What do you think?
Rate this book
Goodbye to All That
Redefining who we are in our family takes courage and an indestructible sense of humor.
Being the middle child is never easy, but thirty-six-year-old Jill Bendel is about to find out just how hard that job is when her mother throws away her sensible pumps, packs up her collection of classical music and runs away from home.
Longtime wife and mother Ruth Bendel loves her family but hates her life. Husband Richard doesn't even know how the steam iron works, let alone how a woman works. When Ruth's last nerve snaps, she finally does what she's wanted to do so many times before-she gets an apartment, a job, a new life and new friends. How will her pampered family survive ? Who will take care of her son Doug's daughters when he flies off for a romantic week with his wife? How can youngest daughter Melissa contemplate getting pregnant now that she's the child of a broken home? How is Jill going to juggle the demands of her own marriage, her kids, her siblings and her career while simultaneously trying to get her parents to reconcile?
Why is it that when things fall apart, everyone expects Jill to put them back together? Maybe she ought to run away from home, too.
Judith Arnold is a bestselling and award winning author with more than ten million copies of her novels in print. Before turning to fiction writing, she was a working playwright with plays staged in California, Connecticut, Washington, D.C. and off-Broadway in New York City, as well as in Calgary, Canada. A native New Yorker, Judith lives in a small town near Boston.
Being the middle child is never easy, but thirty-six-year-old Jill Bendel is about to find out just how hard that job is when her mother throws away her sensible pumps, packs up her collection of classical music and runs away from home.
Longtime wife and mother Ruth Bendel loves her family but hates her life. Husband Richard doesn't even know how the steam iron works, let alone how a woman works. When Ruth's last nerve snaps, she finally does what she's wanted to do so many times before-she gets an apartment, a job, a new life and new friends. How will her pampered family survive ? Who will take care of her son Doug's daughters when he flies off for a romantic week with his wife? How can youngest daughter Melissa contemplate getting pregnant now that she's the child of a broken home? How is Jill going to juggle the demands of her own marriage, her kids, her siblings and her career while simultaneously trying to get her parents to reconcile?
Why is it that when things fall apart, everyone expects Jill to put them back together? Maybe she ought to run away from home, too.
Judith Arnold is a bestselling and award winning author with more than ten million copies of her novels in print. Before turning to fiction writing, she was a working playwright with plays staged in California, Connecticut, Washington, D.C. and off-Broadway in New York City, as well as in Calgary, Canada. A native New Yorker, Judith lives in a small town near Boston.
268 pages, ebook
First published March 29, 2012
59 people are currently reading
327 people want to read
About the author
Judith Arnold
183 books173 followersBarbara Keiler
aka Ariel Berk, Thea Frederick, Judith Arnold
Barbara Keiler was born on April 7th. She started telling stories before shecould write. She was four when her sister, Carolyn, stuffed a crayon intoher hand and taught her the alphabet, and she's been writing ever since.
Barbara is a graduate of Smith College, where she learned to aim for thestars, and she received a master's degree in creative writing from BrownUniversity, where she took aim at a good-looking graduate student in thechemistry department and wound up marrying him. She says: "Before myhusband and I were married, I had a job in California and he was working onhis Ph.D. in Rhode Island. I became ill, and he hopped on a plane and flewacross the country to be with me. Neither of us had any money, but he saidhe simply couldn't concentrate on his research, knowing I was three thousandmiles away and facing a serious health problem all by myself. He stayed fortwo weeks, until I was pretty well recovered. That he would just drop whathe was doing, put his life on hold and race to my side told me how much heloved me. After that, I knew this was the man I wanted to marry."
Barbara has received writing fellowships from the Shubert Foundation and theNational Endowment for the Arts, and has taught at colleges and universitiesaround the country. She has also written several plays that have beenprofessionally staged at regional theaters in San Francisco, Washington, D.C.,Connecticut and off-off-Broadway.
Since her first romance novel's publication in 1983 as Ariel Berk. Shewrote one novel as Thea Frederick, and since 1985 she writes asJudith Arnold. Barbara has sold more than 70 novels, with eight millioncopies in print worldwide. She has recently signed a contract with MIRABooks. Her first MIRA novel will appear in 2001. She has received severalawards from Romantic Times Magazine, including awards for the Best HarlequinAmerican Romance of the Year, Best Harlequin Superromance of the Year, BestSeries Romantic Novel of the Year and a Lifetime Achievement Certificate ofMerit for Innovative Series Romance. She has also been a finalist for theGolden Medallion Award and the RITA Award for Romance Writer of America. Hernovel Barefoot in the Grass has appeared on the recommended reading listsdistributed by cancer support services at several hospitals.
Barbara lives in a small town not far from Boston, Massachusetts, New England with her husband, two teenage sons, and a guinea pig named Wilbur. Her sister Carolyn died of breast cancer in 1998.
aka Ariel Berk, Thea Frederick, Judith Arnold
Barbara Keiler was born on April 7th. She started telling stories before shecould write. She was four when her sister, Carolyn, stuffed a crayon intoher hand and taught her the alphabet, and she's been writing ever since.
Barbara is a graduate of Smith College, where she learned to aim for thestars, and she received a master's degree in creative writing from BrownUniversity, where she took aim at a good-looking graduate student in thechemistry department and wound up marrying him. She says: "Before myhusband and I were married, I had a job in California and he was working onhis Ph.D. in Rhode Island. I became ill, and he hopped on a plane and flewacross the country to be with me. Neither of us had any money, but he saidhe simply couldn't concentrate on his research, knowing I was three thousandmiles away and facing a serious health problem all by myself. He stayed fortwo weeks, until I was pretty well recovered. That he would just drop whathe was doing, put his life on hold and race to my side told me how much heloved me. After that, I knew this was the man I wanted to marry."
Barbara has received writing fellowships from the Shubert Foundation and theNational Endowment for the Arts, and has taught at colleges and universitiesaround the country. She has also written several plays that have beenprofessionally staged at regional theaters in San Francisco, Washington, D.C.,Connecticut and off-off-Broadway.
Since her first romance novel's publication in 1983 as Ariel Berk. Shewrote one novel as Thea Frederick, and since 1985 she writes asJudith Arnold. Barbara has sold more than 70 novels, with eight millioncopies in print worldwide. She has recently signed a contract with MIRABooks. Her first MIRA novel will appear in 2001. She has received severalawards from Romantic Times Magazine, including awards for the Best HarlequinAmerican Romance of the Year, Best Harlequin Superromance of the Year, BestSeries Romantic Novel of the Year and a Lifetime Achievement Certificate ofMerit for Innovative Series Romance. She has also been a finalist for theGolden Medallion Award and the RITA Award for Romance Writer of America. Hernovel Barefoot in the Grass has appeared on the recommended reading listsdistributed by cancer support services at several hospitals.
Barbara lives in a small town not far from Boston, Massachusetts, New England with her husband, two teenage sons, and a guinea pig named Wilbur. Her sister Carolyn died of breast cancer in 1998.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
March 31, 2018
Novels which depict women leaving home to find independence from their husbands and families have been particularly prevalent since the 1970s, so much so, that one could be forgiven for feeling that this subject has been done to death. So it has by many, but not Ms Arnold!
Ruth Bendel, fed up with forty-two years of catering to her cardiologist husband and raising children without any recognition, calls a family gathering to announce that she and Richard are separating. Her astonished adult children – Doug, Jill and Melissa – discover that their mother is not only setting up house on her own, but she actually as a job in a convenience/general store and a down-market one at that!
Needless to say, this puts the cat among the pigeons well and truly and there this plot could become like all the others, however the author’s considerable writing skill takes this novel to another standard.
Well-written and beautifully paced, the story follows the ramifications of their parent’s separation on the three siblings as well as Ruth and Richard. Doug, complacent and rich, has his world shaken by a small incident within his own marriage, Jill realises that maybe her mother has a point and Melissa takes steps to secure her future in an unexpected way. Ms Arnold engenders such sympathy for her characters and the four couple’s lives are intertwined so realistically, that this reader was more than willing to invest care in the outcomes.
There were also some delightful turns of phrase. For example, when Richard’s long-time secretary discovers that Ruth has left him – “Gert swept into his office like General Patton storming Europe.” Other imagery made me smile, some laughing aloud.
There is no “chocolate-box” ending, but the novel finishes with positive indications for the character’s futures and though sorry when the story ended, I can say my reading experience was thoroughly enjoyable.
***
PS: It is now 2018 and I liked my own review so much that I think I might re-read this one!
Ruth Bendel, fed up with forty-two years of catering to her cardiologist husband and raising children without any recognition, calls a family gathering to announce that she and Richard are separating. Her astonished adult children – Doug, Jill and Melissa – discover that their mother is not only setting up house on her own, but she actually as a job in a convenience/general store and a down-market one at that!
Needless to say, this puts the cat among the pigeons well and truly and there this plot could become like all the others, however the author’s considerable writing skill takes this novel to another standard.
Well-written and beautifully paced, the story follows the ramifications of their parent’s separation on the three siblings as well as Ruth and Richard. Doug, complacent and rich, has his world shaken by a small incident within his own marriage, Jill realises that maybe her mother has a point and Melissa takes steps to secure her future in an unexpected way. Ms Arnold engenders such sympathy for her characters and the four couple’s lives are intertwined so realistically, that this reader was more than willing to invest care in the outcomes.
There were also some delightful turns of phrase. For example, when Richard’s long-time secretary discovers that Ruth has left him – “Gert swept into his office like General Patton storming Europe.” Other imagery made me smile, some laughing aloud.
There is no “chocolate-box” ending, but the novel finishes with positive indications for the character’s futures and though sorry when the story ended, I can say my reading experience was thoroughly enjoyable.
***
PS: It is now 2018 and I liked my own review so much that I think I might re-read this one!
March 7, 2018
I was a little bummed that there were so many loose ends at the end of this book. However, it was a nice light story.
June 15, 2012
Goodbye To All That was an entertaining book that kept my attention from cover to cover. I felt a connection to the characters, and enjoyed the storyline. I will be looking for more by this author.
After forty year of marriage, Ruth Bendel moves out of the family home she shares with her husband, Richard, finds her own apartment, and obtains a job. The three grown Bendel children have felt that their parents' marriage was rock solid, so their worlds are rocked by change. As Jill, Doug, and Melissa try to accept that their parents' marriage has crumbled, they all question whether their own marriages and relationships have a chance to survive. All of the family members have their own journeys of self-discovery during this difficult time.
I enjoyed this story of a family whose grown children are reluctant to accept the end of their parents' marriage. Although it was a serious subject, it was written in a cute and enjoyable style. I liked the characters and the story. I received this book as an ARC through Netgalley.
After forty year of marriage, Ruth Bendel moves out of the family home she shares with her husband, Richard, finds her own apartment, and obtains a job. The three grown Bendel children have felt that their parents' marriage was rock solid, so their worlds are rocked by change. As Jill, Doug, and Melissa try to accept that their parents' marriage has crumbled, they all question whether their own marriages and relationships have a chance to survive. All of the family members have their own journeys of self-discovery during this difficult time.
I enjoyed this story of a family whose grown children are reluctant to accept the end of their parents' marriage. Although it was a serious subject, it was written in a cute and enjoyable style. I liked the characters and the story. I received this book as an ARC through Netgalley.
June 14, 2012
This is my first novel by Judith Arnold and it won't be my last.
Her realistic portrayal of each member of a family and how they handle crisis and change was very touching and at times funny. Ms. Arnold took an all too common issue we experience today and turned it into a delightful novel.
I highly recommend Goodbye To All That.
Her realistic portrayal of each member of a family and how they handle crisis and change was very touching and at times funny. Ms. Arnold took an all too common issue we experience today and turned it into a delightful novel.
I highly recommend Goodbye To All That.
June 26, 2012
This story reminded me of the old Meat Loaf song, "All Revved Up and No Place to Go." Tons of buildup among a cast of selfish, egocentric characters and then, just as each of them begins to experience some growth, the book abruptly ends.
November 22, 2012
This is one of those books that is just a good story. There's no great plot, no suspense or mystery, no crime or even love story. It's just good character developmentnt that makes you want to keep reading and find out what happens to them.
August 26, 2023
I have no idea what made me read this book, let alone purchase it! I found I had to force myself to finish it only to get to the end and say that’s it? The family-so what-Boeing bland and not really any plot that I could see. It was like peering into an every day family-again. Irving makes this nook stand out-boring at best-sorry!
February 28, 2020
This story was great. It was heartwarming, engaging and I loved the wit. A coming of age story for all generations.
Many thanks to Bell Bridge Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Many thanks to Bell Bridge Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 16, 2020
Ruth Bendel says goodbye to her married life of 42 years and decides to focus on herself instead of taking care of others. She does this much to the bewilderment of her husband and children who are all grown with families/lives of their own.
August 2, 2017
Great story, great plot, beautifully written, love how all the problems explained clearly, love how characters grow up and become better persons. I would seek more books from this author.
July 30, 2025
Light, entertaining novel.
July 15, 2012
For forty-two years, Ruth Bendel has been Dr. Richard Bendel’s wife. For more than thirty of those years, she’s been mother to Doug, Jill, and Melissa. She has spent the greater part of her life taking care of her family and being taken for granted. She’s weary of her husband’s whiskers in the sink, of the annoying click of the remote control as he channel surfs, of eating the food and seeing the movies and listening to the music someone else likes. What Ruth wants now is freedom to find out what she wants. She has a three-room apartment and a job where she expects to find operating a cash register challenging, and she’s ready for a new life.
The Bendels three adult children are astounded by their mother’s announcement that she is leaving their father. Doug (38), an ophthalmic surgeon with a blonde wife, six-year-old twin daughters, a Mercedes, and a twelve-room house, wonders if his wife Brooke will be leaving him in thirty years over beard shavings in the sink or some similar reason. Jill (36), a writer of catalog copy, married for fourteen years to Gordon a teacher, with a twelve-year-old daughter and a ten-year-old-son, worries that she sees the pattern of her mother’s life reflected in her own. Melissa (31), a Manhattan lawyer working toward a partnership and dating a hairdresser, questions whether she should forget marriage if love is so uncertain. Richard alternates between anger, self-pity, and defiance.
Ruth’s goodbye to the life in which she had lost herself shatters the complacencies of an entire family and propels each member of that family on her/his journey of self-discovery. Their story is at times funny, at times melancholy, and always provocative, pushing the reader to ponder the complexities of family dynamics. Whatever her age or marital status, rare indeed will be the female reader who doesn’t understand Ruth’s desire for a life that belongs to her. When her son accuses her of acting selfishly, she responds: “Yes. It’s selfish. That’s my dream. For once in my life, I want to be selfish. I want to put myself first.”
One caveat: readers who require neat endings with everything conventionally resolved may be less than fully satisfied with the conclusion. This is a book that’s more about process than neat endings.
The Bendels three adult children are astounded by their mother’s announcement that she is leaving their father. Doug (38), an ophthalmic surgeon with a blonde wife, six-year-old twin daughters, a Mercedes, and a twelve-room house, wonders if his wife Brooke will be leaving him in thirty years over beard shavings in the sink or some similar reason. Jill (36), a writer of catalog copy, married for fourteen years to Gordon a teacher, with a twelve-year-old daughter and a ten-year-old-son, worries that she sees the pattern of her mother’s life reflected in her own. Melissa (31), a Manhattan lawyer working toward a partnership and dating a hairdresser, questions whether she should forget marriage if love is so uncertain. Richard alternates between anger, self-pity, and defiance.
Ruth’s goodbye to the life in which she had lost herself shatters the complacencies of an entire family and propels each member of that family on her/his journey of self-discovery. Their story is at times funny, at times melancholy, and always provocative, pushing the reader to ponder the complexities of family dynamics. Whatever her age or marital status, rare indeed will be the female reader who doesn’t understand Ruth’s desire for a life that belongs to her. When her son accuses her of acting selfishly, she responds: “Yes. It’s selfish. That’s my dream. For once in my life, I want to be selfish. I want to put myself first.”
One caveat: readers who require neat endings with everything conventionally resolved may be less than fully satisfied with the conclusion. This is a book that’s more about process than neat endings.
June 24, 2012
I should say right up front that I do not read what is called “chicklit.” I just don’t get into stories about women and all their relationships as a general rule. I don’t care about all the family drama people put up with and I don’t believe in happy endings and lovely reconciliations. Maybe these books are great and I’m missing a lot of wonderful literature, but I just don’t pick them up. That said, I have to recommend that Goodbye to All That by Judith Arnold be read by all AARPers, particularly women. It offers a fresh view of empty nesters and the life still left in one who has given decades to her husband and children (and raised a daughter who seems to be headed down the same path). While it may remain just a day dream for most women, the breaking free of Ruth Bendel seems at least plausible and realistic in its accomplishment. Ruth’s choice surprises her whole family and shakes up all of their complacent roles as well. Patriarch Richard and the couple’s three grown children all go through their own transitions inspired by Ruth’s determined escape and all end up finding their truer selves and happier paths because of it. Not great or difficult literature by any stretch, and no major drama (I liked that about it), but a good summer read, and I couldn’t help casting the movie while I read it. Blythe Danner and Alan Alda as Ruth and Richard? Parker Posey or Anne Hathaway as lawyer Melissa and Mark Ruffalo as the good boyfriend she finally lets herself find? Frances McDormand or Catherine Keener as good daughter Jill? Jennifer Aniston as the pretty sister-in-law no one takes seriously? I may have the ages of these actors all mixed up, but these are some of the faces I couldn’t help imagining while I read this satisfying family story. In the right hands, this could be a very good movie for grown-ups. And there aren’t many of those around.
November 12, 2012
This story, written by a romance writer, was a pleasant surprise. What happens when a good jewish wife and mother decides it is now 'her time' and walks away?
Jill is the main character, the 'good daughter' who is usually the solver of the family. However, all of the various family members get the writers time and attention and you come to know and care about them all…. and they are all thrown for a loop by Ruth's decision to get her own apartment and job, walking away from her privileged life where everything she did was for someone else.
Jill examines her own marriage and her ambitions and worries she will eventually feel, as her mother does, that the only way to get herself back is to leave. Her brother, Doug, a financially successful eye surgeon worries he will loss his beautiful but remote wife, Brooke, as well, since he feels as clueless as his father about what is driving his mother to this decision. Melissa, the youngest, a successful New York lawyer with a shallow social life, is completely devastated and reexamines her own long term dreams of motherhood and security.
Richard, Ruth's husband of 42 years is baffled and indignant. Abbie, Jill's teenage daughter soon to have her Bat Mitzvah, is the only character who does not view Ruth's decision as a personal affront. She is enamored of her grandmothers' decision and recognizes this as similar to her own need to be more independent.
As the story progresses, I began to feel for each of these well-developed characters and hoped for a resolution that will minimize hurt and promote personal growth.
Well worth the read!
Jill is the main character, the 'good daughter' who is usually the solver of the family. However, all of the various family members get the writers time and attention and you come to know and care about them all…. and they are all thrown for a loop by Ruth's decision to get her own apartment and job, walking away from her privileged life where everything she did was for someone else.
Jill examines her own marriage and her ambitions and worries she will eventually feel, as her mother does, that the only way to get herself back is to leave. Her brother, Doug, a financially successful eye surgeon worries he will loss his beautiful but remote wife, Brooke, as well, since he feels as clueless as his father about what is driving his mother to this decision. Melissa, the youngest, a successful New York lawyer with a shallow social life, is completely devastated and reexamines her own long term dreams of motherhood and security.
Richard, Ruth's husband of 42 years is baffled and indignant. Abbie, Jill's teenage daughter soon to have her Bat Mitzvah, is the only character who does not view Ruth's decision as a personal affront. She is enamored of her grandmothers' decision and recognizes this as similar to her own need to be more independent.
As the story progresses, I began to feel for each of these well-developed characters and hoped for a resolution that will minimize hurt and promote personal growth.
Well worth the read!
September 7, 2015
Ruth Bendel, age 60, has been married for 42 years. She has always put her husband and three children first. Her family could count on her to be there when needed; she planed the events, babysat the kids, she could take over in a crisis… but she is tired. Her husband, Richard, a successful heart surgeon rarely lifts a finger around the house. She makes sure his meals are ready on time, his clothes are clean and pressed, his life is calm…… until now. She finally has had it. She wants to finally put herself first. She wants to stop cleaning up after her husband. She can no longer stand his hair in the sink, his food likes and dislikes, but most of all, she is sick and tired of his flipping through the channels on TV. She wants to be on her own. She gets herself a small apartment, a job at the local convenience store, and moves out of her family home. The family is stunned. Their world is upside down. Can Jill, the middle child – the “problem solver” of the children (note these are adult children now) can she take over her mother’s job?? ----I loved this book…. Maybe because I’m over 60, have been married for 40 years, and am also sick of my husband leaving his shoes in the family room, things on the dining room table, and most of all, always flipping through the channels on the TV. .. I’m not ready to move out-but it’s a nice thought.
July 11, 2012
I found this to be an intriguing book. Readers' opinions will reflect where they are in life and how they got there. Husband and wife of 40+ years announce to the family that they are separating. Everyone wants an explanation; no one understands. As life goes on, we are shown how earth-shattering this news is to some of the family. First (and second) reactions tend to be of the "oh, no! Who's going to take care of me now?" sort.
We see the characters look around and begin to question themselves, their relationships with each other or spounses; they also take a fresh look at the role each has traditionally played in the family. Over time the roles slowly change, bonds increase among the brother and sisters and spouses.
The characterizations are strong, the language is used well. The descriptions allow the settings to come alive. The book is well done!
Jill tells her mother "You took a risk. You took a chance. You took a leap of faith....faith in things working out. Or faith in yourself, knowing that if they don't work out, you'll still be okay."
That answers a question we all ask ourselves at one time or another: "can I trust in me?"
We see the characters look around and begin to question themselves, their relationships with each other or spounses; they also take a fresh look at the role each has traditionally played in the family. Over time the roles slowly change, bonds increase among the brother and sisters and spouses.
The characterizations are strong, the language is used well. The descriptions allow the settings to come alive. The book is well done!
Jill tells her mother "You took a risk. You took a chance. You took a leap of faith....faith in things working out. Or faith in yourself, knowing that if they don't work out, you'll still be okay."
That answers a question we all ask ourselves at one time or another: "can I trust in me?"
February 11, 2016
After 42 years of marriage, Ruth Bendel decides to leave her husband. She and her husband have a meeting with their 3 children to announce their decision to separate and when asked why, Ruth comes up with mundane answers such as she hates his channel surfing or he doesn't wash his whiskers down the drain. For the adult children, what follows is a soul-searching look at their own marriages and lives. This book has subtle humor that I found very amusing, often laugh-out-loud funny. The son grows anxious at the thought that his picture perfect marriage may come to a similar end; the middle daughter becomes the go-to person for her siblings woes and begins to dream of a trip to France, alone; and, the youngest daughter decides she wants to settle down with an apartment and child despite her single status. Each chapter is a focus on one or the other of the affected family members. My only complaint is the use of curse words. Can't see why a book of this type would need vulgar language. No point and doesn't add to the story-line. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this author's writing style and would buy another of her books. Great lesson here on independence and self-worth.
June 23, 2012
Ruth wanted to do something for herself.
She moved out of her nice home with Richard, her husband, to a one bedroom, very small apartment.
She felt she had done things for her family all of her life and now she wanted to do things differently.
I liked how she did that and then her children started worrying about their lives and how the separation of 42 years of their parents had effected them.
The middle child, Jill, started helping everyone try to stay on track.
Even Thanksgiving was a great affair but Ruth did not do the cooking and cleaning. It was great for her.
Richard started paying attention to her. Thinking of her and how he missed her around the house. He did not like picking up something to eat, ironing his own shirts, even meeting another lady for coffee. But she did miss his wife. Things were looking up for Ruth.
She moved out of her nice home with Richard, her husband, to a one bedroom, very small apartment.
She felt she had done things for her family all of her life and now she wanted to do things differently.
I liked how she did that and then her children started worrying about their lives and how the separation of 42 years of their parents had effected them.
The middle child, Jill, started helping everyone try to stay on track.
Even Thanksgiving was a great affair but Ruth did not do the cooking and cleaning. It was great for her.
Richard started paying attention to her. Thinking of her and how he missed her around the house. He did not like picking up something to eat, ironing his own shirts, even meeting another lady for coffee. But she did miss his wife. Things were looking up for Ruth.
April 20, 2017
This is a clever look at the disintergration and re-building of an all American family. When Ruth, the matriach of the family, leaves her husband, Richard, each family member is impacted. I particularly enjoyed seeing past the surface of Brooke and Doug's marriage, and reading about the growth experienced by Jill and Melissa. Ulimately, I wasn't sure if Ruth really loved Richard underneath it all, but nonetheless, it was an enjoyable and well-written story.
Please note that I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for my review.
Please note that I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for my review.
May 10, 2014
Wonderfully entertaining read
absolutely thought provoking. Ruth's kids are grown with their own lives, her husband is busy with his and she finally gets fed up and leaves to get her own life. perfect read for anyone with a family. we have all had that taken for granted feeling and just want to be selfish for a change feeling. this book gives you the perspective of everyone involved and you see the change in their lives. did hate the ending. it felt like the characters have more to say, and I want to hear it.
absolutely thought provoking. Ruth's kids are grown with their own lives, her husband is busy with his and she finally gets fed up and leaves to get her own life. perfect read for anyone with a family. we have all had that taken for granted feeling and just want to be selfish for a change feeling. this book gives you the perspective of everyone involved and you see the change in their lives. did hate the ending. it felt like the characters have more to say, and I want to hear it.
October 2, 2012
I think the story is very relatable, from the perspective of a married couple. You've been married so long, living your life for everyone else that you just need a change. You are under-appreciated as a mom, as a wife, and you are relied on to make everyone else happy and after the kids are grown and gone, with families of their own, you want to say, "know what? Screw it. I'm doing this for ME now." I can sympathize with the characters for sure.
Amazon daily special...
Amazon daily special...
August 30, 2012
Ruth is unhappy with her life - the children are grown and her husband is stodgy. So she leaves and starts a new life - a job, an apartment, new friends and new experiences. Jill, the middle child, feels like everyone epects her to fix the situation. Everyone in the family has to learn that it is okay to move on in life without anger or blame. Compareable to Three Weissman's of Westport.
June 26, 2012
More than just another fluffy romantic comedy, Goodbye to All That is a charming and thoughtful read, complete with an unexpected plot and plenty of likable characters.
Read the full review at http://www.nightsandweekends.com/arti...
Read the full review at http://www.nightsandweekends.com/arti...
April 23, 2014
Hmmm
Hmmm
I enjoyed this book. I related to this book on some levels,but I do not like the way it ended. I like perfectly wrapped up endings. I think it's a very real story though that a lot of people can relate to.
Hmmm
I enjoyed this book. I related to this book on some levels,but I do not like the way it ended. I like perfectly wrapped up endings. I think it's a very real story though that a lot of people can relate to.
October 19, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. It is a look at a woman finding herself again after years of being lost in other roles--wife, mother, etc. It is a good book and I found myself admiring the main character for breaking out of her rut and moving her life forward.
June 9, 2015
It's never to late to dream
I believe this is my first Judith Arnold story but it won't be my last. If you've ever dreamed of starting over you'll enjoy Ruth's quest for independence. It's never to late to dream or to follow one.
I believe this is my first Judith Arnold story but it won't be my last. If you've ever dreamed of starting over you'll enjoy Ruth's quest for independence. It's never to late to dream or to follow one.
May 17, 2016
True to life
Started out slow for me .
As. I sorted out the various characters I understood each individual and their personalities. I would recommend for middle age as they have gone through stages of frustration and could relate to this family.
Started out slow for me .
As. I sorted out the various characters I understood each individual and their personalities. I would recommend for middle age as they have gone through stages of frustration and could relate to this family.
April 25, 2012
It was a great & realistic book! It's about a mother who decides to assert her independence and a daughter who is inspired to do so herself.
June 16, 2012
A well-written book that really had some good character development--both male & female. This book was a nice surprise.
July 17, 2012
Really enjoyed this!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews