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My Everything
'Devastatingly good - wonderfully warm, heartbreakingly real and completely uplifting' - Miranda Dickinson
A gorgeous and emotional novel, perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Jodi Picoult.
On the day Hannah is finally going to tell her husband she's leaving him, he has a stroke . . . and life changes in an instant.
Tom's only 32. Now he can't walk or cut up his own food, let alone use his phone or take her in his arms. And Hannah's trapped. She knows she has to care for her husband, the very same man she was ready to walk away from.
But with the time and fresh perspective he's been given, Tom re-evaluates his life, and becomes determined to save his marriage. Can he once again become the man his wife fell in love with, or has he left it too late?
My Everything is an unputdownable debut novel. It will make you cry, laugh, and stop to think about what's really important in life.
A gorgeous and emotional novel, perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Jodi Picoult.
On the day Hannah is finally going to tell her husband she's leaving him, he has a stroke . . . and life changes in an instant.
Tom's only 32. Now he can't walk or cut up his own food, let alone use his phone or take her in his arms. And Hannah's trapped. She knows she has to care for her husband, the very same man she was ready to walk away from.
But with the time and fresh perspective he's been given, Tom re-evaluates his life, and becomes determined to save his marriage. Can he once again become the man his wife fell in love with, or has he left it too late?
My Everything is an unputdownable debut novel. It will make you cry, laugh, and stop to think about what's really important in life.
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 27, 2015
1132 people are currently reading
3736 people want to read
About the author
Katie Marsh
19 books242 followersHello and welcome to my GoodReads page. Thank you for visiting!
I wrote romantic fiction before turning to crime in my forties. My debut novel was a World Book Night pick and my books are published in ten languages.
I live in the countryside and love strong coffee and pretending to be in charge of my children. ‘Murder on the Dancefloor'’, the second in my Bad Girls Detective Agency crime series, will be published by Boldwood Books in March 2024.
Do come and chat on instagram - I'm @katiemarshauthor.
Katie x
I wrote romantic fiction before turning to crime in my forties. My debut novel was a World Book Night pick and my books are published in ten languages.
I live in the countryside and love strong coffee and pretending to be in charge of my children. ‘Murder on the Dancefloor'’, the second in my Bad Girls Detective Agency crime series, will be published by Boldwood Books in March 2024.
Do come and chat on instagram - I'm @katiemarshauthor.
Katie x
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 212 reviews
March 3, 2017
Divna, setna, ljubavna i životna priča koja se lagano i brzo čita.
February 4, 2025
Йес !
Неочаквано добро попадение.
Ей така се започва книга- вкарва те направо в центъра на събитията.
Не чакаш 50-100 страници нещо да се случи.
Много хубава история. Истинска и земна. Това са нещата от живота.
Да,има и трески за дялане, но ми хареса.
Ще следя тази авторка, дано да имаме и други срещи.
Неочаквано добро попадение.
Ей така се започва книга- вкарва те направо в центъра на събитията.
Не чакаш 50-100 страници нещо да се случи.
Много хубава история. Истинска и земна. Това са нещата от живота.
Да,има и трески за дялане, но ми хареса.
Ще следя тази авторка, дано да имаме и други срещи.
December 21, 2015
I have to admit that my copy of My Everything has been sitting on the 'to be read' pile for some months now. I love the cover, I love the blurb. I was intrigued and had heard nothing but great things about it, but the premise touched a couple of raw nerves for me. Finally, last week, I picked it up, took a deep breath and began to read ..... and read ..... and read. I read at every available moment, I really didn't want to stop reading. I was absolutely swamped by the story; by the characters, and yes, by the premise that scared me so much at the beginning.
There are two themes that run through My Everything. First we have an unhappy young wife; Hannah and Tom have only been married for four years, but things are not going well. The Tom that Hannah fell in love with has disappeared. The Tom that she shares her life with these days is angry, spiteful, tired, cruel and seems uninterested in her. She's made the decision to leave him, and she is going to tell him today.
Then we have the second theme, the thing that happens to Tom on the morning that Hannah was going to announce that their marriage was over. That she was moving on, taking a job on the other side of the world. Finished, over, the end.
Tom has a stroke. Thirty two year old Tom, the football player, the successful and seemingly healthy young lawyer lays on the bedroom floor. Unable to move, unable to form his words, paralysed. Hannah is terrified. She is consumed by guilt, but also by loathing and fear. She knows that she cannot leave him now. She abandons her plans and vows to stay with Tom, to see him through this awful time. She puts her own needs to the back of her mind and appears to everyone as the worried and dutiful wife.
Katie Marsh is a hugely talented new author. My Everything is cleverly constructed; relaying the story of Tom's illness and his slow recovery and interspersed with snippets from Tom and Hannah's earlier years. Each alternative chapter features an item from their past; a lighter, a ticket to a football match, an order of service. Each item is a chapter in Tom and Hannah's romance and the reader learns about their love, their closeness. We discover how they laughed together and cried together, how they married and then how they began to fall apart.
Tom and Hannah are fabulous characters, I loved both of them, despite their faults and their annoyances, for me, this just made them more lovable, more real and more believable. The supporting cast of characters are wonderful, and Tom's younger sister Julie almost steals the whole show from Tom and Hannah. Her teenage angst and her terrible decisions are a cover for her inner vulnerability and sadness and although there are times that the reader despairs at her actions, she's really not difficult to love.
My Everything is a story of how two people who are madly in love can drift apart until the gap seems so wide that it is almost impossible to imagine a future together. It is a story that could be devastating, but is in fact, hugely inspiring, proving love and forgiveness can overcome the most difficult of situations.
Funny, warm, skilfully written and beautifully observed, My Everything is a joy to read. A fabulous debut.
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...
There are two themes that run through My Everything. First we have an unhappy young wife; Hannah and Tom have only been married for four years, but things are not going well. The Tom that Hannah fell in love with has disappeared. The Tom that she shares her life with these days is angry, spiteful, tired, cruel and seems uninterested in her. She's made the decision to leave him, and she is going to tell him today.
Then we have the second theme, the thing that happens to Tom on the morning that Hannah was going to announce that their marriage was over. That she was moving on, taking a job on the other side of the world. Finished, over, the end.
Tom has a stroke. Thirty two year old Tom, the football player, the successful and seemingly healthy young lawyer lays on the bedroom floor. Unable to move, unable to form his words, paralysed. Hannah is terrified. She is consumed by guilt, but also by loathing and fear. She knows that she cannot leave him now. She abandons her plans and vows to stay with Tom, to see him through this awful time. She puts her own needs to the back of her mind and appears to everyone as the worried and dutiful wife.
Katie Marsh is a hugely talented new author. My Everything is cleverly constructed; relaying the story of Tom's illness and his slow recovery and interspersed with snippets from Tom and Hannah's earlier years. Each alternative chapter features an item from their past; a lighter, a ticket to a football match, an order of service. Each item is a chapter in Tom and Hannah's romance and the reader learns about their love, their closeness. We discover how they laughed together and cried together, how they married and then how they began to fall apart.
Tom and Hannah are fabulous characters, I loved both of them, despite their faults and their annoyances, for me, this just made them more lovable, more real and more believable. The supporting cast of characters are wonderful, and Tom's younger sister Julie almost steals the whole show from Tom and Hannah. Her teenage angst and her terrible decisions are a cover for her inner vulnerability and sadness and although there are times that the reader despairs at her actions, she's really not difficult to love.
My Everything is a story of how two people who are madly in love can drift apart until the gap seems so wide that it is almost impossible to imagine a future together. It is a story that could be devastating, but is in fact, hugely inspiring, proving love and forgiveness can overcome the most difficult of situations.
Funny, warm, skilfully written and beautifully observed, My Everything is a joy to read. A fabulous debut.
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...
August 1, 2018
This novel started off quite well and I was optimistic. I thought it would tackle some really serious issues around the area of young people having a stroke and the challenges that everyone involved faced. I fear the author missed an opportunity here and went the softer route instead, which is such a pity. There are so many stories out there of falling in love, falling out of love , lost of trust, betrayal etc, this book could have had far more meat on it’s bones ! Having said that , it was a reasonably well written women’s fiction novel
May 20, 2018
A must buy, must read.
My Everything is an unputdownable debut novel. It will make you cry, laugh, and stop to think about what's really important in life.
As well as writing novels Katie Marsh has a career in healthcare, and My Everything was inspired by the bravery of the patients she met while working in stroke services.
This is a heartbreaking story, that is funny in places.
On the day Hannah is finally going to tell her thirty-two year husband that she is leaving him, he has a stroke. Everything changes for Hannah she now has to put her plans on hold to look after her husband.
Why this novel is so hard to put down is that there are powerful emotions as Hannah and Tom find that both really do love each other.
The result of this wonderful story is unforgettable. Most people know someone who has had a stroke. A stroke occurs every three and half minutes in the UK.
I do hope that many readers will enjoy reading My Everything by Katie Marsh as much as I have. I am glad I share the same surname as Katie. I hope that Katie Marsh will write another book as I would be proud to be first in line to read it.
My Everything is an unputdownable debut novel. It will make you cry, laugh, and stop to think about what's really important in life.
As well as writing novels Katie Marsh has a career in healthcare, and My Everything was inspired by the bravery of the patients she met while working in stroke services.
This is a heartbreaking story, that is funny in places.
On the day Hannah is finally going to tell her thirty-two year husband that she is leaving him, he has a stroke. Everything changes for Hannah she now has to put her plans on hold to look after her husband.
Why this novel is so hard to put down is that there are powerful emotions as Hannah and Tom find that both really do love each other.
The result of this wonderful story is unforgettable. Most people know someone who has had a stroke. A stroke occurs every three and half minutes in the UK.
I do hope that many readers will enjoy reading My Everything by Katie Marsh as much as I have. I am glad I share the same surname as Katie. I hope that Katie Marsh will write another book as I would be proud to be first in line to read it.
August 24, 2017
A nice read with emotional and heart-warming moments, but with a weak ending that disappoints and some strange personal decisions by the main characters. The writing could have gone deeper, darker, but preferred staying on the surface, keeping things as lightweight as possible, even with the heavy subject matter. In the effort to make this a "summer" romance novel, March misses out on the opportunity to look at her interesting characters from a more realistic perspective, and that's a shame. This is in short an easy, fun read, but does not leave you with much food for thought.
January 9, 2018
Beautiful.
This book was beautifully written filled with raw emotions and situations I feel almost everyone could relate to.
It's so heartbreaking that people become so entangled in their life and work that they forget what life they have outside and it's so sad that something so devastating should happen just for people to see that, such a powerful message in this book.
This book was beautifully written filled with raw emotions and situations I feel almost everyone could relate to.
It's so heartbreaking that people become so entangled in their life and work that they forget what life they have outside and it's so sad that something so devastating should happen just for people to see that, such a powerful message in this book.
November 19, 2018
I was given this novel as part of World book day. It’s not really something I would have chosen myself but read it on a flight and it was an easy read.
August 26, 2015
I'm on such a good roll when it comes to debut novels lately! "My Everything" is Katie Marsh's first book and I can't believe it, as it so mature, perfect, compelling read. It reminds me a lot of Jessica Thompson or Jojo Moyes's books - both in subject matter and the writing style, but no worries, Ms Marsh has already found her own way with words and her own style, and truly, I can't wait to read more from her. And to be totally honest, I don't know how to write this review to do this book justice, I could write I TOTALLY LOVED IT and be done.
The way this book was written has worked out incredibly well for me, and I find this idea of doing it in a full circle really good. The chapters are alternating between the present and past, telling us a lot about the characters and what happened that the situation is like it is, explaining everything, to eventually meet in the present, to do a full circle.
I fell in love with Hannah from the first time we get to know her. She was very likeable in my opinion, of course she was, but there was something special in her, something that I can't put my finger on, but this "something" just made her a smashing, extraordinary character. I would do anything for Hannah, and would support her no matter what she were to do, as she was so exceptional. No, she was not perfect, she had her flaws, and there was more than once that I wanted to shout at her or shake her and tell her, get a grip, woman, and fight for yourself! She was not the best in confrontations and when something didn't work out than she just left it as it is, not trying to fight to change it. And I hated how impassive she was towards her sister - in - law, Julie. But an extraordinary book character can't be flawless, right? Hannah was full of passion for her job and I loved it. She loved travelling but she put this hobby on hold, because life got in the way. By "life" I mean her marriage to Tom - his job didn't allow to take any free time. Hannah's best friend accused her that there is nothing remaining from old Hannah, that she changed, but I think that Hannah herself realised this.
There were not many characters in the book, as it mostly concentrates on Hannah and Tom, Jules and Hannah's friend Steph, but believe me, there needn't have been more, as those were so special and unforgettable. I've no idea how Katie Marsh managed to write such extraordinary characters, that felt more than vivid, and telling that I had a feeling they are going to jump out of the pages would be an understatement - I had a feeling that the story is whispered to me but them, that we are sitting at the same table and they personally are telling me this story. It's incredible feeling, I can still feel goosebumps, and I can't remember I apprehended, appreciated characters so much.
And moreover, those were my favourite kind of characters. People, who were not staying in one place, but people who were changing, developing, maturing, people who learnt from their own mistakes, three - dimensional characters that I rooted for from the very first moment. Oh, of course, I liked some of them much more than the others, but the author made them so movable, adjustable that my opinion about them was also changing, and even the most unlikeable ones (yes, Jules, I'm talking about you) changed.
The story is so human and it tugs at all the right heart - strings. I didn't have any problem to feel "at home" right from the very beginning to the end, as the author has this incredible talent to throw you direct into the heart of the story. Her writing style is also beautiful, and I really can't believe that it's debut novel, it is so self - confident, mature and everything has its place in this book - and I like when one thing results from the other, not when the things are strew around and I have a feeling the situations has nothing in common.
Usually I like the end to be closed, wrapped up, but it must be the exception here - it is left open and we can write the ending for ourselves. It really amazes me, because I truly am a fan of everything being explained and having its own place, but this time the author lets our imagination run a little, and I really like it, and it suits the story totally.
I could really go on and on about how much I loved this book. Everything there was perfect for me. I adored the way how the author coped with the difficult issues in the story, such as stroke and its consequences, growing apart, finding yourself anew. I loved the plot - it was maybe was not the most unique one, but was tackled in a way that made it feel unique and fresh. I loved the characters, that felt like real people, that behaved and spoke like real people, it all felt so honest and genuine. I loved the tone of the story - it might not have been the easiest book to read because of the storyline, but the author has made it a real joy to read, has made it easy and also light, and also a funny read, it was all brilliantly balanced. So yes, I think you can say that I really LOVED "My Everything", and even though it's a debut novel, the author proved she has this magic touch, and I personally can't wait to see what Katie Marsh has in store for us next.
So really, this is a big cracker of a book, and I urge you to read it. It is incredible story about journey through life, about developing , about getting to know each other again, about following your dreams, compromises and backing down in the name of love. I really can't praise it high enough. It is right now one of my strongest candidates for my book of the year, as it is unforgettable, beautiful story.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for a review.
May 2, 2016
Katie Marsh erzählt in ihrem Debütroman die Geschichte eines Paares, das sich mit der Zeit immer weiter voneinander entfernt hat. Tom und Hannah leben nur noch aneinander vorbei und haben offensichtlich nichts mehr gemeinsam. Doch durch einen Schicksalsschlag, der besonders Tom trifft und der für beide weder planbar noch vorhersehbar war, ändert sich ihr beider Leben. Doch durch genau diese einschneidende Ereignis bietet sich ihnen eine neue Chance. Ein Neuanfang für beide, um sich selbst und den anderen wiederzufinden.
Hannahs Entschluss ihren Ehemann Tom nach 5 gemeinsamen Ehejahren zu verlassen, konnte ich verstehen, denn sie fühlte sich missverstanden, eingeengt und wurde immer häufiger von ihm kritisiert. Genauso gut konnte ich jedoch auch ihre Entscheidung nachvollziehen jetzt bei ihm zu bleiben und ihn zu unterstützen wo es nur geht. Hannah ist eine Person auf die man sich verlassen kann. Sie stellt ihre Bedürfnisse nach hinten und ist immer für andere da. Sie hat auf vieles verzichtet und ihr Leben um Tom herum aufgebaut, wodurch sie mittlerweile unglücklich ist. Dabei sagt sie viel zu selten, was sie denkt aus Angst vor der Reaktion oder davor, selbst verletzt zu werden. Tom möchte man aufgrund seines Verhaltens gegenüber Hannah, eigentlich nicht mögen, denn durch seinen Druck im Job lässt er seinen Unmut immer öfter an seiner Frau aus. Dadurch, dass die Autorin ihm aber zu Beginn der Geschichte dieses Schicksal auferlegt hat, bekommt man gleichzeitig Mitleid mit ihm, sodass man immer zwischen Mitgefühl und Antipathie schwankt. Im Verlauf ändert er sich positiv, denn er weiß genau, dass er einige Fehler gemacht hat. Es ist ein bisschen so, als hätte Tom diese – wenn auch zugegeben sehr harte und unschöne – Art der Wachrüttelung gebraucht. In der Handlung ist zudem Toms Schwester Julie sehr präsent, die mir persönlich jedoch sehr auf die Nerven ging und mit ihrer abweisenden und vorwurfsvollen Art bei mir immer auf Unverständnis traf. Eigentlich fragte ich bei mir bei immer, was für ein Problem sie eigentlich genau hat. Zum Ende des Buches wird sie zwar umgänglicher, aber durch ihr vorheriges Verhalten konnte sie damit nur wenig wieder gutmachen.
Erzählt wird die Geschichte aus der dritten Sicht von Hannah und Tom auf zwei Zeitebenen. Von Hannah bekommt man die Gegenwart und das aktuelle Geschehen mit, während man durch Tom in Rückblenden wichtige Situationen aus deren gemeinsamen Leben erfährt. Im letzten Buchdrittel laufen die beiden Sichten dann zusammen, sodass man die Gegenwart sowohl von Hannah als auch von Tom präsentiert bekommt. Dadurch erhält man eine gute Bindung zu beiden Protagonisten und erfährt, wann und wie sich sowohl Hannah als auch Tom verändert haben. Katie Marsh hat einen guten Spannungsbogen konstruiert, jedoch sind einige Entwicklungen vorhersehbar, sodass man nicht auf die großen Überraschungen hoffen darf. Dennoch hat sie ein lebensnahes Buch geschaffen, das von dramatischen Schicksalen und so manchen Ungerechtigkeiten des Lebens handelt, aber genauso gut auf selbstlose Entscheidungen und Rücksicht abstellt. Es geht um ein glückliches, entspanntes miteinander, ohne sich dabei selbst zu verlieren. Das Schicksal von Tom ist vielleicht ein krasses und sehr hart gewähltes Beispiel, aber es zeigt, dass man manchmal nur einen kleinen Tritt braucht, damit man sich daran erinnert, warum man sich genau auf einen Partner eingelassen hat.
ABSCHLUSSWORT
Katie Marsh greift in ihrem Debüt ein sehr lebensnahes Thema auf, das sie mit viel Gefühl in die Geschichte von Hannah und Tom gepackt hat. Zudem geht es nicht nur um Toms Schicksalsschlag, sondern auch um die gebotenen zweiten Chancen. Durch die fehlenden Überraschungen zählt „Die Liebe ist ein schlechter Verlierer“ vielleicht nicht zu den atemberaubendesten oder besonderen Geschichten, die auf immer und ewig im Kopf bleiben werden. Aber sie ist dennoch eine schöne Liebesgeschichte, die ich im Großen und Ganzen gesehen gerne gelesen habe.
Hannahs Entschluss ihren Ehemann Tom nach 5 gemeinsamen Ehejahren zu verlassen, konnte ich verstehen, denn sie fühlte sich missverstanden, eingeengt und wurde immer häufiger von ihm kritisiert. Genauso gut konnte ich jedoch auch ihre Entscheidung nachvollziehen jetzt bei ihm zu bleiben und ihn zu unterstützen wo es nur geht. Hannah ist eine Person auf die man sich verlassen kann. Sie stellt ihre Bedürfnisse nach hinten und ist immer für andere da. Sie hat auf vieles verzichtet und ihr Leben um Tom herum aufgebaut, wodurch sie mittlerweile unglücklich ist. Dabei sagt sie viel zu selten, was sie denkt aus Angst vor der Reaktion oder davor, selbst verletzt zu werden. Tom möchte man aufgrund seines Verhaltens gegenüber Hannah, eigentlich nicht mögen, denn durch seinen Druck im Job lässt er seinen Unmut immer öfter an seiner Frau aus. Dadurch, dass die Autorin ihm aber zu Beginn der Geschichte dieses Schicksal auferlegt hat, bekommt man gleichzeitig Mitleid mit ihm, sodass man immer zwischen Mitgefühl und Antipathie schwankt. Im Verlauf ändert er sich positiv, denn er weiß genau, dass er einige Fehler gemacht hat. Es ist ein bisschen so, als hätte Tom diese – wenn auch zugegeben sehr harte und unschöne – Art der Wachrüttelung gebraucht. In der Handlung ist zudem Toms Schwester Julie sehr präsent, die mir persönlich jedoch sehr auf die Nerven ging und mit ihrer abweisenden und vorwurfsvollen Art bei mir immer auf Unverständnis traf. Eigentlich fragte ich bei mir bei immer, was für ein Problem sie eigentlich genau hat. Zum Ende des Buches wird sie zwar umgänglicher, aber durch ihr vorheriges Verhalten konnte sie damit nur wenig wieder gutmachen.
Erzählt wird die Geschichte aus der dritten Sicht von Hannah und Tom auf zwei Zeitebenen. Von Hannah bekommt man die Gegenwart und das aktuelle Geschehen mit, während man durch Tom in Rückblenden wichtige Situationen aus deren gemeinsamen Leben erfährt. Im letzten Buchdrittel laufen die beiden Sichten dann zusammen, sodass man die Gegenwart sowohl von Hannah als auch von Tom präsentiert bekommt. Dadurch erhält man eine gute Bindung zu beiden Protagonisten und erfährt, wann und wie sich sowohl Hannah als auch Tom verändert haben. Katie Marsh hat einen guten Spannungsbogen konstruiert, jedoch sind einige Entwicklungen vorhersehbar, sodass man nicht auf die großen Überraschungen hoffen darf. Dennoch hat sie ein lebensnahes Buch geschaffen, das von dramatischen Schicksalen und so manchen Ungerechtigkeiten des Lebens handelt, aber genauso gut auf selbstlose Entscheidungen und Rücksicht abstellt. Es geht um ein glückliches, entspanntes miteinander, ohne sich dabei selbst zu verlieren. Das Schicksal von Tom ist vielleicht ein krasses und sehr hart gewähltes Beispiel, aber es zeigt, dass man manchmal nur einen kleinen Tritt braucht, damit man sich daran erinnert, warum man sich genau auf einen Partner eingelassen hat.
ABSCHLUSSWORT
Katie Marsh greift in ihrem Debüt ein sehr lebensnahes Thema auf, das sie mit viel Gefühl in die Geschichte von Hannah und Tom gepackt hat. Zudem geht es nicht nur um Toms Schicksalsschlag, sondern auch um die gebotenen zweiten Chancen. Durch die fehlenden Überraschungen zählt „Die Liebe ist ein schlechter Verlierer“ vielleicht nicht zu den atemberaubendesten oder besonderen Geschichten, die auf immer und ewig im Kopf bleiben werden. Aber sie ist dennoch eine schöne Liebesgeschichte, die ich im Großen und Ganzen gesehen gerne gelesen habe.
September 18, 2015
This year has to be the best year for debuts, am I right?! Seriously, they’re popping up left, right and centre. When I saw the cover for My Everything I was hooked and reading the blurb had me hooked even more! I ordered my copy and as soon as it dropped through the letterbox I dropped everything and started to read!
My Everything tells the story of Hannah and Tom. Hannah is sick of her husband Tom working late, treating her badly and is ready to leave him. She’s already packed her bags and got herself ready to move into her best friend’s spare room. However on the night she’s ready to tell him, she comes home to find Tom already asleep. Deciding to tell him in the morning, she gets into bed next to him. In the early hours of the morning Hannah is woken by a scratching sound and upon finding Tom on the bedroom floor unable to move or speak, her world is suddenly turned upside down.
Tom has suffered a stroke and Hannah’s plan to leave her relationship gets put on hold.
Hannah selflessly decides that as Tom is her husband she has a responsibility to look after him during his rehabilitation. As the months drift by, Hannah finds her life becomes a cocktail of physiotherapy appointments, wheelchairs and early nights. But as Tom starts to recover, Hannah sees a change in him and the man she wanted to leave starts to become the man she once fell in love with.
Told through dual narrative with Hannah narrating the present and Tom narrating the past we get to see how the couple met and how the relationship developed through a minefield of tricky events that they managed to overcome. This also allows the reader to see how Tom felt about Hannah throughout the relationship and how he begins to realise that perhaps he hasn’t been the best husband he could have been.
My Everything tackles the very tricky subject of strokes. Personally I don’t know much about strokes and rehabilitation but this book provided me with a very easy to understand but comprehensive explanation of a lot of stages of the recovery process. It was really saddening to see a person go from being full of life to suddenly becoming a shell of the person they once were and being unable to do the simple things we all take for granted like walking, holding a cup of water etc. Marsh has done a great job at rousing sympathy from the reader and I spent a lot of time wanting to just make Tom better so he and Hannah could move on in their life but Marsh keeps true to life and doesn’t make everything better in two seconds.
Over the course of the novel we see Tom change drastically and as he becomes more thankful for Hannah’s selflessness, he begins to become selfless himself and it is truly heartwarming to see how his priorities in life change. Marsh ends the novel so perfectly and it has the most satisfying ending that I couldn’t help but punch the air and sit with a wide smile on my face.
I highly recommend this book and for a debut it is stunning. I cannot wait to see what is next from Katie!
My Everything tells the story of Hannah and Tom. Hannah is sick of her husband Tom working late, treating her badly and is ready to leave him. She’s already packed her bags and got herself ready to move into her best friend’s spare room. However on the night she’s ready to tell him, she comes home to find Tom already asleep. Deciding to tell him in the morning, she gets into bed next to him. In the early hours of the morning Hannah is woken by a scratching sound and upon finding Tom on the bedroom floor unable to move or speak, her world is suddenly turned upside down.
Tom has suffered a stroke and Hannah’s plan to leave her relationship gets put on hold.
Hannah selflessly decides that as Tom is her husband she has a responsibility to look after him during his rehabilitation. As the months drift by, Hannah finds her life becomes a cocktail of physiotherapy appointments, wheelchairs and early nights. But as Tom starts to recover, Hannah sees a change in him and the man she wanted to leave starts to become the man she once fell in love with.
Told through dual narrative with Hannah narrating the present and Tom narrating the past we get to see how the couple met and how the relationship developed through a minefield of tricky events that they managed to overcome. This also allows the reader to see how Tom felt about Hannah throughout the relationship and how he begins to realise that perhaps he hasn’t been the best husband he could have been.
My Everything tackles the very tricky subject of strokes. Personally I don’t know much about strokes and rehabilitation but this book provided me with a very easy to understand but comprehensive explanation of a lot of stages of the recovery process. It was really saddening to see a person go from being full of life to suddenly becoming a shell of the person they once were and being unable to do the simple things we all take for granted like walking, holding a cup of water etc. Marsh has done a great job at rousing sympathy from the reader and I spent a lot of time wanting to just make Tom better so he and Hannah could move on in their life but Marsh keeps true to life and doesn’t make everything better in two seconds.
Over the course of the novel we see Tom change drastically and as he becomes more thankful for Hannah’s selflessness, he begins to become selfless himself and it is truly heartwarming to see how his priorities in life change. Marsh ends the novel so perfectly and it has the most satisfying ending that I couldn’t help but punch the air and sit with a wide smile on my face.
I highly recommend this book and for a debut it is stunning. I cannot wait to see what is next from Katie!
June 13, 2016
€ 12,99 [D]
€ 13,40 [A] | CHF 17,90*
(* empf. VK-Preis)
Paperback, Klappenbroschur
ISBN: 978-3-453-28522-4
NEU
Erschienen: 28.03.2016
Zum Buch: http://www.randomhouse.de/Paperback/D...
Was, wenn der Moment, in dem du gehen willst, der Moment ist, in dem er dich am meisten braucht?
Hannah will Tom verlassen. Morgen sagt sie es ihm. Und dann erfüllt sie sich ihren Traum, nach Afrika zu gehen. Tom will an seiner Ehe festhalten, sei sie noch so eingefahren. Er ignoriert die Probleme, will einfach nur neben Hannah einschlafen und morgen ins Büro fahren.
Doch dazu kommt es nicht …
Hannah und Tom wissen nicht, dass morgen alles anders sein wird. Dass Hannah ihre Pläne aufgeben muss und Tom nie wieder in sein altes Leben zurückkehren kann. Auch wissen sie nicht, dass ihre Liebesgeschichte noch nicht zu Ende ist und dass manche Träume einen Umweg nehmen müssen, bevor sie in Erfüllung gehen …
Meine Meinung:
Ich bin durch den Titel und Klappentext auf das Buch aufmerksam geworden. Dieses Thema hatte mich gleich angesprochen und daher musste ich dieses Buch einfach haben.
Der Einstieg in das Buch ist mir sehr leicht gefallen, der Schreibstil ist äußerst flüssig. Ich habe das Buch am Wochenende innerhalb von 24 Stunden verschlungen.
Die Charaktere fand ich sehr gelungen gewählt, vor allem Hannah war mir sehr sympathisch.
Es spielte anfangs in zwei Zeitebenen, im Heute und in der Zeit des Kennenlernens. Das hat mich erst in meinem Lesefluß etwas behindert, konnte mich aber auch relativ schnell daran gewöhnen.
Sehr gut gefallen hat mir auch der Wandel von Tom, durch den Schicksalsschlag lernt er wieder, was ihm wichtig in seinem Leben ist. Und auch Hannah merkt, dass sie vielleicht doch noch nicht so schnell alles aufgeben sollte.
Alles in allem ein sehr berührendes Buch über Liebe, Schicksalsschläge und die Kraft eines Neubeginns. Ich kann dieses Buch auf jeden Fall weiter empfehlen. Es ist ein herzerwärmendes Buch, einfach ein Wohlfühlbuch. Daher möchte kann ich hier eine klare Kauf- und Leseempfehlung geben. Ich werde die Autorin definitiv weiter im Auge behalten.
Ich möchte dieses Buch mit 4,5 Sternen bewerten.
€ 13,40 [A] | CHF 17,90*
(* empf. VK-Preis)
Paperback, Klappenbroschur
ISBN: 978-3-453-28522-4
NEU
Erschienen: 28.03.2016
Zum Buch: http://www.randomhouse.de/Paperback/D...
Was, wenn der Moment, in dem du gehen willst, der Moment ist, in dem er dich am meisten braucht?
Hannah will Tom verlassen. Morgen sagt sie es ihm. Und dann erfüllt sie sich ihren Traum, nach Afrika zu gehen. Tom will an seiner Ehe festhalten, sei sie noch so eingefahren. Er ignoriert die Probleme, will einfach nur neben Hannah einschlafen und morgen ins Büro fahren.
Doch dazu kommt es nicht …
Hannah und Tom wissen nicht, dass morgen alles anders sein wird. Dass Hannah ihre Pläne aufgeben muss und Tom nie wieder in sein altes Leben zurückkehren kann. Auch wissen sie nicht, dass ihre Liebesgeschichte noch nicht zu Ende ist und dass manche Träume einen Umweg nehmen müssen, bevor sie in Erfüllung gehen …
Meine Meinung:
Ich bin durch den Titel und Klappentext auf das Buch aufmerksam geworden. Dieses Thema hatte mich gleich angesprochen und daher musste ich dieses Buch einfach haben.
Der Einstieg in das Buch ist mir sehr leicht gefallen, der Schreibstil ist äußerst flüssig. Ich habe das Buch am Wochenende innerhalb von 24 Stunden verschlungen.
Die Charaktere fand ich sehr gelungen gewählt, vor allem Hannah war mir sehr sympathisch.
Es spielte anfangs in zwei Zeitebenen, im Heute und in der Zeit des Kennenlernens. Das hat mich erst in meinem Lesefluß etwas behindert, konnte mich aber auch relativ schnell daran gewöhnen.
Sehr gut gefallen hat mir auch der Wandel von Tom, durch den Schicksalsschlag lernt er wieder, was ihm wichtig in seinem Leben ist. Und auch Hannah merkt, dass sie vielleicht doch noch nicht so schnell alles aufgeben sollte.
Alles in allem ein sehr berührendes Buch über Liebe, Schicksalsschläge und die Kraft eines Neubeginns. Ich kann dieses Buch auf jeden Fall weiter empfehlen. Es ist ein herzerwärmendes Buch, einfach ein Wohlfühlbuch. Daher möchte kann ich hier eine klare Kauf- und Leseempfehlung geben. Ich werde die Autorin definitiv weiter im Auge behalten.
Ich möchte dieses Buch mit 4,5 Sternen bewerten.
December 14, 2015
I've returned a bit to women's fiction this year and this book reminds me why this is a good idea. This book tackles real life but with a poignancy that it is impossible not to get emotionally involved with the characters. This is a story of a mid -thirties married couple who've forgotten why they're together and what was worth getting married for. They're lost and then tragedy strikes. This book was emotionally provoking from the beginning, in particular, it was easy to feel empathy towards Hannah the heroine. On the flip side, I had sympathy for Tom because of his predicament but he had not been a good husband of late.
As the book progresses, the true tale of these two unravels in a timeline of past and present. Lies and truth are told, work invades and freedom beckons. I was constantly eager to get to the present and see where Hannah and Tom were up to. Julie, Tom's sister is a pretty important character but she conjured such irritation in me, although I think that was expected.
This book was fantastic debut from Katie Marsh, well researched and she was willing to narrate life in it's gritty ugliness, yet finding chinks of light. I found it ultimately fulfilling but emotionally provoking. I would love to read more about Tom and Hannah and Katie Marsh.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
As the book progresses, the true tale of these two unravels in a timeline of past and present. Lies and truth are told, work invades and freedom beckons. I was constantly eager to get to the present and see where Hannah and Tom were up to. Julie, Tom's sister is a pretty important character but she conjured such irritation in me, although I think that was expected.
This book was fantastic debut from Katie Marsh, well researched and she was willing to narrate life in it's gritty ugliness, yet finding chinks of light. I found it ultimately fulfilling but emotionally provoking. I would love to read more about Tom and Hannah and Katie Marsh.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
December 4, 2017
רומן יפה, חם ואנושי, אך בכל זאת מאכזב, משום שציפיתי ממנו ליותר.
האנה לא מאושרת בנישואיה ומחליטה לעזוב את בעלה המנוכר טום. אך ברגע האמת, טום חוטף שבץ, והאנה מוצאת עצמה לכודה בנישואים שהיא אינה רוצה בהם ומטפלת בגבר שהיא כבר אינה אוהבת.
ההתחלה היתה מבטיחה מאד, ואהבתי את הכתיבה ואת עיצוב הדמויות, אך למרבה הצער, הסופרת בחרה שלא להעמיק - לא את הדמויות ולא את העלילה, וטיפלה באופן שטחי בקשיים ומשברים שונים שהועלו בספר (או לחילופין, לא מסרה מידע כלל אודות ההתמודדות עם אותם קשיים), דבר שהפך את הספר לקלילון חביב, אך בהחלט לא לרומן איכותי, עמוק ומעורר מחשבה כפי שציפיתי ממנו, נוכח הנושאים בהם הוא מטפל וסגנון הכתיבה המבטיח. חבל.
כל עולמי/קייטי מארש
האנה לא מאושרת בנישואיה ומחליטה לעזוב את בעלה המנוכר טום. אך ברגע האמת, טום חוטף שבץ, והאנה מוצאת עצמה לכודה בנישואים שהיא אינה רוצה בהם ומטפלת בגבר שהיא כבר אינה אוהבת.
ההתחלה היתה מבטיחה מאד, ואהבתי את הכתיבה ואת עיצוב הדמויות, אך למרבה הצער, הסופרת בחרה שלא להעמיק - לא את הדמויות ולא את העלילה, וטיפלה באופן שטחי בקשיים ומשברים שונים שהועלו בספר (או לחילופין, לא מסרה מידע כלל אודות ההתמודדות עם אותם קשיים), דבר שהפך את הספר לקלילון חביב, אך בהחלט לא לרומן איכותי, עמוק ומעורר מחשבה כפי שציפיתי ממנו, נוכח הנושאים בהם הוא מטפל וסגנון הכתיבה המבטיח. חבל.
כל עולמי/קייטי מארש
June 3, 2016
The thing that ruined the book for me was that they were dishonest to eachother throughout their relationship. Since I believe that relationships are built upon complete honesty I find these types of relationships annoying to read about. If you can sympathize with this behaviour perhaps you will enjoy reading the book.
August 13, 2016
Einst waren sie ein fröhliches, liebendes, junges Paar. Doch jetzt steht Hannah vor den Trümmern ihrer Ehe. Sie haben sich auseinander gelebt und geliebt. Während es Hannahs größter Traum ist, nach Afrika zu gehen, hält Tom an seinem stupiden Alltagsleben fest. Für ihn zählt in erster Linie der Job, er möchte Hannah ein sicheres Leben bieten. Doch dabei ignoriert er völlig, was sie sich eigentlich wirklich wünscht. Die Situation ist verfahren und so fasst Hannah den Entschluss zu gehen.
Nach Afrika...ohne Tom.
Doch als sie quasi schon mit gepackten Koffern in der Tür steht und sich von Tom verabschieden will, macht das Schicksal ihrer beider Leben einen schrecklichen Strich durch die Rechnung, der Hannah alle Pläne auf Eis legen lässt und Tom zeigt, was im Leben wirklich zählt....
Katie Marsh schafft mit ihrem Debüt eine wirklich stimmige und schöne Liebesgeschichte, die mit vielen Höhen und Tiefen verbunden ist. Die Handlung ist zwar durchaus vorhersehbar, aber auch ein Stück weit realistisch, denn ein einziger Moment kann alles auf den Kopf stellen und was gestern noch normal war, kann heute plötzlich eine regelrechte Herausforderung sein. Pläne und Träume werden verschoben oder müssen hintenanstehen und wir sehen uns mit Dingen konfrontiert, an die wir bisher nicht einen einzigen Gedanken verschwendet haben.
So ergeht es auch Hannah. Gerade hat sie sich einen Plan gemacht, wollte anfangen ihre Träume in die Tat umzusetzen, als das Schicksal plötzlich zuschlägt und sie vor die Wahl stellt: Gehen oder Bleiben. Sie entscheidet sich für Letzteres und ich bewundere ihren Mut und ihre Selbstlosigkeit. Sie will Tom in dieser, für sie beide, neuen und furchtbar schwierigen Situation auf keinen Fall alleine lassen und begleitet ihn zurück ins Leben.
Was sie dabei entdeckt ist nicht nur eine völlig neue Seite an Tom, sondern auch an sich selbst und die Tatsache, das man für die Erfüllung mancher Träume manchmal einfach ein paar Umwege in Kauf nehmen muss, bevor sie sich vielleicht doch noch erfüllen.
Zum Hörbuch:
Seit Jahren versuche ich immer mal wieder mein Glück mit Hörbüchern, doch die meisten können mich einfach nicht fesseln. Schnell werde ich dann ungeduldig oder kann mich schlicht nicht auf das Vorgelesene konzentrieren. Doch hier war das zum allerersten Mal ganz anders und ich bin total begeistert.
Die Sprecher haben angenehme, warme Stimmen und besonders Tessa Mittelstaedt zog mich sofort in ihren Bann. Sie hält die Betonungen der einzelnen Charaktere sehr abwechslungsreich. Bei Hannah spricht sie stark und taff, teilweise ziemlich zackig, aber immer angenehm, bei Julie,Toms jüngerer Schwester, wird sie ein bisschen nölig, was gut zu deren Charakter passt. Das hat mir echt gefallen und das Hören hat so unheimlich viel Spaß gemacht.
Auch Richard Barenberg hat eine sehr wohlklingende Stimme, die mir gefallen hat. Allerdings brauchte ich bei ihm etwas länger um mich daran zu gewöhnen. Woran das lag kann ich nicht benennen. Nach dem zweiten Perspektivenwechsel hatte ich mich gut daran gewöhnt und konnte auch Tom's Parts genießen.
Der Wechsel hat mir ebenfalls richtig gut gefallen, denn so lernt man beide Protagonisten besser kennen und erfährt wie es ihnen in den einzelnen Situationen wirklich ergeht. Es gibt, gerade bei Tom, immer wieder Rückblicke auf die Vergangenheit, die deutlich machen, wie die beiden überhaupt in diese blöde Situation des Auseinanderlebens gekommen sind. Das war sehr aufschluss- und auch abwechslungsreich.
Mir hat das Buch bzw. das Hörbuch wirklich einige tolle Stunden beschert und ich bin froh, das ich mich entschieden habe, es zu hören, auch wenn die Hörbuchfassung gekürzt ist.
Nach Afrika...ohne Tom.
Doch als sie quasi schon mit gepackten Koffern in der Tür steht und sich von Tom verabschieden will, macht das Schicksal ihrer beider Leben einen schrecklichen Strich durch die Rechnung, der Hannah alle Pläne auf Eis legen lässt und Tom zeigt, was im Leben wirklich zählt....
Katie Marsh schafft mit ihrem Debüt eine wirklich stimmige und schöne Liebesgeschichte, die mit vielen Höhen und Tiefen verbunden ist. Die Handlung ist zwar durchaus vorhersehbar, aber auch ein Stück weit realistisch, denn ein einziger Moment kann alles auf den Kopf stellen und was gestern noch normal war, kann heute plötzlich eine regelrechte Herausforderung sein. Pläne und Träume werden verschoben oder müssen hintenanstehen und wir sehen uns mit Dingen konfrontiert, an die wir bisher nicht einen einzigen Gedanken verschwendet haben.
So ergeht es auch Hannah. Gerade hat sie sich einen Plan gemacht, wollte anfangen ihre Träume in die Tat umzusetzen, als das Schicksal plötzlich zuschlägt und sie vor die Wahl stellt: Gehen oder Bleiben. Sie entscheidet sich für Letzteres und ich bewundere ihren Mut und ihre Selbstlosigkeit. Sie will Tom in dieser, für sie beide, neuen und furchtbar schwierigen Situation auf keinen Fall alleine lassen und begleitet ihn zurück ins Leben.
Was sie dabei entdeckt ist nicht nur eine völlig neue Seite an Tom, sondern auch an sich selbst und die Tatsache, das man für die Erfüllung mancher Träume manchmal einfach ein paar Umwege in Kauf nehmen muss, bevor sie sich vielleicht doch noch erfüllen.
Zum Hörbuch:
Seit Jahren versuche ich immer mal wieder mein Glück mit Hörbüchern, doch die meisten können mich einfach nicht fesseln. Schnell werde ich dann ungeduldig oder kann mich schlicht nicht auf das Vorgelesene konzentrieren. Doch hier war das zum allerersten Mal ganz anders und ich bin total begeistert.
Die Sprecher haben angenehme, warme Stimmen und besonders Tessa Mittelstaedt zog mich sofort in ihren Bann. Sie hält die Betonungen der einzelnen Charaktere sehr abwechslungsreich. Bei Hannah spricht sie stark und taff, teilweise ziemlich zackig, aber immer angenehm, bei Julie,Toms jüngerer Schwester, wird sie ein bisschen nölig, was gut zu deren Charakter passt. Das hat mir echt gefallen und das Hören hat so unheimlich viel Spaß gemacht.
Auch Richard Barenberg hat eine sehr wohlklingende Stimme, die mir gefallen hat. Allerdings brauchte ich bei ihm etwas länger um mich daran zu gewöhnen. Woran das lag kann ich nicht benennen. Nach dem zweiten Perspektivenwechsel hatte ich mich gut daran gewöhnt und konnte auch Tom's Parts genießen.
Der Wechsel hat mir ebenfalls richtig gut gefallen, denn so lernt man beide Protagonisten besser kennen und erfährt wie es ihnen in den einzelnen Situationen wirklich ergeht. Es gibt, gerade bei Tom, immer wieder Rückblicke auf die Vergangenheit, die deutlich machen, wie die beiden überhaupt in diese blöde Situation des Auseinanderlebens gekommen sind. Das war sehr aufschluss- und auch abwechslungsreich.
Mir hat das Buch bzw. das Hörbuch wirklich einige tolle Stunden beschert und ich bin froh, das ich mich entschieden habe, es zu hören, auch wenn die Hörbuchfassung gekürzt ist.
May 24, 2016
Hannah hat den Entschluss gefasst, ihren Ehemann Tom nach fünf gemeinsamen Jahren zu verlassen, denn seit Monaten lebt das Paar aneinander vorbei und hat keinerlei Gemeinsamkeiten und Zukunftspläne mehr. Die junge Frau fühlt sich zunehmend missverstanden und alleine gelassen und wird immer häufiger von ihrem Ehemann ignoriert und kritisiert. Während Tom seiner Karriere als erfolgreicher Junganwalt nachgeht, fristet Hannah ihr Dasein als unglückliche Lehrerin in einer Schule, die ihr kaum am Herzen liegt. Jahrelang hat die junge Frau auf ihre eigenen Wünsche verzichtet und ihr Leben an Toms Bedürfnisse angepasst, aber nun soll ihr großer Traum, nach Tansania zu gehen um dort afrikanische Kinder zu unterrichten, endlich wahr werden.
Doch just an dem Tag, an dem Hannah ihrem Mann die Trennung verkünden will, schlägt das Schicksal mit voller Härte zu. Das Paar wird von einem plötzlichen Ereignis schwer getroffen und Hannahs Entscheidung, der gemeinsamen Ehe ein Ende zu setzen, gerät ins Wanken.
Der schwere Schicksalsschlag der Eheleute, war für mich der spannendste Moment der Geschichte, denn der verbleibende Roman, befasste sich fast ausschließlich mit den Eheproblemen des Paares, Hannahs Zerrissenheit und dem allgemeinen Gefühlsleben der beiden Protagonisten. Obwohl Katie Marsh sehr authentisch und emotional beschreibt wie sich das junges Paar auseinanderlebt und schließlich wieder zusammenfindet, war mir die Handlung zu langatmig und das Ende zu vorhersehbar und kitschig.
Einzig die zwei Zeitebenen und Perspektiven, die Katie Marsh gekonnt einsetzt, konnten mein Interesse an der Geschichte aufrechterhalten, denn die Gegenwart und die aktuellen Ereignisse werden aus Sicht von Hannah geschildert und die Vergangenheit aus Toms Perspektive. Durch die Rückblenden, erfährt der Leser von verschiedenen Ereignissen aus dem gemeinsamen Leben und kann mitverfolgen, wie sich Hannah und Tom im Laufe der Zeit verändern. Jedoch musste ich leider feststellen, dass ich keine Bindung zu den Protagonisten aufbauen konnte und ihnen mit einer gewissen Gleichgültigkeit begegnet bin. Mitleid oder Mitgefühl konnte ich nicht empfinden und ihre gemeinsame Geschichte hat mich nicht richtig berühren können. Auch die Nebenhandlung, die von Toms Schwester Julie bestimmt wird, war farblos und wenig mitreißend.
Die Botschaft des Buches, hat mir schlussendlich aber wieder gut gefallen, denn die Autorin zeigt auf, dass selbst schlimme Ereignisse, oft eine zweite Chance bieten können und aus einem Schicksalsschlag, etwas Gutes entstehen kann. Betrachtet man die Liebesgeschichte von Hannah und Tom, kann man lernen, wie wichtig es ist, sich nicht aus den Augen zu verlieren, miteinander zu sprechen und sich hin und wieder daran zu erinnern, warum man sich auf seinen Partner eingelassen hat. Verantwortung übernehmen, Zeit für Zweisamkeit, ein Miteinander ohne sich selbst zu verlieren, sind zentrale Themen. Wie wertvoll Liebe ist, sollte man sich stets in Erinnerung rufen und so regt das Buch durchaus zum Nachdenken an.
Doch just an dem Tag, an dem Hannah ihrem Mann die Trennung verkünden will, schlägt das Schicksal mit voller Härte zu. Das Paar wird von einem plötzlichen Ereignis schwer getroffen und Hannahs Entscheidung, der gemeinsamen Ehe ein Ende zu setzen, gerät ins Wanken.
Der schwere Schicksalsschlag der Eheleute, war für mich der spannendste Moment der Geschichte, denn der verbleibende Roman, befasste sich fast ausschließlich mit den Eheproblemen des Paares, Hannahs Zerrissenheit und dem allgemeinen Gefühlsleben der beiden Protagonisten. Obwohl Katie Marsh sehr authentisch und emotional beschreibt wie sich das junges Paar auseinanderlebt und schließlich wieder zusammenfindet, war mir die Handlung zu langatmig und das Ende zu vorhersehbar und kitschig.
Einzig die zwei Zeitebenen und Perspektiven, die Katie Marsh gekonnt einsetzt, konnten mein Interesse an der Geschichte aufrechterhalten, denn die Gegenwart und die aktuellen Ereignisse werden aus Sicht von Hannah geschildert und die Vergangenheit aus Toms Perspektive. Durch die Rückblenden, erfährt der Leser von verschiedenen Ereignissen aus dem gemeinsamen Leben und kann mitverfolgen, wie sich Hannah und Tom im Laufe der Zeit verändern. Jedoch musste ich leider feststellen, dass ich keine Bindung zu den Protagonisten aufbauen konnte und ihnen mit einer gewissen Gleichgültigkeit begegnet bin. Mitleid oder Mitgefühl konnte ich nicht empfinden und ihre gemeinsame Geschichte hat mich nicht richtig berühren können. Auch die Nebenhandlung, die von Toms Schwester Julie bestimmt wird, war farblos und wenig mitreißend.
Die Botschaft des Buches, hat mir schlussendlich aber wieder gut gefallen, denn die Autorin zeigt auf, dass selbst schlimme Ereignisse, oft eine zweite Chance bieten können und aus einem Schicksalsschlag, etwas Gutes entstehen kann. Betrachtet man die Liebesgeschichte von Hannah und Tom, kann man lernen, wie wichtig es ist, sich nicht aus den Augen zu verlieren, miteinander zu sprechen und sich hin und wieder daran zu erinnern, warum man sich auf seinen Partner eingelassen hat. Verantwortung übernehmen, Zeit für Zweisamkeit, ein Miteinander ohne sich selbst zu verlieren, sind zentrale Themen. Wie wertvoll Liebe ist, sollte man sich stets in Erinnerung rufen und so regt das Buch durchaus zum Nachdenken an.
November 19, 2017
4 stars
I'm typing this on my mobile, so I can't hide any possible *SPOILERS*
I really got into this book and read it in about 3 hours. I've heard that one sign of a good writer is if they make a reader feel, whether it's good or bad. I'm not sure I completely agree, but in this case I'm willing to give that theory merit.
Because I felt, all right. I felt like knocking the heads of every character together. I felt pissed off. I felt (repeatedly) like shouting, 'What is WRONG with you?! What are you even thinking?!'
The only one I felt any sympathy or affection for was Tom. Yeah, he had his arsey moments, but I loved him and it was because I was invested in him that I was so drawn in.
When I first started this I nearly rejected it because of the third-person omniscient, present-tense POV. I've never been able to complete a story written in that mode because I dislike it. It's just strange. But I adjusted, so go me.
Okay. So Hannah, the heroine. Couldn't stand her. Actually, aside from Tom and his mate Nick, I couldn't stand anyone in this book! What a pack of childish, unlikable people! All of them - Hannah, Julie, Steph, Raj. But I wanted to throttle Hannah from the outset. I feel like the intent was that I 'sympathise' with her and see Tom as the villain. No way that was happening. Yes, Tom was a workaholic under pressure and mounting stress made him irrascible, but he was married to a selfish, immature cow whose flighty ways clashed with his sense of responsibility.
The main problem between them was obviously lack of communication, but she was supposed to be the 'feisty,' more open one and yet never said a word, never called him out for being an ass. She just moped about until she made a potentially unforgivable decision out of revenge. She was kind of a shit person and I couldn't stand how she was painted as such a martyr. Everything was all about her, what SHE wanted, what SHE ultimately sacrificed.
Well, tough. If she had such a need to gallavant all around the world she should never have married him, and since the guy had the more important job was busting his bum to build them a life she needed to grow the. Hell. UP. Yeah, sacrifices have to be made. It's called marriage. Sometimes one side has to give more than the other.
I found Hannah whiny, slovenly and beyond self-centered and can't even believe that after EVERYTHING, she made the choice she did in the last 1/4 or so of the book. Given their situation, who does that?? Would she have been as selfless as Tom if the situation were reversed? I can tell you the answer and it is a big, fat NO.
Still, it was a good plot and interesting premise, even if the ending was rather weak and anticlimactic. But the writer did a fantastic job in portraying the gravity of Tom's situation and also in defining her characters. Although, I have to wonder if it was her intent that none of the females were likable? Doubtful. But all's well that ends well, I guess. Despite my personal feelings, this was the best thing I've read in a good while and I was rather sorry to finish it.
I'm typing this on my mobile, so I can't hide any possible *SPOILERS*
I really got into this book and read it in about 3 hours. I've heard that one sign of a good writer is if they make a reader feel, whether it's good or bad. I'm not sure I completely agree, but in this case I'm willing to give that theory merit.
Because I felt, all right. I felt like knocking the heads of every character together. I felt pissed off. I felt (repeatedly) like shouting, 'What is WRONG with you?! What are you even thinking?!'
The only one I felt any sympathy or affection for was Tom. Yeah, he had his arsey moments, but I loved him and it was because I was invested in him that I was so drawn in.
When I first started this I nearly rejected it because of the third-person omniscient, present-tense POV. I've never been able to complete a story written in that mode because I dislike it. It's just strange. But I adjusted, so go me.
Okay. So Hannah, the heroine. Couldn't stand her. Actually, aside from Tom and his mate Nick, I couldn't stand anyone in this book! What a pack of childish, unlikable people! All of them - Hannah, Julie, Steph, Raj. But I wanted to throttle Hannah from the outset. I feel like the intent was that I 'sympathise' with her and see Tom as the villain. No way that was happening. Yes, Tom was a workaholic under pressure and mounting stress made him irrascible, but he was married to a selfish, immature cow whose flighty ways clashed with his sense of responsibility.
The main problem between them was obviously lack of communication, but she was supposed to be the 'feisty,' more open one and yet never said a word, never called him out for being an ass. She just moped about until she made a potentially unforgivable decision out of revenge. She was kind of a shit person and I couldn't stand how she was painted as such a martyr. Everything was all about her, what SHE wanted, what SHE ultimately sacrificed.
Well, tough. If she had such a need to gallavant all around the world she should never have married him, and since the guy had the more important job was busting his bum to build them a life she needed to grow the. Hell. UP. Yeah, sacrifices have to be made. It's called marriage. Sometimes one side has to give more than the other.
I found Hannah whiny, slovenly and beyond self-centered and can't even believe that after EVERYTHING, she made the choice she did in the last 1/4 or so of the book. Given their situation, who does that?? Would she have been as selfless as Tom if the situation were reversed? I can tell you the answer and it is a big, fat NO.
Still, it was a good plot and interesting premise, even if the ending was rather weak and anticlimactic. But the writer did a fantastic job in portraying the gravity of Tom's situation and also in defining her characters. Although, I have to wonder if it was her intent that none of the females were likable? Doubtful. But all's well that ends well, I guess. Despite my personal feelings, this was the best thing I've read in a good while and I was rather sorry to finish it.
February 7, 2018
I had such high hopes for this novel, having read this author’s work before. Unfortunately this read didn’t quite pull me in.
The plot was interesting. What if you felt so trapped in your marriage that you were about to call it quits at the very moment that your spouse has a stroke.
I didn’t find the characters particularly interesting and the plot had a few flip flop character reactions that I didn’t find 100% believable. I believe that all the “sister” scenes could have been cut out of the book as I didn’t see them adding to the plot.
I do take away from this novel the grounding belief that marriage is give and take and that if the giving and taking is not equal we can fall into a rut that is hard to crawl out from. There were some sweet moments in the novel as the couple reflected on moments in their early relationship. Those foundational bricks that provide the real structure in a relationship.
The plot was interesting. What if you felt so trapped in your marriage that you were about to call it quits at the very moment that your spouse has a stroke.
I didn’t find the characters particularly interesting and the plot had a few flip flop character reactions that I didn’t find 100% believable. I believe that all the “sister” scenes could have been cut out of the book as I didn’t see them adding to the plot.
I do take away from this novel the grounding belief that marriage is give and take and that if the giving and taking is not equal we can fall into a rut that is hard to crawl out from. There were some sweet moments in the novel as the couple reflected on moments in their early relationship. Those foundational bricks that provide the real structure in a relationship.
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December 14, 2015Loved it
Such a gorgeous story full of warmth and even though it tackles some serious issues it does so extremely well. I left the book with a huge smile on my face and would highly recommend!
Such a gorgeous story full of warmth and even though it tackles some serious issues it does so extremely well. I left the book with a huge smile on my face and would highly recommend!
October 16, 2017
I began to read this book with high expectations and unfortunately I was disappointed. The book didn't flow, it bored me a bit, it was nice and nothing more.
December 1, 2020
21/2020.
21. knjiga koju sam pročitala 2020. godin je „Moje sve na svijetu“ („My everything“ by Kati Marsh).
Prije svega, želim da napomenem da je autorka zdravstveni radnik, a kao inspiracija za ovu knjigu joj je bila hrabrost pacijenata koje je upoznala radeći u službi specijalizovanoj za zbrinjavanje i njegu osoba koje su pretrpjele moždani udar.
Zašto je to bitno... zato što pratimo radnju od momenta kada Tom, tridesetdvogodišnji muškarac doživljava moždani udar... Poglavlja knjige su različito naslovljena, svako neparno poglavlje nosi jednostavno naslov „Glava 1", „Glava 3“ itd, dok svako parno poglavlje nosi naslov po događaju koji se u njemu opisuje... Na prvi pogled uviđamo da neparna poglavlja prate sadašnjicu, a parna paralelno prate dešavanja od prije skoro deset godina... Međutim, kako radnja odmiče, vremenski razmak među njima se smanjuje i stapaju se u jedno.
Da se mi vratimo zapletu... Hanin muž Tom je doživio moždani udar upravo onog dana kada je namjeravala da mu saopšti da ga napušta. Kod Hane se dešavaju previranja – izabrati sebe i svoju sreću ili ostati uz bolesnog supruga iz osjećaja dužnosti. Tu je takođe i njena prijateljica Stef koja pokušava da joj pokaže kako ona uvijek odustaje od svojih snova i potreba i odlučuje se za ono što odgovara njenom suprugu.
Istovremeno pratimo i radnju koja se dešava sa Tomovom mlađom sestrom Džuli, njena iskušenja, njena životna previranja i različite načine više ili manje uspješnog nošenja sa istim.
Nije ovo samo priča o ljubavi, braku i vezama, te osjećaju dužnosti. Ovo je puno više od toga.... Ovo je priča o različitim perspektivama i pogledima na isti događaj iz različitog ugla različitih sudionika... Ovo je priča o nedostatku komunikacije i svim nesporazumima proizašlih iz toga... Takođe, ovo je priča o tome kako moderni način života, tačnije - rada uzrokuje međusobno udaljavanje ljudi, kako parova, tako i članova porodice... Danas, u doba e-mailova i mobitela, uvijek smo dostupni i poslodavci često od nas traže sve više i to se od nas podrazumijeva... a mi smo nesposobni da kažemo ne... ostajemo prekovremeno, radimo i za praznike, sagorijevamo u tom radu na poslu kojeg smo voljeli i koji smo upravo zbog tog sagorijevanja usljed preopterećenosti i neuviđavnosti poslodavca počeli da mrzimo, da zaziremo od njega, posmatrajući kroz prozor sunce koje nas neće obasjati jer dolazimo rano ujutru a vraćamo se kući kasno naveče... Postajemo spremni da, uprkos kreditima, damo otkaz, makar se mrznuli po pijačnim štandovima da nešto prodamo za neku crkavicu, jer vidimo da gubimo sjaj u očima, gubimo vrijeme i život, gubimo zdravlje, gubimo dragocjene trenutke sa dragocjenim ljudima...
Da li su ljudi spremni da se promijene prije nego bude prekasno? Da jesu, ali ne svi i ne uvijek... Neki ljudi ne nauče nikad, neki moraju više puta ponavljati lekciju, neki nauče odmah...
Trebamo komunicirati i objasniti svojim najdražima kako se osjećamo u određenoj situaciji jer oni to mogu potpuno drugačije protumačiti i produbiće se jaz između nas...
Uglavnom... što se tiče Toma i Hane... da li će Tom sagledati svoj život iz novog ugla, da li će Hana odlučiti da spasi svoj brak... pročitajte knjigu do kraja i saznaćete i sami...
Ocjena... 🤔 Četiri ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
21. knjiga koju sam pročitala 2020. godin je „Moje sve na svijetu“ („My everything“ by Kati Marsh).
Prije svega, želim da napomenem da je autorka zdravstveni radnik, a kao inspiracija za ovu knjigu joj je bila hrabrost pacijenata koje je upoznala radeći u službi specijalizovanoj za zbrinjavanje i njegu osoba koje su pretrpjele moždani udar.
Zašto je to bitno... zato što pratimo radnju od momenta kada Tom, tridesetdvogodišnji muškarac doživljava moždani udar... Poglavlja knjige su različito naslovljena, svako neparno poglavlje nosi jednostavno naslov „Glava 1", „Glava 3“ itd, dok svako parno poglavlje nosi naslov po događaju koji se u njemu opisuje... Na prvi pogled uviđamo da neparna poglavlja prate sadašnjicu, a parna paralelno prate dešavanja od prije skoro deset godina... Međutim, kako radnja odmiče, vremenski razmak među njima se smanjuje i stapaju se u jedno.
Da se mi vratimo zapletu... Hanin muž Tom je doživio moždani udar upravo onog dana kada je namjeravala da mu saopšti da ga napušta. Kod Hane se dešavaju previranja – izabrati sebe i svoju sreću ili ostati uz bolesnog supruga iz osjećaja dužnosti. Tu je takođe i njena prijateljica Stef koja pokušava da joj pokaže kako ona uvijek odustaje od svojih snova i potreba i odlučuje se za ono što odgovara njenom suprugu.
Istovremeno pratimo i radnju koja se dešava sa Tomovom mlađom sestrom Džuli, njena iskušenja, njena životna previranja i različite načine više ili manje uspješnog nošenja sa istim.
Nije ovo samo priča o ljubavi, braku i vezama, te osjećaju dužnosti. Ovo je puno više od toga.... Ovo je priča o različitim perspektivama i pogledima na isti događaj iz različitog ugla različitih sudionika... Ovo je priča o nedostatku komunikacije i svim nesporazumima proizašlih iz toga... Takođe, ovo je priča o tome kako moderni način života, tačnije - rada uzrokuje međusobno udaljavanje ljudi, kako parova, tako i članova porodice... Danas, u doba e-mailova i mobitela, uvijek smo dostupni i poslodavci često od nas traže sve više i to se od nas podrazumijeva... a mi smo nesposobni da kažemo ne... ostajemo prekovremeno, radimo i za praznike, sagorijevamo u tom radu na poslu kojeg smo voljeli i koji smo upravo zbog tog sagorijevanja usljed preopterećenosti i neuviđavnosti poslodavca počeli da mrzimo, da zaziremo od njega, posmatrajući kroz prozor sunce koje nas neće obasjati jer dolazimo rano ujutru a vraćamo se kući kasno naveče... Postajemo spremni da, uprkos kreditima, damo otkaz, makar se mrznuli po pijačnim štandovima da nešto prodamo za neku crkavicu, jer vidimo da gubimo sjaj u očima, gubimo vrijeme i život, gubimo zdravlje, gubimo dragocjene trenutke sa dragocjenim ljudima...
Da li su ljudi spremni da se promijene prije nego bude prekasno? Da jesu, ali ne svi i ne uvijek... Neki ljudi ne nauče nikad, neki moraju više puta ponavljati lekciju, neki nauče odmah...
Trebamo komunicirati i objasniti svojim najdražima kako se osjećamo u određenoj situaciji jer oni to mogu potpuno drugačije protumačiti i produbiće se jaz između nas...
Uglavnom... što se tiče Toma i Hane... da li će Tom sagledati svoj život iz novog ugla, da li će Hana odlučiti da spasi svoj brak... pročitajte knjigu do kraja i saznaćete i sami...
Ocjena... 🤔 Četiri ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 8, 2023
Second chance?
Tom has a stroke at a very young age, can he recover? Will his strained marriage make it?
Very emotional book. I really enjoyed it. My heart went out to the characters.
Tom has a stroke at a very young age, can he recover? Will his strained marriage make it?
Very emotional book. I really enjoyed it. My heart went out to the characters.
February 2, 2018
Recommend
Slow to start, but stick with it. I found myself hopping the the best for this couple. A great and real look at marriage, mistakes, and second chances.
Slow to start, but stick with it. I found myself hopping the the best for this couple. A great and real look at marriage, mistakes, and second chances.
July 14, 2019
Сравнително интересна и различна история от типичните романтични перипети. Започна със слабо въведение, което не можа да ме грабне ,но ми хареса разбъркването на самия сюжет или така казано, несъвпадение на фабулата и препратката към по-стари епизоди от живота. За пореден път се доказва, че искреността е най-добрият път към стабилна и безгрижна връзка и не бива да загърбваме собствените си мечти ,само заради временното щастие на нашия любим,защото в един момент, това действие се превръща в повод за скандал или нещо повече... 💮
September 24, 2015
Hannah has decided that today is the day she is going to leave her husband Tom; their once happy marriage has disintegrated to such a point that she feels they can no longer work things out, and she is looking forward to following her dream of teaching in Tanzania. But today is also the day that Tom has a stroke and Hannah feels that she cannot leave. A sense of duty compels her to remain and try and help her husband through his recovery, but as they face the future together, Tom is determined to try and fix their marriage and make Hannah fall in love with him again.
This book is told in both the present day, starting with Hannah’s discovery of her husband on their bedroom floor, clearly in serious pain, and in flashbacks which show how Hannah and Tom’s relationship started and developed and subsequently went wrong. I really enjoyed both storylines, and really enjoyed watching how these characters found and lost each other in the confusion of starting new jobs, moving into a new house and dealing with all the other problems that life can bring.
I thought both Hannah and Tom were pretty sympathetic characters – although Tom has clearly not been treating Hannah well prior to the start of the story, we the reader only ‘meet’ him at the time of his stroke, and the flashback chapters do serve to illustrate his point of view, so he is not quite the awful person that he could have been if the story were only told from Hannah’s point of view. The first part of the story actually made me cry as I tried to imagine the terror and uncertainty that both Tom and Hannah would feel as he had a stroke at the young age of 32, and realised that life might never be the same.
The writing flowed well, and I gobbled up huge chunks of the story at a time – I had to stop myself from peeking forward a few pages at times, which is always the sign of a good book.
My only slight criticism would be I wasn’t overkeen on some of the other characters. I liked Tom’s friend Nick, but his sister Julie and Hannah’s friend Steph were irritating (and Steph felt at times like a bit of a cliche). However, I feel churlish even really pointing this out, because overall this was a moving and absorbing read, which I would highly recommend. This is Katie Marsh’s debut novel, and I look forward to reading future books by her.
This book is told in both the present day, starting with Hannah’s discovery of her husband on their bedroom floor, clearly in serious pain, and in flashbacks which show how Hannah and Tom’s relationship started and developed and subsequently went wrong. I really enjoyed both storylines, and really enjoyed watching how these characters found and lost each other in the confusion of starting new jobs, moving into a new house and dealing with all the other problems that life can bring.
I thought both Hannah and Tom were pretty sympathetic characters – although Tom has clearly not been treating Hannah well prior to the start of the story, we the reader only ‘meet’ him at the time of his stroke, and the flashback chapters do serve to illustrate his point of view, so he is not quite the awful person that he could have been if the story were only told from Hannah’s point of view. The first part of the story actually made me cry as I tried to imagine the terror and uncertainty that both Tom and Hannah would feel as he had a stroke at the young age of 32, and realised that life might never be the same.
The writing flowed well, and I gobbled up huge chunks of the story at a time – I had to stop myself from peeking forward a few pages at times, which is always the sign of a good book.
My only slight criticism would be I wasn’t overkeen on some of the other characters. I liked Tom’s friend Nick, but his sister Julie and Hannah’s friend Steph were irritating (and Steph felt at times like a bit of a cliche). However, I feel churlish even really pointing this out, because overall this was a moving and absorbing read, which I would highly recommend. This is Katie Marsh’s debut novel, and I look forward to reading future books by her.
June 11, 2018
A book full of clichéd language and behaviour from the main characters. The repeated used of the verb padded (she padded across the room - what is she? A cat?) was particularly annoying.
November 9, 2020
"On the day Hannah is finally going to tell her husband she's leaving him, he has a stroke . . . and life changes in an instant.
Tom's only 32. Now he can't walk or cut up his own food, let alone use his phone or take her in his arms. And Hannah's trapped. She knows she has to care for her husband, the very same man she was ready to walk away from.
But with the time and fresh perspective he's been given, Tom re-evaluates his life, and becomes determined to save his marriage. Can he once again become the man his wife fell in love with, or has he left it too late?"
This was a very realistic of how a whole family's life can change when someone has a stroke, and also how it can actually change the person who has the stroke and their relationships with those around them. Hannah and Tom had only been married 4 years, when things changed and the Tom that Hannah fell in love with has disappeared, and Tom has become angry, cruel and seems uninterested in her. Once he has his stroke, however, she knows that she cannot leave him now. She abandons her plans and vows to stay with Tom, to see him through this awful time.
It is told sympathetically from both viewpoints and the reader can easily see how life has got in the way of love for this couple and I, for one, was wishing them to find each all over again.
A worthwhile ending, making me want to read more from this Author.
Tom's only 32. Now he can't walk or cut up his own food, let alone use his phone or take her in his arms. And Hannah's trapped. She knows she has to care for her husband, the very same man she was ready to walk away from.
But with the time and fresh perspective he's been given, Tom re-evaluates his life, and becomes determined to save his marriage. Can he once again become the man his wife fell in love with, or has he left it too late?"
This was a very realistic of how a whole family's life can change when someone has a stroke, and also how it can actually change the person who has the stroke and their relationships with those around them. Hannah and Tom had only been married 4 years, when things changed and the Tom that Hannah fell in love with has disappeared, and Tom has become angry, cruel and seems uninterested in her. Once he has his stroke, however, she knows that she cannot leave him now. She abandons her plans and vows to stay with Tom, to see him through this awful time.
It is told sympathetically from both viewpoints and the reader can easily see how life has got in the way of love for this couple and I, for one, was wishing them to find each all over again.
A worthwhile ending, making me want to read more from this Author.
September 6, 2015
I loved My Everything. It's highly thought provoking - one of those 'what if' books that feels very real and touches your heart.
The night before Hannah plans to leave her husband Tom, he suffers a devastating stroke at the age of 32. Hannah has to rethink her plans - all her hopes and dreams are shattered in a moment. She feels that she can't leave Tom at a time when he needs her most.
My Everything is an intriguing and believable story that's written with great tenderness. It switches between Hannah and Tom's past and present, showing how their relationship changed over time. They fell out of love - is it possible to fall back into it? Can they, and their relationship, change again, as Tom makes that long journey back to health? Or is it time for both of them to move on?
The book is beautifully written and I didn't want it to end. This is a story about guilt, love, regret, friendship and hope. It's about pursuing your dreams and following your heart - finding out who are you and not letting others define you. It's one of those books that makes you think about your own life - whether you're achieving your own dreams and, if not, what you can do about it. You never know what's in store.
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The night before Hannah plans to leave her husband Tom, he suffers a devastating stroke at the age of 32. Hannah has to rethink her plans - all her hopes and dreams are shattered in a moment. She feels that she can't leave Tom at a time when he needs her most.
My Everything is an intriguing and believable story that's written with great tenderness. It switches between Hannah and Tom's past and present, showing how their relationship changed over time. They fell out of love - is it possible to fall back into it? Can they, and their relationship, change again, as Tom makes that long journey back to health? Or is it time for both of them to move on?
The book is beautifully written and I didn't want it to end. This is a story about guilt, love, regret, friendship and hope. It's about pursuing your dreams and following your heart - finding out who are you and not letting others define you. It's one of those books that makes you think about your own life - whether you're achieving your own dreams and, if not, what you can do about it. You never know what's in store.
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 15, 2018
As a debut novel, My Everything is giving other option in common popular romance story. It started by questions that is intriguing: what do you do if something unexpected happened when you are very certain with your decision to move on from your recent life? something unexpected that based on your humanity value will pull you back to your life that is going to be left? this interesting conflict brought me to some stories of marriage, brotherhood and people depression caused by daily routine. all of them is actually something happened to our circumstances. but unfortunately, some of us usually neglected for. this reality might became a reminder to us that some kind of simple act from us sometimes is giving a huge impact to the others. out of all stories about how the spouse is revealed each other, I'd like to say that I think I required the ending of the story is ever really happened in real life since this part is what I finally concluded that this book is giving other option in the common metropop stories. ;-)
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