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My Mother's Journals
Before her mother’s shocking deathbed confession, before her father’s stroke, before a long string of miscarriages, Olivia Hunter’s life had gone exactly according to plan. But lately, no matter how hard she tried, nothing was working out the way it was supposed to. And it’s about to get worse.
After losing her job and her marriage in the same day, a mysterious woman delivers a box containing a set of her mother’s journals. As she begins to read, Olivia unearths her mother’s secret life. Stunned by her mother’s secrets and betrayals, Olivia’s life begins to spiral even more out of control.
But as she continues to read, she comes to see that her mother’s journey was not so unlike her own. Will the parallels help her to piece her own life back together? Will she learn to forgive the people who have betrayed her? Or will she leave the past behind and forge a new life from the seemingly irresistible opportunities that lie before her?
After losing her job and her marriage in the same day, a mysterious woman delivers a box containing a set of her mother’s journals. As she begins to read, Olivia unearths her mother’s secret life. Stunned by her mother’s secrets and betrayals, Olivia’s life begins to spiral even more out of control.
But as she continues to read, she comes to see that her mother’s journey was not so unlike her own. Will the parallels help her to piece her own life back together? Will she learn to forgive the people who have betrayed her? Or will she leave the past behind and forge a new life from the seemingly irresistible opportunities that lie before her?
- GenresRomance
260 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2015
4 people are currently reading
454 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Whitfield Vince
9 books29 followersSuzanne Whitfield Vince grew up in Park Forest, Illinois—twice an All-American City—in a large and chaotic but loving family. After graduating from Loyola University of Chicago with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (major in Accounting), she said goodbye to snow shovels and ice scrapers and followed her parents out to California.
Suzanne currently lives in Sacramento with her husband, step-daughter and four furry children. She still has her day job—for now—but spends most of her free time writing.
Suzanne currently lives in Sacramento with her husband, step-daughter and four furry children. She still has her day job—for now—but spends most of her free time writing.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 10, 2016
"Except it didn't feel particularly good. It felt confusing, and painful, and all she'd wanted to do was run from the room. But she knew Dr. Talcott was right. Her life had not moved forward since that night. She'd lost sight of who she was and what was important. She needed to forgive, not on her mother but her husband as well. But she had no idea how. Tears filled her eyes and she made no effort to stop them."........
Olivia Hunter's life is a train wreck. She's lost her job and her marriage is on the rocks. She's lost so much. Some of it is her own mistakes, some not. Her father has had a stroke and her mother has died. Her mother made a confession on her deathbed that left Olivia shocked.
One day her mothers journals are delivered. She learns about a whole other life her mother had. She sees her mother had struggled not unlike herself. Can she find a way to learn from these journals? Will it giver her hope, or make her feel more hopeless? Will she forgive her mother's confession?
This was a fiction romance book, not so heavy on the fiction. You will believe this could have happened. Who doesn't want to know what the life of a loved one was really like? The truth can also be quite painful. Sometimes you have to work on forgiveness. Can her mother help her even though she has passed?
The journals begin in 1940 and the passages are a wonderful read in themselves. The story takes place between the past and to Olivia's present life, and the woman, Joe, who discovered the journals to begin with. Joe has her own tragedy to deal with and the journals entered her life at a good time.
Be prepared for a few tears along with some smiles. It was hard to put down, and I read nearly all of it in one sitting. Nothing is just given away and you must get to the end to put it all together. Beautifully written with characters you feel like you've come to know. I really loved this story.
Thank you Suzanne Whitfield Vance
Olivia Hunter's life is a train wreck. She's lost her job and her marriage is on the rocks. She's lost so much. Some of it is her own mistakes, some not. Her father has had a stroke and her mother has died. Her mother made a confession on her deathbed that left Olivia shocked.
One day her mothers journals are delivered. She learns about a whole other life her mother had. She sees her mother had struggled not unlike herself. Can she find a way to learn from these journals? Will it giver her hope, or make her feel more hopeless? Will she forgive her mother's confession?
This was a fiction romance book, not so heavy on the fiction. You will believe this could have happened. Who doesn't want to know what the life of a loved one was really like? The truth can also be quite painful. Sometimes you have to work on forgiveness. Can her mother help her even though she has passed?
The journals begin in 1940 and the passages are a wonderful read in themselves. The story takes place between the past and to Olivia's present life, and the woman, Joe, who discovered the journals to begin with. Joe has her own tragedy to deal with and the journals entered her life at a good time.
Be prepared for a few tears along with some smiles. It was hard to put down, and I read nearly all of it in one sitting. Nothing is just given away and you must get to the end to put it all together. Beautifully written with characters you feel like you've come to know. I really loved this story.
Thank you Suzanne Whitfield Vance
March 16, 2015
This story was such a touching story I did not want it to end. I cried through parts and imagined myself as both Olivia and her mother and what each of them must be feeling. This is one of those books that when you are done reading it stays with you. Saying I loved it just doesn't seem to be enough. The way that Olivia goes through the process of grief for the things she has lost and the emotions that are brought out by her mother's journals is something every daughter and every mother could relate to on some level. This story was so human and it really touched my heart. I would recommend this book to everyone because it is so worth the read!
May 6, 2015
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.. I really enjoyed this story. Its about three women who all suffer from loses and about forgiveness. I just wish it was longer I didn't want it to end....
November 15, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I will be reading it again. I also shared with some friends, and we enjoyed discussing it together. I think this makes a great book club read, and the story is one that is totally relatable too.
September 25, 2018
* I won this book from a GoodReads giveaway *
I loved this book. I laughed, I cried, I cried some more. I didn’t want the story to end. This is the first Suzanne Whitfield Vince book that I have read - I will definitely be checking out her others!
*Edit: I was going on about this book to my momma and she decided to borrow it.....she loved it too!!
I loved this book. I laughed, I cried, I cried some more. I didn’t want the story to end. This is the first Suzanne Whitfield Vince book that I have read - I will definitely be checking out her others!
*Edit: I was going on about this book to my momma and she decided to borrow it.....she loved it too!!
October 2, 2015
I enjoyed reading this book very much. At first I thought it was a slow read but as soon as I passed the second chapter it became a real page turner. Three women's destinies, at first with no apparent connection, turn out to have a powerfull influence on each other.
Olivia, a beautiful young woman with a successful career, encounters a series of troubles, both in her professional career and in her personal life: nothing seems to work out for her after her mother's death. We understand that her mother made a confession on her death bed which shook Olivia's foundations. Unwilling to confront the truth, she leaves her imagination fill in the missing blanks and, as a consequence, her whole life begins to collapse around her: inabillity to become pregnant, looses her job, marriage seems to falter, obsessive need to control the environment around her, etc.
Joe, short for Joesephine, is another of the three strong women of the book. One feels symapthy immediately for this character: pregnant and alone, having recently lost her pilot husband in the military attck on Panama. She comes in the possesion of some old diaries left by the previous owners of the house in a corner of the attic. The only contact with the outside world for Joe seems to be Mac, her father-in-law, who offers to help with whatever practical matters Joe might have while both are grieving the loss of Tim but have a hard time discussing it.
Olivia, the strongest of the three female character, in my opinion, is the author of the diaries. We learn about her decion to leave behind the life as a nun for an earlthly love for Mac. Love and war make powerful love stories and Virginia's story is no exception.
SInce this is a review and not a summary I don't want to go into too many details. I ecourage you to take this book instead and read it. You won't regret it! Promise! It would easily make a good script for a blockbuster film.
I was amazed to read that Suzanne Vince, the author of the book, is writing only in her spare time. It is an amazing achievement. I'm looking forward to reading more from this gifted writer!
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Olivia, a beautiful young woman with a successful career, encounters a series of troubles, both in her professional career and in her personal life: nothing seems to work out for her after her mother's death. We understand that her mother made a confession on her death bed which shook Olivia's foundations. Unwilling to confront the truth, she leaves her imagination fill in the missing blanks and, as a consequence, her whole life begins to collapse around her: inabillity to become pregnant, looses her job, marriage seems to falter, obsessive need to control the environment around her, etc.
Joe, short for Joesephine, is another of the three strong women of the book. One feels symapthy immediately for this character: pregnant and alone, having recently lost her pilot husband in the military attck on Panama. She comes in the possesion of some old diaries left by the previous owners of the house in a corner of the attic. The only contact with the outside world for Joe seems to be Mac, her father-in-law, who offers to help with whatever practical matters Joe might have while both are grieving the loss of Tim but have a hard time discussing it.
Olivia, the strongest of the three female character, in my opinion, is the author of the diaries. We learn about her decion to leave behind the life as a nun for an earlthly love for Mac. Love and war make powerful love stories and Virginia's story is no exception.
SInce this is a review and not a summary I don't want to go into too many details. I ecourage you to take this book instead and read it. You won't regret it! Promise! It would easily make a good script for a blockbuster film.
I was amazed to read that Suzanne Vince, the author of the book, is writing only in her spare time. It is an amazing achievement. I'm looking forward to reading more from this gifted writer!
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
May 17, 2015
I loved this book for so many different reasons.
•The character development was wonderful and each one totally fit the person the author was wanting to portray and she did so by letting the reader learn from each character who they were and how they felt and currently were feeling. A great skill.
•The way in which the novel was written with the past and the present coming together in an interesting and wonderful manner. The use of the story being told by each person in the present, as well as the journals from the past, bring together such a heartwarming and moving novel from beginning to end. And of course allowing real life issues to arise throughout the novel both present and past and so varied. Yet no detail is missed.
• The multiple story lines which are seamlessly brought together throughout and near the end of the novel, yet carry the reader throughout the novel so that they don't want to put the novel down.
• it was so engaging that I read it in one day and definitely missed the characters when it was done.
"My Mother's Journals" is a wonderful, interesting, and enjoyable read from beginning to end. It is engaging from the first word to re last. The manner in which the author addresses so many real life and current issues, is written so well that the reader is able to feel they are a part of the past and the present throughout the novel.
An extremely well written and beautiful story, I recommend "My Mother's Journals," highly. It is definitely a novel one does not want to miss.
I know an actual book copy will be sitting on my shelves soon; it is that good.
•The character development was wonderful and each one totally fit the person the author was wanting to portray and she did so by letting the reader learn from each character who they were and how they felt and currently were feeling. A great skill.
•The way in which the novel was written with the past and the present coming together in an interesting and wonderful manner. The use of the story being told by each person in the present, as well as the journals from the past, bring together such a heartwarming and moving novel from beginning to end. And of course allowing real life issues to arise throughout the novel both present and past and so varied. Yet no detail is missed.
• The multiple story lines which are seamlessly brought together throughout and near the end of the novel, yet carry the reader throughout the novel so that they don't want to put the novel down.
• it was so engaging that I read it in one day and definitely missed the characters when it was done.
"My Mother's Journals" is a wonderful, interesting, and enjoyable read from beginning to end. It is engaging from the first word to re last. The manner in which the author addresses so many real life and current issues, is written so well that the reader is able to feel they are a part of the past and the present throughout the novel.
An extremely well written and beautiful story, I recommend "My Mother's Journals," highly. It is definitely a novel one does not want to miss.
I know an actual book copy will be sitting on my shelves soon; it is that good.
July 21, 2015
I won a copy of this book in the Goodreads FirstReads program in exchange for an honest opinion.
I loved this book and didn't want it to end - a truly amazing read! My words cannot begin to do the book justice. The story is about 3 women, two current day, one who we get to know through her journals, and the men who loved them. The way the author interchanges voices of the three women throughout the book is beautiful, seamless and just makes you want to keep reading. Each and every character is beautifully and fully defined. I actually felt that I knew them all. A well-told story that I hated to see end. I will be reading more from this author!
I loved this book and didn't want it to end - a truly amazing read! My words cannot begin to do the book justice. The story is about 3 women, two current day, one who we get to know through her journals, and the men who loved them. The way the author interchanges voices of the three women throughout the book is beautiful, seamless and just makes you want to keep reading. Each and every character is beautifully and fully defined. I actually felt that I knew them all. A well-told story that I hated to see end. I will be reading more from this author!
March 30, 2015
I could not put this down. After a bit of confusion at the beginning figuring out who's who, the book is amazing.
Happy smiles and big ugly tears are provoked in this emotion packed book keeping you guessing what will/did happen right up to the end.
Lots of well developed characters, that can get a bit confusing, interesting plot twist and emotional writing leave me wanting more of this authors books.
The ending wraps up to fast for me but is complete, a longer epilogue would be nice.
Happy smiles and big ugly tears are provoked in this emotion packed book keeping you guessing what will/did happen right up to the end.
Lots of well developed characters, that can get a bit confusing, interesting plot twist and emotional writing leave me wanting more of this authors books.
The ending wraps up to fast for me but is complete, a longer epilogue would be nice.
October 19, 2015
I am getting a lot of free kindle books. It has gotten to the point that my device is pretty full and the cloud has many more coming. So when I started this story, I was worried it was going to start my newest conflict over whether to finish a book I've started or just let it go. Am I glad I kept going!
Yes, this is totally chick lit. Yes, it is sappy and predictable, but only to the final outcome. Yes, you should read it.
Yes, this is totally chick lit. Yes, it is sappy and predictable, but only to the final outcome. Yes, you should read it.
May 13, 2016
Wow! Sad but oh so beautiful story! This book is absolute page turner! I read it in two days! I'm a mom of a little baby girl so this story really touched my heart! It's a love/family story that happens during second world war and present time. It's a story that connects generations. I love this book and hope to read more by this author. Highly recommend! I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review.
May 10, 2015
Fabulous
This book should have ten stars! Poignant. Touching. Full of love. My Mother's Journals is in a class by itself.
This book should have ten stars! Poignant. Touching. Full of love. My Mother's Journals is in a class by itself.
August 11, 2015
Grandmother
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I could not put it down til I finished it. And I cried when it was over. I very highly recommend it!!!!!!
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I could not put it down til I finished it. And I cried when it was over. I very highly recommend it!!!!!!
August 13, 2015
Wow
This book was a real page turner. Not the genre I usually select, but for some reason the title appealed to me so I gave it a chance. Glad I did, you will be, too!
This book was a real page turner. Not the genre I usually select, but for some reason the title appealed to me so I gave it a chance. Glad I did, you will be, too!
August 19, 2015
I loved this book. There were moments for tears and moments of smiles. It also shows how true love and forgiveness can work together. ❤️
December 3, 2016
A very heart warming story of how forgiveness can change your own life.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews