That these three women’s stories should be intertwined will come as no surprise to the reader. There isn’t actually anything surprising about that – or even all that original about their stories at all, actually. And I understand that that makes me sound sort of heartless. I think Redmond’s intent was that women of all stripes should find at least one of these women, and their stories of birth and death, to be compelling and relateable. The idea that women make sacrifices and mistakes isn’t riveting in and of itself, unless the characters are somehow sympathetic.
Maude was the most modern of the characters, a famous singer in her day, she married an much older man, had affairs which she openly bragged about and sent her maid, Bridget, to get birth control so she could sleep with her boyfriend without the complications of getting pregnant or having to get married. While she seems thoroughly forward thinking in 1915, at the end of the day, she is reprehensible and selfish.
The Possibility of You seemed like it should have added up to a lot more than the sum of its parts, but for me it just seemed like a cobbled-together story with all the talking points necessary for a good book club evening over a glass of wine.
My book club discussed the book last night and none of us were all that enamoured with it. In fact once we dispensed with the book’s central idea – how do women cope with giving up a child – we veered into a much more lively discussion of local politics. Despite the book’s positive reviews, we just weren’t moved by the novel or its characters.
January 3, 2012
Interesting book. It is a must read for mothers and daughters. It delves into the psychology of pregnancy and everything after that. It is three distinct tales about three different women, but they are woven so well to create one story. Yes, it is chick lit with a little bit of a historical novel thrown in. I enjoyed all the emotion and feeling in the book and the display of how choices made by someone far in the past do effect us today. I would recommend this book to reading groups because it has great discussion possibilities. But it is also a great quick read while on vacation.
February 25, 2015
Definitely one of my favorite books in a long time! I love how there are three different stories being told from three different women during three different time periods: 1910's, 1970's, and the Present. I love the themes of motherhood, pregnancy, and women's rights and how these themes differed and evolved throughout the book. The characters were well-developed and each intriguing in their own right. This book was hard to put down, as you're eager to put the pieces together to learn the whole story!
October 17, 2012
The Possibility of You by Pamela Redmond
Pamela Redmond delivers a well written novel depicting three generations of women and the stories that shape and connect them to each other.
Bridget in 1916 becomes pregnant and her husband ships off to war. Their son becomes desperately ill and she is forced to make a deal with Maude in exchange for her help obtaining medical care for her little one. Fast forward to 1976 and Billie’s father has just passed away when she finds old letters from his family. She travels across the country with her friend Jupe to meet them. She becomes pregnant and the father, Jupe, wants nothing to do with the child. She eventually gives up her baby for adoption.
Present day brings us Cait who is adopted and has always lived a carefree life as a journalist and home is wherever the story takes her. She has a fling with a married man on one such story and weeks later finds out she, too, is pregnant. She can’t decide what to do; can’t decide if she is ready for motherhood. Thinking of being a mother herself sets her on a journey to search for her biological parents. Cait feels that until she can come to peace about the situation surrounding her adoption that she will never be a good mother.
This book does a great job weaving together the stories of the three women and the complex emotions that lie at the center of dealing with unplanned pregnancy and motherhood. It explores the definition of a family and how the sense of belonging remains universal regardless of time or age. For a satisfying read, pick up The Possibility of You.
Pamela Redmond delivers a well written novel depicting three generations of women and the stories that shape and connect them to each other.
Bridget in 1916 becomes pregnant and her husband ships off to war. Their son becomes desperately ill and she is forced to make a deal with Maude in exchange for her help obtaining medical care for her little one. Fast forward to 1976 and Billie’s father has just passed away when she finds old letters from his family. She travels across the country with her friend Jupe to meet them. She becomes pregnant and the father, Jupe, wants nothing to do with the child. She eventually gives up her baby for adoption.
Present day brings us Cait who is adopted and has always lived a carefree life as a journalist and home is wherever the story takes her. She has a fling with a married man on one such story and weeks later finds out she, too, is pregnant. She can’t decide what to do; can’t decide if she is ready for motherhood. Thinking of being a mother herself sets her on a journey to search for her biological parents. Cait feels that until she can come to peace about the situation surrounding her adoption that she will never be a good mother.
This book does a great job weaving together the stories of the three women and the complex emotions that lie at the center of dealing with unplanned pregnancy and motherhood. It explores the definition of a family and how the sense of belonging remains universal regardless of time or age. For a satisfying read, pick up The Possibility of You.
January 9, 2012
This is one of those books that will catch your interest from the first page and keep you turning page after page long after you should have turned out the light. Pamela Redmond's "The Possibility of You" tells the story of three women, starting with Cait in the present; Billie in 1976 and Bridget in 1916. Three strong women who made choices that impacted not only their own lives, but the future of their families. Bridget is a young Irish immigrant who works as nanny to the only child of a wealthy family in New York City; Billie is a young girl brought up in California, who comes to New York City seeking the family she never knew existed after finding letters among her father's effects after his death; and Cait, a successful free-lance journalist whose coverage of a missing young boy starts a chain of circumstances in motion that will make her question who she really is and what is truly most important to her. These are interesting characters and although I was able to figure out the ending, that did not detract from my enjoyment of a story well-told. This is an enjoyable read but would also make a very good book club discussion book.
February 16, 2012
All I can saw is WOW! Never having read anything by this author before, I was a bit hesitant in taking it as my only book to work one day. I was hooked from page one!
Told in the views of three different women in three different eras (Irish nanny, Bridget in 1916, college student Billie in 1976, and journalist Cait in present day) -- it is soon apparent that they all have something in common. While some authors might not reveal the common thread until toward the end of a book, what binds these characters to one another is known to the reader very early on. However, it the twists and turns along the way that make this book unputdownable.
This is a book that's very easy to read, but very hard to put down. I highly recommend it to readers in search of an outstanding read. I for one, will be looking for this author's other books. I just love discovering a new author who already has a back list!
Disclosure: This book was provided to me by Simon & Schuster in exchange for writing an honest review
Told in the views of three different women in three different eras (Irish nanny, Bridget in 1916, college student Billie in 1976, and journalist Cait in present day) -- it is soon apparent that they all have something in common. While some authors might not reveal the common thread until toward the end of a book, what binds these characters to one another is known to the reader very early on. However, it the twists and turns along the way that make this book unputdownable.
This is a book that's very easy to read, but very hard to put down. I highly recommend it to readers in search of an outstanding read. I for one, will be looking for this author's other books. I just love discovering a new author who already has a back list!
Disclosure: This book was provided to me by Simon & Schuster in exchange for writing an honest review
January 29, 2012
The Possibility of You written by well known author Pamela Redmond accomplishes many things for readers...it traverses three generations of women, tells a thoughtful and at times searingly emotional tale, but most of all it makes us think deeply about the choices we make in our lives and the possibilities these choices engender upon our heirs. It seems rather simple, in 1916 Bridget, an Irish immigrant is forced to live with her choices after her husband goes missing during the war...in 1976 Billie must make a choice that is now thoroughly legal, but so difficult for a very young woman to make, or not make...and in the present, Cait is overwhelmed with choices as she must decide if she wants to leave her life as a vagabond journalist in search of her own birth mother and become a mother herself. On the surface, this book seems about choices women are often faced with, motherhood, pregnancy and sometimes to not continue a pregnancy. But this story goes deeper as Redmond shows us how the decisions we make in our lives resound upon the generations that follow ours. Obviously there are no simple choices, but rather to be a mother or not changes the dynamic of families for years to come. I think Redmond is special because she tells this tale that can easily become so complicated and cluttered with too many characters and too many subplots that destroy the main idea of the novel. I must admit the story becomes predictable rather quickly because of this simplicity, but I also feel that the familial relationships are not meant to be shrouded by secrecy or verbosity. This is an integrated story where the relationships better develop because the family ties grow deeper and more obvious to the reader...albeit Maude, Bridget's long time employer throws a few mysterious twists that makes for a bit of guess work! (I will not spoil the secret!) I am most intrigued by Billy and Cait because they live in eras where women have choices, but their ultimate choices do not call for extreme measures, but rather they make good and honest decisions that preserve the sanctity of family and keep the history going. Hence, it may not be too far off the mark to call this a Historic novel because it traces familial relations over many years of cultural and societal upheaval. I would not call it a heavy historical analysis though, but I do call it a good read!...On an additional note, the advanced copy I received had a cover that did not make sense...just an angel cherub that lends no clue to the wonderful story inside. I hope that when the final cover comes out it offers the reader a better glimpse at the emotional story within!
February 25, 2012
This was an intriguing book! I very much enjoyed the three storylines, beginning completely differently and with different characters. Each woman is very well developed and distinct. Each story is completely unlike the other in the beginning then share some important commonalities, and finally they weave together for the reader. There is a big reveal as they join together but it's not as big as it is made out to be. Clearly, one of the protagonists did not know the secret but the reader could basically guess it fairly early on.
Today we have Cait, a single, mid-thirty year old woman establishing her career and doing quite well. She is an only child of aging parents and she's adopted. She's also pregnant. Oops. This begins her search for her birth mother as she struggles with the doubts of her own capability to love a child of her loins. Why was she placed? Didn't her birth mother love her? Cait's voice is one I found easy to follow. She's today's woman, grappling with the ghosts of her past and the societal pressures based on the women's movement in the past century. Both the positive and negative impacts are explored.
In 1916, we had Bridget. Fresh from Ireland and working as a nanny for Maude, a rich New York woman who enjoyed her social life but not her husband or young son. This story was mesmerizing because of the historical nature of the women's movement in its infancy, and attitudes towards ethnic groups and nationalities and the divide between rich and poor. This story evolves very quickly as life was unpredictable, as best.
Then we have Billie in 1976. She begins in San Francisco where she is cleaning out her father's home since he recently died, leaving her an orphan, although she's 19 years old. She discovers she is not alone as she believed and drives cross - country with her good friend, Jupe, to meet her paternal grandmother. Again, fascinating description of the time period. A different ethnic group and still a divide between the rich and poor, and the vocabulary is also different than what we use today.
Eventually, the stories tie together beautifully and it's a nice, interesting yet easy read.
Sex: Heavy
Dialogue: Laden with sex talk and occasional swearing, offensive descriptors but appropriate for time period (Negro, queer)
Violence: None
Today we have Cait, a single, mid-thirty year old woman establishing her career and doing quite well. She is an only child of aging parents and she's adopted. She's also pregnant. Oops. This begins her search for her birth mother as she struggles with the doubts of her own capability to love a child of her loins. Why was she placed? Didn't her birth mother love her? Cait's voice is one I found easy to follow. She's today's woman, grappling with the ghosts of her past and the societal pressures based on the women's movement in the past century. Both the positive and negative impacts are explored.
In 1916, we had Bridget. Fresh from Ireland and working as a nanny for Maude, a rich New York woman who enjoyed her social life but not her husband or young son. This story was mesmerizing because of the historical nature of the women's movement in its infancy, and attitudes towards ethnic groups and nationalities and the divide between rich and poor. This story evolves very quickly as life was unpredictable, as best.
Then we have Billie in 1976. She begins in San Francisco where she is cleaning out her father's home since he recently died, leaving her an orphan, although she's 19 years old. She discovers she is not alone as she believed and drives cross - country with her good friend, Jupe, to meet her paternal grandmother. Again, fascinating description of the time period. A different ethnic group and still a divide between the rich and poor, and the vocabulary is also different than what we use today.
Eventually, the stories tie together beautifully and it's a nice, interesting yet easy read.
Sex: Heavy
Dialogue: Laden with sex talk and occasional swearing, offensive descriptors but appropriate for time period (Negro, queer)
Violence: None
May 24, 2012
Interweaving the stories of three women dealing with unplanned pregnancies in three different eras, The Possibility of You by Pamela Redmond is not just a story but a history of female reproductive rights. As the mother of five children and a strong believer in life, I read this novel with my heart in my throat. It's difficult to read the sometimes callous thoughts about the unborn. However, Redmond treats the emotions and decisions of these women with dignity and respect.
Combining the stories of Bridget, an Irish nanny working in New York City in 1916; Billie, an orphan from California in 1976 and Cait, a journalist in the present day, the novel discusses the variety of emotions facing a young woman on the cusp of motherhood.
Most importantly, Redmond crafts a well written, engaging and poignant story of three sympathetic, though sometimes unwise, characters that make decisions and suffer consequences. It's about family and the ties that bind us. It's about healing, redemption and hope for a greater future.
Combining the stories of Bridget, an Irish nanny working in New York City in 1916; Billie, an orphan from California in 1976 and Cait, a journalist in the present day, the novel discusses the variety of emotions facing a young woman on the cusp of motherhood.
Most importantly, Redmond crafts a well written, engaging and poignant story of three sympathetic, though sometimes unwise, characters that make decisions and suffer consequences. It's about family and the ties that bind us. It's about healing, redemption and hope for a greater future.
February 20, 2012
Three women's lives during seperate generations are explored and will arrive at a cumulative ending. The lives of these women delve into issues they face during times of trials and turbulence. As the stories of each character begin to unfold, the reader is taken through the situations that will ultimately bind them together.
I did find it difficult in the beginning to keep the character and time periods separated, but after a few chapters the characters begin to fall into place and it is hard to put this book down!
Extremely well written and enough suspense to keep the plot on a fast track. I feel this is a book that can be enjoyed by women and it will be easy for any book club discussions.
Ultimately, I would LOVE to see this made into a movie or a mini-series! I am sure anyone who has read and enjoyed this book as much as I have will be certin to agree!!
I did find it difficult in the beginning to keep the character and time periods separated, but after a few chapters the characters begin to fall into place and it is hard to put this book down!
Extremely well written and enough suspense to keep the plot on a fast track. I feel this is a book that can be enjoyed by women and it will be easy for any book club discussions.
Ultimately, I would LOVE to see this made into a movie or a mini-series! I am sure anyone who has read and enjoyed this book as much as I have will be certin to agree!!
January 5, 2012
Beautifully told story that keeps the reader wanting to read more and more. The secrets and choices of the women involved and how it affects the lives of so many is very intriging and is at times gripping and definitely a recommended read.
April 4, 2012
I won a copy of this book through Goodreads, and was very excited to read it. I was not disappointed-this was a well written,thought provoking,multigenerational story of 3 women whose lives are interwoven through their pregnancies. I enjoyed each story and only feel that many of the stories could have been enhanced had the characters been even more developed and given more details. I wished I knew more about what happened to George, Johnny's downfall, and even to Maude and Bridget after Bridget's return with Johnny.
As much as I enjoyed reading this book, I feel it was rushed in the end and many details were only skimmed over.I would reommend this book as a good book-club read, as it has many topics for discussion including teen pregnancy, birth control, abortion and adoption to name a few. It really makes you pause to think of all the differences that could be made only by one simple change in one's life.
As much as I enjoyed reading this book, I feel it was rushed in the end and many details were only skimmed over.I would reommend this book as a good book-club read, as it has many topics for discussion including teen pregnancy, birth control, abortion and adoption to name a few. It really makes you pause to think of all the differences that could be made only by one simple change in one's life.
March 30, 2012
3.0 out of 5 stars - The unexpected pregnancy...
This is a story of three unique women in different time periods who are dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. How each handles her situation is based on thoughts and feelings she has had about her own birth and family life. Bridget, Billie, Cait -- 1916, 1976, present day -- the choices made echoed through lifetimes in sometimes heartbreaking ways. The political and moral climate of each time period, and how women faced difficult decisions with regard to their fertility, are topics that were also explored.
The narrative moved back and forth in time and in point of view but moved along quickly. I wasn't as absorbed in the stories as I hoped, but the author pulled it all together for a satisfying, if predictable, conclusion. I wasn't ever fully vested in the characters and didn't particularly care for any of them.
Might be a good book for a book club read.
This is a story of three unique women in different time periods who are dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. How each handles her situation is based on thoughts and feelings she has had about her own birth and family life. Bridget, Billie, Cait -- 1916, 1976, present day -- the choices made echoed through lifetimes in sometimes heartbreaking ways. The political and moral climate of each time period, and how women faced difficult decisions with regard to their fertility, are topics that were also explored.
The narrative moved back and forth in time and in point of view but moved along quickly. I wasn't as absorbed in the stories as I hoped, but the author pulled it all together for a satisfying, if predictable, conclusion. I wasn't ever fully vested in the characters and didn't particularly care for any of them.
Might be a good book for a book club read.
March 29, 2012
The Possibility of You shines as an interwoven, multi-generational story of three realistic and appealing women contending and then living with choices about motherhood. Bridget is a recently immigrated Irish nanny to a wealthy New York City family in 1916, a transitional time when people were trying psychoanalysis and women were lobbying for birth control and the right to vote. Billie is an orphaned teenager in a hippie/counter-culture influenced 1976, on her way to meet the grandmother she never knew existed. Thirty-something Cait is a present day, world traveling journalist and adopted daughter, trying to decide what to do about her unexpected pregnancy and hoping that locating her birth mother will help her make that decision. Part of the pleasure of the novel is the distinctive voices of Bridget, Billie and Cait, and how convincingly each of the three women is set in the cultural milieu of their respective eras.
October 26, 2014
The Possibility of You is ideal for a book club read, and not just because there's a reading group guide in the back of the book. 'Possibility' will inevitably incite lively debate about the various facets of motherhood, and the different kinds of bonds between women. The challenging choices faced by the characters are very real no matter which generation one is reading about, although being transported back and forth between 1916 and 1976 sometimes required a little extra concentration.
The author expertly weaves a story line that eventually reveals how decisions can still impact lives even several generations later.
I received the 'Possibility of You' via a Goodreads giveaway. Although I was familiar with Pamela Redmond from her articles in More magazine, this was the first of the author's books that I have read. I look forward to reading her other novels!
The author expertly weaves a story line that eventually reveals how decisions can still impact lives even several generations later.
I received the 'Possibility of You' via a Goodreads giveaway. Although I was familiar with Pamela Redmond from her articles in More magazine, this was the first of the author's books that I have read. I look forward to reading her other novels!
January 9, 2012
I found this book to be immediately engaging-- a talent that Ms. Redmond likely refined during her career as a magazine contributor. She immediately immerses us in a drama and then begins to flesh out the characters -- three separate women in three different eras, yet united by their similar circumstances. She is always moving the story forward and imparts the details without impeding the forward movement of the storyline. In brief, we follow three women with three inopportune pregnancies. Although Ms. Redmond pretty much lets us guess the ending from the beginning, there are a few twists along the way and she makes it an interesting journey. While it is a quick, easy read, it is enjoyable and a pleasant distraction for a rainy winter weekend.
January 12, 2012
A wonderful novel weaving together the stories of 3 women –
Bridget, an Irish nanny in 1916, Billie, a young woman in 1976 living with her grandmother Maude in New York City, and Cait, in the present, pregnant and searching for the mother who gave her up for adoption. Each chapter focuses on one of the women as we learn more about her difficulties and the challenges she faces. The themes of pregnancy, illness, adoption, and family secrets and choices tie the stories together. We can guess that the women are connected in some way, but there are plenty of plot twists and surprises to keep the reader hooked. A perfect choice for a book group as there are so many different themes to explore
Bridget, an Irish nanny in 1916, Billie, a young woman in 1976 living with her grandmother Maude in New York City, and Cait, in the present, pregnant and searching for the mother who gave her up for adoption. Each chapter focuses on one of the women as we learn more about her difficulties and the challenges she faces. The themes of pregnancy, illness, adoption, and family secrets and choices tie the stories together. We can guess that the women are connected in some way, but there are plenty of plot twists and surprises to keep the reader hooked. A perfect choice for a book group as there are so many different themes to explore
February 1, 2012
Three different main characters, three different time lines.Cait is a journalist in the present, Billie is a struggling college student in 1979 and finally there is Bridget who is an Irish nanny in 1916. I usually do not like books using this format. But, Pamela Redmond did a wonderful job of telling each story and also to intertwine them. Both complex and well balanced, this will keep you reading until the conclusion. Each woman faces a difficult choice dealing with pregnancy and child birth. The book explores how these choices can effect people far in the future. This would make a good book club book. Much to discuss, love, family, race and relationships. Plus it is an easy, quick and enjoyable read.
February 23, 2015
This book alternates between three characters in different time periods - a young Irish immigrant maid in New York 1916 or so, a 19 year old woman in 1976, and a 35 year old journalist in the present. A bit of a departure from Pamela Redmond Satran's former books (perhaps why she dropped the Satran for this one?) Her other books are basically chick lit about grown up women with children, while this one was also historical fiction and a little deeper. Both the parallels between the three characters lives, and the eventually revealed connections between the characters, were a bit obvious and predictable. But I enjoyed it and will certainly keep reading her books in the future. 3.5 stars.
July 28, 2012
This novel read like a memoir for the story fits along the lines of how choices in life affect future generations.
I was held from page one and gripped in my soul for what happened to these women.
Beautifully written in prose that felt true to life. I've marked several pages in each section to revisit and have found direction for what I'm currently writing.
I can't recommend this enough...Redmond is talented and I'll be reading, not only this novel, but other writing of hers.
The emotions stirred in this story were so strong for me...I cried and cried at the end because it was so touching and healing.
There is hope...some things can't be changed, however, the truth wins every time. Life revolves around the truth!
I was held from page one and gripped in my soul for what happened to these women.
Beautifully written in prose that felt true to life. I've marked several pages in each section to revisit and have found direction for what I'm currently writing.
I can't recommend this enough...Redmond is talented and I'll be reading, not only this novel, but other writing of hers.
The emotions stirred in this story were so strong for me...I cried and cried at the end because it was so touching and healing.
There is hope...some things can't be changed, however, the truth wins every time. Life revolves around the truth!
May 12, 2012
In THE POSSIBILITY OF YOU, author Pamela Redmond weaves three stories into one in a really expert way. I felt some of the story was predictable, however, was pretty surprised as the story unfolded and the 3 main characters lives were woven so neatly together. Three women, three different eras, three unexpected pregnancies, three separate solutions. This is a quick easy read that provokes questions and clearly showed how those hard personal decisions affected not only the woman making the decision but the lives of those around her and the lives to come.
December 27, 2011
I liked this book very much! I started reading my ARC as soon as it arrived and finished it 3 days later. I liked the connectivity of the stories of the three women. A few twists I saw coming, but there were more surprises. I like that in a book.
It's interesting how the different generations handled similar issues. One woman shocked me, but when I thought about her age and how she would have been raised, it was easier to understand.
Read this book!
It's interesting how the different generations handled similar issues. One woman shocked me, but when I thought about her age and how she would have been raised, it was easier to understand.
Read this book!
March 8, 2012
I really liked the book! It was about 3 different women during different time periods but in the end or throughout the book they intertwine. It was a fast read that kept me interested, I wanted to see what was going to happen next. I thought the character development was good, I felt tied to each of the main characters. I actually won this book and got a copy before it was published, what a nice surprise!
June 28, 2012
The chapters in this book alternate between the viewpoints of Bridget in 1916, Billie in 1976, and Cait in the present. In the first half, they seemed to be entirely separate but almost parallel stories, so I was pleasantly surprised at how it all came together in the second half. There are major issues (birth control, unwed pregnancy, abortion, adoption) confronted in each of those generations, and it is very interesting to compare them over time.
February 17, 2012
This book is a wonderful read, it makes a person stop & think of the all the possibilities of life. It interacts with race, love, hate & how the 4 characters interact with one another throughout their lives. None of us know where life will take us & what lies ahead for us but this book covers the unknown very well. I would certainly recommend this book to my friends.
February 27, 2012
Pamela Redmond wrote an intricate story of the lives of the three women. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next in their lives. I really enjoyed reading this book and found it hard to do all of the other things I needed to do as I wanted to read. I received this book as an Advanced Readers Copy from Simon and Schuster.
May 6, 2012
This was a really good book! I would recommend it to everyone! It follows the life of three different women in different time periods going through eventual pregnancies and all the thoughts, questions and doubts that come with it. I liked the way it was all intertwined. It made for a fun and exciting read.
This book was received through the First Reads Program.
This book was received through the First Reads Program.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2012
There's three interwoven stories in this book, each taking place at a difference time and with a different main character. As the book progresses, the stories become closer together and eventually are all joined. The themes in each are the same....about choices we make and how each choice affects you for the course of your life.
June 24, 2012
A great read. I didn't want it to end. Dont know how to describe it other than to say it spans a generation of women and how they are all interconnected. The challenges they each face ( generational) will still apply to present day issues as you wonder what times were like back in early 1900s vs now, and you see the problems are grappled with in different ways... A tear jerker. Amazing book
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