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The Center of the World
In New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Sheehan’s evocative and emotionally compelling novel, a mother and her adopted daughter each embark on a journey of self-discovery in the wake of a stunning revelation.
How do you keep a secret so huge that it could devastate everyone you care about? For Kate Malloy, the answer is simple: one lie at a time. That’s how she has protected her daughter for more than a dozen years, shielding her from a terrible truth. Sofia, a fifteen-year-old soccer star living in New England, believes she was born in Mexico and legally adopted by Kate. But a posthumous letter from her stepfather tells Sofia a different story—one of civil unrest and bloodshed, death-defying heroism and child-smuggling, harrowing sacrifice and desperate decisions.
Sofia’s trust in her mother is shattered. At last Kate must do what she knows is right—accompany Sofia back to Guatemala, the place where Kate found horror and heartache but also the greatest joy of her life. As mother and daughter confront the damage done by years of dangerous yet necessary deceptions, they discover how much love, hope, and happiness may still remain—if they have the courage to face their past.
How do you keep a secret so huge that it could devastate everyone you care about? For Kate Malloy, the answer is simple: one lie at a time. That’s how she has protected her daughter for more than a dozen years, shielding her from a terrible truth. Sofia, a fifteen-year-old soccer star living in New England, believes she was born in Mexico and legally adopted by Kate. But a posthumous letter from her stepfather tells Sofia a different story—one of civil unrest and bloodshed, death-defying heroism and child-smuggling, harrowing sacrifice and desperate decisions.
Sofia’s trust in her mother is shattered. At last Kate must do what she knows is right—accompany Sofia back to Guatemala, the place where Kate found horror and heartache but also the greatest joy of her life. As mother and daughter confront the damage done by years of dangerous yet necessary deceptions, they discover how much love, hope, and happiness may still remain—if they have the courage to face their past.
308 pages, Paperback
First published December 29, 2015
67 people are currently reading
2381 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Sheehan
17 books295 followersJacqueline Sheehan, Ph.D., is a fiction writer and essayist. She is also a practicing psychologist. She is a New Englander through and through, but spent twenty years living in the western states of Oregon, California, and New Mexico doing a variety of things, including house painting, freelance photography, newspaper writing, clerking in a health food store, and directing a traveling troupe of high school puppeteers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
January 24, 2016
This book has it all: heroes and villains, death squads and family loyalties, massacres and soccer, heartbreak and redemption. THE CENTER OF THE WORLD is both an emotionally intense mother-daughter story complicated by secrets and danger and a sizzling love story, set against the background of civil war in Guatemala and U.S. dirty tricks. Highly recommended.
December 13, 2015
After an extraordinary sequence of events, Sofia has just learned that she isn't who she thought she was. Though Kate, her adopted mother, told Sofia she was given up for adoption by her dying (biological) mother in Mexico when Sofia was two years old, the truth is much more complicated and heartbreaking. As Sofia attempts to come to terms with this life-changing information, Kate must also finally acknowledge the painful and traumatic truth of her own past.
The book is divided into four parts, and the story unfolds over many years and across several continents. Most of the book is told from the perspective of Kate, but some chapters are told from Sofia's perspective, as well as from the perspective of Will, a man Kate fell in love with when Sofia first came into her life.
Oddly enough, the first part of the story is the weakest. I had to put the book down several times, frustrated by the lazy writing, boring characters, and chick-lit level of plot development. Luckily, Part 1 is short, and after 40 or so (seemingly unending) pages, you get to Part 2 and, what feels like, the start of a completely different and MUCH stronger book. Suddenly, the action picks up, the backstory unfolds, and the characters come alive in a major way. Once I began Part 2, wow, I was completely hooked.
Despite the fact that Part 4 does wander back slightly into chick-lit territory--in that the romantic relationship suddenly, and somewhat unrealistically, comes front and center again--I still really enjoyed the book. The bulk of the novel is so unique, so gripping and engaging, that I didn't mind a little fluff in the end.
My advice to potential readers of The Center of the World: be patient and forgiving through Part 1. The rest of the book is worth it, I promise.
The book is divided into four parts, and the story unfolds over many years and across several continents. Most of the book is told from the perspective of Kate, but some chapters are told from Sofia's perspective, as well as from the perspective of Will, a man Kate fell in love with when Sofia first came into her life.
Oddly enough, the first part of the story is the weakest. I had to put the book down several times, frustrated by the lazy writing, boring characters, and chick-lit level of plot development. Luckily, Part 1 is short, and after 40 or so (seemingly unending) pages, you get to Part 2 and, what feels like, the start of a completely different and MUCH stronger book. Suddenly, the action picks up, the backstory unfolds, and the characters come alive in a major way. Once I began Part 2, wow, I was completely hooked.
Despite the fact that Part 4 does wander back slightly into chick-lit territory--in that the romantic relationship suddenly, and somewhat unrealistically, comes front and center again--I still really enjoyed the book. The bulk of the novel is so unique, so gripping and engaging, that I didn't mind a little fluff in the end.
My advice to potential readers of The Center of the World: be patient and forgiving through Part 1. The rest of the book is worth it, I promise.
September 2, 2020
This was a really lovely story. So glad I read it. I've read books by this author before and they have all been good. This one was really good as well. It's a story that pertains to today's environment although it took place a few years back. A scientist is doing water research in Guatemala. While there she makes many friends and begins to teach English to some of the locals. The country is in turmoil and there is a giant invasion in the city she is residing in where everyone is killed but one little girl. Her friends that are also working in the country help her get the child back to the US and she raises her as her own. Then some things happen and she takes the girl back to Guatemala and they find lots of good news and peace and love. I love a feel good story like this, one where you not only have a good story but also learn historical facts.
January 22, 2016
Once again Jacqueline Sheehan has pulled me into a story and not let go. This time, it centered on Guatemala, a land whose music and folk art long ago grabbed my heart, while the history has broken it. I'm not even sure where to begin in a review, except to say that I stayed home yesterday just to keep reading this book. It's a book about family, about belonging, about hearing the language of your heart and soul. It's about knowing your roots, and following your instincts. It's got good, and evil, mistakes, and mitzvahs. If you need to know more, read the publisher's blurb, then read the book. Did I like it? You betcha. Do I recommend it? What do you think?
January 5, 2016
I am grateful to Kensington Books for providing me this book via NetGalley, in an exchange for my honest review.
Kate had never imagined that her present could be so violently discontinued, when a tragic event occurred and her husband, Martin, passed away. All of her secrets started to come out and reveal themselves to her daughter, Sofia. Kate has been keeping these secrets from Sofia for many years, but now the entire family must face them and deal with the consequences.
The book is divided in three main chapters, the first one set in Massachusetts in 2003, the second one is in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala, in the year of 1990, and the third one again in 2003. In the first part of the book, we meet our heroines, Kate and Sofia, who are grieving over the death of Martin – Kate’s husband and Sofia’s stepfather. But when Sam, Kate’s father, gives Sofia the letter from Martin himself, written long before the accident occurred, their world will suddenly shatter. In the letter, Sofia finds out the truth about her origins – she is Guatemalan and Kate took her illegally from her home. Sofia’s world is now broken, and even though she knew she was adopted, she still could not comprehend why her mother would lie about the way she was brought to this country.
We have now Kate and Sofia confronted; their strong personalities build up the conflict – Kate cannot begin to explain why she had to lie and is terrified to revisit the traumatic past of that time. We get to see small glimpses of what Kate had to go through in order to bring Sofia to America, we know that there was a brutal massacre in Guatemalan’s village and that everybody was killed. Nobody was left to live. The only way Kate coped with the terrors of her past was because of the knowledge that Sofia was now safe, far away from the dangers of her land.
Especially emotional passages were the ones where Kate thought of the time when her mother was diagnosed with cancer, how quickly she became a shadow of a human being and the terrible pain of the loss when her mother died. Being just a kid at the age of 15, Kate had to grow up fast, as the weight of the world fell on her shoulders. It is then when she found out just how terribly unbearable is the absence of a mother.
The author successfully integrates parts with Sofia’s childhood memories with Kate’s own thoughts. These passages are beautifully lyrical, many important subjects are tackled - the adoption, feeling of an adopted child, emotional state of a newly mother, the one’s need to know origins in order to find oneself in the world.
The second part of the book is placed in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala, in the year of 1990. We see Kate as a student, emerged into her researches of water quality as well as into the completely new culture that is surrounding her. Country was in in the midst of a civil war and one could see and feel the presence of militia, fear in villagers’ eyes and constant tension. The author beautifully wrote this part and I could feel the same uncertainty as Kate did, tension is building up all the way towards the main event of this part – the brutal massacre. We witness Kate’s courage as she saves a little child, Sofia, while many villagers were killed in the attack. From here on, Kate’s main concern is to get the child to safety, and she goes on the run.
Kate’s adventures now only begin as we follow her footsteps over the jungle and dangerous paths. I enjoyed seeing the growth of Kate’s love for Sofia. At first, she was only a little girl who needed to be rescued from danger, but then Sofia became to her so much more. Kate realized she couldn’t imagine her life without this little Guatemalan girl.
Character development is nicely written, Kate’s persona changes majorly trough out the book and every single event affects her logically so we can relate a lot with her adventures, inner dilemmas and questions one would have in these situations. We see many Kate’s roles – from being a teenager, student to a rescuer and a mother. One of my favorite parts was when Kate met young Will and I loved seeing how their desperate need for consolation and love joined them to the full.
This book has made me incredibly sad at moments, there were such tragic events like people being betrayed, separated, the author depicted war brutalities realistically and honestly, she didn’t looked away and she chose to tell the story as it deserves to be told. Although people were tragically separated by dangers of the civil war, Sofia’s great need to know her roots and origin brought them all together exactly at the place where it all began. Yes, hearts were broken, but hearts were also mended.
I give this book 4½ stars. Although it was a little bit slow-paced, it is still a beautifully written book, which covers many greatly important themes like motherhood, adoption, causalities of war and the need of knowing ones roots so that we can find our center in this world.
Kate had never imagined that her present could be so violently discontinued, when a tragic event occurred and her husband, Martin, passed away. All of her secrets started to come out and reveal themselves to her daughter, Sofia. Kate has been keeping these secrets from Sofia for many years, but now the entire family must face them and deal with the consequences.
The book is divided in three main chapters, the first one set in Massachusetts in 2003, the second one is in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala, in the year of 1990, and the third one again in 2003. In the first part of the book, we meet our heroines, Kate and Sofia, who are grieving over the death of Martin – Kate’s husband and Sofia’s stepfather. But when Sam, Kate’s father, gives Sofia the letter from Martin himself, written long before the accident occurred, their world will suddenly shatter. In the letter, Sofia finds out the truth about her origins – she is Guatemalan and Kate took her illegally from her home. Sofia’s world is now broken, and even though she knew she was adopted, she still could not comprehend why her mother would lie about the way she was brought to this country.
We have now Kate and Sofia confronted; their strong personalities build up the conflict – Kate cannot begin to explain why she had to lie and is terrified to revisit the traumatic past of that time. We get to see small glimpses of what Kate had to go through in order to bring Sofia to America, we know that there was a brutal massacre in Guatemalan’s village and that everybody was killed. Nobody was left to live. The only way Kate coped with the terrors of her past was because of the knowledge that Sofia was now safe, far away from the dangers of her land.
Especially emotional passages were the ones where Kate thought of the time when her mother was diagnosed with cancer, how quickly she became a shadow of a human being and the terrible pain of the loss when her mother died. Being just a kid at the age of 15, Kate had to grow up fast, as the weight of the world fell on her shoulders. It is then when she found out just how terribly unbearable is the absence of a mother.
The author successfully integrates parts with Sofia’s childhood memories with Kate’s own thoughts. These passages are beautifully lyrical, many important subjects are tackled - the adoption, feeling of an adopted child, emotional state of a newly mother, the one’s need to know origins in order to find oneself in the world.
The second part of the book is placed in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala, in the year of 1990. We see Kate as a student, emerged into her researches of water quality as well as into the completely new culture that is surrounding her. Country was in in the midst of a civil war and one could see and feel the presence of militia, fear in villagers’ eyes and constant tension. The author beautifully wrote this part and I could feel the same uncertainty as Kate did, tension is building up all the way towards the main event of this part – the brutal massacre. We witness Kate’s courage as she saves a little child, Sofia, while many villagers were killed in the attack. From here on, Kate’s main concern is to get the child to safety, and she goes on the run.
Kate’s adventures now only begin as we follow her footsteps over the jungle and dangerous paths. I enjoyed seeing the growth of Kate’s love for Sofia. At first, she was only a little girl who needed to be rescued from danger, but then Sofia became to her so much more. Kate realized she couldn’t imagine her life without this little Guatemalan girl.
Character development is nicely written, Kate’s persona changes majorly trough out the book and every single event affects her logically so we can relate a lot with her adventures, inner dilemmas and questions one would have in these situations. We see many Kate’s roles – from being a teenager, student to a rescuer and a mother. One of my favorite parts was when Kate met young Will and I loved seeing how their desperate need for consolation and love joined them to the full.
This book has made me incredibly sad at moments, there were such tragic events like people being betrayed, separated, the author depicted war brutalities realistically and honestly, she didn’t looked away and she chose to tell the story as it deserves to be told. Although people were tragically separated by dangers of the civil war, Sofia’s great need to know her roots and origin brought them all together exactly at the place where it all began. Yes, hearts were broken, but hearts were also mended.
I give this book 4½ stars. Although it was a little bit slow-paced, it is still a beautifully written book, which covers many greatly important themes like motherhood, adoption, causalities of war and the need of knowing ones roots so that we can find our center in this world.
June 21, 2022
Enjoyable and heartfelt. Interesting to learn more about Nicaragua. Would have loved an Afterward to include details on historical research done. Book could have used a better title - one taken from the tale itself. Overall, a good read.
January 22, 2017
Oh, man . . . . this book was all over the place for me. It started out very very slow, so slow that I almost put it down after a bit. But I choose to keep going because there really wasn't anything left in my reading pile. I still have very mixed feelings not so much about what Martin did, but how he did it. Could have been a better way. It wasn't believeable to me at all that he could be so shocked and unpset about finding out, then go about life as always, then allowing the shitstorm to unfold after his death. Naaaaah . . . not buying it.
Then the story sort of picked up and things started moving along at a better pace. I did, however, notice a number of very choppy parts and tiny pieces of the story that just didn't seem to flow right. A better editor would have/should have caught those things. Much of what Sofia did was so predictable, but then the killer for me was the Kate/Will Romeo/Juliet shit. Oh come on . . . seriously. Jacqueline Sheehand could have happened up this story oh so much better. This dumb book went from obvious research into the Guatamelan geography/history/culture to a cheap-ass romance novel. That was lame . . . poor little Kate and Will skipping off into the sunset hand-in-hand. That reeks of an author who is lollygagging on their project, and an editor or agent constantly barking at them to "Just finish the damn book." I almost threw the book against the wall at that point. Romance novels are not at all my forte--make me what to gag.
And my 3 stars assigned are a very generous 3 stars
Would I recommend it to friends -- not likely. Back to library it goes.
Then the story sort of picked up and things started moving along at a better pace. I did, however, notice a number of very choppy parts and tiny pieces of the story that just didn't seem to flow right. A better editor would have/should have caught those things. Much of what Sofia did was so predictable, but then the killer for me was the Kate/Will Romeo/Juliet shit. Oh come on . . . seriously. Jacqueline Sheehand could have happened up this story oh so much better. This dumb book went from obvious research into the Guatamelan geography/history/culture to a cheap-ass romance novel. That was lame . . . poor little Kate and Will skipping off into the sunset hand-in-hand. That reeks of an author who is lollygagging on their project, and an editor or agent constantly barking at them to "Just finish the damn book." I almost threw the book against the wall at that point. Romance novels are not at all my forte--make me what to gag.
And my 3 stars assigned are a very generous 3 stars
Would I recommend it to friends -- not likely. Back to library it goes.
December 31, 2018
My final read for 2018. Part 4 was simply page turning.
January 18, 2016
Please check out all of my reviews at http://ultraviolentlit.blogspot.ca!
When Kate’s husband dies suddenly, her world is shaken in more ways than one. She discovers that he has left a posthumous letter to her daughter Sofia, explaining the truth about her adoption. Sofia was always told that she was legally adopted from an orphanage in Mexico before moving to New England with Kate. However, Kate has been keeping a dangerous secret from everyone about the real origins of her daughter. Rescued from civil unrest and bloodshed in Guatemala, the only way to keep Sofia safe was to lie to everyone.
The first section of the novel, set in present day New England, set the scene at a slow pace. It felt very ChickLit and uninteresting. However, the second part picked up, and brought much more depth to the story. As the novel flashes back to Kate’s time in Guatemala as a grad student, we discover the necessity of her deceptions. Not only did she witness the massacre of Mayan villagers in a civil conflict, she also knew too much about the American collusion with the Guatemalan government. There is also a romantic element that created more intrigue without being overly predictable.
At some points, I felt that the author was purposely manipulating my emotions, making the story more dramatic than it needed to be, when it could have stood on its own. From the melodramatic beginning, the story really developed with Kate’s experiences in Guatemala. The final section tied everything up a bit too neatly, although there was a lot more depth (emotionally and politically) than I initially expected. Overall, the novel had a great flow with an intense plot and some strong characters – a very enjoyable read.
I received this book for free from Kensington Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When Kate’s husband dies suddenly, her world is shaken in more ways than one. She discovers that he has left a posthumous letter to her daughter Sofia, explaining the truth about her adoption. Sofia was always told that she was legally adopted from an orphanage in Mexico before moving to New England with Kate. However, Kate has been keeping a dangerous secret from everyone about the real origins of her daughter. Rescued from civil unrest and bloodshed in Guatemala, the only way to keep Sofia safe was to lie to everyone.
The first section of the novel, set in present day New England, set the scene at a slow pace. It felt very ChickLit and uninteresting. However, the second part picked up, and brought much more depth to the story. As the novel flashes back to Kate’s time in Guatemala as a grad student, we discover the necessity of her deceptions. Not only did she witness the massacre of Mayan villagers in a civil conflict, she also knew too much about the American collusion with the Guatemalan government. There is also a romantic element that created more intrigue without being overly predictable.
At some points, I felt that the author was purposely manipulating my emotions, making the story more dramatic than it needed to be, when it could have stood on its own. From the melodramatic beginning, the story really developed with Kate’s experiences in Guatemala. The final section tied everything up a bit too neatly, although there was a lot more depth (emotionally and politically) than I initially expected. Overall, the novel had a great flow with an intense plot and some strong characters – a very enjoyable read.
I received this book for free from Kensington Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 31, 2017
This was a difficult book for me to read because we have two grandchildren who were adopted; one who is part Chinese and the other who is part Japanese. They are somewhat open adoptions, and both children have known from an early age that they were adopted. We have made a great effort to let these children know that they were very much wanted and were "prayed" into our family. They know without a shadow of a doubt that they are loved every bit as much as their other brother who was not adopted. Now, however, our 7 year old grand daughter was told by a cruel class mate that her birth mother didn't care about her and just gave her away. This has brought up all kinds of confused feelings in our grand daughter, and now when she gets angry at her mom she says things like, "I don't have to listen to you cause your not my REAL mom!" This is coming from a little girl who has always been the "model" daughter, obedient and wonderful in every way. Her birth mother has become aggressive in wanting to get too involved in this child's life so I can understand the painful decision the mother in this book made in trying to protect her adopted daughter and making the best decisions she could at the time.
I like the way this book divides the chapters up, taking a different persons viewpoint in the chapters; sometimes it is speaking from the mother's viewpoint, sometimes from the daughter's, etc. The story goes over how complicated our lives can become, and we all have hidden aspects of our lives. It was well written.
I like the way this book divides the chapters up, taking a different persons viewpoint in the chapters; sometimes it is speaking from the mother's viewpoint, sometimes from the daughter's, etc. The story goes over how complicated our lives can become, and we all have hidden aspects of our lives. It was well written.
July 13, 2016
Okay, I have mixed reviews about this book. At first I was annoyed that the author just jumped right into the plot - I felt like I got thrown in the deep end and had no idea how to swim. We start out with a girl who suddenly finds out she is not who her mother told her she was - we find this out because her stepfather, after his death, has his lawyer give her a letter. Wait. What? All this happens in the first four or so pages. Taking a deep breathe, I think, okay, let's see if I can paddle to the side here. Things start to slow down and I get pretty deep into the story as it takes a turn to the daughter's mother, who took her from a war torn third world country. We go back in time with her to relive those days to explain just how this girl is not who she thinks she is. I'm hooked. There's a lost love, a family rocked by death, illegal papers, scary war stuff, interesting cultural descriptions. Then we move to the daughter going back to her place of birth after knowing the full story. And then, just as you want to see it all come together, well, it just ends. Um . . . wait . . . what happens now? After all that? Are you kidding me? Frustrating to say the least.
May 26, 2023
My current audio book listen also has adoption and family secrets.
I love a good happy ending.
I love a good happy ending.
February 1, 2016
This was a very interesting read, and definitely a page turner for me. This story has many interests for me, the adoption, something that I have always liked reading about and Guatemala, as I grew up there.
Kate Malloy goes to Guatemala to study the water quality of Lake Atitlan, In 1990 on an academic grant, while living in Santiago Atitlan, she befriends a woman from a nearby village and is teaching her English in exchange for local tips on how to do things. The woman has two year old twins, Sofia being one of them, Tragedy strikes while she is there and she witnesses a massacre by the Military of a group of indigenous people, one being her friend with the twins, and hearing a baby cry after the group has been gunned down, she rushes in to grab Sofia, the others, as far as she can tell are all dead and takes off with the baby before anyone can stop her. Making her way for days to Antigua, where she meets some interesting people that end up helping her Illegally adopt Sofia so that she can take her back to the USA and out of harms way. One of those people is Will, a linguist and ex peace corp volunteer, who becomes an important part of her life.
I will not give away anymore of the story, but a good part of the book takes place in Guatemala both in the 1990's and in 2003.
I hope in this case the author will write a follow up book about this story and its characters as it left me wanting more.
Kate Malloy goes to Guatemala to study the water quality of Lake Atitlan, In 1990 on an academic grant, while living in Santiago Atitlan, she befriends a woman from a nearby village and is teaching her English in exchange for local tips on how to do things. The woman has two year old twins, Sofia being one of them, Tragedy strikes while she is there and she witnesses a massacre by the Military of a group of indigenous people, one being her friend with the twins, and hearing a baby cry after the group has been gunned down, she rushes in to grab Sofia, the others, as far as she can tell are all dead and takes off with the baby before anyone can stop her. Making her way for days to Antigua, where she meets some interesting people that end up helping her Illegally adopt Sofia so that she can take her back to the USA and out of harms way. One of those people is Will, a linguist and ex peace corp volunteer, who becomes an important part of her life.
I will not give away anymore of the story, but a good part of the book takes place in Guatemala both in the 1990's and in 2003.
I hope in this case the author will write a follow up book about this story and its characters as it left me wanting more.
December 11, 2015
What if you discovered that everything you know about yourself is a lie? Jacqueline Sheehan’s riveting new novel, The Center of the World, explores complex questions of family and identity, and the difficult choices made during times of war.
Sophia Malloy is devastated when a letter from her recently deceased stepfather upends her world. Sophia discovers that she is a war orphan from a Mayan village in Guatemala. Now she must grapple with her thorny history and its implications for who she really is and the person she can become.
The story toggles between present day Massachusetts to war-torn Guatemala. Sheehan’s writing is equally adept at describing the magical beauty of the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala and the harsh realities of war as she describes the impossible circumstances that led Sophia’s adoptive mother to smuggle her out of the country. Equal parts family drama and adventure, this beautifully written literary novel offers something for everyone. I did not want to put the book down, and was not ready to say goodbye to the characters when I reached the ending.
Sophia Malloy is devastated when a letter from her recently deceased stepfather upends her world. Sophia discovers that she is a war orphan from a Mayan village in Guatemala. Now she must grapple with her thorny history and its implications for who she really is and the person she can become.
The story toggles between present day Massachusetts to war-torn Guatemala. Sheehan’s writing is equally adept at describing the magical beauty of the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala and the harsh realities of war as she describes the impossible circumstances that led Sophia’s adoptive mother to smuggle her out of the country. Equal parts family drama and adventure, this beautifully written literary novel offers something for everyone. I did not want to put the book down, and was not ready to say goodbye to the characters when I reached the ending.
December 10, 2021
I read this because my sweet 79 year old mom recommended it.
I was happy to be introduced to most of the characters and especially grateful to be exposed to the history of some of the atrocities perpetrated by the US in Guatemala.
But I found the story to be a little too focused on the character of Kate. There was very little complexity introduced about the danger of being a clueless white American tourist or researcher and the damage wrought in the quest to extract knowledge from places. The author seemed to only scratch the surface. And spent most of her time on the relationships. I was irritated by the amount of pages dedicated to Kate’s sex life. It came across as gratuitous and further centered one of the least interesting characters.
I am not sorry to have read the book, but would only recommend it to some and with reservations.
I was happy to be introduced to most of the characters and especially grateful to be exposed to the history of some of the atrocities perpetrated by the US in Guatemala.
But I found the story to be a little too focused on the character of Kate. There was very little complexity introduced about the danger of being a clueless white American tourist or researcher and the damage wrought in the quest to extract knowledge from places. The author seemed to only scratch the surface. And spent most of her time on the relationships. I was irritated by the amount of pages dedicated to Kate’s sex life. It came across as gratuitous and further centered one of the least interesting characters.
I am not sorry to have read the book, but would only recommend it to some and with reservations.
October 30, 2021
If you haven’t read Jacqueline Sheehan, you should begin today! Starting out as a mother-daughter impasse, this novel quickly becomes a thrilling adventure story about a peace corps worker in Guatemala who gets caught up in the scary politics of the 80s while rescuing a child from a horrible fate.
This book is a wonderful read: the plot is unique – it kept me turning pages way past my bedtime, – the characters are very real, and the psychological insight is excellent. Some of the reflective passages are stunningly poetic. In all, a book with a lot of depth and integrity.
This book is a wonderful read: the plot is unique – it kept me turning pages way past my bedtime, – the characters are very real, and the psychological insight is excellent. Some of the reflective passages are stunningly poetic. In all, a book with a lot of depth and integrity.
July 13, 2018
2.5 stars. The story was too unbelievable and predictable for me to give it a higher rating, with some cheesy descriptions and metaphors. I did like the setting which prompted me to do some further reading about recent Guatemalan history. I think with better editing, this novel could have been much more enjoyable.
January 2, 2016
I was so happy to receive this free book from Goodreads first reads.
The book is full of adventure, harrowing sacrifices, civil war, love and hope. The characters are very believable. I highly recommend this book.
I've read another book by this same author. It too was a very good book.
The book is full of adventure, harrowing sacrifices, civil war, love and hope. The characters are very believable. I highly recommend this book.
I've read another book by this same author. It too was a very good book.
December 30, 2015
The publisher provided me with the opportunity to read this in exchange for providing feedback. (via NetGalley)
Really good, fast paced read. I started it last night and had to force myself to stop. The author writes really well and sweeps you into the story.
Really good, fast paced read. I started it last night and had to force myself to stop. The author writes really well and sweeps you into the story.
May 30, 2016
would enjoy more by this author, I think
March 19, 2017
The storyline was highly far fetched.
November 3, 2017
The story was an interesting one, but the writing was too cheesy for my taste. Also, the main character was frequently TSTL.
January 29, 2019
This was not my favorite, but definitely got better toward the end. I enjoyed the history of the South American countries involved. None of the characters were particularly compelling.
March 5, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. The story was good and the background set in Guatemala was intriguing. It gave further insight into the reasons behind the caravans of those seeking asylum.
November 18, 2017
Having just completed my own memoir, much of which takes place in Guatemala and having all three of our children born there, Jacqueline Sheehan’s novel was a must read. I also wrote about the devastating impact of the violence in the 1990s and its root causes of this sad period in Guatemalan history, which this author introduces in beautiful prose. The story explores the mother-daughter bond which crosses cultures against the backdrop of one of the most violent times of Guatemala’s history,
Young Guatemalan adoptee Sofia is grieving the loss of her stepfather, Martin, who provides information after his death that turns everything she thought about her adoption upside down. She confronts her mother, Kate, who is forced to tell the truth, which takes her back to the 1990s (the transition is seamless).
Kate explains that she was a graduate student in Guatemala when Sofia’s parents were killed and that she had tried to protect her from the violence. But Sofia is determined to discover the truth from the past, which takes her, along with her mother and grandfather, on a journey back to Guatemala. The author’s background as a psychologist is evident in appreciating the family dynamics. Sophia’s confusion and pain are evident just as Kate’s regret and desire to make things right is heartrending. All of this is complicated by Kate’s encounter with her first love in Guatemala, “Will”, who specializes in native languages. Revenge from a fellow American back in the 1990s complicates Kate’s ability to get Sophia safely out of the country. After Kate’s narrow escape from Guatemala, Will pursued his career in Guatemala over the years working with the local Maya communities. When Sophia arrives in Guatemala, she tracks him down during her search for her true identify and looks to him for an explanation of the circumstances that pulled her away from her own Mayan family. While in her former Maya community, Sophia experiences serious culture shock, as everything is so different from her home in the U.S., but her championship level of soccer allows her to connect with all the young people in the community. The story ends with Kate and her true love, Will, leaving a church holding hands after Sophia has popped her head to inquire, “Mom, are you okay?”
The author is a Ph.D, a novelist and essayist. She teaches writing in Guatemala. Her new book, “The Tiger in the House” came out in March of this year. In regards to the reviewer who disputed the fact that the community of Santiago Atitlan, where the initial violence took place, spoke Tz’utujil, not Kaqchikel as stated in the book, I missed this fact, although I worked in Guatemala on and off for over eight years and have visited it all my life with my Guatemalan wife. However, Guatemala has 23 native languages and they do speak Tz’utujil in Santiago, but on the other side of the Lake in Panjalachel, they speak Kaqchikel. It’s complicated. So I’ll give the author a pass and, by the way, the book is fiction, and a real page-turner.
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Kensington; 1st edition (December 29, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1617738964
• ISBN-13: 978-1617738968
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars 72 customer reviews
September 22, 2018
The gruesome past, the only-on-name satisfactive present time. The heroic acts of men and women to bring healing, hope and forgiveness into situations what have been colored by blood, lies and pain.
This one is a beauty of a book. Part of this is because the authoress truly has a way with words. She understands the deeper meaning, this is almost a poetry - without the form of a poem, yet the deep heart is very present. She has the gift to touch the common situations/people and to turn it into the exceptional ones.
A bunch of people is thrown into the central point of the story - a horrible massacre in Guatemala. Men and women make their choices to save the human life, namely the life of a 2-year-old Mayan child Sofia. But their choices are human, driven by their past and in the midst of brutal conflict and/or loneliness - so they do what they consider the best, but it might not the the best solution. And because of that, the past is truly not in the past, even if the characters does not know that - yet. And the choice of one other person will make them to enter the painful memories again - and maybe the healing waits there.
I have been warmly touched by the goodness of the characters here, and by the deep-running faith of the general goodness of people. Even the only one villain here (because the other villains here are corporates and agencies, inhuman institutes) is an interestingly written creature.
I love how human the characters are. They make mistakes, yes. They live with their pain. Yet they are written as the characters who are worthy of love, dignity, another chance, love. Sam, Will, Kate, Martin, Sofia, Manuela, Fernando - they all have their own stoiry, their own voice.
I feel a deep need to back Kate up, because I would in all probability react similarly to her, wanting to protect her daughter (and overprotect her).
Yet I give my kudos to Martin. What a man. While his decision had made me annoyed at the beginning, at the end I can only wonder (in the best meaning) of his good heart and selfless love.
I also recognize and I am thankful that the authoress has written about the hidden crimes of the civil wars. We need to know about that.
Recommended read.
This one is a beauty of a book. Part of this is because the authoress truly has a way with words. She understands the deeper meaning, this is almost a poetry - without the form of a poem, yet the deep heart is very present. She has the gift to touch the common situations/people and to turn it into the exceptional ones.
A bunch of people is thrown into the central point of the story - a horrible massacre in Guatemala. Men and women make their choices to save the human life, namely the life of a 2-year-old Mayan child Sofia. But their choices are human, driven by their past and in the midst of brutal conflict and/or loneliness - so they do what they consider the best, but it might not the the best solution. And because of that, the past is truly not in the past, even if the characters does not know that - yet. And the choice of one other person will make them to enter the painful memories again - and maybe the healing waits there.
I have been warmly touched by the goodness of the characters here, and by the deep-running faith of the general goodness of people. Even the only one villain here (because the other villains here are corporates and agencies, inhuman institutes) is an interestingly written creature.
I love how human the characters are. They make mistakes, yes. They live with their pain. Yet they are written as the characters who are worthy of love, dignity, another chance, love. Sam, Will, Kate, Martin, Sofia, Manuela, Fernando - they all have their own stoiry, their own voice.
I feel a deep need to back Kate up, because I would in all probability react similarly to her, wanting to protect her daughter (and overprotect her).
Yet I give my kudos to Martin. What a man. While his decision had made me annoyed at the beginning, at the end I can only wonder (in the best meaning) of his good heart and selfless love.
I also recognize and I am thankful that the authoress has written about the hidden crimes of the civil wars. We need to know about that.
Recommended read.
June 2, 2017
I totally loved this book. The characters pulled me in, they were so finely wrought and real. The situation was both unfamiliar and close by. I learned about the history of Guatemala and its people in a way that was poignant and touching. What a powerful read!
This book was described as riveting - and I agree. I was late for an appointment because I just had to read one more chapter, okay, maybe two, when suddenly an hour had slipped by. Then there was the night I was so tired but managed to finish a section before the light went out. A great book powerfully written. I cried, I laughed, I didn't want it to end.
At first, I thought it was going to be about a spoiled teenager with issues. How wrong was I! Even Kate, as a mother, I thought might be flat and predictable but she turned into a damaged, strong, believable woman. Awesome. My only disparaging remarks might be around Will's naivety, but I'll give Sheehan the benefit of the doubt in that one because I'm more cynical and untrusting. :) Martin and Sam were both principled men; Kate was fortunate to have them in her life. Believable? I hope so.
This book was described as riveting - and I agree. I was late for an appointment because I just had to read one more chapter, okay, maybe two, when suddenly an hour had slipped by. Then there was the night I was so tired but managed to finish a section before the light went out. A great book powerfully written. I cried, I laughed, I didn't want it to end.
At first, I thought it was going to be about a spoiled teenager with issues. How wrong was I! Even Kate, as a mother, I thought might be flat and predictable but she turned into a damaged, strong, believable woman. Awesome. My only disparaging remarks might be around Will's naivety, but I'll give Sheehan the benefit of the doubt in that one because I'm more cynical and untrusting. :) Martin and Sam were both principled men; Kate was fortunate to have them in her life. Believable? I hope so.
January 22, 2018
it goes back and forth from now to when she was in Guatemala and saw a massacre of a village. she rescued the one baby girl left alive and had to find a way to get her out of the country to adopt her in the usa. a woman reporter was killed and a bad man came after the man she fell in love with who was trying to help her. he let them leave the country but the man she loved had to remain behind
she made her life in usa with the daughter and a man she married but she never stopped loving the man in Guatemala.
after the man she married died in a bike accident a letter from the lawyer came explaining to the girl she was not from mexico . the mom had to tell her teenage daughter all the lies she had told over the years.
the mom daughter and grandpa journeyed to Guatemala to see where she came from. she took off early from the hotel and found the boyfriend of her mom on the way. he took her to the village where they all met up. her brother had not died, and she was re united. the mom and boyfriend were reunited as well. i would have liked to see this book go further to see if they stayed together, and what happened in the daughters life as well as her brother.
she made her life in usa with the daughter and a man she married but she never stopped loving the man in Guatemala.
after the man she married died in a bike accident a letter from the lawyer came explaining to the girl she was not from mexico . the mom had to tell her teenage daughter all the lies she had told over the years.
the mom daughter and grandpa journeyed to Guatemala to see where she came from. she took off early from the hotel and found the boyfriend of her mom on the way. he took her to the village where they all met up. her brother had not died, and she was re united. the mom and boyfriend were reunited as well. i would have liked to see this book go further to see if they stayed together, and what happened in the daughters life as well as her brother.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2021
What a stirring story. Sofia has been Kate Malloy's world since the day she adopted her. Kate has created an environment for Sofia to grow up safely and be offered many opportunities that she would never have had in Guatemala. She never lied about Sofia being adopted but she did lie over the years and that is the rub for this beautiful story. Part 1 is fairly slow but give it a chance because after that, the plot takes off. As an adoptive mother, I was angry that Kate would lie and create some false memories for Sofia, but as the story unveils, it becomes apparent that she had no other choice. Jacqueline Sheehan did extensive research into the struggles of Guatemala and I felt fully emerged with Kate and Sofia both early on when Kate is trying to get back to the United States and when they return to Guatemala together. The ending was predictable but in the current state of a pandemic, it felt okay to have the ending they way it was. Altogether, it was a good read.
Go Cards! L1C4!!
Go Cards! L1C4!!
March 20, 2021
I was fortunate to have won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Even though I’m under no obligation to review it I usually do try to give my opinions of the books I read. Not only does it help the author but it gives readers a little insight into the story.
A wonderful Captivating, lovely read. The author knows how to reel her readers in from the get go. I wasn’t able to put this book down. This is a book about so many things. Without giving any spoilers it is about Family, finding your roots, adoption, belonging, healing, Hope, forgiveness, good and evil, adventure, side effects of a war torn Country, & some raw & real emotions. It’s full of adventure, well written and informative. This is my first time reading this authors work and it certainly won’t be my last. The book shows you what some people are willing to go through all for the sake of love. This book really did move me to tears. If you like these topics then you will love ‘The Center Of The World’. If I could give it 10 stars I would.
A wonderful Captivating, lovely read. The author knows how to reel her readers in from the get go. I wasn’t able to put this book down. This is a book about so many things. Without giving any spoilers it is about Family, finding your roots, adoption, belonging, healing, Hope, forgiveness, good and evil, adventure, side effects of a war torn Country, & some raw & real emotions. It’s full of adventure, well written and informative. This is my first time reading this authors work and it certainly won’t be my last. The book shows you what some people are willing to go through all for the sake of love. This book really did move me to tears. If you like these topics then you will love ‘The Center Of The World’. If I could give it 10 stars I would.
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