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Learning to Stay
Elise Sabato is proud of her husband, Brad, for serving his country...and grateful when he returns home to her. But the traumatic brain injury he suffered in Iraq has turned him from a thoughtful, brilliant, and patient man into someone quite different....someone who requires more care and attention than Elise can give while working in a demanding law firm. And when Brad ends up on his family’s farm, hundreds of miles away, she wonders where their marriage is headed.
Elise must decide between the life she always wanted and the life she seems to be living…until she finds inspiration in the most unlikely of a lovable dog named Jones who teaches her that when the best-laid plans take unexpected turns, sometimes you end up right where you were meant to be.
Elise must decide between the life she always wanted and the life she seems to be living…until she finds inspiration in the most unlikely of a lovable dog named Jones who teaches her that when the best-laid plans take unexpected turns, sometimes you end up right where you were meant to be.
353 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2013
6 people are currently reading
972 people want to read
About the author
Erin Celello
4 books73 followersErin Celello was born and raised in Michigan's gorgeous Upper Peninsula where she spearheaded a neighborhood effort to sell Trilliums in beer bottles (because lemonade stand revenues just weren't cutting it), ski raced, spent a lot of time trying to get out of track workouts, and made many dubious fashion and hair choices (rendering her forever thankful that Facebook was created after that era)...and one other dubious choice in general that resulted in her having to paint the rival football team's stadium.
After graduating from St. Norbert College and not knowing what else one does with an English degree, Erin set out for law school but never quite got there. Instead, she headed back up (farther) north to Marquette, Michigan where she received an MFA in fiction from Northern Michigan University and a PhD in snow shoveling.
She eventually landed in Madison, Wisconsin, where she lives today with two unruly Vizslas, Leonard and Newton, and her husband Aaron.
When she's not writing, Erin loves escaping to the barn to be with her American Quarter Horse, Gino, and all the fabulous people who board their horses there. When she has a lot of free time, which is almost never, she loves cooking, running marathons and competing in triathlons. Erin recently completed her first Ironman. She also recently attempted to give up wine. The Ironman was easier.
After graduating from St. Norbert College and not knowing what else one does with an English degree, Erin set out for law school but never quite got there. Instead, she headed back up (farther) north to Marquette, Michigan where she received an MFA in fiction from Northern Michigan University and a PhD in snow shoveling.
She eventually landed in Madison, Wisconsin, where she lives today with two unruly Vizslas, Leonard and Newton, and her husband Aaron.
When she's not writing, Erin loves escaping to the barn to be with her American Quarter Horse, Gino, and all the fabulous people who board their horses there. When she has a lot of free time, which is almost never, she loves cooking, running marathons and competing in triathlons. Erin recently completed her first Ironman. She also recently attempted to give up wine. The Ironman was easier.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
February 6, 2013
Woman's fiction is not generally my favorite genre, I often feel that it is overdramtic and, for lack of a better word, mushy. There were certainly times that I did feel that in this novel BUT, and it is a very big but, this novel did an amazing job of rendering the feeling and emotion of both side, of a vet from Iraq returning home. Elise is so grateful that her husband did not die with the rest of his convoy, she is naive and hpeful enough that with enough time and love, her husband will adjust. No such thing happens, she no longer recognizes the man he has become and in truth he no longer recognizes himself. At one point after breaking all the mirrors in their house, he tells her that he did it because he didn't recognize the man looking back at him. Tells of the plight of the verteran and also how hard it is for them to get help, with VA services cut and backed up. Of course a rescued pit bull names Jones steals the show and many hearts and opens the way for what might just be a possibe future. ARC from NetGalley.
February 14, 2013
I loved the title and the cover. I never imagined the impact this book would have on me. I believe Learning to Stay will be at the top of my list of 2013 Best Books.
My son served in Iraq. I think that was part of the appeal for me. I have found that since his return I am drawn to books about homecomings. I did fine with those. I was not expecting the way this book would hit me. After reading the first chapter I knew I would be reading the book slowly. I do not know if Erin Celello had personal experience but she certainly writes as if she does.
She writes of how you know it is not the telephone you fear. It is the car coming down your street. It is the knock on your door. She knows the hours you are safe from the knock but not the worry. The way she writes you see it playing out in your head and feel every emotion with the characters.
There is a part in chapter 3, after Brad comes home, where she sees him outside. It is 3 a.m. and winter in Wisconsin. Brad is barefoot in jeans, no shirt. She writes, “ I watch as he watches the fence, like a dog on high alert – body tensed, ready to spring on whatever might be lying in wait out there.” Suddenly I am thrust back to the December my son came home. I had gotten up to use the bathroom and noticed my son was not there. I went to the window and saw him crouched down behind a car, also only in his jeans. I watched while he ran, always in a crouch, from car to car, looking around on alert for an enemy not there. Watching him I knew his body was in Chicago but he was in Iraq. I stood there weeping, not knowing what to do. Still today, I weep writing this. Ms. Celello has captured the feelings perfectly in her story. In all the books I have read, none has transported me like that. None have captured the scene so personally.
Ms Celello writes Learning to Stay with intimate knowledge. If she did not experience it then she is a master of research. She writes eloquently and powerfully. This book will touch you and will stay with you long after you close the pages. It is one of the most amazing books I have read.
It is an excellent book for book clubs as there is a lot to discuss in it. Most people will be able to relate to the struggles in the marriage. I think this is the type of book that draws in your personal experiences and not everyone will take the same thing from it. I believe, much like the classics, every time you read it you will come away with something new.
*I received this book for review purposes from Net Galley. No compensation was received for my review. All opinions are my true thoughts and feelings concerning this book.*
My son served in Iraq. I think that was part of the appeal for me. I have found that since his return I am drawn to books about homecomings. I did fine with those. I was not expecting the way this book would hit me. After reading the first chapter I knew I would be reading the book slowly. I do not know if Erin Celello had personal experience but she certainly writes as if she does.
She writes of how you know it is not the telephone you fear. It is the car coming down your street. It is the knock on your door. She knows the hours you are safe from the knock but not the worry. The way she writes you see it playing out in your head and feel every emotion with the characters.
There is a part in chapter 3, after Brad comes home, where she sees him outside. It is 3 a.m. and winter in Wisconsin. Brad is barefoot in jeans, no shirt. She writes, “ I watch as he watches the fence, like a dog on high alert – body tensed, ready to spring on whatever might be lying in wait out there.” Suddenly I am thrust back to the December my son came home. I had gotten up to use the bathroom and noticed my son was not there. I went to the window and saw him crouched down behind a car, also only in his jeans. I watched while he ran, always in a crouch, from car to car, looking around on alert for an enemy not there. Watching him I knew his body was in Chicago but he was in Iraq. I stood there weeping, not knowing what to do. Still today, I weep writing this. Ms. Celello has captured the feelings perfectly in her story. In all the books I have read, none has transported me like that. None have captured the scene so personally.
Ms Celello writes Learning to Stay with intimate knowledge. If she did not experience it then she is a master of research. She writes eloquently and powerfully. This book will touch you and will stay with you long after you close the pages. It is one of the most amazing books I have read.
It is an excellent book for book clubs as there is a lot to discuss in it. Most people will be able to relate to the struggles in the marriage. I think this is the type of book that draws in your personal experiences and not everyone will take the same thing from it. I believe, much like the classics, every time you read it you will come away with something new.
*I received this book for review purposes from Net Galley. No compensation was received for my review. All opinions are my true thoughts and feelings concerning this book.*
November 18, 2017
I absolutely loved this story.
Elise’s husband returns home from Iraq, with a traumatic brain injury, as a changed man. Elise struggles to help him. Can the arrival of a dog named Jones help him.
This is a raw and emotional read. It’s really well written. I recommend tissue with this story.
Elise’s husband returns home from Iraq, with a traumatic brain injury, as a changed man. Elise struggles to help him. Can the arrival of a dog named Jones help him.
This is a raw and emotional read. It’s really well written. I recommend tissue with this story.
January 24, 2013
Elise’s husband, Brad is in the military. Elise receives word that Brad’s unit has been attacked. Brad survived and is coming home. Once Brad arrives home, Elise quickly learns that the man she knows and loves is not the same man that has returned home. Elise is trying to adjust to the “new” Brad but Elise is having reservations. That is until Brad goes back home and meets a dog named Jones.
I eyeballed this book and thought it sounded interesting and one that I needed to check out. Well I am so glad that I did. I absolutely loved this book. Learning to Stay is a must read book. This book will help keep you warm during these cold, winter months. This book will tug at your heart strings.
I felt sorry for Brad for what he had to go through when he came back just dealing with the real world again and trying to live a normal life. In addition, to the harshness of Elise. Although, I can’t really put blame on Elise. Having Brad come back a changed man like he did was a huge adjustment for her. One that I did think she handled well. She did stick with him in the end. If I was in Elise’s position I think I might have reacted the same way as her.
The only problem that I had with this book was Jones was not featured enough. I would have liked to have gotten to know Jones better. I do like that she was the one that helped Brad in the end to be able to live again. PAWS is a great group. I have not worked with them but I did raise a guide dog for the blind. So you could say that dogs that are trained to help people in need is very near and dear to my heart.
I eyeballed this book and thought it sounded interesting and one that I needed to check out. Well I am so glad that I did. I absolutely loved this book. Learning to Stay is a must read book. This book will help keep you warm during these cold, winter months. This book will tug at your heart strings.
I felt sorry for Brad for what he had to go through when he came back just dealing with the real world again and trying to live a normal life. In addition, to the harshness of Elise. Although, I can’t really put blame on Elise. Having Brad come back a changed man like he did was a huge adjustment for her. One that I did think she handled well. She did stick with him in the end. If I was in Elise’s position I think I might have reacted the same way as her.
The only problem that I had with this book was Jones was not featured enough. I would have liked to have gotten to know Jones better. I do like that she was the one that helped Brad in the end to be able to live again. PAWS is a great group. I have not worked with them but I did raise a guide dog for the blind. So you could say that dogs that are trained to help people in need is very near and dear to my heart.
June 27, 2018
Heart-wrenching but worth it, a detailed look at how a TBI sustained on active duty can implode even the most loving of marriages, centered on the perspective of someone who isn't a typical military wife and never expected to be one, because her husband was a Rhodes scholar on a grad school track until he enlisted out of the blue to honor a fallen friend.
I cried my eyes out all over the place, not expecting the book to be so good at making me see the difference in the Before and After of a character who exists only within the pages of a novel, but for practically the first time in my life, I understood how a couple could be driven to the brink of divorce in spite of still loving each other. It hurt so much more to have a real sense of what they'd lost.
For as often as your heart breaks when Brad is fear-triggered, you equally often want to flee the scene when his anger is tripped instead and his language toward Elise gets downright cruel, to say nothing of his physical lashing out. Until they separate, and both of them seem able to cope better on their own. "Things are different now. We're different people, you and me. And that's not good or bad anymore. It just is."
Like I said, it's worth it -- the addition of a dog was wonderful and the first thing to make me cry happy tears, and I loved the divided setting between Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan -- but god, it is a hard road through, and requires accepting that not everything can be put back the way it was.
I cried my eyes out all over the place, not expecting the book to be so good at making me see the difference in the Before and After of a character who exists only within the pages of a novel, but for practically the first time in my life, I understood how a couple could be driven to the brink of divorce in spite of still loving each other. It hurt so much more to have a real sense of what they'd lost.
For as often as your heart breaks when Brad is fear-triggered, you equally often want to flee the scene when his anger is tripped instead and his language toward Elise gets downright cruel, to say nothing of his physical lashing out. Until they separate, and both of them seem able to cope better on their own. "Things are different now. We're different people, you and me. And that's not good or bad anymore. It just is."
Like I said, it's worth it -- the addition of a dog was wonderful and the first thing to make me cry happy tears, and I loved the divided setting between Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan -- but god, it is a hard road through, and requires accepting that not everything can be put back the way it was.
September 29, 2021
Wow, this book literally ripped my heart into pieces. I found out about it through one of my Facebook wife PTSD groups and I'm so glad I did.
This story tell the raw, emotional, roller-coaster life of a soldier returning home and the war he faces within himself now that he must transition into civilian life along with his wife who just doesn't seem to fit anymore.
Brad had triggers and violent episodes and incidents that are clearly not him- it's PTSD, he is not the same man Elsie married and she doesn't know if she can handle who he is now.
Her life is in shambles because she isn't sure what to do, she brings Brad to stay with his father in the middle of nowhere, somehow this still doesn't seem right.
Now comes, Jones, a dog that saves them both. How is it possible that a dog has that much power?
The author definitely got these emotions, feeling and situations right on point. My husband has PTSD and I am his caretaker sometimes rather than his wife and understand exactly how Elsie felt...the VA doesn't have an appointment until next year and no there just isn't anything we can do for your war veteran husband who put his life on the line for his country. There just isn't any support not only for the veterans but for the families that have to support them still.
Just because they are home from the war doesn't mean the war is over.
An eye opening book and one I will not forget, it will be one of my favorite reads this year for sure.
This story tell the raw, emotional, roller-coaster life of a soldier returning home and the war he faces within himself now that he must transition into civilian life along with his wife who just doesn't seem to fit anymore.
Brad had triggers and violent episodes and incidents that are clearly not him- it's PTSD, he is not the same man Elsie married and she doesn't know if she can handle who he is now.
Her life is in shambles because she isn't sure what to do, she brings Brad to stay with his father in the middle of nowhere, somehow this still doesn't seem right.
Now comes, Jones, a dog that saves them both. How is it possible that a dog has that much power?
The author definitely got these emotions, feeling and situations right on point. My husband has PTSD and I am his caretaker sometimes rather than his wife and understand exactly how Elsie felt...the VA doesn't have an appointment until next year and no there just isn't anything we can do for your war veteran husband who put his life on the line for his country. There just isn't any support not only for the veterans but for the families that have to support them still.
Just because they are home from the war doesn't mean the war is over.
An eye opening book and one I will not forget, it will be one of my favorite reads this year for sure.
November 12, 2014
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads. It was an excellent book, but make sure you have a tissue handy. I cried countless times. I was so happy with the way it ended, it was also a little unexpected. The story is so realistic I had to check to see if I was reading a memoir or a novel.
June 13, 2018
This is a heart-wrenching story about the struggles faced by both returning service members and their families. Erin Celello's characters are flawed and real, her writing is effortless and powerful. This is a story that has stayed with me long after I finished the last page.
May 3, 2018
Elise Sabato welcomes her warrior husband home from Iraq only to discover not all of his injuries will heal. Having sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the once kind and even-tempered Brad is now a completely different person unable to work or function in a world indifferent to his suffering. Elise can’t handle her husband’s erratic behavior while supporting them both as a young attorney in a competitive firm, so she takes Brad home to Northern Michigan’s upper peninsula to stay with his dad. Their marriage nearly implodes under the pressure of his condition, but through a small miracle of rescuing a stray dog in the woods, Brad begins to find his way back, and they both eventually accept the new new in their lives by trying to make a difference for other soldiers coming home with the daunting side effects of war. Uplifting, hopeful and brave storytelling at its finest.
July 15, 2013
Elise's husband returned from a tour of duty in Iraq as a much different man. Brad suffered from a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress after an IED exploded. Elise was trying to work long hours in a demanding job at a law firm while trying to take care of Brad. She felt like their marriage was headed for the rocks, and their old relationship was gone. Her dream of becoming a mother some day seemed impossible because a trigger turned Brad into a different person, one she would not trust alone around a small child. A breakthrough came when Brad bonded with an injured dog that he found in the woods. Would the devoted dog help enough to make it possible for their marriage to survive?
Although this book is written from Elise's point of view, the author also shows us how Brad is feeling, and how two other army wives deal with difficult decisions. Other than Brad's father, the moving story seemed very realistic. Many of the emotions and decisions portrayed could apply to marriages in general that face unexpected challenges (such as severe illnesses, Alzheimer's Disease, etc.)
The back of the book contains a conversation with the author about returning veterans, and what needs to be done to help them. The Service Dogs for Veterans Act, part of the Defense Authorization of 2010, helped provide disabled veterans with service dogs. The author is still working on some veterans-oriented writing projects.
Although this book is written from Elise's point of view, the author also shows us how Brad is feeling, and how two other army wives deal with difficult decisions. Other than Brad's father, the moving story seemed very realistic. Many of the emotions and decisions portrayed could apply to marriages in general that face unexpected challenges (such as severe illnesses, Alzheimer's Disease, etc.)
The back of the book contains a conversation with the author about returning veterans, and what needs to be done to help them. The Service Dogs for Veterans Act, part of the Defense Authorization of 2010, helped provide disabled veterans with service dogs. The author is still working on some veterans-oriented writing projects.
March 8, 2013
Elise Sabato's wonderful and loving husband, Brad is a soldier deployed to Iraq, after his unit was attacked, he comes back home, but he is drastically different from the man she once knew. Brad is a total stranger, struggling to get back to a 'normal' life, while Elise struggles to help him, sometimes being rather harsh, sometimes wondering if she can find the strength to stay. At the point when Brad reaches rock bottom, he meets an amazing dog that helps to heal both Brad and Elise.
Erin Celello has portrayed the plight of so many families of vets coming home with so much emotion and depth as they learn to cope with the aftermath of war's brutality and the lack of available and immediate help for the life altering crisis they face. I found myself wondering how I might react and cope. This is definitely a tear-jerker, one box of tissues may not be enough, better grab the paper towel as back up!
This edition was provided by NetGalley and NAL Trade in exchange for my honest review.
Erin Celello has portrayed the plight of so many families of vets coming home with so much emotion and depth as they learn to cope with the aftermath of war's brutality and the lack of available and immediate help for the life altering crisis they face. I found myself wondering how I might react and cope. This is definitely a tear-jerker, one box of tissues may not be enough, better grab the paper towel as back up!
This edition was provided by NetGalley and NAL Trade in exchange for my honest review.
April 6, 2013
I couldn't put this book down. Learning to Stay focuses on Elise and her struggles when her husband returns from Iraq as a very different man from the one that she married. The book was educational as to the difficulties veterans and their families face upon their return, and the portrayal of the personal relationships was poignant. Although the focus of this book will be especially appealing to military families, the very real portrayal of how relationships and individuals change over time and circumstance and the various responses we have to that evolution will strike a chord with any reader.
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January 10, 2015I love reading novels set in Madison, WI -- the hometown surroundings add a touch of realism, especially when well done (as is the case in Celello's novel). Her protagonist is a young woman lawyer whose husband has somewhat inexplicably enlisted in the Army, coming home irrevocably changed. The author handles the emotional challenges the main character very well, I think, and although the ending felt a bit contrived, I enjoyed the journey.
Please note that I do not use the star rating system, so this review should not be viewed as a zero.
Please note that I do not use the star rating system, so this review should not be viewed as a zero.
February 4, 2018
I struggle between giving this book a 3 star or 4 star rating. It started a bit slow and it seemed like the writing quality improved drastically in the last 1/3 of the book, almost like 2 different authors were writing the book. I was disappointed in how little insight the author gave into brain injury, though this is included in the books description. The author really didn't delve into the intricacies of what life is like with a brain injury. She obviously did much more research on PTSD and portrayed a better depiction of life with PTSD. The title is a huge mistake as well. Who gives away the ending in the title of the book? The improved writing quality in the last 1/3 of the book kept me reading, despite the title giving the general result of the ending away.
May 27, 2018
Elise's husband, Brad, returns from a tour of duty in Iraq after suffering a traumatic brain injury from an IED. The loving, thoughtful, intelligent man she married has turned into someone entirely different. So the question she must answer is this: What so you do when the man you are married to is longer the man you married?
I must admit I was disappointed that the author states she didn’t interact with any families who have experience returning family with TBI as she did research for this book, but depended on blogs. Still, I enjoyed this book greatly, especially since the answer to her question involved a stray dog named Jones!
I must admit I was disappointed that the author states she didn’t interact with any families who have experience returning family with TBI as she did research for this book, but depended on blogs. Still, I enjoyed this book greatly, especially since the answer to her question involved a stray dog named Jones!
January 24, 2021
This story was heart=wrenching and provided a real look into what happens to both a man returning from deployment and his wife as they deal and come to terms with their new reality. I appreciated Erin Celello's effort in bringing forth the reality that many military families face when their “normal” life comes to an abrupt halt and have to overcome the challenge of getting to know one another again and the ways the deployment shaped them into a different individual than what they used to know and love. I especially loved that both characters were flawed, which made them that much more real to me which in turn led me to become invested in their relationship. A very powerful story.
January 13, 2019
I couldn't put this book down! I laughed, I cried, but mostly I...cried lol. The only reason I'm giving it 4 instead of 5 stars is because I felt it ended a little too quickly/was rushed at the end and drawn out in other parts. I loved the point of view and how realistic it was. Definitely recommend.
February 13, 2019
3.75 rating. This is a story that we don’t want to read. We don’t want to know the affects of war on the young men and women who are most involved in it. I didn’t give it a 4 rating because the ending was not as complete as the rest of the story. I feel the author hurried, or maybe had a page limit. It was s good read, nevertheless.
Thank you, Audrey, for sharing it with me.
Thank you, Audrey, for sharing it with me.
February 11, 2020
At the base of this book is some true emotions. The author did not mix words when she described how the VA treats discharged vets that have some mental issues. This book had been on my, :To-be-read" list for a few years. I am glad I took time to read it. I did enjoy that a group of dogs were also being rescued. Most of this story was true-to-life.
February 10, 2022
This book evoked a series of emotions in me: anger at the treatment of our veterans, fear that Elise felt by her husband's outbursts, compassion for her husband's confusion, empathy for her struggles with love for him and the pressure to keep performing her life at an exceptional level. Found the author's writing style to be soothing and not too detailed, constantly flowing and easy to follow.
May 22, 2024
I loved, loved, loved this book by Wisconsin native Erin Celello. I had to read a book by a Wisconsin author for a college course and this was the book I chose. A beautiful story about a dog helping a veteran cope with his PTSD, also helping his wife cope with the stranger war and PTSD has made of her husband. I highly recommend this book but have a box of tissues nearby.
December 5, 2023
Novel describing wife's life after husband comes back from Iraq deployment. He has TBI & PTSD Jim Devita turned it into a play that we're seeing. Good description of how permanently changed veterans are. Service dogs end up being a way to help…neato!
October 16, 2024
Overall a good read but I kept wanting to shout at the protagonist for her clueless behavior and the way she treated him. She redeems herself at the end but I was still frustrated with her. I felt bad for him. Our poor veterans are so unappreciated.
May 11, 2017
A little predictable but a good read, learned about PTSD and TBI. Set in Madison, WI and Marquette, MI.
August 23, 2018
A heartfelt, nuanced journey into the realities of life as a military spouse. Really loved this.
August 10, 2019
Amazing research/ based on fact. Our entire bookclub ( 30+ educated women) enjoyed the book and author.
A real win/win.
A real win/win.
January 15, 2017
Excellent
March 18, 2015
After just reading Thank you for your service, this book continues the issues of returning soldiers and their families in fiction. I think Celello got just the right attitude and behaviors of a return soldier and the effects on the family just right. Elise is upset when her husband, Paul enlists. When he is sent to war, she is left waiting and praying. Elise has a job as a lawyer with two years in. While Paul is gone, she throws everything into her job. Problems start when Paul returns because he is not the same man who left. He is broken, violent and unpredictable. When he is arrested, Elise has to leave work to rescue him. She can no long focus on her job.It is made clear to her by a partner that she has to give up everything to stay in her position. She worried about Paul and finally asks his estranged father, Merk to take him in. She is heartbroken when she drops him off as he is the love of her life, but doesn't feel she has any other choices. He goes for a walk and returns with an injured dog. The vet says it will be between $1,500 and $5000 to operate on the dog. Paul insists on helping the dog even though they have no money. Elise goes home, but still can't focus, wanting Paul. She quits her job. She returns to him, finding that the dog has help him. After seeing how it helps Paul, she wants to develop a therapy dog program for soldiers. I felt like the author had gone through this experience, but she says that she didn't. It was all research. It is a sin that we are not providing for the soldiers returning who need help. It is heartbreaking to know that these soldiers are committing suicide and many are homeless.
June 21, 2014
There are a lot of things to like about this novel.
First (& I know it'll sound stupid) I liked the cover. I think that's important as it's the cover that first connects with the reader.
I also liked that Erin Celello looks at the issues of PTSD/TBI from outside in, that is, what it's like for the family as well as the person, because there are more victims and wounds in war than those of soldiers. I think that's very important.
On the down-side I detest PROLOGUES, with a passion, and while this one doesn't go on-and-on-and-on, I feel prologues are kind of cheating, like the author either doesn't trust me or themselves to be able to tell the story without setting some foundation.
I've a personal rule that if a prologue is longer than one (novel) page (that is more than 300 words), I will not read it. With that in mind and with this prologue just over two pages, I didn't read it. Perhaps I *missed something as a result?
As far as Women's Fiction goes, I think this is a good example. I have no issue with Women's Fiction, in fact I can enjoy it a lot as long as it doesn't sound like rhetoric, preaching or overly self-indulgent with pages and pages of unnecessary exposition and/or back story. Given the topic, back story is expected and while there are times I feel it does become self-absorbed, as though the author has forgotten who will be reading this, overall its a good read and enjoyable.
First (& I know it'll sound stupid) I liked the cover. I think that's important as it's the cover that first connects with the reader.
I also liked that Erin Celello looks at the issues of PTSD/TBI from outside in, that is, what it's like for the family as well as the person, because there are more victims and wounds in war than those of soldiers. I think that's very important.
On the down-side I detest PROLOGUES, with a passion, and while this one doesn't go on-and-on-and-on, I feel prologues are kind of cheating, like the author either doesn't trust me or themselves to be able to tell the story without setting some foundation.
I've a personal rule that if a prologue is longer than one (novel) page (that is more than 300 words), I will not read it. With that in mind and with this prologue just over two pages, I didn't read it. Perhaps I *missed something as a result?
As far as Women's Fiction goes, I think this is a good example. I have no issue with Women's Fiction, in fact I can enjoy it a lot as long as it doesn't sound like rhetoric, preaching or overly self-indulgent with pages and pages of unnecessary exposition and/or back story. Given the topic, back story is expected and while there are times I feel it does become self-absorbed, as though the author has forgotten who will be reading this, overall its a good read and enjoyable.
February 11, 2013
I received a copy of this book through First Reads.
The strength of this book is that it forces the reader to be introspective. This is done mainly through very detailed descriptions of the narrator Elise's thought processes. What would you do in Elise's situation? If your husband returned from a foreign war a violent, erratic, suicidal stranger who barely resembles his former self, would you stay with this stranger (who may never get better) or would leave him in search of a better life for yourself? This makes for a not-so-light read.
The weakness is that the book could have been about 75-100 pages shorter. We go through Elise's thought processes a little TOO much, and the book could have done with a few less of Brad's outbursts (we've gotten the point by the time we get around to the 10th outburst). The conclusion also feels a little weak, for it comes on very hastily after a very long build-up throughout the book.
Overall, it seems like a good addition to the emerging field of stories that deal with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have not read any other fiction books regarding these wars, and I feel like I will be able to make a better judgment regarding this particular book once I do.
The strength of this book is that it forces the reader to be introspective. This is done mainly through very detailed descriptions of the narrator Elise's thought processes. What would you do in Elise's situation? If your husband returned from a foreign war a violent, erratic, suicidal stranger who barely resembles his former self, would you stay with this stranger (who may never get better) or would leave him in search of a better life for yourself? This makes for a not-so-light read.
The weakness is that the book could have been about 75-100 pages shorter. We go through Elise's thought processes a little TOO much, and the book could have done with a few less of Brad's outbursts (we've gotten the point by the time we get around to the 10th outburst). The conclusion also feels a little weak, for it comes on very hastily after a very long build-up throughout the book.
Overall, it seems like a good addition to the emerging field of stories that deal with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have not read any other fiction books regarding these wars, and I feel like I will be able to make a better judgment regarding this particular book once I do.
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