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Henny on the Couch
Cathleen Schine meets Lucinda Rosenfeld in this wonderfully written debut novel about a woman struggling to make sense of her past in order to create a meaningful future.
Kara Caine Lawson has worked hard to become the woman she is-wife, mother and successful shop owner. Having survived a turbulent childhood, Kara understands that life could've just as easily gone another way . . . and even if she isn't gliding through the trials of lost library books, entitled customers and routine date nights, at least she's not sipping a Dewar's all day like her mother did.
But then Kara unexpectedly encounters paintings by her now-famous college boyfriend just as she's beginning to suspect that her daughter Henny's difficulties may be the sign of something serious, and all of her past decisions are thrown into dramatic relief.
Kara's narration, at turns heartbreaking and hilarious, captures the imperfect thoughts we have about ourselves and those around us. Rebecca Land Soodak's debut novel asks the difficult questions about the choices we make while revealing the minute details that end up defining our lives.
Kara Caine Lawson has worked hard to become the woman she is-wife, mother and successful shop owner. Having survived a turbulent childhood, Kara understands that life could've just as easily gone another way . . . and even if she isn't gliding through the trials of lost library books, entitled customers and routine date nights, at least she's not sipping a Dewar's all day like her mother did.
But then Kara unexpectedly encounters paintings by her now-famous college boyfriend just as she's beginning to suspect that her daughter Henny's difficulties may be the sign of something serious, and all of her past decisions are thrown into dramatic relief.
Kara's narration, at turns heartbreaking and hilarious, captures the imperfect thoughts we have about ourselves and those around us. Rebecca Land Soodak's debut novel asks the difficult questions about the choices we make while revealing the minute details that end up defining our lives.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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319 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 13, 2012
This is a great summertime read. There were several themes that run throughout the book. The role of women who have children and work, and how being married or single effects these roles. It's about friendships and lust and committment, and self-esteem and art. What I loved most about it is that each woman struggles to become herself in her own way, some more gracefully than others, and in the end a crucial factor is beliving in yourself, whether it relates to your art or your life your choices. For me, the message that the most important opinion to consider is your own, cannot be repeated often enough.
March 26, 2012
After suffering from a long winded "reading rut," I was gifted Henny on The Couch, and VOILA! " reading rut" is no more. Henny on the Couch captures the essence of a less than perfect childhood, the pros and cons of dating as a young woman in college whose still struggling to learn about herself, the privileges of being a mother and the everlasting ability to follow your dreams. The novel reduced me to tears, had me laughing out loud and going from nostalgic to inspired in a matter of pages.
Rebecca Land Soodak's debut novel is an outstanding piece of work which brings awareness to a wide spectrum of issues from learning disorders, to having a nanny, medicating children, and women embracing women. The novel is one of the BEST I have had the privilege of reading. If you do not pick yourself up a copy, then you are truly missing out on a masterpiece written about a woman for women and men of all ages to enjoy & relate to.
Cheers xo
Rebecca Land Soodak's debut novel is an outstanding piece of work which brings awareness to a wide spectrum of issues from learning disorders, to having a nanny, medicating children, and women embracing women. The novel is one of the BEST I have had the privilege of reading. If you do not pick yourself up a copy, then you are truly missing out on a masterpiece written about a woman for women and men of all ages to enjoy & relate to.
Cheers xo
June 18, 2012
I highly recommend this book! I started out reading it feeling very aware that it is the author's debut novel, and was quickly astonished at how masterfully the plot works and how evocative the writing is. Then I just forgot about the writing process and was swept up in the characters' lives and story line. I related to so much of the main character's thought process and a lot of her life's chapters. Henny on the Couch will be particularly interesting to readers who gravitate toward themes like the emotional patterns set in childhood, women's complicated relationships (including inter-class ones), building one's own identity within marriage and parenting roles, love of art and creativity, ADHD and learning disabilities, and taking steps toward a daunting challenge or daring dream that is purely one’s own.
It would make a great selection for book clubs.
It would make a great selection for book clubs.
June 24, 2024
i really liked this book alot and related to it so much as a woman.
July 11, 2012
I won this book from Goodreads, which we all know is really hit or miss. I actually, liked it even though it wasn't usually a genre I would pick up. If I'm going to read about mothers going through mid-life crisis, well, then, I'd probably pick up Triangles again. But that's neither here nor there.
Really, that's what we're doing in this book is following Kara on her mid-life crisis. Everything is changing around her and she doesn't quite know how to deal with it. In fact, she doesn't. She completely ignores the people around her and just continues plodding along.
That actually REALLY bothered me about Kara. The people around her would talk and she would make excuses. It really drove me crazy because a lot of times, they would be GOOD suggestions, whether it be about her kids or her shop, Little Scissors, and she just didn't want to hear it, or deal with it. Beth was the babysitter/nanny that we start out with in the book, and she's really great. She has a lot of suggestions in terms of child rearing but Kara just doesn't want to hear it. All she can hear is, "This woman is trying to be a better mother than me," which is really not the case.
Honestly, Kara is way too jealous of a woman to have a babysitter, so I'm not really sure how they've managed to hold onto one. Beth inevitably leaves pretty early on in the book because Kara just doesn't LISTEN.
Now, this fixes itself, or begins to, by book's end, but Morgan is a large part of that. Morgan is, probably, one of my favorite characters, even though she's supposed to be our "bad guy." Morgan is a woman who has an affair and then, inevitably, leaves her husband. Kara likes her because she's a woman to talk to, someone who seems to understand her and who encourages her. In fact, half the reason things work out is because of Morgan. But, at the end of the book, Kara kind of brushes her off. She sets her friend aside and puts herself above Morgan, mainly because Morgan ended her marriage.
Now, I'm not saying Morgan made the best choices in life, but she really made Kara own up. And I kind of don't like that the author decided that Kara was better than Morgan when, really, 90% of the reason that Kara became better was because of her.
I liked the conflicts that went on. Obviously, Henny was a big character in the book. She's Kara's daughter and, about half way through the book, we discover that her learning ability is not quite right. Dyslexia and ADD is the cause. Two things that go very hand in hand. And I really like how the author handled it. That they weren't deficiencies and that Henny wasn't dumb, in fact she was very intelligent, but that her brain worked in just a different way and she had to learn to work with that.
I think that the author MUST have been a teacher at some point, or a parent who went through this, because the parent/school interactions are almost to the tee of what a teacher friend of mine says. Hard, frustrating and the school doing everything to improve the SCHOOL'S scores, advantages and budgets and not the child's. I think that she was probably on the parent side, because the teacher was also portrayed in a poor light, and I know a lot of the teachers fight for the kids (or at least the good ones do), but I know that the administration can be a real pain in the butt when trying to get your kid any type of real help.
I liked the switch between the three time periods- very young Kara, twenties Kara (when she was with Oliver) and present Kara. It gave a good view of how her life effected her, and why she often made the decisions that she did. The thing that I didn't like about it was that seven-year-old Kara sounded just like adult-present day Kara. While she talked about different things, the writing was way too sophisticated for a little kid like that. It was very off-putting since I was supposed to be in the mind of a little kid.
Over all, it was good writing, solid, but could have used some improvement in the actual story line. And Oliver, the person who played such a role in her early twenties, actually was incredibly absent from her adulthood. I think that this is a book that really subscribes to a certain audience and I'm about 20 years to young for it.
However, I could completely relate to Kara being angry that her husband wanted to move to LA from NYC. I wouldn't go either. I love NYC. :)
Really, that's what we're doing in this book is following Kara on her mid-life crisis. Everything is changing around her and she doesn't quite know how to deal with it. In fact, she doesn't. She completely ignores the people around her and just continues plodding along.
That actually REALLY bothered me about Kara. The people around her would talk and she would make excuses. It really drove me crazy because a lot of times, they would be GOOD suggestions, whether it be about her kids or her shop, Little Scissors, and she just didn't want to hear it, or deal with it. Beth was the babysitter/nanny that we start out with in the book, and she's really great. She has a lot of suggestions in terms of child rearing but Kara just doesn't want to hear it. All she can hear is, "This woman is trying to be a better mother than me," which is really not the case.
Honestly, Kara is way too jealous of a woman to have a babysitter, so I'm not really sure how they've managed to hold onto one. Beth inevitably leaves pretty early on in the book because Kara just doesn't LISTEN.
Now, this fixes itself, or begins to, by book's end, but Morgan is a large part of that. Morgan is, probably, one of my favorite characters, even though she's supposed to be our "bad guy." Morgan is a woman who has an affair and then, inevitably, leaves her husband. Kara likes her because she's a woman to talk to, someone who seems to understand her and who encourages her. In fact, half the reason things work out is because of Morgan. But, at the end of the book, Kara kind of brushes her off. She sets her friend aside and puts herself above Morgan, mainly because Morgan ended her marriage.
Now, I'm not saying Morgan made the best choices in life, but she really made Kara own up. And I kind of don't like that the author decided that Kara was better than Morgan when, really, 90% of the reason that Kara became better was because of her.
I liked the conflicts that went on. Obviously, Henny was a big character in the book. She's Kara's daughter and, about half way through the book, we discover that her learning ability is not quite right. Dyslexia and ADD is the cause. Two things that go very hand in hand. And I really like how the author handled it. That they weren't deficiencies and that Henny wasn't dumb, in fact she was very intelligent, but that her brain worked in just a different way and she had to learn to work with that.
I think that the author MUST have been a teacher at some point, or a parent who went through this, because the parent/school interactions are almost to the tee of what a teacher friend of mine says. Hard, frustrating and the school doing everything to improve the SCHOOL'S scores, advantages and budgets and not the child's. I think that she was probably on the parent side, because the teacher was also portrayed in a poor light, and I know a lot of the teachers fight for the kids (or at least the good ones do), but I know that the administration can be a real pain in the butt when trying to get your kid any type of real help.
I liked the switch between the three time periods- very young Kara, twenties Kara (when she was with Oliver) and present Kara. It gave a good view of how her life effected her, and why she often made the decisions that she did. The thing that I didn't like about it was that seven-year-old Kara sounded just like adult-present day Kara. While she talked about different things, the writing was way too sophisticated for a little kid like that. It was very off-putting since I was supposed to be in the mind of a little kid.
Over all, it was good writing, solid, but could have used some improvement in the actual story line. And Oliver, the person who played such a role in her early twenties, actually was incredibly absent from her adulthood. I think that this is a book that really subscribes to a certain audience and I'm about 20 years to young for it.
However, I could completely relate to Kara being angry that her husband wanted to move to LA from NYC. I wouldn't go either. I love NYC. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2012
Kara’s life in Manhattan roars at a dizzying pace. She feels she is always rushing to something—work, her children’s activities, or an event with her husband. There’s no time for her to think, just to do. Then, one day when she encounters paintings in a gallery from her former lover in college, she begins to question what she really feels is important as well as how she wants her future to unfold.
Henny on the Couch by Rebecca Land Soodak takes a look at how easy it is for us to go through every day in charge of the details and lose sight of the big picture we want to create with those details. Kara experiences what many moms do: she is generally happy with her life, yet she’s also restless for something more. She started a successful business, but the work there doesn’t make her happy. She always wonders if she’s spending enough time with her children, particularly when her daughter Henny starts to have trouble in school. And her husband seems sure of where he wants to go, which is to grow his business and move the family to the West Coast, but Kara’s not sure she wants to do that either. She wants to address the issue, but she doesn’t know how to do that and stay married.
Underlying it all is Kara’s own experience as a child, with a mother who was always disappointed that she wasn’t talented enough to pursue her dream of singing professionally and drank to numb her sense of failure. When Kara meets Oliver, her old lover, again, and when her best friend makes a life change Kara doesn’t approve of, she finally takes the time the think about what she really wants and how she wants her life to be going forward.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to review.
Henny on the Couch by Rebecca Land Soodak takes a look at how easy it is for us to go through every day in charge of the details and lose sight of the big picture we want to create with those details. Kara experiences what many moms do: she is generally happy with her life, yet she’s also restless for something more. She started a successful business, but the work there doesn’t make her happy. She always wonders if she’s spending enough time with her children, particularly when her daughter Henny starts to have trouble in school. And her husband seems sure of where he wants to go, which is to grow his business and move the family to the West Coast, but Kara’s not sure she wants to do that either. She wants to address the issue, but she doesn’t know how to do that and stay married.
Underlying it all is Kara’s own experience as a child, with a mother who was always disappointed that she wasn’t talented enough to pursue her dream of singing professionally and drank to numb her sense of failure. When Kara meets Oliver, her old lover, again, and when her best friend makes a life change Kara doesn’t approve of, she finally takes the time the think about what she really wants and how she wants her life to be going forward.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to review.
May 22, 2012
Henny on the Couch is about a typical New York City mother and her family. Kara owns a successful children's salon, her husband is a successful architect, and they have 3 beautiful children. One day Kara notices a new art exhibit down the street from her salon and realizes that the artwork is by her former boyfriend Oliver. The chapters alternate between Kara's life now with her family, and her younger self - when she was growing up and during her relationship with Oliver. Kara used to paint too, but now she's so busy with her business and family that she hasn't thought about painting in years - until she sees Oliver's artwork. As Kara tries to carve out some space for herself in her family's busy schedules, she also has to face the fact that her daughter Henny is really struggling in school and it could be a symptom of a larger problem.
In the beginning the alternating chapters were kind of annyoing because each chapter was only a page or two and I wished the author would have combined a few of the chapters to make each chapter a little longer. But, as the story progressed I got more involved and wanted to know what was going to happen with Kara - in both the past and present. The author does a good job of bringing up some hot topics related to parenting/families/marriage without seeming heavy handed or preachy. Overall, it was good, but not great.
In the beginning the alternating chapters were kind of annyoing because each chapter was only a page or two and I wished the author would have combined a few of the chapters to make each chapter a little longer. But, as the story progressed I got more involved and wanted to know what was going to happen with Kara - in both the past and present. The author does a good job of bringing up some hot topics related to parenting/families/marriage without seeming heavy handed or preachy. Overall, it was good, but not great.
August 15, 2012
Although this book was slightly depressing in that the main character struggles with finding her true self, I really enjoyed it. This was one of those books that made me want to live in New York and be surrounded by all of the culture there.
Reading about Kara's life from childhood to adulthood and learning of her relationships, talent, and career mixed with the raw emotions and stress of motherhood was a refreshing tale of real life. There were awkward moments of not knowing how to act with her artist college boyfriend, concern for her daughter's inability to thrive in school, tension with her husband and business partner, and guilt associated with keeping her best friend's heavy secret.
Reading about Kara's life from childhood to adulthood and learning of her relationships, talent, and career mixed with the raw emotions and stress of motherhood was a refreshing tale of real life. There were awkward moments of not knowing how to act with her artist college boyfriend, concern for her daughter's inability to thrive in school, tension with her husband and business partner, and guilt associated with keeping her best friend's heavy secret.
May 24, 2012
So much of life is figuring out just who you are and proving to yourself that you are worthy, especially if your childhood did not leave you feeling that you were. At times, I didn't like Kara. She seemed to wrapped up in herself to really let herself feel anything. And then other times, I loved her for the flawed person that she was. We all worry about being a good mother and what others think of us. You could feel Kara's struggle in every word. This was a very good read. It is a very serious subject but it had some funny segments as does life with children. Henny's struggle was heartbreaking.
May 29, 2012
My favorite type of book is memoir so I wasn't sure when I started reading this novel if it was going to hold my attention, but I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, I carted the book to Hawaii so I could read it at the pool, on the beach, during any down time. I loved the different time periods and that the author moved us back and forth between them with ease. The story line was so compelling that I thought about the characters even when I wasn't reading it, and wanted to get back to the book as soon as I could. Any book that does that is a good read for me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
August 9, 2012
I liked this book. It is more depressing than I would have predicted...and yet I still liked it. I wanted the protagonist (Kara) to find herself, without sacrificing her family. I felt for her husband and kids. I understood her friendships. And I sympathized with how crazy life can get when we're not looking.
A decent storyline (though could have done with fewer chapters regarding her college years, though I understand why they were needed)...
I would recommend this book. Don't expect anything uplifting, but it's enjoyable.
A decent storyline (though could have done with fewer chapters regarding her college years, though I understand why they were needed)...
I would recommend this book. Don't expect anything uplifting, but it's enjoyable.
April 5, 2012
I'd say 3 and a half stars (damn you goodreads) but between choosing between 3 and 4 definitely 4 stars. This is a sad, sweet, brutal book about being a woman and a mother and a sad human with essentially nothing to look forward to after a misspent youth, even if the twist at the end is predictable and unnecessary. I hope that Henny ends up happier and less brooding than her mother, but I doubt it and since this is fiction not life I'll never know.
July 7, 2013
Such an amazing story, I loved it from the first page and read it straight through. I loved all the characters and felt that Kara was amazing. The story felt so realistic, a mother's life, struggles, mistakes and triumphs. Her growth throughout the book made me like her even more- I would totally be friends with her :) So great I will read it again! I received this book for free through a Goodreads First Reads give away.
April 27, 2012
Book about a parttime SAHM and business owner (with a full-time, live-in nanny!!) with some serious confidence issues. Her daughter is having some learning problems, her business is pulling her in a direction she's not ready for, and her husband wants to move. I empathized with the protagonist's insecurity...sometimes, and other times it was really upsetting. The blurb on the front recommends the novel for anyone who's ever put their own dreams on hold. And I agree with that.
February 12, 2013
Soodak has a raw honesty to her writing. It's obvious she's a mom and a wife, and she isn't shy about all the truths that come with those experiences. I thought her descriptions of mother guilt and inability to stop ourselves even when we know out behavior is outrageous to be true almost to the point of discomfort.
The novel is good, but the story never picked up enough for my taste. I read it in a day (so it obviously held my attention) but I kept waiting for "more".
The novel is good, but the story never picked up enough for my taste. I read it in a day (so it obviously held my attention) but I kept waiting for "more".
May 21, 2012
It was a quick read and pretty interesting. I think I could have related more to it if I were 10 years older and had kids. At times, Kara annoyed me because she was a hypocrate. Couldn't live without her nanny, but got angry at the nanny when Kara felt like she was being a bad mom. That was annoying. But over, it was a good book.
August 21, 2012
An inoffensive offering in the privilieged-white-mother-trying-to-find-herself genre. Usually, these types of novels make me cringe, but this one put the main character's problems into perspective. She seemed to know her complaints were a product of a privileged life and too much choice.
December 4, 2013
I stumbled across this book randomly in a hurry at the library, it turned out to be a great surprise. Great book for moms. Not overly dramatic but a meaty enough story to keep you going. You will want to be the main characters best friend. She is so relatable.
April 19, 2012
loved this book, fast paced and i enjoyed the subject matter! main character's were artists!
June 20, 2012
A sweet and emotional story. I enjoyed this one and would definitely read more by Soodak!
June 27, 2012
A very honest book about motherhood. Having the chapters alternate between time periods really built tension into the story.
July 8, 2012
I really enjoyed this book about what happens to us when we lose ourselves in what we thought we wanted. Great summer read.
August 2, 2012
I read it in 3 days.. Good story and very well written.
August 15, 2012
Worth reading if you're a Mom.
January 12, 2013
For the first time in years, I didn't research a book or check its ratings when I picked Henny on the Couch. I was walking through the library and it caught my eye. I'm glad I trusted my instinct.
February 5, 2013
Gripping story of a housewife with 3 kids coming to grips with her own desires versus those of her husband/kids/friends and art and other's opinions. Great ending and conclusion to plot.
August 30, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. A great summertime read. It was full of raw emotion that depicted the struggles and triumphs of life beautifully
September 3, 2013
I enjoyed this read about a woman trying to do it all but still not doing what she really wanted to do, yet.
July 21, 2019
The book covers the child that has dyslexia and I was truly impressed with the Author who in the story was able to convey the heartache and the attitude of society if someone has anything that different and how ignorance prevails, it same for Asperges ADHD and yet the majority of people with this are highly intelligent yet it is misunderstood and been around forever.
Even when it is explained how comes about still an issue schooling and society and children are so cruel. Thanks, great story.
Even when it is explained how comes about still an issue schooling and society and children are so cruel. Thanks, great story.
August 5, 2025
This book has many thought provoking layers. Much of the book is dialogue which pleases me. Henny is an endearing character. A good book to read if you've ever thought about what makes one an artist.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews