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Happy Family
In Tracy Barone's mordantly funny debut, a fiercely independent woman is forced to come to terms with the family who raised her, the one who gave her away and the one she desperately wants.
Trenton, New Jersey, 1962: A pregnant girl staggers into a health clinic, gives birth, and flees. A foster family takes the baby in, and an unlikely couple, their lives unspooling from a recent tragedy, hastily adopts her.
Forty years and many secrets and lies later, Cheri Matzner is all grown up and falling apart. Ironic and unapologetic, she's a former cop-turned-disgruntled academic, a frustrated wife trying to get pregnant, an iconoclastic daughter bearing war-wounds from her overbearing mother and the deeply flawed but well-meaning father who has been dead for several years. Thrust into an odyssey of acceptance, Cheri discovers that sometimes it takes half a lifetime to come of age.
Written with a deep emotional intelligence and a biting wit, Happy Family weaves together the stories of the beautifully damaged people who have shaped Cheri's life--often in ways she has yet to discover. Asking if we can ever really know our parents outside their roles as our parents, Barone brilliantly explores the often vast divide between our beliefs about our families and the truth.
Trenton, New Jersey, 1962: A pregnant girl staggers into a health clinic, gives birth, and flees. A foster family takes the baby in, and an unlikely couple, their lives unspooling from a recent tragedy, hastily adopts her.
Forty years and many secrets and lies later, Cheri Matzner is all grown up and falling apart. Ironic and unapologetic, she's a former cop-turned-disgruntled academic, a frustrated wife trying to get pregnant, an iconoclastic daughter bearing war-wounds from her overbearing mother and the deeply flawed but well-meaning father who has been dead for several years. Thrust into an odyssey of acceptance, Cheri discovers that sometimes it takes half a lifetime to come of age.
Written with a deep emotional intelligence and a biting wit, Happy Family weaves together the stories of the beautifully damaged people who have shaped Cheri's life--often in ways she has yet to discover. Asking if we can ever really know our parents outside their roles as our parents, Barone brilliantly explores the often vast divide between our beliefs about our families and the truth.
393 pages, Hardcover
First published May 24, 2016
72 people are currently reading
2209 people want to read
About the author
Tracy Barone
4 books36 followersTracy Barone earned her MFA in dramatic writing at NYU and has worked as a screenwriter and playwright. She has worked in Hollywood, where she was the Executive Producer on Wild, Wild, West, Rosewood, and My Fellow Americans, and was instrumental in the acquisition and development of numerous films, including Men in Black and Ali. In addition to an MFA, Barone holds a B.A. from NYU. http://www.tracybarone.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
May 13, 2016
Juicy Storytelling....effortless reading....engrossing, intimate, and terrific!!!!!!
I started this book early this morning while riding a spin stationary bike. My bike shoes
were clipped into my SPD's. ( SPD's are designed for clipless bicycle pedals)....Its kinda an oxymoron.... POINT IS..... I was strapped in ( seat belt fastened..haha), taking a ride into this complex world that author, Tracy Barone created. Great workout!!!!
There are several themes - which tie together. At the beginning a baby girl is born and abandoned, in New Jersey. A young High School kid, a baseball fan-
just about fell in love on the spot when he saw the woman, ( Mariam), walk out of the hospital leaving her baby behind. (A teen boy and his fantasy of the beautiful woman who got away, left her baby, but sure to come back for them both).
Billy Beal managed to talk his parents into keeping the baby ---( better than being assigned a ward of the state). This was only temporary.
No longer temporary:
The baby gets adopted by Sol and Cici Maltzner. Sol and Cici are an interesting married couple from the start. They meet in Italy where Cici is from. He is from America-- Harvard educated - a radiologist - born Jewish. His parents are extremely religious. He is not. Cici is from a religious Roman Catholic family. Sol converted religions in order to marry Cici ( to satisfy her parents), to bring her back to New York - later New Jersey. His own parents disowned him for changing religions.
Being Jewish myself...I know how real this is.
However, ( regardless of religion challenges), the beginning of their marriage was with love and lust for each other....until Cici is rushed to the hospital where their first baby dies - and she has an emergency hysterectomy.
DON'T think I've given much of this story away --- it hasn't even gotten started yet....
Jumping ahead a little more...( but NO SPOILERS)
THE BABY HAS A NAME: Her name is Cheri.
Cheri is kick-ass-bright-as-a-whip-unconventional-adult!!!!
She is a 'cuneiform' scholar at Chicago University. She's married to Michael -( 5 years)- about to turn 40 - trying to get pregnant, and avoid the 40th B day party her mother is throwing her. Cheri never thought she wanted kids but had a change of heart late in life.
Cheri was the type of child that was much more interested in being a pirate than a princess. She had started getting piercings and tattoos beginning in high school. Her parents were not crazy about Cheri's nonconformist bohemian choices -- living near weirdos in the East Village where their were druggies and Mohawked punks, but, she was on track to have a respectable white collar career.....( she attended NYU, and then Yale), UNTIL....she wanted to become a COP!
As a reader...I wondered what Cheri's reasons were for working with the NYPD myself.
Her dad thought it was for shock value. She came from a privileged home. Maybe her birth mother lived in a Trailer Park - rather than Park Ave. Her mother was just panicked that she would be killed. In time Cheri does go back to the academic world.
Here is where I say no more....( there are surprises and secrets).....
Other than Cheri always had a distant relationship with her father, Sol. She has a problem at work...( oh, but you'll love the lecture she gives in a university class - even though Cheri is more interested in research than teaching). She has challenges with her mother, with her husband Michael, many failed artificial inseminations, and struggles with the secrets she knows about her parents. However, ( for pure pleasure reading), Cheri's field of study is very cool - and the entire chapter explaining the project she is interested in is fascinating!
I looked into my own life.....
My first cousin was adopted. She is the oldest child of 4 kids. She grew up in Piedmont, Calif. - A Jewish family. Shelley and I are the same age and have been close since little kids with many crazy adventure stories. I know about some of the suffering she went through being the only child - adopted -in my aunt and uncles family ---
but this novel opened my eyes wider into other factors about adoption - mixed marriages - mixed countries -and the different ways we are shaped within a family ....understanding more of why we are the way we are.
This is a REALLY GOOD NOVEL! ( quick read to boot)
Thank you Little Brown and Company, Netgalley, and Tracy Barone
I started this book early this morning while riding a spin stationary bike. My bike shoes
were clipped into my SPD's. ( SPD's are designed for clipless bicycle pedals)....Its kinda an oxymoron.... POINT IS..... I was strapped in ( seat belt fastened..haha), taking a ride into this complex world that author, Tracy Barone created. Great workout!!!!
There are several themes - which tie together. At the beginning a baby girl is born and abandoned, in New Jersey. A young High School kid, a baseball fan-
just about fell in love on the spot when he saw the woman, ( Mariam), walk out of the hospital leaving her baby behind. (A teen boy and his fantasy of the beautiful woman who got away, left her baby, but sure to come back for them both).
Billy Beal managed to talk his parents into keeping the baby ---( better than being assigned a ward of the state). This was only temporary.
No longer temporary:
The baby gets adopted by Sol and Cici Maltzner. Sol and Cici are an interesting married couple from the start. They meet in Italy where Cici is from. He is from America-- Harvard educated - a radiologist - born Jewish. His parents are extremely religious. He is not. Cici is from a religious Roman Catholic family. Sol converted religions in order to marry Cici ( to satisfy her parents), to bring her back to New York - later New Jersey. His own parents disowned him for changing religions.
Being Jewish myself...I know how real this is.
However, ( regardless of religion challenges), the beginning of their marriage was with love and lust for each other....until Cici is rushed to the hospital where their first baby dies - and she has an emergency hysterectomy.
DON'T think I've given much of this story away --- it hasn't even gotten started yet....
Jumping ahead a little more...( but NO SPOILERS)
THE BABY HAS A NAME: Her name is Cheri.
Cheri is kick-ass-bright-as-a-whip-unconventional-adult!!!!
She is a 'cuneiform' scholar at Chicago University. She's married to Michael -( 5 years)- about to turn 40 - trying to get pregnant, and avoid the 40th B day party her mother is throwing her. Cheri never thought she wanted kids but had a change of heart late in life.
Cheri was the type of child that was much more interested in being a pirate than a princess. She had started getting piercings and tattoos beginning in high school. Her parents were not crazy about Cheri's nonconformist bohemian choices -- living near weirdos in the East Village where their were druggies and Mohawked punks, but, she was on track to have a respectable white collar career.....( she attended NYU, and then Yale), UNTIL....she wanted to become a COP!
As a reader...I wondered what Cheri's reasons were for working with the NYPD myself.
Her dad thought it was for shock value. She came from a privileged home. Maybe her birth mother lived in a Trailer Park - rather than Park Ave. Her mother was just panicked that she would be killed. In time Cheri does go back to the academic world.
Here is where I say no more....( there are surprises and secrets).....
Other than Cheri always had a distant relationship with her father, Sol. She has a problem at work...( oh, but you'll love the lecture she gives in a university class - even though Cheri is more interested in research than teaching). She has challenges with her mother, with her husband Michael, many failed artificial inseminations, and struggles with the secrets she knows about her parents. However, ( for pure pleasure reading), Cheri's field of study is very cool - and the entire chapter explaining the project she is interested in is fascinating!
I looked into my own life.....
My first cousin was adopted. She is the oldest child of 4 kids. She grew up in Piedmont, Calif. - A Jewish family. Shelley and I are the same age and have been close since little kids with many crazy adventure stories. I know about some of the suffering she went through being the only child - adopted -in my aunt and uncles family ---
but this novel opened my eyes wider into other factors about adoption - mixed marriages - mixed countries -and the different ways we are shaped within a family ....understanding more of why we are the way we are.
This is a REALLY GOOD NOVEL! ( quick read to boot)
Thank you Little Brown and Company, Netgalley, and Tracy Barone
May 5, 2016
Cheri Matzner's life is in a bit of turmoil. She and her filmmaker husband are barely speaking yet she's trying to have a baby, her job as a professor of comparative religions is in jeopardy (but all she really wants is a spot on a crew slated to head to Iraq to catalog and translate antiquities), and she's trying to keep her overbearing, functionally alcoholic mother from throwing her a 40th birthday party.
But Cheri is used to chaos in her life, as she has reinvented herself more times than she can count, from the suburban adolescent to the multiple-pierced, blue-haired teenager, from the slightly radical Yale student to the tough-as-nails cop entangled in a relationship with her partner. Part of her restlessness seems innate to her, but she'll admit some of her transformations have simply been ways of angering her adoptive parents—her well-meaning but emotionally distant father and her smothering, insecure mother. She's never really understood why her parents treated her the way they always have, but while she's tried to shrug it off for most of her life, they've affected her more than she cares to admit.
A series of professional and personal setbacks make Cheri question everything—her marriage, her maternal instincts, her career path, and her family. She reflects upon her life growing up as some sort of symbol to both of her parents (something different to each of them), and wonders how much of this is attributable to her adoption as an infant. But more than that, Cheri realizes that it can take a significant amount of time before you really understand your parents and yourself, and sometimes your lowest moments are what you need to really change your life.
Tracy Barone's Happy Family is an emotional and sometimes humorous book about how growing up in the midst of dysfunction can only prepare you for more dysfunction in adulthood. It's also a book about finding strength in difficult times, and how life has a way of surprising you, both positively and negatively. The description of the book led me to believe it would be more about Cheri's birth mother and the foster family that took her in when she was an infant, but their impact is felt only briefly at the start and end.
Barone is a tremendously talented writer, and I found myself so wrapped up in the plot of the book that I honestly didn't realize how good she was until I read a paragraph near the end of the book which made me gasp. I re-read that and then started noticing Barone's almost-poetic style in some places. Cheri is a fascinating, flawed character; this is her book, and some of the other characters paled in comparison to her. (Cheri's mother almost never transcended a stereotypical Italian immigrant, clinging fast to her old-school ways and customs despite being in the U.S. for many years.)
Happy Family is a sensitive and occasionally sexy portrait of a woman who always believed her life was more together than it actually is. If you've ever wondered whether why you are the way you are has more to do with your upbringing than your own choices, this is definitely a book you'll enjoy. Barone's writing ability is definitely worth taking notice of.
NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
But Cheri is used to chaos in her life, as she has reinvented herself more times than she can count, from the suburban adolescent to the multiple-pierced, blue-haired teenager, from the slightly radical Yale student to the tough-as-nails cop entangled in a relationship with her partner. Part of her restlessness seems innate to her, but she'll admit some of her transformations have simply been ways of angering her adoptive parents—her well-meaning but emotionally distant father and her smothering, insecure mother. She's never really understood why her parents treated her the way they always have, but while she's tried to shrug it off for most of her life, they've affected her more than she cares to admit.
A series of professional and personal setbacks make Cheri question everything—her marriage, her maternal instincts, her career path, and her family. She reflects upon her life growing up as some sort of symbol to both of her parents (something different to each of them), and wonders how much of this is attributable to her adoption as an infant. But more than that, Cheri realizes that it can take a significant amount of time before you really understand your parents and yourself, and sometimes your lowest moments are what you need to really change your life.
Tracy Barone's Happy Family is an emotional and sometimes humorous book about how growing up in the midst of dysfunction can only prepare you for more dysfunction in adulthood. It's also a book about finding strength in difficult times, and how life has a way of surprising you, both positively and negatively. The description of the book led me to believe it would be more about Cheri's birth mother and the foster family that took her in when she was an infant, but their impact is felt only briefly at the start and end.
Barone is a tremendously talented writer, and I found myself so wrapped up in the plot of the book that I honestly didn't realize how good she was until I read a paragraph near the end of the book which made me gasp. I re-read that and then started noticing Barone's almost-poetic style in some places. Cheri is a fascinating, flawed character; this is her book, and some of the other characters paled in comparison to her. (Cheri's mother almost never transcended a stereotypical Italian immigrant, clinging fast to her old-school ways and customs despite being in the U.S. for many years.)
Happy Family is a sensitive and occasionally sexy portrait of a woman who always believed her life was more together than it actually is. If you've ever wondered whether why you are the way you are has more to do with your upbringing than your own choices, this is definitely a book you'll enjoy. Barone's writing ability is definitely worth taking notice of.
NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
June 14, 2016
Ergh, I took a long time sloughing through this book. It started out as a very interesting take on a family who loses a child through miscarriage and the husband adopts a baby on the sly to save his wife from complete mental ruin. I'm hooked. But then we take a swerve to the baby all grown up and dealing with the aftermath as well as her own stuff. And honestly, she's not a very likeable character. And I don't even like not liking her. Then we swerve back to the original parents and add in a bunch of secrets there. I really wanted to stay with the original Mom, as I found her to be the most interesting character of all, but the author tends to just bat her around like an annoying fly, which actually annoyed me. What annoyed me further is the baby all grown up doesn't really like her mom. I think we were supposed to be on the side of baby all grown up but I continued to root for mom, who never got her due. I think this book is where the intention of the author got very confused with the desire of the reader, thus we simply didn't mesh. Others may love it, but me, well, I felt like I kept wanting to switch the channel to the original show but no one else wanted to watch it.
May 2, 2019
Very very short English opinion below.
Melancholische, realistische Familiengeschichte
Das war ein sehr bewegendes Lesevergnügen und ein beeindruckendes Debüt. Erzählt wird die Geschichte der Familie Metzner in zwei Generationen. Zunächst stehen Cici und Sol im Vordergrund, die Frischverliebten, die für ihre gemeinsame Zukunft von ihrer eigenen Familien verstoßen werden und so ganz auf sich allein gestellt durchstarten. Ein Baby soll das Glück perfekt machen, doch dieses bleibt versagt - so kommt es zur Adoption von Cheri. Zeitsprung zu eben jener Cheri, die anläßlich ihres 40. Geburtstags über ihr bisheriges Leben, die aus verschiedenen Gründen komplizierte Beziehung zu ihren Eltern und die nicht weniger einfache Beziehung zu ihren Ehemann reflektiert.
Das ist schon fast der ganze Plot. Das soll nicht heißen, dass im Buch nichts passiert, im Gegenteil, es kommt zu vielen merkwürdigen, komischen und traurigen Situationen, vieles wird nacherzählt, die Kapitel springen in den Zeiten. Doch bei allem stehen die Charaktere im Vordergrund, sie sind es, nicht der Plot, die die Geschichte voran bringen. Das Buch stellt das Leben aller Charaktere und ihre Beziehungen untereinander sehr realistisch dar, mit allen Höhen und, vor allem, allen Tiefen. Es geht dabei vorrangig um Eltern-Kind- sowie Paarbeziehungen.
Das Verhältnis zu Cheri und ihren Eltern ist aus verschiedenen Gründen angespannt, neben zu lange verschwiegenen oder verdrängten Familiengeheimnissen und (un)bewusster Ablehnung bzw. empfundener Ausgrenzung gehören dazu Fragen wie: Wie viel Liebe muss ich geben, wie viel ist zuviel? Welche Erwartungen habe ich an mein Kind - vielleicht aus egoistischen Gründen, die im "Ich will doch nur dein Bestes"-Kontext verschleiert sind? Und: Welche Rolle spielt Blutsverwandschaft vs. Adoption?
Ähnlich facettenreich werden die Paarbeziehungen zwischen Cici und Sol (Cheris Eltern) als auch Cheri und ihrem Mann dargestellt. Was kommt nach der ersten großen Verliebtheit, also da, wo die meisten Romane enden? Was ist, wenn der Alltag Einzug hält? Die Gewohnheit? Die Liebe sich auf andere Dinge "verschiebt"? Wie viel kann/muss/darf eine Ehe aushalten?
Wer an derartigen Überlegungen Gefallen hat, ist mit diesem Buch sehr gut bedient. Cheri ist keine strahlende Titelheldin, sondern eine mit echten Ecken und Kanten, und ich fand es sehr spannend nach und nach zu verstehen, wie sie (und ihre Eltern) zu der wurde, die sie ist. Mit jeder Seite konnte ich mich besser in die Geschichte einfühlen und, fast ohne dass ich es bemerkt habe, war ich so gepackt, dass ich beim Kapitel "Michael" weinen musste - das war sehr bewegend und so... echt.
Sehr gut haben mir auch die Verknüpfungen mit zeitgeschichtlichen Ereignissen gefallen, die die inneren Strapazen der Familie quasi weltpolitisch widerspiegeln (Kubakrise in den früheren Kapiteln, drohender Irakkrieg in den späteren).
Und dann kam der Epilog - ein kleiner Meisterstreich der Autorin, der die zuvor gelesenen knapp 500 Seiten noch einmal in einem völlig neuen Licht erscheinen lassen und noch eine extra Schippe Verständnis und Mitgefühl für die Charaktere draufpackt.
Ein empfehlenswertes Debüt!
*******
A bittersweet, realistic, character driven family drama that made me think and cry at one point. Deals with parent-child as well as couple relationships. This isn't some corny, quirky story, this is life with all high and low points - recommended if you're into these kind of novels.
Melancholische, realistische Familiengeschichte
Das war ein sehr bewegendes Lesevergnügen und ein beeindruckendes Debüt. Erzählt wird die Geschichte der Familie Metzner in zwei Generationen. Zunächst stehen Cici und Sol im Vordergrund, die Frischverliebten, die für ihre gemeinsame Zukunft von ihrer eigenen Familien verstoßen werden und so ganz auf sich allein gestellt durchstarten. Ein Baby soll das Glück perfekt machen, doch dieses bleibt versagt - so kommt es zur Adoption von Cheri. Zeitsprung zu eben jener Cheri, die anläßlich ihres 40. Geburtstags über ihr bisheriges Leben, die aus verschiedenen Gründen komplizierte Beziehung zu ihren Eltern und die nicht weniger einfache Beziehung zu ihren Ehemann reflektiert.
Das ist schon fast der ganze Plot. Das soll nicht heißen, dass im Buch nichts passiert, im Gegenteil, es kommt zu vielen merkwürdigen, komischen und traurigen Situationen, vieles wird nacherzählt, die Kapitel springen in den Zeiten. Doch bei allem stehen die Charaktere im Vordergrund, sie sind es, nicht der Plot, die die Geschichte voran bringen. Das Buch stellt das Leben aller Charaktere und ihre Beziehungen untereinander sehr realistisch dar, mit allen Höhen und, vor allem, allen Tiefen. Es geht dabei vorrangig um Eltern-Kind- sowie Paarbeziehungen.
Das Verhältnis zu Cheri und ihren Eltern ist aus verschiedenen Gründen angespannt, neben zu lange verschwiegenen oder verdrängten Familiengeheimnissen und (un)bewusster Ablehnung bzw. empfundener Ausgrenzung gehören dazu Fragen wie: Wie viel Liebe muss ich geben, wie viel ist zuviel? Welche Erwartungen habe ich an mein Kind - vielleicht aus egoistischen Gründen, die im "Ich will doch nur dein Bestes"-Kontext verschleiert sind? Und: Welche Rolle spielt Blutsverwandschaft vs. Adoption?
Ähnlich facettenreich werden die Paarbeziehungen zwischen Cici und Sol (Cheris Eltern) als auch Cheri und ihrem Mann dargestellt. Was kommt nach der ersten großen Verliebtheit, also da, wo die meisten Romane enden? Was ist, wenn der Alltag Einzug hält? Die Gewohnheit? Die Liebe sich auf andere Dinge "verschiebt"? Wie viel kann/muss/darf eine Ehe aushalten?
Wer an derartigen Überlegungen Gefallen hat, ist mit diesem Buch sehr gut bedient. Cheri ist keine strahlende Titelheldin, sondern eine mit echten Ecken und Kanten, und ich fand es sehr spannend nach und nach zu verstehen, wie sie (und ihre Eltern) zu der wurde, die sie ist. Mit jeder Seite konnte ich mich besser in die Geschichte einfühlen und, fast ohne dass ich es bemerkt habe, war ich so gepackt, dass ich beim Kapitel "Michael" weinen musste - das war sehr bewegend und so... echt.
Sehr gut haben mir auch die Verknüpfungen mit zeitgeschichtlichen Ereignissen gefallen, die die inneren Strapazen der Familie quasi weltpolitisch widerspiegeln (Kubakrise in den früheren Kapiteln, drohender Irakkrieg in den späteren).
Und dann kam der Epilog - ein kleiner Meisterstreich der Autorin, der die zuvor gelesenen knapp 500 Seiten noch einmal in einem völlig neuen Licht erscheinen lassen und noch eine extra Schippe Verständnis und Mitgefühl für die Charaktere draufpackt.
Ein empfehlenswertes Debüt!
*******
A bittersweet, realistic, character driven family drama that made me think and cry at one point. Deals with parent-child as well as couple relationships. This isn't some corny, quirky story, this is life with all high and low points - recommended if you're into these kind of novels.
January 8, 2016
This amazing , engrossing book not only holds your attention with its riveting dialogue and incredible plot structure, but it makes your emotional temperature rise throughout. A deftly drawn, personal portrayal of family, lost love, and found self esteem and confidence. A page turner, quick to read, stylish, sensual and raw at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
June 23, 2016
This book is not poorly written, and I did care about it enough to finish it. However, the problems I had with it were too big.
First of all, it starts out with this omnipresent narrative, not your typical third person that focuses on one character at a time. It reads like you are inside one person's head, then another person's who is in the next room or another floor of a house, and that's all within the same paragraph. It's very confusing.
We start out with a pregnant girl giving birth in a clinic, and leaving. We follow her baby to a foster family and later an adoptive family. We see things from her adoptive mother's point of view, who has lost her baby so recently that she is still producing milk. We see it from the point of view of the jealous adoptive father. And then we are shown the three month old baby's point of view, which was oddly cynical and a little bitchy for a newborn.
Then we jump all the way to Cheri, the baby, getting ready to turn 40. She's grown even more bitchy, and aside from a few chapters, you are stuck with her perspective for the rest of the book. She is not at all likable. I know, I know, some people don't need to like their protagonist. Hell, some people don't even need to like their friends or their spouses. I do. I'm very particular about who I spend my time with, who I follow on Facebook, and who narrates the hundreds of pages of a book I read.
Cheri's husband is even more obnoxious than she is. In fact, there are no likable characters, except maybe Cheri's adoptive mother, who Cheri treats like utter shit for no reason whatsoever. This really upset me. I cannot stand privileged white girls who are verbally abusive to their devoted mothers, I guess because all I ever wanted was a mom who didn't harm me. I used to daydream about being adopted, or even being a foster kid. They say no kids want to leave their parents, no matter how bad the situation is, but that's not true for me. I would've done anything to get out. Funny thing is, I'm kind to my mother now. I've forgiven her. But every time I ever meet someone who acts like their mom is the devil, it's just a case of them being a spoiled brat who was maybe loved too much. I have known people like Cheri. I avoid them like the plague.
Then we have all these marriage issues we have to read about, between Cheri and Michael. As I said, Michael is even worse than her. They are having problems, but I never got a sense that they ever loved or liked each other at all. Even finishing the book (and I won't give spoilers) their marriage seemed pretty shallow to me. Cheri is constantly thinking about her ex instead. And he turns out to be a monster, so I never understand why.
Cheri's adoptive family was rolling in the dough, and when the father died, she was left with such a great inheritance that she'd "never have to work again." But she refuses to touch the money. She hates her adoptive father, in his death as she did in his life, because of how he treated her mother—which makes little sense at all, because Cheri treats her mother far worse, and cannot even manage any sympathy for her when she is grieving her husband.
Also, wow, this book said "nigger" more than anything I can remember reading, and it wasn't for character development. White people used it a few times, but it was mostly a black woman referring to her husband that way. It's completely unnecessary to the story, since racism is never even touched on. It just seems to be one of the author's favorite words.
And this book went on for about 150 pages longer than it needed to. This is one of those Wally Lamb type novels, an everything but the kitchen sink book. Thrown in as many maudlin events and emotions and "problematic" tumblr issues as possible! Neatly wrap it all up in an unbelievable way. It's a great book for white feminists, because all the plot is really just ivy surrounding that type of agenda. It's a poor little rich girl tale, but mainly about how unfair it is being a woman.
First of all, it starts out with this omnipresent narrative, not your typical third person that focuses on one character at a time. It reads like you are inside one person's head, then another person's who is in the next room or another floor of a house, and that's all within the same paragraph. It's very confusing.
We start out with a pregnant girl giving birth in a clinic, and leaving. We follow her baby to a foster family and later an adoptive family. We see things from her adoptive mother's point of view, who has lost her baby so recently that she is still producing milk. We see it from the point of view of the jealous adoptive father. And then we are shown the three month old baby's point of view, which was oddly cynical and a little bitchy for a newborn.
Then we jump all the way to Cheri, the baby, getting ready to turn 40. She's grown even more bitchy, and aside from a few chapters, you are stuck with her perspective for the rest of the book. She is not at all likable. I know, I know, some people don't need to like their protagonist. Hell, some people don't even need to like their friends or their spouses. I do. I'm very particular about who I spend my time with, who I follow on Facebook, and who narrates the hundreds of pages of a book I read.
Cheri's husband is even more obnoxious than she is. In fact, there are no likable characters, except maybe Cheri's adoptive mother, who Cheri treats like utter shit for no reason whatsoever. This really upset me. I cannot stand privileged white girls who are verbally abusive to their devoted mothers, I guess because all I ever wanted was a mom who didn't harm me. I used to daydream about being adopted, or even being a foster kid. They say no kids want to leave their parents, no matter how bad the situation is, but that's not true for me. I would've done anything to get out. Funny thing is, I'm kind to my mother now. I've forgiven her. But every time I ever meet someone who acts like their mom is the devil, it's just a case of them being a spoiled brat who was maybe loved too much. I have known people like Cheri. I avoid them like the plague.
Then we have all these marriage issues we have to read about, between Cheri and Michael. As I said, Michael is even worse than her. They are having problems, but I never got a sense that they ever loved or liked each other at all. Even finishing the book (and I won't give spoilers) their marriage seemed pretty shallow to me. Cheri is constantly thinking about her ex instead. And he turns out to be a monster, so I never understand why.
Cheri's adoptive family was rolling in the dough, and when the father died, she was left with such a great inheritance that she'd "never have to work again." But she refuses to touch the money. She hates her adoptive father, in his death as she did in his life, because of how he treated her mother—which makes little sense at all, because Cheri treats her mother far worse, and cannot even manage any sympathy for her when she is grieving her husband.
Also, wow, this book said "nigger" more than anything I can remember reading, and it wasn't for character development. White people used it a few times, but it was mostly a black woman referring to her husband that way. It's completely unnecessary to the story, since racism is never even touched on. It just seems to be one of the author's favorite words.
And this book went on for about 150 pages longer than it needed to. This is one of those Wally Lamb type novels, an everything but the kitchen sink book. Thrown in as many maudlin events and emotions and "problematic" tumblr issues as possible! Neatly wrap it all up in an unbelievable way. It's a great book for white feminists, because all the plot is really just ivy surrounding that type of agenda. It's a poor little rich girl tale, but mainly about how unfair it is being a woman.
May 18, 2016
"She was finally free from the irons of family obligation."
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No, she wasn't. We never are- there always chains in wait. A baby girl is born, her young mother is a beautiful mess and a high school boy is lost in an infatuation for that most interesting woman around, surely if he keeps her baby she will return for it and maybe into his arms as thanks? That is the lusty wishful thinking of Billy Beal who offers up his own family's nest to care for the infant. It is a loud family, but generous in their chaos. Just as the reader gets hooked by them, another mother faces a tragic loss, this whim of fate is in young Cheri's favor and she soon finds herself a Matzner. Beautiful and exotic Cici mesmerized Sol Matzner so much that his love for her cost him his family as well as his religious identity. Jewish or not, most families have their own sort of prejudice, that old "us" vs "them" mentality. Everyone likes to think their family is beyond those old world values, but experience tells me something is always going to be unacceptable. It's one thing to accept anything foreign ideally, but within one's own family- certainly not. Sol follows his feelings and through an enormous loss tries to fix his wife's broken heart with the young infant. It's too much to reveal what happens from there, but we understand how a child can be salvation and devastation, depending on whose prospective we're privy to.
Forty years later we see where life has led Cheri. Her choices, coming from a privileged home are questionable in her parent's opinion, but one has to wonder is the author throwing the readers a bone to wonder about nurture vs nature? She chose East Village with it's colorful characters much to her parents shock. Cheri abandons her elite education to work for the NYPD and certainly must have been comfortable with seedy situations. In fact, she almost seems to try on different lives. Abandoning higher learning only to return to it when she's burned out on being a cop. Why is it so difficult between her father Sol and her? Her mother certainly exhausts her too, but there is a deeper bond between them. What is going on with her love life? She wants to get pregnant, her and her husband are trying but maybe she wants it more than him? Maybe neither of them want it anymore?
This story is overflowing, there is so much happening that starts in abandonment. There are different issues- religion, being a foreigner, being adopted, love that fades, love that consumes, loss, lies, evasion, trying to protect those you love from brutal reality, endings, beginnings... What is identity exactly? Is it necessary to grow into the skin our family has passed down to us or is it better to shed it and sew our own? Do you ever really escape your biological make-up, or does it simply rise to the surface.
Who knows? But this is one hell of a book!
visit my blog at https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
No, she wasn't. We never are- there always chains in wait. A baby girl is born, her young mother is a beautiful mess and a high school boy is lost in an infatuation for that most interesting woman around, surely if he keeps her baby she will return for it and maybe into his arms as thanks? That is the lusty wishful thinking of Billy Beal who offers up his own family's nest to care for the infant. It is a loud family, but generous in their chaos. Just as the reader gets hooked by them, another mother faces a tragic loss, this whim of fate is in young Cheri's favor and she soon finds herself a Matzner. Beautiful and exotic Cici mesmerized Sol Matzner so much that his love for her cost him his family as well as his religious identity. Jewish or not, most families have their own sort of prejudice, that old "us" vs "them" mentality. Everyone likes to think their family is beyond those old world values, but experience tells me something is always going to be unacceptable. It's one thing to accept anything foreign ideally, but within one's own family- certainly not. Sol follows his feelings and through an enormous loss tries to fix his wife's broken heart with the young infant. It's too much to reveal what happens from there, but we understand how a child can be salvation and devastation, depending on whose prospective we're privy to.
Forty years later we see where life has led Cheri. Her choices, coming from a privileged home are questionable in her parent's opinion, but one has to wonder is the author throwing the readers a bone to wonder about nurture vs nature? She chose East Village with it's colorful characters much to her parents shock. Cheri abandons her elite education to work for the NYPD and certainly must have been comfortable with seedy situations. In fact, she almost seems to try on different lives. Abandoning higher learning only to return to it when she's burned out on being a cop. Why is it so difficult between her father Sol and her? Her mother certainly exhausts her too, but there is a deeper bond between them. What is going on with her love life? She wants to get pregnant, her and her husband are trying but maybe she wants it more than him? Maybe neither of them want it anymore?
This story is overflowing, there is so much happening that starts in abandonment. There are different issues- religion, being a foreigner, being adopted, love that fades, love that consumes, loss, lies, evasion, trying to protect those you love from brutal reality, endings, beginnings... What is identity exactly? Is it necessary to grow into the skin our family has passed down to us or is it better to shed it and sew our own? Do you ever really escape your biological make-up, or does it simply rise to the surface.
Who knows? But this is one hell of a book!
December 4, 2016
’If life is a river, we can see only a small patch of it. A little in front of us, some behind. We don’t know when we’re going to run into a tributary or hit a waterfall. If you could pull back and up to see how it all connects to the ocean, if you could see the whole story of all of your parents and their parents, would it alter your memories of them?
If you could do that, even for a moment, you’d get God’s sense of humor. You’d know your story is perfect. That your terribly imperfect parents were perfect for you, that your life could only have been written by and for you.’
As beautiful as that passage is and as well written as I found this story, I could not engage with it or its protagonist. It took me over three weeks to read and after completing I have more questions than answers. Kudos to Ms. Barone for a skillfully structured novel, but that may be part of the problem, it was a bit too cerebrally distancing with not enough back story for me to connect the dots for many of the characters and their motivations.
It was only in the last quarter of the book that I finally started to feel the emotion, though even then I could not conjure up something akin to empathy, more like curiosity as to where we would go. And while its final pages gave me so much to think about, I can’t say that the story itself will leave a lasting impression beyond this review. Two stars doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, for me it just means that while I can recognize the craft of it, I can’t appreciate the tale of it and that lands it in so-so territory.
If you could do that, even for a moment, you’d get God’s sense of humor. You’d know your story is perfect. That your terribly imperfect parents were perfect for you, that your life could only have been written by and for you.’
As beautiful as that passage is and as well written as I found this story, I could not engage with it or its protagonist. It took me over three weeks to read and after completing I have more questions than answers. Kudos to Ms. Barone for a skillfully structured novel, but that may be part of the problem, it was a bit too cerebrally distancing with not enough back story for me to connect the dots for many of the characters and their motivations.
It was only in the last quarter of the book that I finally started to feel the emotion, though even then I could not conjure up something akin to empathy, more like curiosity as to where we would go. And while its final pages gave me so much to think about, I can’t say that the story itself will leave a lasting impression beyond this review. Two stars doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, for me it just means that while I can recognize the craft of it, I can’t appreciate the tale of it and that lands it in so-so territory.
January 8, 2016
I absoloutly loved this novel. I literally never wanted it to end. The way it is written transports you in, making you feel such empathy for the main protagonist, Cheri Matzner. This novel mirrors the complexity and beauty of life itself.
An amazing read, will have you wanting more with every page.
An amazing read, will have you wanting more with every page.
June 11, 2016
An extraordinary debut
Tracy Barone, a name I quickly added to my collection of favored writers, debuted with a splendid book. Having just mucked through two highly unsatisfactory books by seasoned writers, I was gobsmacked by the many skills of a rookie.
The story is driven by a collection of beautifully developed, believable characters, all of whom I came to love. Each one was so real that I occasionally found myself giving them unsolicited advice through the screen of my Kindle. Conjuring up a person in one's mind and creating a realistic life on paper is not only a unique skill, but also an art, usually accomplished only by selected experienced writers. Tracy Barone achieved in her first book what many writers never get quite right.
I have read countless stories centered around adoption, and Happy Family is my new favorite. Sol and Cici Matzner, the adoptive parents of an infant girl, make an unusual and often hilarious couple. The marriage of a Jewish doctor to a beautiful Italian, Catholic child bride, almost unheard of in the 1950s, wreaks havoc on the newlyweds' families. Sol converts to Catholicism in a futile attempt to assuage Cici's family, but he is disowned by the Matzner clan. How ironic that Cici becomes the stereotypical Jewish mother! They name their daughter Cheri, dropping the 'e' from their favorite term of endearment.
Through Cheri, the reader learns of her life through her first forty years. Everything she does thwarts Cici's plans. She is a complex character as she comes of age. From hippie to the NYPD to an expert in an arcane field, she is fiercely independent even after she marries.
The writing of this fast-paced story is close to flawless. The narrative is filled with biting wit, especially with regard to Cici. Despite all her years in America, she still butchers the English language, resulting in countless malaprops. Again Tracy Barone excels where many fail. Rather than sounding forced or demeaning, Cici's attempts are natural and often hilarious. She is the ultimate helicopter parent to a daughter who wants little to do with her family.
I already miss the Matzner family and recommend this book to everyone who wants to meet them.
Tracy Barone, a name I quickly added to my collection of favored writers, debuted with a splendid book. Having just mucked through two highly unsatisfactory books by seasoned writers, I was gobsmacked by the many skills of a rookie.
The story is driven by a collection of beautifully developed, believable characters, all of whom I came to love. Each one was so real that I occasionally found myself giving them unsolicited advice through the screen of my Kindle. Conjuring up a person in one's mind and creating a realistic life on paper is not only a unique skill, but also an art, usually accomplished only by selected experienced writers. Tracy Barone achieved in her first book what many writers never get quite right.
I have read countless stories centered around adoption, and Happy Family is my new favorite. Sol and Cici Matzner, the adoptive parents of an infant girl, make an unusual and often hilarious couple. The marriage of a Jewish doctor to a beautiful Italian, Catholic child bride, almost unheard of in the 1950s, wreaks havoc on the newlyweds' families. Sol converts to Catholicism in a futile attempt to assuage Cici's family, but he is disowned by the Matzner clan. How ironic that Cici becomes the stereotypical Jewish mother! They name their daughter Cheri, dropping the 'e' from their favorite term of endearment.
Through Cheri, the reader learns of her life through her first forty years. Everything she does thwarts Cici's plans. She is a complex character as she comes of age. From hippie to the NYPD to an expert in an arcane field, she is fiercely independent even after she marries.
The writing of this fast-paced story is close to flawless. The narrative is filled with biting wit, especially with regard to Cici. Despite all her years in America, she still butchers the English language, resulting in countless malaprops. Again Tracy Barone excels where many fail. Rather than sounding forced or demeaning, Cici's attempts are natural and often hilarious. She is the ultimate helicopter parent to a daughter who wants little to do with her family.
I already miss the Matzner family and recommend this book to everyone who wants to meet them.
May 20, 2016
A young girl gives birth to a baby and walks out of the clinic. That baby is adopted by a couple unable to have a child of their own. Decades later, Cheri Matzner is all grown up but nothing in her life is going quite as well as she'd like.
Work, her marriage, and dealing with her well-meaning but overbearing mother are all sources of strife as she nears her 40th birthday. She's a former cop and current orofessor, and the details in this novel are so well researched and thoroughly described that they paint a vivid, realistic picture. Happy Family examines familial bonds and asks whether we can ever see our parents as complex people beyond the simple scope of parenthood, and if doing so would change the way we perceive our history.
Written with considerable emotional intelligence and some very clever humor, it’s hard to believe this is Tracy Barone's first novel.
I was able to read an advanced galley of Happy Family for honest review courtesy of Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company.
Work, her marriage, and dealing with her well-meaning but overbearing mother are all sources of strife as she nears her 40th birthday. She's a former cop and current orofessor, and the details in this novel are so well researched and thoroughly described that they paint a vivid, realistic picture. Happy Family examines familial bonds and asks whether we can ever see our parents as complex people beyond the simple scope of parenthood, and if doing so would change the way we perceive our history.
Written with considerable emotional intelligence and some very clever humor, it’s hard to believe this is Tracy Barone's first novel.
I was able to read an advanced galley of Happy Family for honest review courtesy of Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company.
September 1, 2016
2.5 Simply put, this book is not as good as its cover. Perhaps I'm just tired of reading about rich white families and their dysfunction and secrets but this book fell completely flat for me. The writing was serviceable without ever being great and the plot reveals were far too obvious. I also thought the readers' allegiances were confused. The start of the book made me emphasise strongly with the adoptive parents only to have perspective shift to the adopted daughter who is extremely 'unlikeable' and not in a good way.
February 29, 2020
Ugh ugh UGH.
I grabbed this one at the library because it had great cover art and some highly favorable book jacket blurbs from authors I really respect.
I despised the characters. They were miserable, rude, self involved, and negative. I slogged through and endured until the main character remarked that she was "autistic before she had her morning coffee" and then I just stopped reading. Seriously. With only a few chapters left.
UGH.
I grabbed this one at the library because it had great cover art and some highly favorable book jacket blurbs from authors I really respect.
I despised the characters. They were miserable, rude, self involved, and negative. I slogged through and endured until the main character remarked that she was "autistic before she had her morning coffee" and then I just stopped reading. Seriously. With only a few chapters left.
UGH.
June 2, 2016
This book was only ok for me. Was tired of Cheri by about 2/3 of the way through and wanted to hear more about CiCi and Sol and would have loved to know more about Cheri's biological mom.
May 23, 2016
I devoured this book...I couldn't put it down! I don't like to spoil a good story so I won't. I will say that this multi-layered story took you through the ride of navigating one family's crazy. I cried, I laughed, and at the end you get a sense that every family, no matter how fucked up, works with their fucked upness.
I really like the fact that it gave you enough information but not too much where you felt the story dragged. It hinted at things and you just had to keep on reading because you had to find out. This story touches on lose, love, fear, personal discovery. It makes you throb in pain but then laugh insanely when you relate. It touched on topics like adoption and cancer but did not tip-toed around the gruesomeness they can involved.
Intricate but yet relatable, this novel is a must read!
I really like the fact that it gave you enough information but not too much where you felt the story dragged. It hinted at things and you just had to keep on reading because you had to find out. This story touches on lose, love, fear, personal discovery. It makes you throb in pain but then laugh insanely when you relate. It touched on topics like adoption and cancer but did not tip-toed around the gruesomeness they can involved.
Intricate but yet relatable, this novel is a must read!
July 17, 2016
Ugh.
Awful.
Didn't like any of the characters. The author seemed to develop a storyline and then abandon it & start with someone else. No consistency.
Used "autistic" offensively to describe a character before he has coffee?!
Waste of my time. Don't waste yours.
Awful.
Didn't like any of the characters. The author seemed to develop a storyline and then abandon it & start with someone else. No consistency.
Used "autistic" offensively to describe a character before he has coffee?!
Waste of my time. Don't waste yours.
July 9, 2016
This book started off wonderfully with the past story of how the adoption came to be. . . But once it turned to present tense with the main character "Cheri" I lost 88% of my interest. I only picked it back up because I finished my other available books. The author can write well, but I found the entire plot as well as the details and dialogue all over the map. It's as if Barone wanted to tell 3 stories and fit it into one book.
January 8, 2016
Brilliant, witty, deep and fierce. A could-not-put-it-down tale of one woman's search for family in the scorched earth that came before her, and in the remains of the fires she sets. Funny, bitter, all around delicious.
July 16, 2018
So I've finally figured out why I didn't love Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Happy Family had what Evelyn's story did not. I don't think it was just the 3rd-person narration here worked better, but also that the aesthetic quality of the writing here seemed eons more developed. Barone's prose worked so well for this mini-epic, as the family members were introduced: Cece and Sal, the adoptive parents of Cheri, the infant to fill the hole made when they lost their biological son a few weeks prior due to pregnancy complications. The years that follow display a turbulent relationship between parents and daughter as she discovers that she was adopted and recognizes how different she really is, purposely rebelling and becoming more estranged with her father.
Most of the story takes place in Cheri's present day, as she approaches her 40th birthday and has to deal with charges of prejudice in her university classroom which threatens a last ditch effort to view sacred tablets in Iraq before the war fully commences and those and thousands of other artifacts are endangered and possibly lost. Her marriage is strained, her husband distant, her womb empty. Her father died suddenly and left her a huge trust fund which she could spend unfettered on her research projects, leaving her professor job behind her, but, resentful, she leaves it untouched. Shocked by a threatening illness in her husband, the rest of her story gains momentum as it unravels, her past as a cop, her father's misdeeds, her mother's sorrow, all cumulating in a languid intricacy I couldn't look away from.
Most of the story takes place in Cheri's present day, as she approaches her 40th birthday and has to deal with charges of prejudice in her university classroom which threatens a last ditch effort to view sacred tablets in Iraq before the war fully commences and those and thousands of other artifacts are endangered and possibly lost. Her marriage is strained, her husband distant, her womb empty. Her father died suddenly and left her a huge trust fund which she could spend unfettered on her research projects, leaving her professor job behind her, but, resentful, she leaves it untouched. Shocked by a threatening illness in her husband, the rest of her story gains momentum as it unravels, her past as a cop, her father's misdeeds, her mother's sorrow, all cumulating in a languid intricacy I couldn't look away from.
June 16, 2019
Vom Finden
Im Jahr 1962 stirbt Marilyn und Cheri Matzner wird geboren. Allerdings ist die Geschichte ihrer Herkunft nicht so einfach. Ihre leibliche Mutter bringt sie in einer kleinen Klinik in Trenton zur Welt und verschwindet kurz nach der Entbindung. Das junge Ehepaar Matzner erwartet ein Kind. Es ist tragisch, der kleine Junge stirbt kurz nach der Geburt. Cici Matzner fällt in eine tiefe Depression, auch weil sie keine Kinder mehr bekommen kann. Sol sieht eine Chance darin, das neugeborene Mädchen zu adoptieren. Und so wächst Cheri in einer wohlhabenden Familie auf, hat die Möglichkeit zu studieren und überhaupt auf ein glückliches Leben.
Es könnte so schön und einfach sein, ist es aber nicht. Selbst die kleine Cheri merkt bald, dass ihre Familie nicht so ist wie andere. Cici kommt aus Italien und hat ihren Akzent nie abgelegt. Sols Familie hat sich von ihm abgewandt als er seinen Willen durchsetzte und Cici heiratete. Und Cici vereinnahmt ihre Tochter etwas arg. Sie will es besonders gut machen und vergisst, dass eine Mutter auch mal loslassen muss. Auch Cheris Verhältnis zu Sol ist eher angespannt. Von ihm möchte sie unabhängig sein. Nach einigen Versuchen in verschiedenen Jobs, ist Cheri nun verheiratet.
Dies ist wieder mal eines der Bücher, die sich möglicherweise erst dann erschließen, wenn man das letzte Kapitel beendet hat. Zunächst wirken die Handlungsstränge etwas zusammenhanglos und man fragt sich manchmal, weshalb einiges so angelegt ist, wie es ist. Je weiter man liest, desto mehr fügt sich alles zusammen. Cheris Persönlichkeit gewinnt mehr Kontur und man kann für die meisten ihrer Handlungen viel Verständnis entwickeln. Sie schafft vieles selbst und manchmal erhält sie Hilfe von ganz unerwarteter Seite. Cheri Matzner ist ein ungewöhnlicher Charakter, dem man außerordentlich gönnt, in sich selbst zu ruhen. Ein durchaus lebensbejahender Roman, in dem tragische Momente mit großer Authentizität geschildert sind.
Im Jahr 1962 stirbt Marilyn und Cheri Matzner wird geboren. Allerdings ist die Geschichte ihrer Herkunft nicht so einfach. Ihre leibliche Mutter bringt sie in einer kleinen Klinik in Trenton zur Welt und verschwindet kurz nach der Entbindung. Das junge Ehepaar Matzner erwartet ein Kind. Es ist tragisch, der kleine Junge stirbt kurz nach der Geburt. Cici Matzner fällt in eine tiefe Depression, auch weil sie keine Kinder mehr bekommen kann. Sol sieht eine Chance darin, das neugeborene Mädchen zu adoptieren. Und so wächst Cheri in einer wohlhabenden Familie auf, hat die Möglichkeit zu studieren und überhaupt auf ein glückliches Leben.
Es könnte so schön und einfach sein, ist es aber nicht. Selbst die kleine Cheri merkt bald, dass ihre Familie nicht so ist wie andere. Cici kommt aus Italien und hat ihren Akzent nie abgelegt. Sols Familie hat sich von ihm abgewandt als er seinen Willen durchsetzte und Cici heiratete. Und Cici vereinnahmt ihre Tochter etwas arg. Sie will es besonders gut machen und vergisst, dass eine Mutter auch mal loslassen muss. Auch Cheris Verhältnis zu Sol ist eher angespannt. Von ihm möchte sie unabhängig sein. Nach einigen Versuchen in verschiedenen Jobs, ist Cheri nun verheiratet.
Dies ist wieder mal eines der Bücher, die sich möglicherweise erst dann erschließen, wenn man das letzte Kapitel beendet hat. Zunächst wirken die Handlungsstränge etwas zusammenhanglos und man fragt sich manchmal, weshalb einiges so angelegt ist, wie es ist. Je weiter man liest, desto mehr fügt sich alles zusammen. Cheris Persönlichkeit gewinnt mehr Kontur und man kann für die meisten ihrer Handlungen viel Verständnis entwickeln. Sie schafft vieles selbst und manchmal erhält sie Hilfe von ganz unerwarteter Seite. Cheri Matzner ist ein ungewöhnlicher Charakter, dem man außerordentlich gönnt, in sich selbst zu ruhen. Ein durchaus lebensbejahender Roman, in dem tragische Momente mit großer Authentizität geschildert sind.
May 18, 2017
Solid three stars. It was pretty predictable which was fine with me, but well written with a dark humor underlying it that gave a little edge. This is a classic messed up family story; no one communicates and the secrets have a tendency to eat everyone up.
The narrator changed a couple of times between mom and daughter but at least in my recollection it happened at natural breaks so it didn't bother me.
My biggest complaint with this book is it is lacking depth and heart. All the pieces are right there but when it comes to developing the relationships between mom and daughter, dad and daughter, husband and wife it just doesn't get it done. There are wigs but it's flat. Only in the very early chapters between Cici and Sol do you get a taste.
Quick beach read though and if that's what you're looking for I recommend it.
The narrator changed a couple of times between mom and daughter but at least in my recollection it happened at natural breaks so it didn't bother me.
My biggest complaint with this book is it is lacking depth and heart. All the pieces are right there but when it comes to developing the relationships between mom and daughter, dad and daughter, husband and wife it just doesn't get it done. There are wigs but it's flat. Only in the very early chapters between Cici and Sol do you get a taste.
Quick beach read though and if that's what you're looking for I recommend it.
March 13, 2023
Diogenes Verlag hat mich bis heute noch nie enttäuscht. Das Buch habe ich zufällig auf einem Flohmarkt für 2.50 € gekauft. Die Geschichte ist unfassbar spannend, berührend, dramatisch, verstörend, echt und so gut verfasst. Den einen Punkt ziehe ich ab, aufgrund der rassistischen Begrifflichkeiten im Buch, wie bspw. das N-Wort. Man sollte das Buch dem aktuellen Sprachgebrauch anpassen.
October 1, 2019
There are no characters in this story that I can relate to or that I even like. Cici, the mother, maybe. I was intetested in the beginning story... wish that part continued instead of fast forwarding to the babys life as a 40 year old woman whos bitter towards everyone and everything. The story is very predictable.
June 10, 2023
Such an interesting story that gave me all the emotions! Definitely interested in reading more from this author.
April 13, 2017
This is a moving story about families, how they begin and how they are defined. Really great story that comes full circle. But, I was hoping for a little more from the ending.
May 2, 2019
Jahreshighlight
May 10, 2019
Kurzmeinung: Mit viel Goodwill aufgerundet auf vier Punkte. Roman, der zentriert gehört hätte.
Weder der Arbeitstitel „Thanksgiving“ noch der veränderte Titel „Das wilde Leben der Cheri Matzner“ trifft den Inhalt dieses Romans, wobei „Thanksgiving“ wenigstens ein bisschen gepasst hätte.
Zudem suggeriert der Klappen- und/oder Rückentext einen heiteren Roman. Doch „Das wilde Leben der Cheri Matzner“ ist absolut nicht lustig, nicht einmal ansatzweise, sondern dramalastig, voller unglücklicher Leute, die, wenn sie einen Funken gesunden Menschenverstand gehabt hätten, nicht unglücklich hätten sein brauchen.
Die eigentlich tragische Figur dieses Romans, die aber insgesamt nicht besonders gut wegkommt, ist Cici, die Mutter von Cheri Matzner. Sie hat durch die Schuld ihres Mannes ihr Kind verloren und kann keine weiteren Kinder mehr bekommen. Sie fällt in eine tiefe Depression.
Bis hierher ist der Roman ganz in Ordnung und bietet viele gute Ansätze.
Man leidet mit der lebenslustigen und sexhungrigen Cici, die einen Vaterkomplex hat und die durch das panische und dumme Verhalten ihres Ehemannes daran gehindert wird, erwachsen zu werden. Doch das muss man bereits zwischen den Zeilen lesen. Ausgearbeitet wird es nicht. Ausgearbeitet wird gar nichts. Sondern es gibt jede Menge praller Szenen – wie im Film eben.
Vordergründig wechseln die Hauptpersonen, was ein Fehler ist in diesem Fall, hinüber zu Cheri, dem Baby, das der Ehemann von Cici ihr kauft. Von nun an ist die Handlung überkonstruiert und unglaubwürdig, von den Charakteren ganz zu schweigen.
Eigentlich geht es „nur“ um die Identitätssuche adoptierter Kinder. Aber was für ein Schwubbelschwurbel schreibt die Autorin drum rum! Unglückliche Liebe, unglückliche Ehe, aus diversen Gründen ständiges berufliches Scheitern, die Beziehung zu den Eltern kriegt Cheri auch nicht hin – warum reden die nicht mal miteinander wie erwachsene Menschen? Ein Gespräch um den runden Tisch und alles läuft anders. Doch die Autorin kann dieses vernünftige Verhalten nicht brauchen.
Cheri ist auch gar nicht rebellisch oder bricht auf lustige Weise aus dem Familienverband aus, wie man nach Buchbewerbung erwarten könnte, sondern sie ist einfach nur permanent auf der Suche nach entgangener Liebe und Anerkennung.
Nun gut, vergessen wir einmal für einen Moment den (teilweise) dummen Klappentext.
Obwohl die Autorin durchaus schreiben kann und sich der Roman süffig liest, ist er nicht aus einem Guß, sondern besteht aus einer Aneinanderreihung längerer dramatischen Szenen, die den Leser hin- und herschmeißen und sich im Film gut machen!
Ja, so macht man ein Drehbuch, aber so schreibt man keinen Roman.
Gerne würde ich die Charaktere im Einzelnen beschreiben und einen nach dem anderen auseinandernehmen. Aber damit wäre dann doch zuviel verraten.
Fazit: Der Roman liest sich durchaus gut runter, doch wieder einmal zeigt sich, dass Drehbuchautoren und Filmemacher nicht unbedingt auf Anhieb auch gute Autoren sein müssen (und es vielleicht auch nie werden). Für die Königskategorie:, „Anspruchsvolle Literatur/Belletristik“ reicht es dann auch nicht, doch in der Kategorie „Unterhaltung“ lasse ich wegen reichhaltiger Phantasie und der Schreibe vier Punkte übrig. Reine Unterhaltung aber - ist zweitklassig.
Kategorie: Unterhaltung
Verlag, Diogenes 2019
Weder der Arbeitstitel „Thanksgiving“ noch der veränderte Titel „Das wilde Leben der Cheri Matzner“ trifft den Inhalt dieses Romans, wobei „Thanksgiving“ wenigstens ein bisschen gepasst hätte.
Zudem suggeriert der Klappen- und/oder Rückentext einen heiteren Roman. Doch „Das wilde Leben der Cheri Matzner“ ist absolut nicht lustig, nicht einmal ansatzweise, sondern dramalastig, voller unglücklicher Leute, die, wenn sie einen Funken gesunden Menschenverstand gehabt hätten, nicht unglücklich hätten sein brauchen.
Die eigentlich tragische Figur dieses Romans, die aber insgesamt nicht besonders gut wegkommt, ist Cici, die Mutter von Cheri Matzner. Sie hat durch die Schuld ihres Mannes ihr Kind verloren und kann keine weiteren Kinder mehr bekommen. Sie fällt in eine tiefe Depression.
Bis hierher ist der Roman ganz in Ordnung und bietet viele gute Ansätze.
Man leidet mit der lebenslustigen und sexhungrigen Cici, die einen Vaterkomplex hat und die durch das panische und dumme Verhalten ihres Ehemannes daran gehindert wird, erwachsen zu werden. Doch das muss man bereits zwischen den Zeilen lesen. Ausgearbeitet wird es nicht. Ausgearbeitet wird gar nichts. Sondern es gibt jede Menge praller Szenen – wie im Film eben.
Vordergründig wechseln die Hauptpersonen, was ein Fehler ist in diesem Fall, hinüber zu Cheri, dem Baby, das der Ehemann von Cici ihr kauft. Von nun an ist die Handlung überkonstruiert und unglaubwürdig, von den Charakteren ganz zu schweigen.
Eigentlich geht es „nur“ um die Identitätssuche adoptierter Kinder. Aber was für ein Schwubbelschwurbel schreibt die Autorin drum rum! Unglückliche Liebe, unglückliche Ehe, aus diversen Gründen ständiges berufliches Scheitern, die Beziehung zu den Eltern kriegt Cheri auch nicht hin – warum reden die nicht mal miteinander wie erwachsene Menschen? Ein Gespräch um den runden Tisch und alles läuft anders. Doch die Autorin kann dieses vernünftige Verhalten nicht brauchen.
Cheri ist auch gar nicht rebellisch oder bricht auf lustige Weise aus dem Familienverband aus, wie man nach Buchbewerbung erwarten könnte, sondern sie ist einfach nur permanent auf der Suche nach entgangener Liebe und Anerkennung.
Nun gut, vergessen wir einmal für einen Moment den (teilweise) dummen Klappentext.
Obwohl die Autorin durchaus schreiben kann und sich der Roman süffig liest, ist er nicht aus einem Guß, sondern besteht aus einer Aneinanderreihung längerer dramatischen Szenen, die den Leser hin- und herschmeißen und sich im Film gut machen!
Ja, so macht man ein Drehbuch, aber so schreibt man keinen Roman.
Gerne würde ich die Charaktere im Einzelnen beschreiben und einen nach dem anderen auseinandernehmen. Aber damit wäre dann doch zuviel verraten.
Fazit: Der Roman liest sich durchaus gut runter, doch wieder einmal zeigt sich, dass Drehbuchautoren und Filmemacher nicht unbedingt auf Anhieb auch gute Autoren sein müssen (und es vielleicht auch nie werden). Für die Königskategorie:, „Anspruchsvolle Literatur/Belletristik“ reicht es dann auch nicht, doch in der Kategorie „Unterhaltung“ lasse ich wegen reichhaltiger Phantasie und der Schreibe vier Punkte übrig. Reine Unterhaltung aber - ist zweitklassig.
Kategorie: Unterhaltung
Verlag, Diogenes 2019
June 8, 2016
[3 stars]
At the center of this roving story lies Cherie, a baby born and abandoned by her teenaged mother, taken into a foster home due to the convincing of young Billy, and ultimately adopted by a distraught couple in hopes of filling a void left by the recent loss of their biological child. The timeline flexes and folds as the story is revealed from various perspectives, but mostly revolves around Cherie as its axis. Teenaged clinic custodian Billy, adoptive parents Sol and Cici, husband Michael, young and middle-aged Cherie all share some of the storytelling in this heartbreaking yet hopeful novel.
Cherie had every promise of being a fascinatingly interesting character, unfortunately her story never fully came together for me, leaving sections of her life annoyingly unexplained in a way where I was unable to fill in the blanks as to how she got from point A to point B. I felt held at arm’s length, and thus was never able to fully connect or feel empathy for Cherie in the way I’m sure was intended.
I was actually more interested in lives and roles of the supporting characters. Who is Billy, and what lies behind his motivation to convince his parents to foster an abandoned baby? What is the back story of Cherie’s biological mother, and how did she find herself delivering a baby while simultaneously shooting up stolen morphine? What was going on in Cici’s mind when her husband showed up with infant Cherie so soon after losing their own biological son? What is the actual deal with Sol? (I have many specific questions about him, but that would involve too many spoilers). How did Cherie’s and Michael’s relationship evolve from its electrifying start? I could go on and on, with questions I actually want to read about, versus what I actually read about.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a well written, solid-enough novel, and one I would consider recommending to the right reader looking for a certain kind of reading experience. Full of heart and heartbreak, it forces the reader to ponder age old questions of nature versus nurture, however, it lacks the wow factor necessary to leave a significant lasting impression. If you’re looking for an enjoyable, easily readable story, give this one a try.
For more, visit http://www.bookishtendencies.com
At the center of this roving story lies Cherie, a baby born and abandoned by her teenaged mother, taken into a foster home due to the convincing of young Billy, and ultimately adopted by a distraught couple in hopes of filling a void left by the recent loss of their biological child. The timeline flexes and folds as the story is revealed from various perspectives, but mostly revolves around Cherie as its axis. Teenaged clinic custodian Billy, adoptive parents Sol and Cici, husband Michael, young and middle-aged Cherie all share some of the storytelling in this heartbreaking yet hopeful novel.
Cherie had every promise of being a fascinatingly interesting character, unfortunately her story never fully came together for me, leaving sections of her life annoyingly unexplained in a way where I was unable to fill in the blanks as to how she got from point A to point B. I felt held at arm’s length, and thus was never able to fully connect or feel empathy for Cherie in the way I’m sure was intended.
I was actually more interested in lives and roles of the supporting characters. Who is Billy, and what lies behind his motivation to convince his parents to foster an abandoned baby? What is the back story of Cherie’s biological mother, and how did she find herself delivering a baby while simultaneously shooting up stolen morphine? What was going on in Cici’s mind when her husband showed up with infant Cherie so soon after losing their own biological son? What is the actual deal with Sol? (I have many specific questions about him, but that would involve too many spoilers). How did Cherie’s and Michael’s relationship evolve from its electrifying start? I could go on and on, with questions I actually want to read about, versus what I actually read about.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a well written, solid-enough novel, and one I would consider recommending to the right reader looking for a certain kind of reading experience. Full of heart and heartbreak, it forces the reader to ponder age old questions of nature versus nurture, however, it lacks the wow factor necessary to leave a significant lasting impression. If you’re looking for an enjoyable, easily readable story, give this one a try.
For more, visit http://www.bookishtendencies.com
February 6, 2017
Happy Family is full of anything but. Cheri Matzner is the middle-aged version of a child abandoned in an inner city health clinic. Her marriage is in shambles, and, to make matters worse, childless. Her relationship with her parents is, put nicely, complicated, and with little hope of repair as her father has recently passed. Those same parents were the ones who adopted baby Cheri, after suffering a hopeless tragedy that leaves one of them feeling ostracized from the family unit.
There's something special about a novel that doesn't give up, that reveals something small, but crucial in its last seconds, that changes the entire scope and influence of the work. Happy Family is one such treat.
The final novel was very different from what I had anticipated going into it. The work changes directions several times, and I found I enjoyed the end, once Barone seemed to have found a cohesive footing, better than the beginning, though I only disliked the beginning through the cohesive lens of the end. The plot fell into some predictable paths, but was still a gripping and enjoyable ride.
Barone's greatest strength, however, was her characters. Her characters are strong and complex creatures, not unlike the ones we are and know. Only in a well imagined world (or the real one) can a religious and language professor have a past life of an NYC, NRA gun wielding cop, and be the daughter of a doctor and wife to a documentary director. Her characters are so vivid, you'll break down alongside them.
I was surprised at how well crafted this debut was. Generally, I find debuts to be poorly written or constructed, but this novel was neither. Tracy Barone is a talented writer, who offers up lots in her first, and can only grow and improve as she continues on in her career. She has a new, big, fan in me, and I strongly urge everyone who is need of a riveting story, of a chance to cry, forgive, and grow, pick this up immediately.
Plus, the jacket is absolutely stunning.
There's something special about a novel that doesn't give up, that reveals something small, but crucial in its last seconds, that changes the entire scope and influence of the work. Happy Family is one such treat.
The final novel was very different from what I had anticipated going into it. The work changes directions several times, and I found I enjoyed the end, once Barone seemed to have found a cohesive footing, better than the beginning, though I only disliked the beginning through the cohesive lens of the end. The plot fell into some predictable paths, but was still a gripping and enjoyable ride.
Barone's greatest strength, however, was her characters. Her characters are strong and complex creatures, not unlike the ones we are and know. Only in a well imagined world (or the real one) can a religious and language professor have a past life of an NYC, NRA gun wielding cop, and be the daughter of a doctor and wife to a documentary director. Her characters are so vivid, you'll break down alongside them.
I was surprised at how well crafted this debut was. Generally, I find debuts to be poorly written or constructed, but this novel was neither. Tracy Barone is a talented writer, who offers up lots in her first, and can only grow and improve as she continues on in her career. She has a new, big, fan in me, and I strongly urge everyone who is need of a riveting story, of a chance to cry, forgive, and grow, pick this up immediately.
Plus, the jacket is absolutely stunning.
May 19, 2016
I'm torn about how to rate this well written novel. It felt like two or three different novels were going on - the tone of the beginning did not match the second third, which did not match the final third. There were just SO MANY things. I did not understand how Cheri got from religion major to cop to Yale to expert on and translator of Mesopatamia. We eventually learn why she left being a police officer but not the Mesopatamia part. The university section was not consistent, there was a whole novel in itself about Michael, and well, I don't understand why poor Sol did what he did or why Billy ended up how he did. I really liked both Cici and Cookie, whose scenes were in some ways the most true. I have to admit, all of the previous written, that this wrapped me in and kept me reading. Barone has a nice style and I look forward to more from her. Thanks to Netgalley for the DRC.
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