Letting Go: Love Story For Sammy

by Kimberly Wenzler

The Buchanans are living an idyllic life on Long Island. Max is a successful author, Lucy is his supportive stay-at-home wife, and their only child, Sammy, is the center of their world. On February 1, 2007 their lives change forever. A year later, Max is hiding behind writer's block—shuffling through daily life with minimal effort while eight-year-old Sammy devises his own process of dealing with his upturned world. His secret conversations with his mother give him the strength to adjust to his new life and new family dynamic. When trouble at school brings Max and Sammy’s teacher together, Max is torn between awakened feelings of need and desire and the love he still harbors for his wife. Sammy forms a closer bond with Benjamin, the troubled teen across the street, who suffers from the pain of his past and plays a dangerous, illegal game. And Lucy, watching as her family unravels, is helpless. Or is she? * * * In Wenzler’s second novel, Letting Go tells the heartwarming story about a mother who refuses to leave her child, and as she watches her husband begin a new life, must figure out how to hold on and when to let go.

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 14, 2015

About the author

Kimberly was born and raised on Long Island where she currently resides with her husband and their two sons. She blogs at www.kimberlywenzler.com using humor to share her personal views on life, reading and writing. Kimberly is currently at work on her next novel. Feel free to drop a line and say hi. She loves visitors.

Reviews

[Maria Bienz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kimberly Wenzler, you got me! Not once but twice! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Letting Go. One thing I loved is that right from the beginning in my head, I thought I knew what was happening and why ..... I was wrong. The characters are well developed and believable as is this wellwritten story. Surprisingly for this genre, there were several unexpected twists. Love it when an author can get me to gasp and Kimberly Wenzler did it twice! Absolutely a "Good Read" and looking forward to reading her other books.

[Terry Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by me as part of Rosie Amber's Review Team

I was confused as to how to review this book as it's difficult not to give the whole theme of the story away, so I'm going to tiptoe through it. Suffice to say that there's a great surprise very early on that made me think, "oh, clever!", and I imagine it will have the same effect on you!

Set in Long Island, New York, Letting Go shows wife and mother Lucy observing how the the shocking event of 2007 (I'm not telling you!) affects husband Max, son Sam, best friend Hope, and even the troubled babysitter, Benjamin, whose story runs concurrently. It's a great idea, and Kimberly Wenzler has made a good job of it.

The novel is very well presented and nicely written, the characterisation very good, particularly Max, I thought. He's a writer whose creativity is facing a brick wall; his emotions zigzag through many highs and lows. I thought he was so realistically written.

The people in this story live a conventional, middle class life, with conventional attitudes, a little too much so for me; Lucy describes her 'picket fence' existence. She's quite a 'girly' sort of woman (who went down in my estimation when she described the brilliant 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy as 'incredibly dreary'!), but you couldn't not like her.

The only problem I had with this novel was that it was a bit short on plot; not much happens. It's emotionally driven, an exploration of family relationships, to a large extent. That's not to say there isn't a proper plot, there is, and it has several strands, but domestic detail, incidental conversation and Lucy's observations/impressions form a large part of it; elements of conflict are touched on only lightly, and I kept thinking there was going to be something to get my teeth into only to find that the drama I hoped for didn't happen. However, it's well put together and is a book you can put down and pick up again without having to remember the kind of intricate detail that has me searching back over previous pages. There was one relationship I saw brewing very early on (and I was glad I was right, I wanted it to happen!), and a mystery is solved at the end in an unpredictable and very convincing way.

One very positive aspect of this story is that the subject could have been oozing with schmaltz, but it's not. I don't do tearjerkers at all, and wondered if this might become overly so, but it didn't, it's the sort of book that makes you feel a little bit sad and smile a little bit, but doesn't slap it on with a trowel.

I think this will be greatly enjoyed by people who like a slow-paced, emotionally orientated study of family relationships, with plenty to ponder over. It's certainly an original idea, and is very well executed.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 really. I adored this book. It really spoke to my belief that our loved ones are always with us, and I found that somewhat spell binding. It is written by a local author and it takes place in an environment that I literally recognize, and I adore when that happens in a book. It also spoke to a major issue on LI, the drug issue....they never said heroin but I just knew it.....the book kept me guessing, and wanting to find out what would be revealed in the end. I adored Sammy, and ached for Benjamin, and I have been thinking about the book for days after I completed it. I did feel like sometimes it meandered and I wasn't sure why we were in that part of the narrative, but it all comes together. Really worth giving a read.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this story!! Captured by the characters' tenderness, vulnerability, & strength all mixed together!! A MUST read!!

[irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get tissues!

A sweet and mildly predictable story......loved the characters, their development and the twists and turns of their lives. The pain of losing a loved one was expressed so well. A must read !

[Rose Baylis · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enjoyable!

[Judith Barrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Letting Go by Kimberly Wenzler It’s an easy read; one you can put down and look forward to picking it up again – and be able to follow immediately.. It’s a book lightly touched by plot, threaded through by a mystery that is only revealed at the end, with various strands of relationships for the reader to follow with the narrator, Lucy. Lucy is also the protagonist and therein lies the shock. I don’t give away spoilers so I’ll leave that one hanging there

Based in Long Island, New York, USA there are enough descriptions of settings to show the ordinary lives of the characters. The conventional families, friendships, courtships are a backdrop against a dreadful incident some two years earlier.

And, for me, the strength of the book is in these characters; so rounded, so strongly drawn that I could see and believe in them immediately. The touches of characterisation, observation and human interaction are authentic and realistic. The conversations, together with the internal dialogue work well, defining each of the characters and their narratives, each moving the story on..

But what I really like is the way the darker themes, the story of Ben, a teenage neighbour, and the criminal world he is inevitably drawn into, are interwoven with the poignant and tender relationship between Max and Sammy, Lucy’s husband and son.

It’s not a fast-paced book but I think Letting Go is paced, I love the author’s writing style; so fitting for this kind of novel. A very satisfying and original read. One I can thoroughly recommend.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't read Kimberly Wenzler's writing, you're missing out. Her writing is like sitting with an old friend, warming that special place in the heart. The story winds slowly through the journey of each of the varied characters — a slow dance — with beautifully written sentences.

[Debra Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won Letting Go in a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for my honest review. Kimberly Wenzler has written what begins as a heart wrenching read. It's about a husband, Max, and a son, Sammy, who have lost their wife and mother. How does a family deal with a loss like this? How do they go on after something so terrible has happened to them? When if ever, is it time for Max to date? He goes out with Melanie, who was Sammy's teacher, but it doesn't feel right, yet. Will it ever? Then there is Hope, the best friend, who especially needs her friend to talk to. How will she manage losing her husband's love without anyone to confide in? Benjamen is Sammy's across the street neighbor and sorta big brother. His life has suddenly taken a downward spiral. Why? He has the character to find his way if he only will. This book is really a comfort if you have ever lost someone very close to you. Wenzler's Letting Go gets everything perfectly right about loss; just the way it really is. This gorgeously, well crafted novel made me cry, but ultimately, it made me very happy!

[Janice McQuaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having thoroughly enjoyed Wenzler’s first novel, Both Sides of Love, I was hoping her second would be equally as appealing. She did not disappoint! I enjoyed this novel even more than the first. It is hard to describe the book without giving too much away. Suffice to say, I read it in a day and it held me from the twist at the end of the first chapter to the last page. I have to admit it is rare for me to be surprised, especially in this genre, but there were a few surprises that I did not see coming. I enjoyed reading about the Buchanan’s struggle to deal with the new dynamics in their family since fate interrupted their idyllic life. My book club read this as their selection last month and there was not one member who did not give it positive praise.

[Joanne Kelleher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrator of this book watches over her son and husband from afar, and through her the reader learns about their past together. As the son and husband struggled to move on, I was rooting for them and hoping for a good outcome. The self-destructive actions of their teen neighbor, Benjamin, were worrisome and I was rooting for him to pull it together as well. I kept reading to see how it would all turn out, and the denouement skillfully set all the pieces into place.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching and beautifully written.

[Natalie Sjogren]

Excellent story

[Monica Carlsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!! I fell in love with the characters and I highly recommend it!