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Chasing Rainbows
Includes Reader’s Guide for book club discussions.
Chocolate. Tattered robe. Wedding video. Wine.
Things aren’t looking so good for Bernadette Murphy.
With the breakup of her marriage, the sudden death of her father, and the announcement of her best friend’s pregnancy, Bernadette finds herself careening toward rock bottom. So why stop short? She quits her job, gets herself banned—for life—from the mall, and goes on a late-night-infomercial spending spree. To top it all off, her dog gets kicked out of obedience school—again.
Just when she thinks there’s nothing left for the universe to throw at her, she discovers the one thing she needs the most: a reminder of her father’s love. In the book of cryptograms he left behind, Bernie’s father helps guide her through the pain that’s consuming her. With each solved puzzle, her father’s encoded lessons give Bernie the courage to face life head-on. And as her father always said, “In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don’t.”
For Bernie, the singing is about to begin.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 12, 2011
390 people are currently reading
1778 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Long
42 books148 followersKathleen Long is the author of sixteen novels in the genres of women’s fiction, contemporary romance, and romantic suspense.
Kathleen has won a RIO Award and is a two-time winner of the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Her additional honors include nominations for National Readers’ Choice, RITA, HOLT Medallion, Booksellers’ Best, and Book Buyers Best awards, as well as appearances on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.
A native of Wilmington, Delaware, she now divides her time between suburban Philadelphia and the New Jersey shore.
When Kathleen is not plotting her next book or teaching creative writing, she spends her time bribing her tween to pick up her clothes, begging the dog to heel, and experimenting with photography.
Kathleen has won a RIO Award and is a two-time winner of the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Her additional honors include nominations for National Readers’ Choice, RITA, HOLT Medallion, Booksellers’ Best, and Book Buyers Best awards, as well as appearances on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.
A native of Wilmington, Delaware, she now divides her time between suburban Philadelphia and the New Jersey shore.
When Kathleen is not plotting her next book or teaching creative writing, she spends her time bribing her tween to pick up her clothes, begging the dog to heel, and experimenting with photography.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 350 reviews
January 8, 2012
The title says it all. Cheesy, puke, predictable chic book.
Same old story. Couple has baby and it dies. Woman can't have kids anymore. This tears apart marriage. Woman wallows in pity ignoring husband who then divorces her for a woman that can have kids. Now her father dies and she quits her job. She gains some weight. Her best friend and her get into big fight. Her only advocate is her dog.
She meets a friendly new male neighbor. She vows to get into shape and get her life in order. She writes her life story down and submits it to magazine. They publish it and everything falls into place. Happily ever puke!
Sometimes you CAN really judge a book by its cover (and name).
Same old story. Couple has baby and it dies. Woman can't have kids anymore. This tears apart marriage. Woman wallows in pity ignoring husband who then divorces her for a woman that can have kids. Now her father dies and she quits her job. She gains some weight. Her best friend and her get into big fight. Her only advocate is her dog.
She meets a friendly new male neighbor. She vows to get into shape and get her life in order. She writes her life story down and submits it to magazine. They publish it and everything falls into place. Happily ever puke!
Sometimes you CAN really judge a book by its cover (and name).
January 2, 2012
I believe I got this FREE on Kindle ~ so no great expectations. Wrong ~ it was delightful! The main character is over-the-top with grief, anger & frustration. However, most women can identify with some of what she is going trough and the ways she handles her feeling can be quiet funny! 255 pages that are full of insight about life and death and lots of laughs!
March 9, 2012
What would you do if you've had one painful loss after another, and with each loss your life unravels a little bit more each time? Would you be able to pick up the pieces and rebuild your life, learn to rediscover and reinvent yourself, or would you allow your losses to swallow you up until there is nothing left? This is the story of how Bernadette "Bernie" Murphy went on a personal journey to find herself, and through the loving motivational words of wisdom left by her deceased father, allowed herself to live once again and find happiness through Chasing Rainbows.
Bernadette "Bernie" Murphy is a forty-one year old woman who has had a lot of painful losses within the last five years. Most recently, her father passed away unexpectedly, and his death has thrown her family for a loop as they try to come to grips with his loss, each dealing with their grief in their own way. A few weeks prior to her father's death, her husband Ryan, left her for another woman, and rather than telling her family, she struggles to deal with this on her own. And if that is not enough to make you want to just give up, the lingering grief over her newborn baby daughter's death five years ago, has maintained a tight grip on her life, and may have been one of the causes of her marriage breaking up. Life just hasn't been very fair to Bernie: she hates her job and her jerk of a boss, and her best friend Diane has just told her that she is unexpectedly pregnant ... can her life get any worse than this? Bernie's had enough with everything: she tells off her boss and quits her job, mopes around the house and goes on food binges, starts acting out by saying what's on her mind and gets banned from the mall, and despairs over how to rebuild her life. Just when she's at her lowest point, a gift from her father helps guide her forward once again. Growing up, her dad and her had spent each morning at the kitchen table figuring out the cryptogram puzzle in the daily paper. Her father's gift to her was a little book of cryptograms for her to solve. Each cryptogram reveals inspirational and motivational words of wisdom that helps spur her on a journey of self-discovery and rebirth. Through her father's legacy, coupled with the support of her family, friends, and two neighbors (one who is a good looking guy), Rachel learns that the key to her happiness is by letting go and chase her rainbows, or like her father quoted in his book: "In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don't."
Chasing Rainbows is a poignant, inspirational and heartwarming story that tugs at the heartstrings. The storyline is beautifully written and so engaging, it captivated me from beginning to end. It is a story that takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride: it makes you laugh, cry and ponder your own life. The author provides a wonderful mix of whimsical and heart wrenching scenes, it is a perfect balance that makes the story so powerful and compelling. The characters were realistic and engaging, their interactions with each other provided many smiles, laughs and tears (both happy and sad). I absolutely loved the relationship that Bernie had with her best friend's thirteen year old daughter Ashley, it was so heartwarming and humorous, and without giving away any spoiler information, the zamboni ride and Ashley's actions was classic and had me laughing hysterically. I also loved Bernie's lovable border collie mix Poindexter, his antics kept me in stitches. I definitely can relate to Bernie's character, I see a lot of me in her, and like her, I too have had some of the same losses in my own life, it was spooky seeing it written in a book, it was like the author looked into my own life experiences and made them into a story. It isn't very often when a story resonates so strongly with me, and Chasing Rainbows did exactly that. I really loved how each chapter started with a cryptogram and ended with revealing the cryptogram's motivational and inspirational quote. There is so many good parts to Chasing Rainbows, it makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you think and most of all it gives you hope.
Chasing Rainbows is a must read for anyone who has suffered a loss, gone through tough times, and was able to bounce back. The story is unforgettable, it is a testament to the sustainability of the human spirit, and will leave you hopeful and inspired to chase your own rainbows.
Disclaimer: At the request of the author, publisher and Chick Lit Plus, a Kindle edition of the book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event.
Virtual Book Tour Event: On Friday, March 9, 2012, in association with Chick Lit Plus, Kathleen Long participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
Bernadette "Bernie" Murphy is a forty-one year old woman who has had a lot of painful losses within the last five years. Most recently, her father passed away unexpectedly, and his death has thrown her family for a loop as they try to come to grips with his loss, each dealing with their grief in their own way. A few weeks prior to her father's death, her husband Ryan, left her for another woman, and rather than telling her family, she struggles to deal with this on her own. And if that is not enough to make you want to just give up, the lingering grief over her newborn baby daughter's death five years ago, has maintained a tight grip on her life, and may have been one of the causes of her marriage breaking up. Life just hasn't been very fair to Bernie: she hates her job and her jerk of a boss, and her best friend Diane has just told her that she is unexpectedly pregnant ... can her life get any worse than this? Bernie's had enough with everything: she tells off her boss and quits her job, mopes around the house and goes on food binges, starts acting out by saying what's on her mind and gets banned from the mall, and despairs over how to rebuild her life. Just when she's at her lowest point, a gift from her father helps guide her forward once again. Growing up, her dad and her had spent each morning at the kitchen table figuring out the cryptogram puzzle in the daily paper. Her father's gift to her was a little book of cryptograms for her to solve. Each cryptogram reveals inspirational and motivational words of wisdom that helps spur her on a journey of self-discovery and rebirth. Through her father's legacy, coupled with the support of her family, friends, and two neighbors (one who is a good looking guy), Rachel learns that the key to her happiness is by letting go and chase her rainbows, or like her father quoted in his book: "In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don't."
Chasing Rainbows is a poignant, inspirational and heartwarming story that tugs at the heartstrings. The storyline is beautifully written and so engaging, it captivated me from beginning to end. It is a story that takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride: it makes you laugh, cry and ponder your own life. The author provides a wonderful mix of whimsical and heart wrenching scenes, it is a perfect balance that makes the story so powerful and compelling. The characters were realistic and engaging, their interactions with each other provided many smiles, laughs and tears (both happy and sad). I absolutely loved the relationship that Bernie had with her best friend's thirteen year old daughter Ashley, it was so heartwarming and humorous, and without giving away any spoiler information, the zamboni ride and Ashley's actions was classic and had me laughing hysterically. I also loved Bernie's lovable border collie mix Poindexter, his antics kept me in stitches. I definitely can relate to Bernie's character, I see a lot of me in her, and like her, I too have had some of the same losses in my own life, it was spooky seeing it written in a book, it was like the author looked into my own life experiences and made them into a story. It isn't very often when a story resonates so strongly with me, and Chasing Rainbows did exactly that. I really loved how each chapter started with a cryptogram and ended with revealing the cryptogram's motivational and inspirational quote. There is so many good parts to Chasing Rainbows, it makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you think and most of all it gives you hope.
Chasing Rainbows is a must read for anyone who has suffered a loss, gone through tough times, and was able to bounce back. The story is unforgettable, it is a testament to the sustainability of the human spirit, and will leave you hopeful and inspired to chase your own rainbows.
Disclaimer: At the request of the author, publisher and Chick Lit Plus, a Kindle edition of the book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event.
Virtual Book Tour Event: On Friday, March 9, 2012, in association with Chick Lit Plus, Kathleen Long participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
February 1, 2012
Kathleen Long’s Chasing Rainbows is classic women’s fiction, which is not to say that men wouldn’t enjoy it. I describe it this way because through the first person view of Bernadette Murphy, the author exposes us women to the angst-ridden moments that have dotted our lives as well as those which gave us the courage to move forward when it was time.
Bernadette, affectionately known as Bernie, suffers through the death of a child, a parent, and a marriage, binge eating, isolation, acting out, speed dating, and alienation by her best friend. Doesn’t sound like an uplifting read, does it? Surprisingly, it is.
Her father’s legacy is a book where he has devised cryptograms hiding messages that will help her survive her journey. It starts with “In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don’t,” setting the stage for the choices she has ahead of her.
Bernie’s emotional roller coaster and her self-examination as well as her self-flagellation are sure to stir up memories from the reader’s emotional history. Following her journey can be quite cathartic because the reader can maintain an emotional distance and yet benefit from Bernie’s psychological revelations about similar life experiences.
While reading this book, I was reminded of the oft-quoted philosophy that the “mind does not know the difference between a real and an imagined experience.” Because Bernie develops the courage to move on with her life and learns how to love herself, the reader is given the further opportunity to emotionally immerse herself in this story and recreate her own relationship with her past.
One of my favorite messages offered by Bernie’s late father and meant to encourage her is “A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” [Unknown]. The meaning in this wonderful story for me was that we have to risk if we want to achieve the heights we were meant to reach. We have to chase rainbows; we have to find them where they don’t seem to be—even in our past experiences because the past colors our future.
Long handles a difficult topic with style and humor. I would recommend it to anyone who’s not afraid to cry, not afraid to laugh at themselves, and not afraid to chase rainbows!
Reviewed by Dannye Williamsen for Breakthrough Bookstore.
Bernadette, affectionately known as Bernie, suffers through the death of a child, a parent, and a marriage, binge eating, isolation, acting out, speed dating, and alienation by her best friend. Doesn’t sound like an uplifting read, does it? Surprisingly, it is.
Her father’s legacy is a book where he has devised cryptograms hiding messages that will help her survive her journey. It starts with “In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don’t,” setting the stage for the choices she has ahead of her.
Bernie’s emotional roller coaster and her self-examination as well as her self-flagellation are sure to stir up memories from the reader’s emotional history. Following her journey can be quite cathartic because the reader can maintain an emotional distance and yet benefit from Bernie’s psychological revelations about similar life experiences.
While reading this book, I was reminded of the oft-quoted philosophy that the “mind does not know the difference between a real and an imagined experience.” Because Bernie develops the courage to move on with her life and learns how to love herself, the reader is given the further opportunity to emotionally immerse herself in this story and recreate her own relationship with her past.
One of my favorite messages offered by Bernie’s late father and meant to encourage her is “A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” [Unknown]. The meaning in this wonderful story for me was that we have to risk if we want to achieve the heights we were meant to reach. We have to chase rainbows; we have to find them where they don’t seem to be—even in our past experiences because the past colors our future.
Long handles a difficult topic with style and humor. I would recommend it to anyone who’s not afraid to cry, not afraid to laugh at themselves, and not afraid to chase rainbows!
Reviewed by Dannye Williamsen for Breakthrough Bookstore.
February 5, 2012
Torn between three stars and two stars mainly because the book was free and who can really complain about a free book? I went with how I felt about it and while it was a touching story, it could have been done better. And mainly it irritated me how the character's validation comes from external sources and then realizing that others think she is great starts her internal validation. This is also totally petty but it also irritated me about how the character talks constantly about how fat she is getting, her ever expanding arms and all the candy she is eating and then steps on the scale to reveal *gasp* she weighs 150lbs. Which for my height is well within my BMI range but I guess we never learn how tall she is. Anyway, I wouldn't recommend buying it but if you get it for free it was worth the read.
March 8, 2012
http://anovelreview.blogspot.com/2012...
Bernadette "Bernie" Murphy has just lost her father. She is wrapping herself around him being gone, while simultaneously (and secretively) dealing with her husband who left her. Bernie is no stranger to loss and heartache, but the accumulation of loss and a book of cryptograms her father left her seem to be the wake-up call she has needed for some time and is reluctantly facing reality.
Chasing Rainbows is a story about finding acceptance and learning how to walk through the downpours of life is the only way to find the rainbows.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It seems odd to say I enjoyed the book, when Chasing Rainbows deals with some very serious situations. Bernie is struggling with losing her father, her marriage, she doesn't know what's next, and finally realizing she has yet to really deal with the grief of losing her tiny baby. I connected to Bernie, as I lost my mother and shortly after I went through three miscarriages (not the same, but generally speaking). And when I couldn't relate I had empathy for her. The dark place where Bernie was at is a very real place. Bernie had to walk through all of this empty, dark grief while also realizing how those around her were all dealing with their grief in differently than her.
For such heavy subject matter, Kathleen Long wrote a book that was enjoyable and uplifting all at the same time. Bernie is really a fun character you won’t be able to help, but root for. I recommend Chasing Rainbows. Only after we walk through the storms of our lives, can we sit back and see the rainbows.
Bernadette "Bernie" Murphy has just lost her father. She is wrapping herself around him being gone, while simultaneously (and secretively) dealing with her husband who left her. Bernie is no stranger to loss and heartache, but the accumulation of loss and a book of cryptograms her father left her seem to be the wake-up call she has needed for some time and is reluctantly facing reality.
Chasing Rainbows is a story about finding acceptance and learning how to walk through the downpours of life is the only way to find the rainbows.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It seems odd to say I enjoyed the book, when Chasing Rainbows deals with some very serious situations. Bernie is struggling with losing her father, her marriage, she doesn't know what's next, and finally realizing she has yet to really deal with the grief of losing her tiny baby. I connected to Bernie, as I lost my mother and shortly after I went through three miscarriages (not the same, but generally speaking). And when I couldn't relate I had empathy for her. The dark place where Bernie was at is a very real place. Bernie had to walk through all of this empty, dark grief while also realizing how those around her were all dealing with their grief in differently than her.
For such heavy subject matter, Kathleen Long wrote a book that was enjoyable and uplifting all at the same time. Bernie is really a fun character you won’t be able to help, but root for. I recommend Chasing Rainbows. Only after we walk through the storms of our lives, can we sit back and see the rainbows.
April 27, 2015
This was soooooo predictable. In trying to review the plot in my mind I just eyeroll and shake my head. Barely finished it.
September 4, 2020
Sometimes life throws you a curveball . . .
Easy to read story of the ups and downs of life. Are we ever prepared for loss of a child, a parent or a marriage? How we handle it can be different for everyone. At times during this book I was thinking - “REALLY? She did what?” But one never knows how we will react. Cute read with the right amount of humor mixed in.
Easy to read story of the ups and downs of life. Are we ever prepared for loss of a child, a parent or a marriage? How we handle it can be different for everyone. At times during this book I was thinking - “REALLY? She did what?” But one never knows how we will react. Cute read with the right amount of humor mixed in.
August 29, 2018
yazarın mizah anlayışı, esprileri baya hoştu keşke ibretlik hayat hikayesi olayına hiç girmeyip o tarzda devam etseydi
May 26, 2014
This is the third book by the author that I have read, and I think its probably the one I like best. There is a very different feel to it; the other two books being very much light hearted chick lits and whilst this is definitely a womans' book and there are some funny, lightweight and very witty moments in there it is also a very moving look at a woman coping with the death of her father and the breakdown of her marriage. The main character, Bernie is very likeable and, meeting her during some of her darkest hours, you immediately start to empathise with her and hope that she manages to get through things, get her act together and start living life again with the help of her family, friends,extremely disobedient dog and the cryptography puzzles that her father left her to solve after his death.
As with the other two books by this author there is a new love angle but this isn't really explored in this book, it is more dangling tantalisingly in the background like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in the book's title that we all seem to be chasing, even if we never realise that we may have already found it.
A very enjoyable read, just like the author's other books, which left me smiling and with more than a few tears in my eyes.
As with the other two books by this author there is a new love angle but this isn't really explored in this book, it is more dangling tantalisingly in the background like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in the book's title that we all seem to be chasing, even if we never realise that we may have already found it.
A very enjoyable read, just like the author's other books, which left me smiling and with more than a few tears in my eyes.
January 3, 2012
What an enjoyable read. I absolutely fell into this story a few chapters in. It was a freebie on Amazon and I wasn't expecting such a great story!
The main character was very likeable. She sounded like me half the time. Very sarcastic and thinking weird, off-the-wall thoughts to herself. She felt insecure at times and other times she was full of confidence.
A big plus for me was that the author didn't dwell too long on the budding romance part of the book. Just a bit here and there for you to get a glimpse. Another part of the book I enjoyed was the quotes at the end of the chapters.
The only thing that did annoy me was that the character thought she was "huge" being 150! Now I know that there are people out there who would feel devastated about being 150...but that seems to be about average at least.
The book flowed wonderfully for me. Glad I picked it up and I won't mind reading more of Long's work!
The main character was very likeable. She sounded like me half the time. Very sarcastic and thinking weird, off-the-wall thoughts to herself. She felt insecure at times and other times she was full of confidence.
A big plus for me was that the author didn't dwell too long on the budding romance part of the book. Just a bit here and there for you to get a glimpse. Another part of the book I enjoyed was the quotes at the end of the chapters.
The only thing that did annoy me was that the character thought she was "huge" being 150! Now I know that there are people out there who would feel devastated about being 150...but that seems to be about average at least.
The book flowed wonderfully for me. Glad I picked it up and I won't mind reading more of Long's work!
January 21, 2012
I'm torn between thinking this is a sappy, silly, chick lit and being inspired by it to keep on truckin'. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that my father is very ill, and his illness has overshadowed all aspects of my life. As such, like the Bernie I too lose sight of what my path may be.
Super easy read. It had some laugh out loud moments, which resulted in fellow hospital visitors to question, "what are you reading that is so funny?" Trying to justify a book about a gal whose husband ditches her right before her dad suddenly dies in a hospital while waiting for your own father to have brain surgery, was surreal. No, scratch that...people probably think I'm crazy or completely void of feelings.
So if you want to laugh at a 40 year old and feel good about this, this is for you.
Super easy read. It had some laugh out loud moments, which resulted in fellow hospital visitors to question, "what are you reading that is so funny?" Trying to justify a book about a gal whose husband ditches her right before her dad suddenly dies in a hospital while waiting for your own father to have brain surgery, was surreal. No, scratch that...people probably think I'm crazy or completely void of feelings.
So if you want to laugh at a 40 year old and feel good about this, this is for you.
February 16, 2012
As simple as this book is and that I got it free for my Kindle, I am surprised at how much I liked it and how much I related to it. It is a very basic simple story, nothing complex or deep in here at all. This makes it a very easy choice for a quick read or grab it to take on vacation kind of book. It moves super quick. I found I liked the writing style of the first person main character, her thoughts ran free, kind of reminding me of my own thoughts that tend to spin off in tangents in my head, but they all make sense to me anyway. I usually rate the more simple stories like this a three star, but this book caught my heart-strings a bit in that I had similar feelings on certain subjects as the main character and it made me feel less alone to see "someone" else feel them too. It touched me, so I gave it four stars for that connection.
November 15, 2016
Chasing rainbows
I wasn't really gripped by this book and I only gave it one star as I've read a million books the same story i normally finish a book quite quickly this has taken a while to get through as I didn't really have the urge to pick it up. I just thought the characters were boring sorry!!!!
I wasn't really gripped by this book and I only gave it one star as I've read a million books the same story i normally finish a book quite quickly this has taken a while to get through as I didn't really have the urge to pick it up. I just thought the characters were boring sorry!!!!
March 16, 2014
The main character has suffered many losses in her life . At first I thought this book was going to be a downer , but was pleasantly surprised and would laugh out loud with the main characters sense of humor. By owning up to her losses she gains freedom to enjoy life again . A good read
January 2, 2012
I loved this book - perfect mix of humor and honest emotion. I laughed, I cried, I loved this book. I found this story to be totally relatable, one of the best books I have read in a LONG time.
January 5, 2012
Definite must read. I cried toward the end.
April 27, 2012
Thank goodness it was free! I would have been seriously annoyed if I'd paid money for this book. Cheesy, predictable, and cliched...
August 20, 2012
overall I loved this book and could relate personally in several different ways. I cried several times while reading the book and would recommend it to all my girl friends!
October 10, 2014
Here's the deal...if you're going to include cryptograms, make sure they're right. There was an obvious mistake in one in the Kindle version. Not cool.
December 12, 2020
Took me a while to get into it but worth the read in the end.
Bernie is a difficult character both to get to know, and to get to like. Much of the time you will feel like just wanting to scream at her to stop wallowing and get on with life, while at other times you will understand what she is feeling as she struggles to deal with the succession of losing her young baby, losing her father and, finally, losing her husband as well.
They say people grieve in different ways and in different times, but, Bernie is taking a lot longer than most, primarily because she is and has been over the past few years avoiding rather than dealing with the different pieces of her life and it is stopping her from moving forward and getting back to the living.
So, start the story with an emotional breakdown (or several), follow up with a number of interventions from different quarters and Bernie is pulled kicking and screaming back to the land of the living (sometimes reluctantly, sometimes by circumstance and sometimes by motivation).
I do think she is far too forgiving and nice about the cheating ex, though. He gave her no indication of being unhappy in their relationship, his dishonesty denied both of them the chance to work on the relationship and see if it was salvageable - if he simply fell out of love with her, then he should have had the courtesy to end the relationship BEFORE starting to see another woman. Although, in person, he doesn't feature much in the book, when he does his behavior towards her is primarily inconsiderate and often condescending - he's a bit of a jerk, actually. Good that she got closure on that relationship, but, probably a bit unrealistic that it was as amicable as it was.
As I said, took a while to get into it, as I did find the first portion to be a lot of whining and complaining from Bernie (therefore, somewhat depressing), but, I felt the book developed as Bernie developed and I began to enjoy her journey back to living life. I started to relate more to her and found myself in her corner fighting for her success.
Am I glad I read it - yes.
Was it a waste of my time - no.
Would I sit down and read it all over again - probably not, but, I am currently reading the sequel.
Would I read more by this author based on this book - yes - I have previously read two other books from Kathleen Long, both of which I enjoyed, which is why I decided to read this one and I'm now moving on to the sequel (Counting Stars).
I listened to the Audible Unabridged Audio version of this book. I found the narrator easy to listen to and well suited to this book.
Bernie is a difficult character both to get to know, and to get to like. Much of the time you will feel like just wanting to scream at her to stop wallowing and get on with life, while at other times you will understand what she is feeling as she struggles to deal with the succession of losing her young baby, losing her father and, finally, losing her husband as well.
They say people grieve in different ways and in different times, but, Bernie is taking a lot longer than most, primarily because she is and has been over the past few years avoiding rather than dealing with the different pieces of her life and it is stopping her from moving forward and getting back to the living.
So, start the story with an emotional breakdown (or several), follow up with a number of interventions from different quarters and Bernie is pulled kicking and screaming back to the land of the living (sometimes reluctantly, sometimes by circumstance and sometimes by motivation).
I do think she is far too forgiving and nice about the cheating ex, though. He gave her no indication of being unhappy in their relationship, his dishonesty denied both of them the chance to work on the relationship and see if it was salvageable - if he simply fell out of love with her, then he should have had the courtesy to end the relationship BEFORE starting to see another woman. Although, in person, he doesn't feature much in the book, when he does his behavior towards her is primarily inconsiderate and often condescending - he's a bit of a jerk, actually. Good that she got closure on that relationship, but, probably a bit unrealistic that it was as amicable as it was.
As I said, took a while to get into it, as I did find the first portion to be a lot of whining and complaining from Bernie (therefore, somewhat depressing), but, I felt the book developed as Bernie developed and I began to enjoy her journey back to living life. I started to relate more to her and found myself in her corner fighting for her success.
Am I glad I read it - yes.
Was it a waste of my time - no.
Would I sit down and read it all over again - probably not, but, I am currently reading the sequel.
Would I read more by this author based on this book - yes - I have previously read two other books from Kathleen Long, both of which I enjoyed, which is why I decided to read this one and I'm now moving on to the sequel (Counting Stars).
I listened to the Audible Unabridged Audio version of this book. I found the narrator easy to listen to and well suited to this book.
June 10, 2017
Merhaba, şimdi size kapağının güzelliğiyle beni benden alan bir kitaptan bahsetmek istiyorum; Gökkuşağını Yakalamak.
Ana karakterimiz 5 yıl önce bebeğini kaybeden ve bu acı olayla birlikte tüm hayatı alt üst olan Bernadette. Aradan geçen yıllara rağmen eşiyle eski mutlu hayatlarına dönemedikleri için yakın zamanda eşi de kendisini terk ediyor. Hal böyleyken çok sevgili babasını kaybetmesi ile tüm dünyası yıkılıyor adeta. Evet buraya kadar anlattıklarımdan karakterin depresif ruh hali az çok anlaşılmıştır. Kitapta Bernadette'yi bu halden kurtaracak eğlenceli ve sürükleyici olaylar anlatılıyor. İsmi kitabın konusuna cuk oturmuş. Kara bulutlarla kaplı, sıkıntılı bir havanın ardından yağan yağmur ve sonrasında tüm renkleriyle kendini gösteren gökkuşağı... Tıpkı Bernadette'nin hayatı gibi
O zor günlerinde en büyük destekçisi yakın arkadaşı Diane ve ailesi oluyor. Babasının kendisine bıraktığı bilmeceler aracılığıyla acılarıyla yüzleşiyor ve onları geride bırakıp yeni bir hayata adım atıyor...
Tamam yaşadıkları çok zordu ama kitap o kadar da dram türünde değil. Bernadette eğlenceli bir karakter :) Yazarın da akıcı bir dili var. Okuyalı epey oldu ama hatırladıkça yüzüme bir tebessüm yerleştiren bir kitap.
Ana karakterimiz 5 yıl önce bebeğini kaybeden ve bu acı olayla birlikte tüm hayatı alt üst olan Bernadette. Aradan geçen yıllara rağmen eşiyle eski mutlu hayatlarına dönemedikleri için yakın zamanda eşi de kendisini terk ediyor. Hal böyleyken çok sevgili babasını kaybetmesi ile tüm dünyası yıkılıyor adeta. Evet buraya kadar anlattıklarımdan karakterin depresif ruh hali az çok anlaşılmıştır. Kitapta Bernadette'yi bu halden kurtaracak eğlenceli ve sürükleyici olaylar anlatılıyor. İsmi kitabın konusuna cuk oturmuş. Kara bulutlarla kaplı, sıkıntılı bir havanın ardından yağan yağmur ve sonrasında tüm renkleriyle kendini gösteren gökkuşağı... Tıpkı Bernadette'nin hayatı gibi
O zor günlerinde en büyük destekçisi yakın arkadaşı Diane ve ailesi oluyor. Babasının kendisine bıraktığı bilmeceler aracılığıyla acılarıyla yüzleşiyor ve onları geride bırakıp yeni bir hayata adım atıyor...
Tamam yaşadıkları çok zordu ama kitap o kadar da dram türünde değil. Bernadette eğlenceli bir karakter :) Yazarın da akıcı bir dili var. Okuyalı epey oldu ama hatırladıkça yüzüme bir tebessüm yerleştiren bir kitap.
June 13, 2017
Bu kitabı okuyalı iki yıldan fazla oluyor. O yüzden çok detaylı bir yorum yapmam imkansız. Ama kapağının ve isminin o kadar şirinliği beni kendine çekmişti diye hatırlıyorum.. Fakat pek benim tarzım bir kitap değilmiş. Özellikle kadın karakterinden hiç hoşlanmamıştım. Boşandığı eşinden kopup yeni bir hayata başlamakta bu kadar zorlanması bana garip ve acınası gelmişti. Bu kitabı okuduktan sonra yine böyle kocasına ölümüne bağlı olan ve onlardan ayrıldıktan sonra hayatı alt üst olup perişan hale gelen kadınların baş rol olduğu kitaplar okudum. Fakat hiçbiri konusu ne kadar güzel olursa olsun benim gerçekten hoşuma gidemedi. Çünkü erkeklere bağlı halde yaşayan ve hayatında değişimler yapmaktan bu denli korkan kadınları anlayamıyorum. Bunun aşkla bir ilgisi yok. Bu tamamen alıştığı düzenin bozulmasından korkmakla ilgili bir şey. Her neyse, konusu ve karakterleri benim pek hoşuma gitmese de fena kitap değildi. Özellikle her bölümün başında harfleri karıştırılmış halde verilen ve bölüm sonunda ana karakterin çözüp yazdığı özlü sözler çok hoştu. Bu yüzden bu kitaba verebileceğim puan 2\5. (Ayrıca bu kitabı en kısa zamanda satmayı düşünüyorum.)
November 16, 2018
~ I laughed and I cried. This was lovely...
“In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you didn’t.”
Bernadette was going it alone. Her husband left her for another woman, who’s pregnant, her father died suddenly and unexpectedly, she quit her job and she just learned that her best-friend’s nausea was not related to food; she was pregnant too. She should be happy, but all she could think of was her Emma. Emma would’ve been 5 this year. Instead all she has is a box of memories.
A new neighbor moved in. Referring to himself as “number thirty-six. She’s now known as “number thirty-two. He’s kind and funny. But she’s not ready to play friendly neighbor. Besides, why so friendly? What’s the catch? He was quick to remind her that not everyone has an agenda. Maybe he’s right.
“In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you didn’t.”
Bernadette was going it alone. Her husband left her for another woman, who’s pregnant, her father died suddenly and unexpectedly, she quit her job and she just learned that her best-friend’s nausea was not related to food; she was pregnant too. She should be happy, but all she could think of was her Emma. Emma would’ve been 5 this year. Instead all she has is a box of memories.
A new neighbor moved in. Referring to himself as “number thirty-six. She’s now known as “number thirty-two. He’s kind and funny. But she’s not ready to play friendly neighbor. Besides, why so friendly? What’s the catch? He was quick to remind her that not everyone has an agenda. Maybe he’s right.
May 27, 2021
Chasing Rainbows by Kathleen Long has an upbeat title, but most of the first part of the book is pretty much a bummer. It seems to belong to that small subgenre of books in which the narrator's life is going to hell in a handbasket and her "hilarious" attempts to save herself. They are usually written in the first person, are almost always about a woman, and are sometimes funny. This one is not.
The narrator has some very real problems, but she handles them by being mean and grumpy. Her best friend is going through a late in life pregnancy (her other child is a teen), yet it is the friend who is doing all the care-taking. And she keeps nagging her brother to take a shirt or jacket from their recently deceased father. Let the guy grieve in his own way!
The narrator has some very real problems, but she handles them by being mean and grumpy. Her best friend is going through a late in life pregnancy (her other child is a teen), yet it is the friend who is doing all the care-taking. And she keeps nagging her brother to take a shirt or jacket from their recently deceased father. Let the guy grieve in his own way!
June 3, 2023
This is a beautiful story about how grief can impact your entire life. Bernie had a baby who was born with Trisomy 18 and died 5 days after she was born. She grieved, naturally, but in that grief she pulled away from everything: her husband, her family and her job. Now her father has recently died and she's again left somewhat lost. Through anagrams of sayings that he left her, she gets bits and pieces of how to put her life back together and move on. While she's still in active grief, Bernie also is trying to re-cement the relationships that she has in her life. She realizes over time that she has neglected to make the people she loves know she loves them and to form new relationships with those who are now around her (her neighbors in particular).
June 11, 2017
Finished in one afternoon!
I've read several books by this author and have thoroughly enjoyed each one of them. She has a wonderful way of writing stories dealing with real life issues and creating real to life characters. Characters you would love to meet and have as friends or family. Making you feel her characters' emotions and pulling you into the story's plot. I loved most of the quotes in this particular book. Shed some tears throughout the story but laughed out loud, too.
I've read several books by this author and have thoroughly enjoyed each one of them. She has a wonderful way of writing stories dealing with real life issues and creating real to life characters. Characters you would love to meet and have as friends or family. Making you feel her characters' emotions and pulling you into the story's plot. I loved most of the quotes in this particular book. Shed some tears throughout the story but laughed out loud, too.
August 5, 2018
I have had this book on my shelves forever...and I could kick myself! LOVED it. Bernie was real: really sad, pathetic, in a horrible rut, and achingly in need of a new life. The other characters were great as well. The reason for 5 stars: it made me cry because I sympathized with her, then I cried because of what happened to her baby, but then cried when fate stepped in with a rainbow. Sounds sappy, but it’s hilarious and REAL. Highly recommend.
October 18, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. The characters where quite true to form. It was fast paced and once started I just had to keep reading. I did, however, think it was a little far fetched as to who her biological father turned out to be. But apart from that I thought it was pretty plausible. The way the adoptive mother could relate to how her adopted daughter would be feeling regarding tracing her natural mother was credible as she had also been adopted. I would recommend this book to a friend and would consider reading more books by Kathleen Long.
August 7, 2021
A Good book about every day life
This is the first time I have read Kathleen Long. I loved Chasing Rainbows. It deals with knowing your child will not live long after it is born. Facing life and finally learning how to get past the pain with the help of old friends and new ones and how to live life again! This book did have a lot of laughter too and I think it is a great book for young and old!
This is the first time I have read Kathleen Long. I loved Chasing Rainbows. It deals with knowing your child will not live long after it is born. Facing life and finally learning how to get past the pain with the help of old friends and new ones and how to live life again! This book did have a lot of laughter too and I think it is a great book for young and old!
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