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In the Context of Love
Angelica had always suspected there was something deeply disturbing about her family, but the truth was more than she bargained for.
After a devastating family secret derails every aspect of her life, she is caught up in a whirlwind of bad decisions and wrong turns. Her journey of self discovery carries her backward as she struggles to believe in love and the
power of redemption.
An intensely charged story about secrets, love, and lust.
Advance Praise
“With tenderness, but without blinking, Linda K. Sienkiewicz turns her eye on the predator-prey savannah of the young and still somehow hopeful.” ~ Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of the #1 NY Times Bestseller, Deep End of the Ocean
"Sienkiewicz's powerful and richly detailed debut novel is at once a love story, a cautionary tale, and an inspirational journey. In the Context of Love should be required reading for all wayward teenage girls—and their mothers, too.”
~ Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of the National Book Award Finalist American Salvage , and the National Bestseller, Once Upon a River
“Absorbing, heartbreaking, compulsively-readable and insightful, Linda Sienkiewicz’s In the Context of Love casts a hypnotic spell. This is storytelling at its best.” ~ Lewis Robinson, author of the critically acclaimed, Officer and Other Stories , and Water Dogs
“In her dynamic first novel, Linda K. Sienkiewicz takes you on a wild roller coaster ride through love’s lowest lows and highest highs, from dark acts of sexual violence to kisses that taste like freedom. In her boldly compelling narrative, Sienkiewicz captures her heroine’s harrowing journey with both compassion and passion. Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a wise, vivid and vital new voice in fiction.” ~ Elizabeth Searle, author of the Boston Globe Bestseller, A Four-Sided Bed
“In the Context of Love is a lovely book. Linda Sienkiewicz has written a love letter to the wonder and imperfection of everyday life.” ~ Marcy Dermansky, author of the critically acclaimed novels, Twins and Bad Marie
After a devastating family secret derails every aspect of her life, she is caught up in a whirlwind of bad decisions and wrong turns. Her journey of self discovery carries her backward as she struggles to believe in love and the
power of redemption.
An intensely charged story about secrets, love, and lust.
Advance Praise
“With tenderness, but without blinking, Linda K. Sienkiewicz turns her eye on the predator-prey savannah of the young and still somehow hopeful.” ~ Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of the #1 NY Times Bestseller, Deep End of the Ocean
"Sienkiewicz's powerful and richly detailed debut novel is at once a love story, a cautionary tale, and an inspirational journey. In the Context of Love should be required reading for all wayward teenage girls—and their mothers, too.”
~ Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of the National Book Award Finalist American Salvage , and the National Bestseller, Once Upon a River
“Absorbing, heartbreaking, compulsively-readable and insightful, Linda Sienkiewicz’s In the Context of Love casts a hypnotic spell. This is storytelling at its best.” ~ Lewis Robinson, author of the critically acclaimed, Officer and Other Stories , and Water Dogs
“In her dynamic first novel, Linda K. Sienkiewicz takes you on a wild roller coaster ride through love’s lowest lows and highest highs, from dark acts of sexual violence to kisses that taste like freedom. In her boldly compelling narrative, Sienkiewicz captures her heroine’s harrowing journey with both compassion and passion. Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a wise, vivid and vital new voice in fiction.” ~ Elizabeth Searle, author of the Boston Globe Bestseller, A Four-Sided Bed
“In the Context of Love is a lovely book. Linda Sienkiewicz has written a love letter to the wonder and imperfection of everyday life.” ~ Marcy Dermansky, author of the critically acclaimed novels, Twins and Bad Marie
275 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 8, 2015
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623 people want to read
About the author
Linda K. Sienkiewicz
7 books146 followersMulti-award-winning fiction writer & poet and artist. Chronic overthinker writing about self-identity, & the messy business of being human. Novels include IN THE CONTEXT OF LOVE, and LOVE AND OTHER INCURABLE AILMENTS, coming Fall 2026 from Regal House.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
September 25, 2015
The author was kind enough to send me an ARC of this book for consideration on ROMANCE NOVELS FOR FEMINISTS. As it is more women's fiction than romance, I didn't think it appropriate for the blog, but I did want to recommend it to women's fiction readers.
Told in the second person to her first love, who disappeared from her life without a word late in high school, Angelica opens her story in the present, telling Joe Vadas about visiting the Madison Correction Center with her two children, taking them to see her ex-husband/their father. The second chapter then jumps back to Angelica's adolescence (1974), when she first began to crush on the mysterious Hungarian Gypsy boy Joe. Part 1 tells of Angelica's mother's overprotectiveness toward her, her parents' difficult marriage, and her own growing romantic relationship with Joe. Angelica tries to keep her sexual life a secret from her mother, not realizing that her cold mom is keeping a pretty big secret from her, too. The revelation of these secrets blow Angelica's life, and her family, painfully apart.
In the aftermath, Angelica moves away, becomes a tough woman who picks up men in bars. Part 2 chronicles Angelica's meeting and subsequent casual relationship with Gavin, a shiftless charmer whom she sleeps with seemingly out of apathy than out of any caring for the man. But unexpected circumstances lead them to marry and have children. But Gavin's got a secret, too, a secret that increasingly strains their marriage.
The final part of the novel recounts Angelica's return to her hometown with her children in tow after Gavin's incarceration, her work at a rape crisis center, and her changing relationship with her mother, who, like Angelica, starts to come to terms with past trauma.
I'm not usually a big fan of second person narrators, but Angelica's voice worked well for me, to highlight both her distance from her own story and her continued deep longing for the connection she once had with her beloved Joe. A smart, compassionate story of first love, adolescent rebellion in the face of family secrets, and the catharsis of reconnection.
Told in the second person to her first love, who disappeared from her life without a word late in high school, Angelica opens her story in the present, telling Joe Vadas about visiting the Madison Correction Center with her two children, taking them to see her ex-husband/their father. The second chapter then jumps back to Angelica's adolescence (1974), when she first began to crush on the mysterious Hungarian Gypsy boy Joe. Part 1 tells of Angelica's mother's overprotectiveness toward her, her parents' difficult marriage, and her own growing romantic relationship with Joe. Angelica tries to keep her sexual life a secret from her mother, not realizing that her cold mom is keeping a pretty big secret from her, too. The revelation of these secrets blow Angelica's life, and her family, painfully apart.
In the aftermath, Angelica moves away, becomes a tough woman who picks up men in bars. Part 2 chronicles Angelica's meeting and subsequent casual relationship with Gavin, a shiftless charmer whom she sleeps with seemingly out of apathy than out of any caring for the man. But unexpected circumstances lead them to marry and have children. But Gavin's got a secret, too, a secret that increasingly strains their marriage.
The final part of the novel recounts Angelica's return to her hometown with her children in tow after Gavin's incarceration, her work at a rape crisis center, and her changing relationship with her mother, who, like Angelica, starts to come to terms with past trauma.
I'm not usually a big fan of second person narrators, but Angelica's voice worked well for me, to highlight both her distance from her own story and her continued deep longing for the connection she once had with her beloved Joe. A smart, compassionate story of first love, adolescent rebellion in the face of family secrets, and the catharsis of reconnection.
July 3, 2017
Each time I thought I knew what this unusual novel was about, I'd turn the page and get a surprise–the good kind that skilled writers know how to do without losing the reader or the pulsing thread of the story. This is a book that's hard to categorize. It feels like the best combination of a young adult novel and a coming-of-age narrative, but then morphs into territory covered by more typical adult contemporary fiction—which is to say, adult life: betrayal, motherhood, yearning, nostalgia, big and small mistakes, and of course, love in all its lovely and awful iterations.
The narrator tells her story in first person, but all the while addressing it all to an important figure from her past—an atypical but strangely effective technique. As she grows from teen to her 30s, she makes plenty of mistakes, and I found myself almost simultaneously wanting to hug her and give her a swift kick, which is all to the author's credit for creating such a real, flawed protagonist.
As she gets to know her own parents as flawed people worthy of compassion, she is more or less showing the reader the way to "read" her too. As Angelica's central yearning/need unfolds, I found myself wanting her to get exactly what she longed for, and at the same time, weighing all the reasons why it shouldn't happen after all. This is the stuff of good, unpredictable fiction that keeps me reading to those final, inevitable scenes that both satisfy and keep me wondering.
The narrator tells her story in first person, but all the while addressing it all to an important figure from her past—an atypical but strangely effective technique. As she grows from teen to her 30s, she makes plenty of mistakes, and I found myself almost simultaneously wanting to hug her and give her a swift kick, which is all to the author's credit for creating such a real, flawed protagonist.
As she gets to know her own parents as flawed people worthy of compassion, she is more or less showing the reader the way to "read" her too. As Angelica's central yearning/need unfolds, I found myself wanting her to get exactly what she longed for, and at the same time, weighing all the reasons why it shouldn't happen after all. This is the stuff of good, unpredictable fiction that keeps me reading to those final, inevitable scenes that both satisfy and keep me wondering.
October 5, 2015
A romance, a coming of age story, and a cautionary tale written with sensitivity, I really liked this book. While the main character was very different than me, I felt like I knew her well. I had been to parties with her, worked with her, sat next to her in class. The period details were spot on and brought me back to my own high school days in the mid-1970s.
This book also brings up some really interesting ethical dilemmas. How much information about our lives do we share with our children? Is it of value to them or could it harm them? Did we share it to benefit them or to unburden ourselves?
This book also brings up some really interesting ethical dilemmas. How much information about our lives do we share with our children? Is it of value to them or could it harm them? Did we share it to benefit them or to unburden ourselves?
June 19, 2019
Sienkiewicz’s first novel, In the Context of Love, is an impressive debut. Part bildungsroman, part meditation on the corrosive effects of secrets, part exploration of the losses occasioned by a heart divided from its true mate, the book is rich in wisdom and insight. With an artist’s eye for the telling detail, Sienkiewicz brings the character of Angelica fully alive with all her heartaches and, ultimately, all her resilience. The novel is beautifully written, the lines elegantly structured and rich with poetic images (not surprising, considering the author’s background as a poet) and occasional flashes of bitter humor. With Angelica as speaker addressing her long-lost lover, the story begins in the present, then jumps back to her crucial high-school days and follows the emotionally-charged events of her life, the narrative gathering speed until the book becomes impossible to put down. Highly recommended.
September 19, 2015
5* American Classic
Happy, happy, happy goes the melding of two souls. Whether in song or dreams, the lust for life carried in the “bony rib cages” of the young wails out like a shiny muscle car thrown in reverse in 1970s Cleveland. How awesome is that? Pretty awesome if you were there. If you weren’t, here’s your chance. IN THE CONTEXT OF LOVE, written by American author Linda Sienkiewicz takes readers of every generation on a poignant ride through heroine Angelica’s pimply coming of age to the stark revelation in her later life that something got missed along the way. Part family drama, part quest journey, but always deeply introspective, CONTEXT examines the human condition: Who we are? Where we come from? And, most saliently: How much of that really matters? Mothers, fathers, sons and daughters: From virulent intolerance to tacit acceptance, and, finally, a fractured peace, CONTEXT will make you love the grit, sweat, and graffiti that covers its industrial landscape, perhaps all the more, for the promise Sienkiewicz makes on the last page.
Happy, happy, happy goes the melding of two souls. Whether in song or dreams, the lust for life carried in the “bony rib cages” of the young wails out like a shiny muscle car thrown in reverse in 1970s Cleveland. How awesome is that? Pretty awesome if you were there. If you weren’t, here’s your chance. IN THE CONTEXT OF LOVE, written by American author Linda Sienkiewicz takes readers of every generation on a poignant ride through heroine Angelica’s pimply coming of age to the stark revelation in her later life that something got missed along the way. Part family drama, part quest journey, but always deeply introspective, CONTEXT examines the human condition: Who we are? Where we come from? And, most saliently: How much of that really matters? Mothers, fathers, sons and daughters: From virulent intolerance to tacit acceptance, and, finally, a fractured peace, CONTEXT will make you love the grit, sweat, and graffiti that covers its industrial landscape, perhaps all the more, for the promise Sienkiewicz makes on the last page.
October 30, 2015
To those people who think social media is useless--think again. I met author Linda K. Sienkiewicz on Twitter and was looking forward to the release of her novel for several months.
I'm generally not a fan of romance novels, but this one had a solid plot and good characters--I especially liked the protagonist's children and father, they are minor players in the story, but they were well done. Linda writes dialogue well and with authenticity--whether it be the protagonist as a girl or a woman, she's consistent and real.
There are some pretty brutal twists in her books--domestic violence is a thread that goes throughout it. I think her treatment of the topic helps the reader understand how self-image and self-esteem play into how women fall into violent relationships.
There are some interesting twists to her plot--which makes it a little unpredictable and more compelling to read.
I'm generally not a fan of romance novels, but this one had a solid plot and good characters--I especially liked the protagonist's children and father, they are minor players in the story, but they were well done. Linda writes dialogue well and with authenticity--whether it be the protagonist as a girl or a woman, she's consistent and real.
There are some pretty brutal twists in her books--domestic violence is a thread that goes throughout it. I think her treatment of the topic helps the reader understand how self-image and self-esteem play into how women fall into violent relationships.
There are some interesting twists to her plot--which makes it a little unpredictable and more compelling to read.
January 9, 2016
Full disclosure: I went to grad school with Linda Sienkiewicz, and the fact that she is a kick-ass student and tireless supporter of all things literary has in no way influenced this review.
IN THE CONTEXT OF LOVE is by turns gritty and tender in its exploration of first love, but always achingly real. It also satisfies that hidden longing to know, “What if…?” and “Whatever happened to…?” Life isn’t always pretty, and Sienkiewicz captures that raw beauty in her prose. Don't miss it!
IN THE CONTEXT OF LOVE is by turns gritty and tender in its exploration of first love, but always achingly real. It also satisfies that hidden longing to know, “What if…?” and “Whatever happened to…?” Life isn’t always pretty, and Sienkiewicz captures that raw beauty in her prose. Don't miss it!
November 23, 2017
The first scene tells us so much.
In Linda Sienkiewicz’s novel, In the Context of Love, in the very first scene a woman and her two children visit the husband-father in prison. The encounter is shot through with awkwardness: bewildered children, humiliated wife, appalling institutional sterility. “The four of us sat at a metal table,” the narrator, Angelica Lowsley, observes, “falling into the same seating arrangement we used to take at the dinner table.” Gavin, the husband, tries to make small talk, tries to connect with his children, while Angelica tries to control her rage at her husband, at the situation, at what her life has become. This is a context of love. Rock bottom.
In the next scene Angelica begins the story of how her life fell apart. She flashes back to her teen years, a time of innocence with a mother who radiates tension, terrified of men and life; a harridan grandmother, and a father who loves his daughter and seems to accept, just barely, an imperfect situation. She says of her parents’ wedding photo, “The two of them don’t look particularly close, much less in love.” This also is a context of love.
The discovery of a family secret will blow this context to bits.
And Angelica’s coming of age story will proceed. More contexts of love. In the backseat of a car behind a dumpster, in a school storeroom: loss of innocence happens. Losses accumulate, add up to less and less. In a series of missteps and mistakes that lead from Joe, the idealized focus of her adolescent love and sexual passion, to Gavin, with whom she takes revenge on her mother and on herself, Angelica’s life unravels. Experience seems synonymous with loss.
Again, the first scene tell us so much. Sienkiewicz’s gift for descriptive detail is immediately on display. “The damage he’d caused was a clear and tangible as the waxed floor and steel bars.” Again and again, the reader will be delighted by flashes of light on the page, details that capture character, setting, and Angelica’s emotional landscape. In the tense moments after discovering the family secret, Angelica looks upon her grandmother, “her hands moving like small rodents in the pockets of her house dress.” Adding, “She knew everything.” The next morning Angelica awakens to a different world: “I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had opened my curtains to an ash-filled sky, charred houses, trees burned to stubs, the ground still smoking.” The psychological fallout of sudden knowledge is captured in this extraordinary passage, part of a dream sequence:
“I walk along a highway in the dark, picking up dead women lying on the side of the road and bagging them the way you’d bag soda pop cans…The grass turns turns dark and slick, and the stench of rot worsens. I stumble over something, a woman with thin skin, like film on scalded milk, and arms and legs as spindly a crib rails. I reach down and take her arm, and when her body turns, I see it’s my mother.”
Also in that first scene a reader will notice the recurring “you” in the story. At various points in the story Angelica reminds the reader of her first love. This story is for the reader, yes, but even more so, it is for him. “For whatever reason, I thought of you.” “That’s the part of the story you don’t know.” “I wanted someone to rattle me, inundate me, swallow me whole like Jonah. I wanted to forget you, and everything else that had gone wrong.” It’s a brilliant plot device, driving the reader forward. Will this Joe, this idealized character who should figure in the context of love, will he return? Will Angelica Lowsley rebound from rock bottom, from the low points in her life, and redeem herself? Can love itself be redeemed? There’s no setting this book aside until those questions have answers.
In Linda Sienkiewicz’s novel, In the Context of Love, in the very first scene a woman and her two children visit the husband-father in prison. The encounter is shot through with awkwardness: bewildered children, humiliated wife, appalling institutional sterility. “The four of us sat at a metal table,” the narrator, Angelica Lowsley, observes, “falling into the same seating arrangement we used to take at the dinner table.” Gavin, the husband, tries to make small talk, tries to connect with his children, while Angelica tries to control her rage at her husband, at the situation, at what her life has become. This is a context of love. Rock bottom.
In the next scene Angelica begins the story of how her life fell apart. She flashes back to her teen years, a time of innocence with a mother who radiates tension, terrified of men and life; a harridan grandmother, and a father who loves his daughter and seems to accept, just barely, an imperfect situation. She says of her parents’ wedding photo, “The two of them don’t look particularly close, much less in love.” This also is a context of love.
The discovery of a family secret will blow this context to bits.
And Angelica’s coming of age story will proceed. More contexts of love. In the backseat of a car behind a dumpster, in a school storeroom: loss of innocence happens. Losses accumulate, add up to less and less. In a series of missteps and mistakes that lead from Joe, the idealized focus of her adolescent love and sexual passion, to Gavin, with whom she takes revenge on her mother and on herself, Angelica’s life unravels. Experience seems synonymous with loss.
Again, the first scene tell us so much. Sienkiewicz’s gift for descriptive detail is immediately on display. “The damage he’d caused was a clear and tangible as the waxed floor and steel bars.” Again and again, the reader will be delighted by flashes of light on the page, details that capture character, setting, and Angelica’s emotional landscape. In the tense moments after discovering the family secret, Angelica looks upon her grandmother, “her hands moving like small rodents in the pockets of her house dress.” Adding, “She knew everything.” The next morning Angelica awakens to a different world: “I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had opened my curtains to an ash-filled sky, charred houses, trees burned to stubs, the ground still smoking.” The psychological fallout of sudden knowledge is captured in this extraordinary passage, part of a dream sequence:
“I walk along a highway in the dark, picking up dead women lying on the side of the road and bagging them the way you’d bag soda pop cans…The grass turns turns dark and slick, and the stench of rot worsens. I stumble over something, a woman with thin skin, like film on scalded milk, and arms and legs as spindly a crib rails. I reach down and take her arm, and when her body turns, I see it’s my mother.”
Also in that first scene a reader will notice the recurring “you” in the story. At various points in the story Angelica reminds the reader of her first love. This story is for the reader, yes, but even more so, it is for him. “For whatever reason, I thought of you.” “That’s the part of the story you don’t know.” “I wanted someone to rattle me, inundate me, swallow me whole like Jonah. I wanted to forget you, and everything else that had gone wrong.” It’s a brilliant plot device, driving the reader forward. Will this Joe, this idealized character who should figure in the context of love, will he return? Will Angelica Lowsley rebound from rock bottom, from the low points in her life, and redeem herself? Can love itself be redeemed? There’s no setting this book aside until those questions have answers.
December 6, 2023
Linda K. Sienkiewicz’s book “In the Context of Love” forces you to take stock of your life and what you believe and think about the power of secrets and the transformative power of love.
The main character, Angelica has always suspected there was something a little off about her family.
Most teens receive more freedom as they get older, but Angelica is going in the opposite direction. Her mom gives her dating rules and advice from a place of extreme anxiety and takes helicopter parenting to the next level.
Angelica is a good student and a bit on the shy side. She longs for a boyfriend and wants to date and experience a teen romance, just like her friends. She’s caught between her desire for a “normal teenage” experience and considering her mom’s warning that something bad will happen if she goes on an unsupervised date.
Angelica develops a crush on the “Vadas” boy. Joe Vadas, is a Hungarian immigrant, from the wrong side of town. This singular event propels a series of actions that change the trajectory of Angelica’s whole family, her life and how she thinks and feels about herself.
Many secrets and lies ensue as Angelica fights for knowledge, love and the truth. But sometimes the truth does not set you free. Sometimes it traps you and pulls you into a maelstrom of fury and pain that you can’t escape.
As Walter Scott stated, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”
Angelica, her mom and her grandmother’s various moments of deception initiate complications that dramatically change the family unit. Sienkiewicz is a master at showing how one hurtful action can send an entire family into the abyss as they struggle to deal with and handle revelations and secrets.
I began reading “In the Context of Love” in the early evening and could not put it down until I’d read the last word at 1:33 am. Well done Linda K. Sienkiewicz
The main character, Angelica has always suspected there was something a little off about her family.
Most teens receive more freedom as they get older, but Angelica is going in the opposite direction. Her mom gives her dating rules and advice from a place of extreme anxiety and takes helicopter parenting to the next level.
Angelica is a good student and a bit on the shy side. She longs for a boyfriend and wants to date and experience a teen romance, just like her friends. She’s caught between her desire for a “normal teenage” experience and considering her mom’s warning that something bad will happen if she goes on an unsupervised date.
Angelica develops a crush on the “Vadas” boy. Joe Vadas, is a Hungarian immigrant, from the wrong side of town. This singular event propels a series of actions that change the trajectory of Angelica’s whole family, her life and how she thinks and feels about herself.
Many secrets and lies ensue as Angelica fights for knowledge, love and the truth. But sometimes the truth does not set you free. Sometimes it traps you and pulls you into a maelstrom of fury and pain that you can’t escape.
As Walter Scott stated, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”
Angelica, her mom and her grandmother’s various moments of deception initiate complications that dramatically change the family unit. Sienkiewicz is a master at showing how one hurtful action can send an entire family into the abyss as they struggle to deal with and handle revelations and secrets.
I began reading “In the Context of Love” in the early evening and could not put it down until I’d read the last word at 1:33 am. Well done Linda K. Sienkiewicz
February 16, 2018
I'm not usually a reader of romance stories, but this was recommended to me and I'm so glad I gave it a chance. The characters are compelling and each event kept me turning pages. I especially enjoyed Angelica's personal journey after she learns an unsettling truth about herself, and where it leads her in the end.
April 20, 2017
*Note: I received a print copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review for iRead book tour*
Reading this book was like watching a portrait taking shape, with each messy stroke of misplaced teenage angst and every jagged line of anxious parenting decisions. And the canvas – a secret about Angelica’s past that she mistakenly uses as a yardstick to determine her self-worth. However, the final picture that emerges is of a life lived in a way that mattered, was relevant and also strived to make a change in lives of other women.
This is my second women’s/literary fiction novel told in a second-person narrative (after Hesitation Wounds), and I think I have really developed a liking to this genre and style. Here, Angelica tells us of her journey by "narrating" it to Joe, her first boyfriend. The book starts from her present life with her kids but we are soon taken back to the mid-1970’s, the year when everything changed for her. We are introduced to her overbearing and overprotective mother, her snarky grandma, and soft-spoken dad. She has always found her mom’s anxiety-ridden nature stifling but reasoned it as motherly concern. But it finally gets to her once she is at the end of her high school years, and when she meets Joe, she falls in love with him and starts rebelling at home. She starts sneaking out, breaking curfew and dreaming of a future with him. But one day, Joe disappears. She is heartbroken and to add to her volatile state, she finds out something about her past that further distances her from her parents. It splits her family apart, and starts her on a downward spiral. She turns self-destructive, walks out of her home, refuses to go to college despite her dad’s best efforts to convince her, and takes up low-paying jobs to sustain herself. She deliberately chooses the wrong men and discards them. Well, one of them sticks around longer and that is Gavin, who she ends up marrying.
The way I saw this book is one of how relationships evolve over time – and Angelica has four main ones – as a daughter, as a teenage girlfriend, as a wife and as a mother. My favorite one was how Angelica’s relationship changed for the better with her parents over the years. It was just so organic and real. There was no big scene or confrontation where everyone is shouting or apologizing. But her parents were there for her always, even after years of strained ties and I just liked how it was gestures of help and just “being there” that was respected from both sides. It is a far cry from Angelica’s teenage years when she refuses to see reason even after everything her dad tries doing for her, right from buying a car to pushing her to join college. I loveeddd her dad, he is such a gem. Angelica shared a more tumultuous relationship with her mum. Over time, they communicate better and all the past hurt fades into something that both can deal with studied nonchalance. There is also a lovely moment in the book when Angelica helps her mom speak out about her past and unburden herself.
If there is one thing I couldn’t really connect with is her love for Joe. More specifically, I didn’t understand how she could carry a torch for him all these years. I mean, I did get it when she was in high school and there is obviously this whole thrill of your first boyfriend and sexual experience when you think you have found your one true love.. but I was just surprised she never outgrew it. Not even after all the years and even through a marriage. And well, to be honest, I just felt she fell in love with the “idea” of being love. Of her travelling with Joe everywhere and him singing songs and poetry to her. They hardly had any real, long conversations or anything, and more of sneaking around and having sex.
Speaking of the sexual content, there is quite a bit of it in this book. The way it was described was .. well, it was a mix of flowery-cheese, crude and matter-of-fact. And I think that’s why I liked it. Because, multiple experiences were described, with her boyfriend, husband and other partners. I liked that the author was mindful of the fact that sex is not just physical and it would have been so unrealistic if it was written the same way every time. I mean, Angelica with Joe in her teens is not the same Angelica with her husband in her 30’s.
Overall, I loved the book and I am so glad I signed up to review this for the tour. It is such a well-written book and paced so well. It is a little over 250 pages, but so many years of a person’s life is covered; and I never felt like the transitions in timelines was jerky or confusing. Do check this out, it is a wonderful addition to women’s fiction.
Reading this book was like watching a portrait taking shape, with each messy stroke of misplaced teenage angst and every jagged line of anxious parenting decisions. And the canvas – a secret about Angelica’s past that she mistakenly uses as a yardstick to determine her self-worth. However, the final picture that emerges is of a life lived in a way that mattered, was relevant and also strived to make a change in lives of other women.
This is my second women’s/literary fiction novel told in a second-person narrative (after Hesitation Wounds), and I think I have really developed a liking to this genre and style. Here, Angelica tells us of her journey by "narrating" it to Joe, her first boyfriend. The book starts from her present life with her kids but we are soon taken back to the mid-1970’s, the year when everything changed for her. We are introduced to her overbearing and overprotective mother, her snarky grandma, and soft-spoken dad. She has always found her mom’s anxiety-ridden nature stifling but reasoned it as motherly concern. But it finally gets to her once she is at the end of her high school years, and when she meets Joe, she falls in love with him and starts rebelling at home. She starts sneaking out, breaking curfew and dreaming of a future with him. But one day, Joe disappears. She is heartbroken and to add to her volatile state, she finds out something about her past that further distances her from her parents. It splits her family apart, and starts her on a downward spiral. She turns self-destructive, walks out of her home, refuses to go to college despite her dad’s best efforts to convince her, and takes up low-paying jobs to sustain herself. She deliberately chooses the wrong men and discards them. Well, one of them sticks around longer and that is Gavin, who she ends up marrying.
The way I saw this book is one of how relationships evolve over time – and Angelica has four main ones – as a daughter, as a teenage girlfriend, as a wife and as a mother. My favorite one was how Angelica’s relationship changed for the better with her parents over the years. It was just so organic and real. There was no big scene or confrontation where everyone is shouting or apologizing. But her parents were there for her always, even after years of strained ties and I just liked how it was gestures of help and just “being there” that was respected from both sides. It is a far cry from Angelica’s teenage years when she refuses to see reason even after everything her dad tries doing for her, right from buying a car to pushing her to join college. I loveeddd her dad, he is such a gem. Angelica shared a more tumultuous relationship with her mum. Over time, they communicate better and all the past hurt fades into something that both can deal with studied nonchalance. There is also a lovely moment in the book when Angelica helps her mom speak out about her past and unburden herself.
If there is one thing I couldn’t really connect with is her love for Joe. More specifically, I didn’t understand how she could carry a torch for him all these years. I mean, I did get it when she was in high school and there is obviously this whole thrill of your first boyfriend and sexual experience when you think you have found your one true love.. but I was just surprised she never outgrew it. Not even after all the years and even through a marriage. And well, to be honest, I just felt she fell in love with the “idea” of being love. Of her travelling with Joe everywhere and him singing songs and poetry to her. They hardly had any real, long conversations or anything, and more of sneaking around and having sex.
Speaking of the sexual content, there is quite a bit of it in this book. The way it was described was .. well, it was a mix of flowery-cheese, crude and matter-of-fact. And I think that’s why I liked it. Because, multiple experiences were described, with her boyfriend, husband and other partners. I liked that the author was mindful of the fact that sex is not just physical and it would have been so unrealistic if it was written the same way every time. I mean, Angelica with Joe in her teens is not the same Angelica with her husband in her 30’s.
Overall, I loved the book and I am so glad I signed up to review this for the tour. It is such a well-written book and paced so well. It is a little over 250 pages, but so many years of a person’s life is covered; and I never felt like the transitions in timelines was jerky or confusing. Do check this out, it is a wonderful addition to women’s fiction.
December 30, 2016
FIRST IMPRESSION:
The cover of the story, a photograph of a girl in a frock standing on grass, allured me into reading the summary. When I picked this review copy, I guessed the tag of women's fiction drew me to it. The simple story of a woman who wonders about her life and the 'shattering revelations' part caught my attention.
REVIEW:
Angelica is narrating the story. It sounds more like a letter she writes to her erstwhile boyfriend, a person who disappeared from her adoloscent life abruptly. But it does not begin like that. The story begins with Angelica taking her kids to see their father in prison, and has one of the best opening chapters ever in books I have read recently. The way she talked about her feelings right then made me connect with the narrator a bit, something I sadly lost as the novel progressed. The prose flowed smoothly, noticeably smooth enough to get my attention and appreciation.
The second chapter seemed to be an abrupt jump from her messed up adulthood to her adolescene where she falls in love with the gypsy boy Joe Valdez. The intense love comes to an abrupt end after his unexplained disappearance. Angelica struggles with an overprotective mother, choosing to hide details about her life rather than having to explain. She turns into a rebel, picking up random men and trying to overthrow the domination after she learns a shattering secret. She ends up with Gavin, a good for nothing bloke who beds random woman. A chance encounter with a sort of recklessness born out of rebellion rather than love, and she is bonded with him. She ends up marrying him. And subsequently, his shattering secret and subsequent incarceration makes her leave her life and go back to Ohio where her journey of self discovery starts and she gets a second chance at love. what happens next makes up the rest of the story
What struck me was how the characters were deeply etched, each having their own distinct shades, something that is really difficult to pull of in a novel written in one dimension. The language and prose follows a nice lilting tone. I liked the way the author takes the story forward, and how it is phrased. Even my hate towards the distasteful actions of the lead character are more of a reaction to her as a character rather than the narrative. Overall, a nicely written story that has a good prose, classic and smooth. I may not exactly like the direction the story took, but it sure attracted me in the way it was written.
WHAT I LIKED:
•Emotionally strong words - held a sway over readers in places
•The character sketches are deep, complex and portrayed many different shades
•The whole story flowed smoothly, without unnecessary jumps and glitches.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
•The format was confusing at places, not really hampering the progress of the story but seeming like a one dimensional view point at places
•I personally felt that the protagonist / narrator going for the bad boys is distasteful, but that is not a cause for complaint because it elicits stronger reactions from readers and of course, that is the character's success
•The drama and the heartache might not be some people's favorite.
VERDICT:
A good book that puts forward the story of a woman who gets a second chance.
RATING: 4.5/5
The cover of the story, a photograph of a girl in a frock standing on grass, allured me into reading the summary. When I picked this review copy, I guessed the tag of women's fiction drew me to it. The simple story of a woman who wonders about her life and the 'shattering revelations' part caught my attention.
REVIEW:
Angelica is narrating the story. It sounds more like a letter she writes to her erstwhile boyfriend, a person who disappeared from her adoloscent life abruptly. But it does not begin like that. The story begins with Angelica taking her kids to see their father in prison, and has one of the best opening chapters ever in books I have read recently. The way she talked about her feelings right then made me connect with the narrator a bit, something I sadly lost as the novel progressed. The prose flowed smoothly, noticeably smooth enough to get my attention and appreciation.
The second chapter seemed to be an abrupt jump from her messed up adulthood to her adolescene where she falls in love with the gypsy boy Joe Valdez. The intense love comes to an abrupt end after his unexplained disappearance. Angelica struggles with an overprotective mother, choosing to hide details about her life rather than having to explain. She turns into a rebel, picking up random men and trying to overthrow the domination after she learns a shattering secret. She ends up with Gavin, a good for nothing bloke who beds random woman. A chance encounter with a sort of recklessness born out of rebellion rather than love, and she is bonded with him. She ends up marrying him. And subsequently, his shattering secret and subsequent incarceration makes her leave her life and go back to Ohio where her journey of self discovery starts and she gets a second chance at love. what happens next makes up the rest of the story
What struck me was how the characters were deeply etched, each having their own distinct shades, something that is really difficult to pull of in a novel written in one dimension. The language and prose follows a nice lilting tone. I liked the way the author takes the story forward, and how it is phrased. Even my hate towards the distasteful actions of the lead character are more of a reaction to her as a character rather than the narrative. Overall, a nicely written story that has a good prose, classic and smooth. I may not exactly like the direction the story took, but it sure attracted me in the way it was written.
WHAT I LIKED:
•Emotionally strong words - held a sway over readers in places
•The character sketches are deep, complex and portrayed many different shades
•The whole story flowed smoothly, without unnecessary jumps and glitches.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
•The format was confusing at places, not really hampering the progress of the story but seeming like a one dimensional view point at places
•I personally felt that the protagonist / narrator going for the bad boys is distasteful, but that is not a cause for complaint because it elicits stronger reactions from readers and of course, that is the character's success
•The drama and the heartache might not be some people's favorite.
VERDICT:
A good book that puts forward the story of a woman who gets a second chance.
RATING: 4.5/5
March 31, 2016
At the beginning of this book, readers are introduced to Angelica Lowsley. She is a married (but separated) mother of two and her life is a mess. We learn a few details, but the story quickly shifts from present day to Angelica’s past.
Readers find that the story has regressed in time to 1974, Angelica is sixteen (having been born in 1958) and just beginning the year that would forever change her life.
Entering the story at this time is a boy named Joe Vadas: “…a stone fox…”
Joe and Angelica become a couple and it is through this relationship that Angelica experiences the exquisitely exciting and euphoric world of first love. Author Linda K. Sienkiewicz perfectly captures and describes the heady rush and the mixture of emotion and hormones that all teenagers experience when they fall in love for the first time, and she conveys the extreme feelings and the euphoria that comes with first love in perfect nostalgic detail. Readers will not be able to stop themselves from reminiscing about their own first “love”.
Because I am unwilling to ruin the joy that reader’s will experience when they read this book, I do not want to give away any of the plot. Suffice it to say that this is a book that everyone should read. If you do not find something to relate to in this book then you have led a very sheltered nd very uninteresting life.
Being a teenager is hard. That is just a fact of life. But, some teens have it harder than others and some teens are forced to grow up too fast. Linda K. Sienkiewicz understands this. I believe that Linda has a talent that is extremely special. She is able to perfectly describe the incredible angst that comes from being an immature teenager and to highlight exactly how events that occur at this volatile and emotionally-charged time in a person’s life can have a profound and lasting effect. She understands that these events can help mold a person and can have the potential to determine who that person will be when he or she reaches adulthood.
As I have already stated, I absolutely loved this book. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry and very definitely, it will make you not want to put it down. This is an absolute MUST READ book and I rate it is 5 out of 5 Stars.
I will be on the lookout for more books by this talented author. Buy this book. You will not be disappointed.
* I received a free copy of this book from iRead Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Readers find that the story has regressed in time to 1974, Angelica is sixteen (having been born in 1958) and just beginning the year that would forever change her life.
Entering the story at this time is a boy named Joe Vadas: “…a stone fox…”
Joe and Angelica become a couple and it is through this relationship that Angelica experiences the exquisitely exciting and euphoric world of first love. Author Linda K. Sienkiewicz perfectly captures and describes the heady rush and the mixture of emotion and hormones that all teenagers experience when they fall in love for the first time, and she conveys the extreme feelings and the euphoria that comes with first love in perfect nostalgic detail. Readers will not be able to stop themselves from reminiscing about their own first “love”.
Because I am unwilling to ruin the joy that reader’s will experience when they read this book, I do not want to give away any of the plot. Suffice it to say that this is a book that everyone should read. If you do not find something to relate to in this book then you have led a very sheltered nd very uninteresting life.
Being a teenager is hard. That is just a fact of life. But, some teens have it harder than others and some teens are forced to grow up too fast. Linda K. Sienkiewicz understands this. I believe that Linda has a talent that is extremely special. She is able to perfectly describe the incredible angst that comes from being an immature teenager and to highlight exactly how events that occur at this volatile and emotionally-charged time in a person’s life can have a profound and lasting effect. She understands that these events can help mold a person and can have the potential to determine who that person will be when he or she reaches adulthood.
As I have already stated, I absolutely loved this book. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry and very definitely, it will make you not want to put it down. This is an absolute MUST READ book and I rate it is 5 out of 5 Stars.
I will be on the lookout for more books by this talented author. Buy this book. You will not be disappointed.
* I received a free copy of this book from iRead Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
February 22, 2016
This review was originally posted on [www.125pages.com]
In the Context of Love is described by some as a romance, by some as contemporary fiction and by some as women's fiction a la chick-lit. I put it firmly in the contemporary fiction category. I saw some romance in it, but that was not the driving plot point to me. Angelica is the center of the story, which begins as she visits her (soon to be ex) husband in jail. She narrates a history of her life as if she is speaking to her high school love. Navigating a past full of dark secrets and her own anger with how her life as progressed, Angelica needs to reconcile her past to create her new future.
Linda K. Sienkiewicz has a way with words. I enjoyed her writing and the way she was able to create a remarkable scene with just a few words. The world built was real even though it was mostly memory. There was a lot of emotion packed into her tale as well. The plot was interesting, and had some real high points, but also seemed disconnected at times. The characters were where I had some trouble connecting. Angelica was angry at everyone and everything, but never really did anything to change her circumstances. The others all had similar plot lines, they were trapped into situations of their own making and never really worked at fixing it.
In the Context of Love was a book I wished I had connected with more. The Amazon and Goodreads reviews are amazing for it, but I just didn't love it. I liked it and thought Sienkiewicz's writing was great and the story line was unique. I just didn't click with the characters or the emotions. So take this review as it's not you it's me and hopefully Sienkiewicz's next book will resonate with me, as I did really enjoy her writing.
Favorite lines - What do you remember most about growing up? Was it your mother’s kindness, or your father’s anger? It isn’t easy to look at the past without seeing the hurt, but is it a falsehood if you choose to remember only is what is good? What if you don’t want to remember?
Biggest cliché - My love can totally reform him.
Have you read In the Context of Love, or added it to your TBR?
In the Context of Love is described by some as a romance, by some as contemporary fiction and by some as women's fiction a la chick-lit. I put it firmly in the contemporary fiction category. I saw some romance in it, but that was not the driving plot point to me. Angelica is the center of the story, which begins as she visits her (soon to be ex) husband in jail. She narrates a history of her life as if she is speaking to her high school love. Navigating a past full of dark secrets and her own anger with how her life as progressed, Angelica needs to reconcile her past to create her new future.Linda K. Sienkiewicz has a way with words. I enjoyed her writing and the way she was able to create a remarkable scene with just a few words. The world built was real even though it was mostly memory. There was a lot of emotion packed into her tale as well. The plot was interesting, and had some real high points, but also seemed disconnected at times. The characters were where I had some trouble connecting. Angelica was angry at everyone and everything, but never really did anything to change her circumstances. The others all had similar plot lines, they were trapped into situations of their own making and never really worked at fixing it.
In the Context of Love was a book I wished I had connected with more. The Amazon and Goodreads reviews are amazing for it, but I just didn't love it. I liked it and thought Sienkiewicz's writing was great and the story line was unique. I just didn't click with the characters or the emotions. So take this review as it's not you it's me and hopefully Sienkiewicz's next book will resonate with me, as I did really enjoy her writing.
Favorite lines - What do you remember most about growing up? Was it your mother’s kindness, or your father’s anger? It isn’t easy to look at the past without seeing the hurt, but is it a falsehood if you choose to remember only is what is good? What if you don’t want to remember?
Biggest cliché - My love can totally reform him.
Have you read In the Context of Love, or added it to your TBR?
November 15, 2016
This is a story about how Angelica Lowsley passes from a passionate teen into a divorced single mom, while falling into many holes along the way. Her first, and really her only, love is Joe, a troubled Hungarian boy of whom her parents disapprove. Joe is smitten as well, and tattoos “Angel” on his forearm. But as Angelica’s name suggests, this “Angel” has far to fly, and in some very low places. Memories of her first heart-breaking love with Joe haunt her as she seeks to become her own woman in spite of betrayals, dashed hopes, and debilitating revelations.
The book is unusual in that it is written in the first person, in Angelica’s point of view, but that throughout she addresses “you,” her beloved Joe. It’s as if she were writing him one long letter, or even—disconcertingly at times—addressing the reader. That makes for an intimate experience where the reader does a lot of walking in Angelica’s shoes. There is a metaphor, or even several, on almost every page. Some are creatively evocative and some jarringly unpleasant. This reflects how Angelica seems to walk in two places at once: the often drab and disappointing world she lives in and the beautiful world that by some miracle impinges on it.
I needed to take my time with this book in order to savor the beautiful writing. I needed to take it in small doses because the sadness in this young woman’s life can be overwhelming. And most of all I needed the persistence to forge ahead through the darkness in order to find Angelica’s hard-won and bittersweet insights.
---Veronica Dale, author of Blood Seed and Night Cruiser: Short Stories about Creepy, Amusing or Spiritual Encounters with the Shadow
The book is unusual in that it is written in the first person, in Angelica’s point of view, but that throughout she addresses “you,” her beloved Joe. It’s as if she were writing him one long letter, or even—disconcertingly at times—addressing the reader. That makes for an intimate experience where the reader does a lot of walking in Angelica’s shoes. There is a metaphor, or even several, on almost every page. Some are creatively evocative and some jarringly unpleasant. This reflects how Angelica seems to walk in two places at once: the often drab and disappointing world she lives in and the beautiful world that by some miracle impinges on it.
I needed to take my time with this book in order to savor the beautiful writing. I needed to take it in small doses because the sadness in this young woman’s life can be overwhelming. And most of all I needed the persistence to forge ahead through the darkness in order to find Angelica’s hard-won and bittersweet insights.
---Veronica Dale, author of Blood Seed and Night Cruiser: Short Stories about Creepy, Amusing or Spiritual Encounters with the Shadow
May 15, 2016
**Reviewed for www.saharsblog.com**
Angelica’s story is heart-breaking, but in a time and age where families are falling apart, it is so important to read about what happens to those of us unlucky enough not to have a strong fortress of well-being in the form of our parents to grow up in.
In the Context of Love is a well-written and well-paced book. It delves into the story of Angelica’s series of bad mistakes following a discovery that shatters her sense of self-worth, sending her into a spiral of self-destruction.
One thing I liked about Sienkiewicz’ style is that she balances well explaining what is going on in Angelica’s mind enough for readers to understand her logic, despite the fact that it is a faulty one. We are welcomed into Angelica’s thought process just enough to not be overwhelmed or bogged down.
One thing I didn’t like though is the emphasis on sex, which long-time Sahar’s Blog readers will no doubt not be surprised to read. I think that the way Angelica degraded herself through various sexual acts, as well as the intensity of sex with her first love—all the more that she met him in her teen years—was a necessary and inevitable part of the story, but there was a lot of unnecessary description that I skipped without losing anything to the story.
Not quite as difficult to read as Heather O’Neill’s heart shattering Lullabies for Little Criminals, In the Context of Love is the kind of book those of us trying to understand the current conditions of the society we live in need to read. It will no doubt help us understand that there are realities completely different from our own and enable us keep an mind open to possible ways of building a world in which no one has to go through what either Angelica or Baby went through.
Angelica’s story is heart-breaking, but in a time and age where families are falling apart, it is so important to read about what happens to those of us unlucky enough not to have a strong fortress of well-being in the form of our parents to grow up in.
In the Context of Love is a well-written and well-paced book. It delves into the story of Angelica’s series of bad mistakes following a discovery that shatters her sense of self-worth, sending her into a spiral of self-destruction.
One thing I liked about Sienkiewicz’ style is that she balances well explaining what is going on in Angelica’s mind enough for readers to understand her logic, despite the fact that it is a faulty one. We are welcomed into Angelica’s thought process just enough to not be overwhelmed or bogged down.
One thing I didn’t like though is the emphasis on sex, which long-time Sahar’s Blog readers will no doubt not be surprised to read. I think that the way Angelica degraded herself through various sexual acts, as well as the intensity of sex with her first love—all the more that she met him in her teen years—was a necessary and inevitable part of the story, but there was a lot of unnecessary description that I skipped without losing anything to the story.
Not quite as difficult to read as Heather O’Neill’s heart shattering Lullabies for Little Criminals, In the Context of Love is the kind of book those of us trying to understand the current conditions of the society we live in need to read. It will no doubt help us understand that there are realities completely different from our own and enable us keep an mind open to possible ways of building a world in which no one has to go through what either Angelica or Baby went through.
October 31, 2015
Review of ‘In the Context of Love’ by Linda K. Sienkiewicz
Angelica brings her children to see their father in prison. That has its own set of ramifications, but seeing her ex brings back years of memories.
Her thoughts take her back to her high school years, when she met Joe, her first love, and how life had spun out of control with him before he vanished. It was during that time she discovered a secret that tore her birth family apart.
Between Joe’s disappearance, and her family’s secret, Angelica is blown off course, changing nearly everything about herself. It was a dark time for her – she’s lost her innocence, and the love of her life. A good student, she’s accepted at two top colleges, but her sense of self-worth is shattered, so she passes.
She meets her future husband in a bar. They marry soon after. Gavin starts a business, and the children arrive. Then, her life crashes around her. Readers witness her struggle to find herself.
Angelica is a survivor, and life gets better. She finds a way to help herself and others like her. Then there’s a big surprise; something she always dreamed about but never expected.
‘In the Context of Love’ is an unusual book in many ways, including great characters, but the most impressive is the descriptive writing. It was very easy to feel I was right there; feeling what Angelica felt, seeing what she saw, being part of her life. The raw emotions are out there for the world to see.
I definitely recommend this gritty, dark, and very moving love story. I give it 5-stars, and will be watching for more from Ms. Sienkiewicz.
By Dayna Leigh Cheser, Author
Angelica brings her children to see their father in prison. That has its own set of ramifications, but seeing her ex brings back years of memories.
Her thoughts take her back to her high school years, when she met Joe, her first love, and how life had spun out of control with him before he vanished. It was during that time she discovered a secret that tore her birth family apart.
Between Joe’s disappearance, and her family’s secret, Angelica is blown off course, changing nearly everything about herself. It was a dark time for her – she’s lost her innocence, and the love of her life. A good student, she’s accepted at two top colleges, but her sense of self-worth is shattered, so she passes.
She meets her future husband in a bar. They marry soon after. Gavin starts a business, and the children arrive. Then, her life crashes around her. Readers witness her struggle to find herself.
Angelica is a survivor, and life gets better. She finds a way to help herself and others like her. Then there’s a big surprise; something she always dreamed about but never expected.
‘In the Context of Love’ is an unusual book in many ways, including great characters, but the most impressive is the descriptive writing. It was very easy to feel I was right there; feeling what Angelica felt, seeing what she saw, being part of her life. The raw emotions are out there for the world to see.
I definitely recommend this gritty, dark, and very moving love story. I give it 5-stars, and will be watching for more from Ms. Sienkiewicz.
By Dayna Leigh Cheser, Author
August 8, 2016
Stories of women who have suffered sexual abuse have been at the forefront of media recently. How do we empower these women to find strength within darkness? How do we ensure that they are heard? Those are questions that Linda Sienkiewicz has us think about in her debut novel, In the Context of Love.
In the Context of Love tells the story of Angelica. Actually, it's Angelica, many years later, telling her story to the boy she fell in love with in high school. We're not sure until the end if Angelica is actually talking to her boyfriend, or if she's just talking to his memory. This itself makes the book a bit of a page-turner.
Angelica's family is not perfect. It has secrets. Secrets that would destroy a teenage girl who is already trying to figure life out. Angelica learns these deep family secrets, and it changes her. At the same time, the one person to whom she feels connected, her high school boyfriend, suddenly vanishes from her life, leaving her entirely alone.
When I started reading this novel, the writing style hooked me immediately. I love the way that Angelica narrated her story, and as I continued reading the story I realized just how important it was that Angelica narrate this story. That's it's her voice we hear.
The story moves along at a good pace and kept me wondering how the author was going to bring Angelica back from her path of self-distruction, or even if redemption was possible at all. I was not disappointed. Love doesn't always look "perfect" and love sometimes feels absent, but even on the darkest of journeys, we can still find love. And maybe it can save us.
In the Context of Love tells the story of Angelica. Actually, it's Angelica, many years later, telling her story to the boy she fell in love with in high school. We're not sure until the end if Angelica is actually talking to her boyfriend, or if she's just talking to his memory. This itself makes the book a bit of a page-turner.
Angelica's family is not perfect. It has secrets. Secrets that would destroy a teenage girl who is already trying to figure life out. Angelica learns these deep family secrets, and it changes her. At the same time, the one person to whom she feels connected, her high school boyfriend, suddenly vanishes from her life, leaving her entirely alone.
When I started reading this novel, the writing style hooked me immediately. I love the way that Angelica narrated her story, and as I continued reading the story I realized just how important it was that Angelica narrate this story. That's it's her voice we hear.
The story moves along at a good pace and kept me wondering how the author was going to bring Angelica back from her path of self-distruction, or even if redemption was possible at all. I was not disappointed. Love doesn't always look "perfect" and love sometimes feels absent, but even on the darkest of journeys, we can still find love. And maybe it can save us.
March 28, 2016
I want to start at the end here - kudos to author Linda K Sienkiewicz. Well done. I picked up this book not sure what to expect. Writing a story with deep emotional depth can so easily go wrong. It takes just the right touch to delve into painful memories in a thoughtful way that exposes our humanity without rolling in a poor me scenario. In The Context of Love has just that touch.
The story of Angelica begins in the present, but is told through a flashback to her earlier life. We meet her dysfunctional family and wonder. Something is off. First love blossoms, but is discouraged and then quashed - why? The emotional toll on mother, father and teen as they fight age old battles is laid bare. When the family secret is finally revealed, it shatters all illusions and sends Angelica on a downward spiral. She is..............(sorry no spoiler alert).
Readers are not left in this dark place. Hope returns. Healing returns. The human spirit is resilient and the future calls. The author's background in poetry has woven it's touch into this story line. There is a beautiful cadence to how it all unfolds. I can't wait to read more by this talented author. Again - KUDOS!
The story of Angelica begins in the present, but is told through a flashback to her earlier life. We meet her dysfunctional family and wonder. Something is off. First love blossoms, but is discouraged and then quashed - why? The emotional toll on mother, father and teen as they fight age old battles is laid bare. When the family secret is finally revealed, it shatters all illusions and sends Angelica on a downward spiral. She is..............(sorry no spoiler alert).
Readers are not left in this dark place. Hope returns. Healing returns. The human spirit is resilient and the future calls. The author's background in poetry has woven it's touch into this story line. There is a beautiful cadence to how it all unfolds. I can't wait to read more by this talented author. Again - KUDOS!
November 11, 2017
In The Context of Love, we have a powerful story of perseverance, lost loves and forgiveness. It is written as series of something similar to journal entries. She tells her story to the love that she lost in high school, the one that made her feel loved and special. Angelica starts the story with the tale of her husband in prison and having to bring her children to see him. You can feel the pain and betrayal pouring off the pages of her story. My heart broke with her as I turned each and every page.
In The Context of Love, each page is a new step in the journey, full of tension and suspense. You never really know what is coming next. When her high school love is torn from her, you feel the immense pain she goes through. You want to console her and guide her but know that nothing can save her from the pain she is going through.
I love the way Linda writes, it is like magic as you turn each page as it is woven poetically. I literally could not put this story down, I loved it that much. You just want to keep reading to find out what happens to Joe (her lost love), Angelica, her children and if she can find forgiveness, love and acceptance.
In The Context of Love, each page is a new step in the journey, full of tension and suspense. You never really know what is coming next. When her high school love is torn from her, you feel the immense pain she goes through. You want to console her and guide her but know that nothing can save her from the pain she is going through.
I love the way Linda writes, it is like magic as you turn each page as it is woven poetically. I literally could not put this story down, I loved it that much. You just want to keep reading to find out what happens to Joe (her lost love), Angelica, her children and if she can find forgiveness, love and acceptance.
December 23, 2016
This highly readable novel often felt like a love letter to the main character’s crush from high school. And who hasn’t, at times, thought about that one special person you fell in love so long ago and wanted to relay your life’s misadventures to them? The special bond that’s created in those formative years comes through in Sinkewiecz’s writing. Never mind that the central theme or subject matter that In the Context of Love tackles is a tough one: rape. But Sinkewiecz doesn’t dwell on this. Rather, in her very poetic writing, she propels us through the life of Angelica and all that happens: falling in love and then having that person disappear on her, learning of a family rape and being devastated by it, living a self-destructive life that leaves the reader wondering whether she’ll ever surface from it. Like many of us, the main character struggles through life, learning lessons along the way, and works to extricate herself from the various challenges and tragedies that befall her. I give Linda’s wonderful book 4.5 stars, and would make it recommended reading for young and old alike. It’s classic women’s fiction.
September 4, 2015
I am very pleased with this book, having read it with no idea what I was diving into as I first opened the cover I can honestly say I am so happy to have read this book. I enjoyed the style of writing, I felt as though I was reading a letter that the narrator Angelica had written and I was fully absorbed by her life. This was a beautifully written story that I feel many people could easily connect with. I would easily recommend this book to all of my friends. I am a strong believer that love will find its way, and was so happy in the end that Joe and Angelica were surprisingly given another chance at it. I have to admit I was surprised I suspected that her father had killed him I kept anticipating the discovery of his body, I was blown away to discover the truth. I would love to know how their love rekindled and how their families blended. It is my wishful thinking that he became the father figure that her kids deserve and her husband as he should have always been. This was a great read, never a dull or slow moving moment in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2015
This novel loosely takes the form of a letter to a first love from the perspective of many years later. The main character has a story to tell, and she's most interested in sharing it with the love of her life, who is also the one that got away. After a brief intense high school romance, scandal and circumstances tear these two apart and she spends years trying to recover from the split and another family betrayal. A completely unexpected turn in this good-girl into someone even she doesn't recognize lead to bad choices and consequences she could not have foreseen. How she is able to finally stand tall again comes out in her story to the lost love. Sienkiewicz is a poet and it shows in the language, which is exquisite and careful but never weighs down the plot, which carried me through to the end in one reading. I couldn't put it down, couldn't wait to see how the author would resolve this deep heartache. I was not disappointed. This moving story of fated soul mates and the author's unique narrative voice make this book one not to be missed.
December 11, 2015
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I have never read a book quite like this one. Told in the second person, the author describes the main character Angelica's journey through a troublesome childhood and an even more unstable adulthood. This book reminded me of how one decision can change your life forever. That's what happened when she stated dating her high school boyfriend, Joe. Most of the book was hard for me to read because Angelica was in such a dark place. As a reader I cringed at the decisions she continued to make. On the other hand, it was interesting to read a book coming from such a perspective. It was almost like she was addicted to making bad choices, all the while knowing she shouldn't be making them. The end of the book did come to a good closing for me, and the writing technique of the author is brilliant. There is wonderful poetry and they story moved at the perfect pace.
This book was quite different than most I read, but I'm happy to have read it. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
I have never read a book quite like this one. Told in the second person, the author describes the main character Angelica's journey through a troublesome childhood and an even more unstable adulthood. This book reminded me of how one decision can change your life forever. That's what happened when she stated dating her high school boyfriend, Joe. Most of the book was hard for me to read because Angelica was in such a dark place. As a reader I cringed at the decisions she continued to make. On the other hand, it was interesting to read a book coming from such a perspective. It was almost like she was addicted to making bad choices, all the while knowing she shouldn't be making them. The end of the book did come to a good closing for me, and the writing technique of the author is brilliant. There is wonderful poetry and they story moved at the perfect pace.
This book was quite different than most I read, but I'm happy to have read it. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
May 20, 2016
In the context of Love by Linda K. Sienkiewicz is one of the most relatable love stories I have read. Angelica, the main character, told her story in second person, like she was talking to her highschool love, Joe.
Angelica grows so much throughout the story, making her character more real and relatable. She endures high school drama, temptations with sex and love, marriage, divorce, and kids.
This is a very beautifully written romance/coming of age story. Linda K. Sienkiewicz makes you feel as if you are in the story yourself. My heart broke for the characters, I cried for the characters, I laughed with the characters, and I loved with the characters. Seeing the main character overcome everything and become a strong independent young woman was amazing.
Linda K. Sienkiewicz writes in such a way, that you are automatically sucked into her book. Her words hypnotize you and you can't stop reading. I was so into this book emotionally I devoured it in one day.
I had no idea what I was getting into when I began this book. It surprised me. I highly recommend this book!
Angelica grows so much throughout the story, making her character more real and relatable. She endures high school drama, temptations with sex and love, marriage, divorce, and kids.
This is a very beautifully written romance/coming of age story. Linda K. Sienkiewicz makes you feel as if you are in the story yourself. My heart broke for the characters, I cried for the characters, I laughed with the characters, and I loved with the characters. Seeing the main character overcome everything and become a strong independent young woman was amazing.
Linda K. Sienkiewicz writes in such a way, that you are automatically sucked into her book. Her words hypnotize you and you can't stop reading. I was so into this book emotionally I devoured it in one day.
I had no idea what I was getting into when I began this book. It surprised me. I highly recommend this book!
March 11, 2016
"How easy it would be to fall back in love with you.
How the heart remembers".
In the Context of Love is can be described as a touching memoir-letter to a lost love. I immediately identified with Angelica, a hardworking high-school student whose mother obsessively controls her. Like a spring ready to bounce, Angelica seeks acceptance and consolation outside her family. She falls in love. But scandal tears them apart and she never sees him again.
Although this is first and foremost a love story, other events in Angelica's life push her in a downward spiral into drinking, drugs and bad relationships. We feel for her as she loses her sense of self and ends up in an abusive relationship.
Linda has managed to take a small family drama and turn it into an incredibly moving and emotional account of love, redemption and hope. The simple truths and insights touched me deeply. Please note that there are several mature themes in this book and strong language.
How the heart remembers".
In the Context of Love is can be described as a touching memoir-letter to a lost love. I immediately identified with Angelica, a hardworking high-school student whose mother obsessively controls her. Like a spring ready to bounce, Angelica seeks acceptance and consolation outside her family. She falls in love. But scandal tears them apart and she never sees him again.
Although this is first and foremost a love story, other events in Angelica's life push her in a downward spiral into drinking, drugs and bad relationships. We feel for her as she loses her sense of self and ends up in an abusive relationship.
Linda has managed to take a small family drama and turn it into an incredibly moving and emotional account of love, redemption and hope. The simple truths and insights touched me deeply. Please note that there are several mature themes in this book and strong language.
May 26, 2017
I love books about family relationships. And even though I don’t like family drama or betrayal in real life, I love it in books.
This book had it all, and Angelica is devastated when the truth comes out. This is an emotionally charged book that keeps you turning the pages even when you know you should close the book and get other stuff done.
The characters and situations are believable and you can’t help but feel for Angelica and want so much for everything to turn out ok. I haven’t been reading many “heavier” novels lately, but I’m glad I decided to give this a try. I don’t know how anyone could read this and not get emotional, but like I said before, you won’t want to stop until the end.
There’s so much more to this book than what I’ve mentioned. It is definitely a winner and I would absolutely recommend it. It’s going on my “Best of 2016” list.
This book had it all, and Angelica is devastated when the truth comes out. This is an emotionally charged book that keeps you turning the pages even when you know you should close the book and get other stuff done.
The characters and situations are believable and you can’t help but feel for Angelica and want so much for everything to turn out ok. I haven’t been reading many “heavier” novels lately, but I’m glad I decided to give this a try. I don’t know how anyone could read this and not get emotional, but like I said before, you won’t want to stop until the end.
There’s so much more to this book than what I’ve mentioned. It is definitely a winner and I would absolutely recommend it. It’s going on my “Best of 2016” list.
September 4, 2015
Loved this story of how bad things can happen but life goes on and good things can still happen. This story has a lot of different elements from teen love, violence, low self worth (that gets better), and love that spans over time. Even though this story spans over quite a few years it was well put together and flowed nicely. I loved that though they hadn't seen each other in years they never lost the love and chemistry. I am really hoping there is a continuation of this story. I need to know how the lives of these people, not just Joe and Angelica, but everyone turns out.
April 6, 2016
This is the type of story that reminds you of your past. It also reminded me that I could learn from my past. I could learn from the mistakes of my ancestors and raise my family differently. The sins of the parents should not be the sins of the daughter. I could tell that the author knew how to write poetry, because it came through it her words. This is a great beach read. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions all my own. - See more at: http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/2...
November 20, 2015
A riveting, slightly melancholic, slightly romantic read. I haven't read many novels lately (kids, work, running, blah), but this one is exactly what I love. I wanted to know what happened next! And the descriptions were great. Linda has an amazing way of capturing emotion in a powerful, insightful way. Great read!
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