What do you think?
Rate this book
Raising John
How do you go on living when you have done the unforgivable? Robert Lewis isn’t surprised to wake up in the drunk tank. He assumes that, as usual, he’ll sleep it off, then return to the routine of golf games, broker meetings, symphony dates and nightcaps that make up his life.
Then his lawyer delivers the news: Robert is responsible for an accident that has killed a young mother and orphaned her young son, John.
Robert is quickly yanked from his life of privilege and sent to prison to atone for his crimes.
Defiant at first, Robert believes he’s better than his fellow inmates and that unlike them, he has no room for improvement.
But, as the months wear on, Robert’s fellow inmates push him to confront his actions and the choices that brought him to prison.
Meanwhile, as John grows up under the care of his maternal grandmother, he must come to terms with losing his mother and decide whether he can forgive the man who destroyed his childhood.
Spanning three generations, Raising John tells the story of John’s bittersweet childhood, the history of the mother he never knew, and of Robert’s collapse and redemption.
Then his lawyer delivers the news: Robert is responsible for an accident that has killed a young mother and orphaned her young son, John.
Robert is quickly yanked from his life of privilege and sent to prison to atone for his crimes.
Defiant at first, Robert believes he’s better than his fellow inmates and that unlike them, he has no room for improvement.
But, as the months wear on, Robert’s fellow inmates push him to confront his actions and the choices that brought him to prison.
Meanwhile, as John grows up under the care of his maternal grandmother, he must come to terms with losing his mother and decide whether he can forgive the man who destroyed his childhood.
Spanning three generations, Raising John tells the story of John’s bittersweet childhood, the history of the mother he never knew, and of Robert’s collapse and redemption.
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 17, 2014
38 people are currently reading
919 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Lesher
4 books13 followersJennifer Lesher is an author, blogger, mountain biker, travel junkie, non-sufferer of fools, aspiring airplane mechanic, and graduate of the School of Hard Knocks.
She is the author of the "Modern Love?" series of Kindle short stories and the novel Raising John.
Recently Jennifer effected a career change, leaving her job in the high-tech industry to pursue certification as an airplane mechanic. She has recently become a flight line mechanic for a major U.S. airline
Jennifer lives in Seattle, Washington.
She is the author of the "Modern Love?" series of Kindle short stories and the novel Raising John.
Recently Jennifer effected a career change, leaving her job in the high-tech industry to pursue certification as an airplane mechanic. She has recently become a flight line mechanic for a major U.S. airline
Jennifer lives in Seattle, Washington.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 6, 2014
The first narrator in this story is a young girl in an abusive family and the other (in a jump in time) is her orphaned son. The book covers some pretty deep themes such as emotional abuse and alcoholism, but this is done seamlessly through the characters who are engaging and complex. The book had me thinking about the characters for many days after I finished. They felt real enough to continue worrying about them after I was done! This was a highly engaging read that I highly recommend.
November 3, 2016
*Spoiler Alert*
Do you have those moments when you really believe your life is an island? Nothing you do, no choice you make will affect anyone other than yourself? Well this book will show you just how wrong you are. This is a story of a family of three generations, all making choices they feel will make life better, but in the end it will only destroy the next group of people born into the family.
You will follow Robert and Barbara as they struggle in their marriage trying to raise their only daughter Mary. Robert is a drunk, abusive and never wanted a child. Barbara is the doting mother to her only child, trying to be the buffer between her husband’s abuse and her daughter’s safety. Never showing Mary how to stand up for herself, Barbara ended up showing Mary that everything was the woman’s fault and sometimes you just have accept the abuse to survive. Being happy wasn’t an option.
Mary left for college, so angry at her father she didn’t even bother to say goodbye to him. She finds a new life thousands of miles away from the abuse she grew up in and had dreams of how a relationship was meant to be. She toyed around with a few guys till she found the one she thought would make her dreams come true. That was until his controlling ways became abusive and she had to decide if it was time to leave him for good and start over again. Once free from him she continued her search for her Prince Charming and ended up pregnant. Now her priorities shifted and getting an education and taking care of her son was the only thing she focused on.
Barbara finally had enough and left Robert, but their connection didn’t stop there. Soon Robert would be in trouble with the law and find himself in jail for murder. It was either time for him to wake up and get help or live with the guilt that will eventually kill him.
After graduating and having her son, Mary moved back to her home town, she was excited to get her career going and take her son to the places she loved as a child. Thank goodness her childhood best friend’s family took her to the beach and other trips so she would be able to share the good memories with John. One day on the way to her destination, with excitement of showing baby John the beauty in the world, she was hit by a drunk driver and killed. John was now an orphan as he never would know what his father was, grandfather in prison and the only one to take him would be his Grandmother Barbara.
This story left me in an emotional mess. I wanted so much for John to have a happy life, but as we see him growing up, he is begging to know why other kids have two sets of grandparents, a mommy and daddy, all he had was a grandma. To see Barbara struggle with giving him answers but holding back the truth she knew would destroy him. She finally did invite Robert into John’s life, but in the end that came with a huge price for everyone.
You might be thinking I just gave you the whole story in my review, but you would be totally wrong. There are so many twists and turns in this story, what I gave you was just an outline. The author had me guessing during most of this book as to what would happen next. I couldn’t put it down and between being a mom and wife for my family the last 24 hours, I was a totally engrossed reader of this book. Even when I put it down those few times, my mind never left it. The author gave us a family that the reader could not only care about but see a part of them in at least one character. She created events that a reader would have to be heartless not to be affected by. While the ending left me still feeling emotionally raw, I found great hope in the book. To see the love the grandmother had for John, the battle of overcoming the anger and accepting her fate, she was able to give more to her grandson than she ever could give to her daughter. It was like her own form of redemption to her daughter.
If you love a fictional story that just screams reality in life, this is your book. I don’t think I will soon forget this story or the family that was created. I think this author will soon become one of my favorites for the simple fact she makes me think and feel while reading her books.
Reviewed by Tbird for Crystal’s Many Reviewers
*Copy provided for honest review*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2014
This book had me right from the beginning. Mary is in her last year of high school and can hardly wait to move away from home to go to college. Her father is an alcoholic and her mother doesn't seem motivated to anything about his abusive behaviour. She earns a full scholarship to university. Incidents happened to Mary in college that kept me up the night I read about them. However, she was able to move on and graduated and even went through a doctorate program.
One day she called her mother to tell her that she was pregnant and would having the baby on her own. She loved her new boy, John so much. When he was four years old she was driving with him in the back seat and a drunk driver ploughed into their car. The car seat protected John but Mary did not survive.
John went to live and be raised by his grandmother and the driver was sent to prison for four years. Then we follow back and forth from the driver in prison to John and his grandmother. I can't tell you any more without risking giving away major spoilers.
Although this book was heart wrenching at times, I loved it! I really had a hard time putting it down. The writing was literary. The characters we studied in-depth and felt real to me. It was like I was there as part of the family. Jennifer Lesher really his a home run with Raising John and I can hardly wait for her to come out with a new book! Please hurry Jennirer! Highly recommended!
One day she called her mother to tell her that she was pregnant and would having the baby on her own. She loved her new boy, John so much. When he was four years old she was driving with him in the back seat and a drunk driver ploughed into their car. The car seat protected John but Mary did not survive.
John went to live and be raised by his grandmother and the driver was sent to prison for four years. Then we follow back and forth from the driver in prison to John and his grandmother. I can't tell you any more without risking giving away major spoilers.
Although this book was heart wrenching at times, I loved it! I really had a hard time putting it down. The writing was literary. The characters we studied in-depth and felt real to me. It was like I was there as part of the family. Jennifer Lesher really his a home run with Raising John and I can hardly wait for her to come out with a new book! Please hurry Jennirer! Highly recommended!
May 27, 2014
A heartbreaking story of abuse, addiction and loss. I learned that being in an abusive relationship numbs you to where you don't recognize the abuse as abuse any more. That explains why so many women stay. This story is the struggle of this addictive abuse and how a family recovers.
January 26, 2018
Two comments: 1. This is yet another book where the narration skips around from one generation to another, one character to the next. I'm getting tired of that. 2. The ending is ridiculously abrupt, an absolutely horrendous ending, thereby reducing the stars from maybe 3 1/2 to two.
March 24, 2014
RAISING JOHN is a story of love, devotion, heartbreak, betrayal, forgiveness, and redemption. We first meet John as a four-year old boy trying to understand why he doesn't have a mommy and just a Grammy. Then we are introduced to Robert who wakes up in a drunk tank with no memory of what he just did and why he needs to post $100,000 bail. He will soon find out he was the drunk driver who killed a young mother, named Mary.
The story begins with Mary as a young child being raised by her parents in what appears to be a loving home and quickly turns into a nightmare for both Mary and her mother, Barbara. The abuse and control over their lives grows as we travel through Mary's childhood. As a teenager, Mary becomes more resentful of her father's abuse and her mother's inability to stop it. Mary moves away to college and we find that she has put herself in the same position as her mother. As the reader, I cringed when I knew Mary was making the wrong choices and could see the red flags that this was not going to be what she wanted.
As we learn Mary's story, we also flip back and forth to Robert's story as he travels through life as a prison inmate. Robert tries to fit in and just wants to do his time and get out of there. But, once he begins to attend AA, he learns the only way to heal may be by admitting to his victim's family that he was wrong.
We also watch John grow up in the story, being raised by his Grandma. All along he knows that his mom died in a car accident. But, when by chance, he finds out the real truth behind his mom's accident, his life and Robert's will forever be changed. Their connection will surprise you.
I found this to be a quick read and without the foul language, I think it would appeal to young readers as much as the adult reader. In fact, it reads more like a YA novel. Since the novel jumps around in time a lot, I appreciated that the chapters began with a heading of time and place so you knew who you were going to be reading about for awhile.
The years of abuse that Barbara and Mary went through were horrific. The fact that Barbara was then able to raise John as Mary would have, showed a deep devotion to her grandson and a fervor to right the wrongs from Mary's childhood. Although Mary didn't get a second chance, Barbara tried to give John the best life possible.
Even though I was a bit frustrated with the ending, it reminded me that life isn't always neat and tidy. We don't always get those happy endings and maybe, this ending for Barbara, John and Robert will be enough.
The story begins with Mary as a young child being raised by her parents in what appears to be a loving home and quickly turns into a nightmare for both Mary and her mother, Barbara. The abuse and control over their lives grows as we travel through Mary's childhood. As a teenager, Mary becomes more resentful of her father's abuse and her mother's inability to stop it. Mary moves away to college and we find that she has put herself in the same position as her mother. As the reader, I cringed when I knew Mary was making the wrong choices and could see the red flags that this was not going to be what she wanted.
As we learn Mary's story, we also flip back and forth to Robert's story as he travels through life as a prison inmate. Robert tries to fit in and just wants to do his time and get out of there. But, once he begins to attend AA, he learns the only way to heal may be by admitting to his victim's family that he was wrong.
We also watch John grow up in the story, being raised by his Grandma. All along he knows that his mom died in a car accident. But, when by chance, he finds out the real truth behind his mom's accident, his life and Robert's will forever be changed. Their connection will surprise you.
I found this to be a quick read and without the foul language, I think it would appeal to young readers as much as the adult reader. In fact, it reads more like a YA novel. Since the novel jumps around in time a lot, I appreciated that the chapters began with a heading of time and place so you knew who you were going to be reading about for awhile.
The years of abuse that Barbara and Mary went through were horrific. The fact that Barbara was then able to raise John as Mary would have, showed a deep devotion to her grandson and a fervor to right the wrongs from Mary's childhood. Although Mary didn't get a second chance, Barbara tried to give John the best life possible.
Even though I was a bit frustrated with the ending, it reminded me that life isn't always neat and tidy. We don't always get those happy endings and maybe, this ending for Barbara, John and Robert will be enough.
April 17, 2014
Like earlier stated I was given this book for my honest and unbiased opinion from the publisher/author.
Wow. Just wow. I am stunned by how much I liked it. I absolutely loved it. I finished this in one day. That hasn't happened in a while. It was a simple read and quick read, but man it was a good read. The writing wasnt overly done and anyone can read this. I loved how the author wrote this.
Even though there were four POVs it worked. You knew when the POV would change (at each chapter with a POV change there would be a month and year and location - so you never got confused) and I highly praise authors who do that. The POV changes made sense and helped you understand the story better. I'm really glad that the author established Mary (the mom who dies) as a character. You get to know her and her story through her eyes. It was nice. Normally stories like these the dead parent is marginalized and you never get know them. It's actually kind of sad, because you know the mother more then John. :/
Honestly...the author threw me through a loop. The twist certainly surprised me. I can not say for it is a big spoiler. Just like John, I was hurt and angry by this spoiler. WHAT?! What are the chances? Crazy shit. *shakes my head* Loved the spoiler though. It was a good one and in some cynical part of me I'm glad that that person had to suffer and still suffers with the fact he killed Mary. I wish that Mary wasnt killed, but the irony is fantastic and karma is a revengeful witch (you know what I really mean).
I loved, LOVED this book. However, the ending confused me. I think I know what was inferred, but I'm not sure...mmmmmm. I'm still gnawing over it and trying to wrap my head around it. I do wish that ending was a little more solid and less making the reader assume and guess. Mmmmmmm. It's still making me think. hahaha. I guess the author is brilliant and has left an impression on the mind of the reader.
In the end, I loved this book. I loved the characters, the story, and the way it was presented by the author. Even though the ending left me a little unsure, because it was not very solid, I stilled loved it. This is defiantly on the list of Favorite Book of the Year. ^.^ I would recommend this book to everyone, even as a YA (but I would advise the older of those in that age group, because there is some language). Out of five stars, I grant this 5 stars.
Wow. Just wow. I am stunned by how much I liked it. I absolutely loved it. I finished this in one day. That hasn't happened in a while. It was a simple read and quick read, but man it was a good read. The writing wasnt overly done and anyone can read this. I loved how the author wrote this.
Even though there were four POVs it worked. You knew when the POV would change (at each chapter with a POV change there would be a month and year and location - so you never got confused) and I highly praise authors who do that. The POV changes made sense and helped you understand the story better. I'm really glad that the author established Mary (the mom who dies) as a character. You get to know her and her story through her eyes. It was nice. Normally stories like these the dead parent is marginalized and you never get know them. It's actually kind of sad, because you know the mother more then John. :/
Honestly...the author threw me through a loop. The twist certainly surprised me. I can not say for it is a big spoiler. Just like John, I was hurt and angry by this spoiler. WHAT?! What are the chances? Crazy shit. *shakes my head* Loved the spoiler though. It was a good one and in some cynical part of me I'm glad that that person had to suffer and still suffers with the fact he killed Mary. I wish that Mary wasnt killed, but the irony is fantastic and karma is a revengeful witch (you know what I really mean).
I loved, LOVED this book. However, the ending confused me. I think I know what was inferred, but I'm not sure...mmmmmm. I'm still gnawing over it and trying to wrap my head around it. I do wish that ending was a little more solid and less making the reader assume and guess. Mmmmmmm. It's still making me think. hahaha. I guess the author is brilliant and has left an impression on the mind of the reader.
In the end, I loved this book. I loved the characters, the story, and the way it was presented by the author. Even though the ending left me a little unsure, because it was not very solid, I stilled loved it. This is defiantly on the list of Favorite Book of the Year. ^.^ I would recommend this book to everyone, even as a YA (but I would advise the older of those in that age group, because there is some language). Out of five stars, I grant this 5 stars.
May 4, 2014
I am giving this 5 stars, because, even though the ending was up-in-the-air, it kept my interest so much I read it in about 24 hours. The beginning was a little difficult because it went so far back and the title was 'raising JOHN' and it took a while for John to become prominent in the book. But it still intrigued me so I kept going. Then it all fits together....John's mother and his grandparents and how they all arrived at the point where John became an orphan. And then growing up with the questions that were too difficult to answer
May 26, 2014
This is the kind of book that makes me wish I could write. It captured me from the very start and kept moving at a good pace. Great character development, I really did not want it to end I became so involved in the characters. And the story was written in such a way that you found yourself having many different emotions and feelings toward each of the characters. I'd love to find another book by this author.
May 28, 2014
good read
Jennifer Lesher has produced an excellent book with interesting characters and an enjoyable plot. I appreciated the story of domestic violence, but do feel that more could have been done with the intensity of fear and denial that pervades such situations. The sense of worthlessness is absolutely paralyzing, and makes it so very difficult to break free.
Jennifer Lesher has produced an excellent book with interesting characters and an enjoyable plot. I appreciated the story of domestic violence, but do feel that more could have been done with the intensity of fear and denial that pervades such situations. The sense of worthlessness is absolutely paralyzing, and makes it so very difficult to break free.
April 24, 2014
The ending sucked, it just...stopped. Maybe there's a second part? However, I loved the book, absolutely loved it! Original storyline, real people with real problems. Yes, I would recommend reading the book, but I wish the author would finish the book!
April 28, 2014
Ended very abruptly.. but very engrossing.
May 9, 2014
I really liked this book. The story had me intrigued until it ended very abruptly. It felt like there is a chapter missing.
May 9, 2014
What???
I was disappointed with the ending. Too many parts of the story left unfinished. I couldn't believe how ended I wanted closure
I was disappointed with the ending. Too many parts of the story left unfinished. I couldn't believe how ended I wanted closure
May 30, 2014
Secrets hurt more when the silence is broken by a person who wants to hurt... There is good in all of us - sometimes a tragedy is the only way to bring that good to the surface.
June 10, 2014
I liked the story, but I thought yhe ending was abrupt.
February 9, 2015
I will post my full review of this book here at a later date. Please stay tuned!
January 11, 2018
Tear jerker
I loved this book but the ending left me hanging. The author didn't really tell the readers what happened to the characters in detail, she just write one word which I think I know what happenedfrom that one word. But don't let that stop you from reading this great book.
I loved this book but the ending left me hanging. The author didn't really tell the readers what happened to the characters in detail, she just write one word which I think I know what happenedfrom that one word. But don't let that stop you from reading this great book.
July 4, 2019
Good story
An interesting story, but disappointed with the dirty language toward the end of the story. Also disappointed with the ending. On a positive note, there were some surprises!
An interesting story, but disappointed with the dirty language toward the end of the story. Also disappointed with the ending. On a positive note, there were some surprises!
June 23, 2022
Wow ! There was a whopper of a turn of events about three quarters of the way through. I was completely flabbergasted and never connected the dots. Very emotional book. Didn’t quite finish, as end with questions. Good read.
February 24, 2019
I was disappointed with the ending.
February 11, 2022
I loved this book, but I can't explain why really. I hate alcoholism and abuse, I hate not understanding life and adults. And that's what this book is about, but I loved it!
March 21, 2014
After Barbara has her daughter, Mary, she is ecstatic and all of her energies go into taking care of her. Her husband, however, begins to trun to a more violent self and he begins to drink a lot. As I am reading the story all I can think is how this can lead to no good, and it doesn’t. He becomes violent towards Mary and Barbara and all Mary wants is a way out of this nightmare. She finally has her chance when she heads off to go to university and she never has to see her abusive father again. Mary becomes pregnant with John and she decides that she will undertake everything as a single mother. Nothing seems like it can go wrong after this decision is made but she is tragically killed in a car accident. My heart sunk when this happened and it was a drunk driver that was the end of her. It seemed as if everything had come full circle torture for her and when it was over all you could think as a reader was that drunks had ruined this poor girl’s life from when she was little all the way until she died. Barbara is then left with the responsibility of raising John. After all of this you get to meet the drunk driver named Robert. That’s when the real story begins to dig.
Robert is in a drunk tank and thinks that he is going to be released and back into society. He is so wrong with his assumption. He gets four years for the death of Mary because it is considered vehicular homicide. Four years did not seem long enough when I found out what the sentencing was going to be. He took someone else’s life and all he got was four years! He robbed a little boy of his mother and to make matters worse he does not seem the least bit remorseful. He lives his prison sentence with too much arrogance for me to withstand for someone who now has to live with the fact that he had taken another’s life. His sentence makes him have to attend AA meetings and I thought hurray for that. He doesn’t want to go to these meetings but he sees that he has take responsibility for his actions, so he goes.
I really enjoyed this novel because everything just fit together seamlessly. There were times when it jumped from one time to another, but you were not confused because the author made sure to provide the dates for you throughout the text. This was a nice feature to keep everything straight in my head about exactly when all the scenes were taking place. I will tell you that there is some language in this novel but it is not enough to make you become unaware of what the real meaning behind the text is or what the purpose of using the profanity was to begin with. Some readers before no profanity but sometimes when a situation arises where profanity would be used in a real life, outside of a novel situation, it is only appropriate to voice it like that within the story.
Barbara is a strong woman and character from having been an abused housewife to having to get herself completely together. I don’t know how she did it because I would have broken down a long time before. Her husband only gives her money for the things that he deems necessary. It makes me sick when men are that controlling and so it made it even easier to hate the drunk that caused so much pain from the beginning. Mary was a very likable character and was strong willed. I was sad to read when she was killed by Robert in the drunk driving accident. I thought to myself that there would be no hope or happy ending for any of these characters once that happened. John is an adorable little boy and he has all the love that he needs from his grandmother and he gives it right back in return. That made me smile. Even thought they were in such a bad situation, they made the best of what was given to them. The other supporting characters were a nice added bonus and added to the story at all the right times and places. I would recommend this to anyone that loves a story with a complicated back story but that gives you something to hope for as the characters grow and develop together to overcome their struggles.
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this novel for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Robert is in a drunk tank and thinks that he is going to be released and back into society. He is so wrong with his assumption. He gets four years for the death of Mary because it is considered vehicular homicide. Four years did not seem long enough when I found out what the sentencing was going to be. He took someone else’s life and all he got was four years! He robbed a little boy of his mother and to make matters worse he does not seem the least bit remorseful. He lives his prison sentence with too much arrogance for me to withstand for someone who now has to live with the fact that he had taken another’s life. His sentence makes him have to attend AA meetings and I thought hurray for that. He doesn’t want to go to these meetings but he sees that he has take responsibility for his actions, so he goes.
I really enjoyed this novel because everything just fit together seamlessly. There were times when it jumped from one time to another, but you were not confused because the author made sure to provide the dates for you throughout the text. This was a nice feature to keep everything straight in my head about exactly when all the scenes were taking place. I will tell you that there is some language in this novel but it is not enough to make you become unaware of what the real meaning behind the text is or what the purpose of using the profanity was to begin with. Some readers before no profanity but sometimes when a situation arises where profanity would be used in a real life, outside of a novel situation, it is only appropriate to voice it like that within the story.
Barbara is a strong woman and character from having been an abused housewife to having to get herself completely together. I don’t know how she did it because I would have broken down a long time before. Her husband only gives her money for the things that he deems necessary. It makes me sick when men are that controlling and so it made it even easier to hate the drunk that caused so much pain from the beginning. Mary was a very likable character and was strong willed. I was sad to read when she was killed by Robert in the drunk driving accident. I thought to myself that there would be no hope or happy ending for any of these characters once that happened. John is an adorable little boy and he has all the love that he needs from his grandmother and he gives it right back in return. That made me smile. Even thought they were in such a bad situation, they made the best of what was given to them. The other supporting characters were a nice added bonus and added to the story at all the right times and places. I would recommend this to anyone that loves a story with a complicated back story but that gives you something to hope for as the characters grow and develop together to overcome their struggles.
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this novel for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 10, 2022
EBK-M, Kindle, @ 2013, Read 1026/22. Fiction, Drama, Alcoholism, Families, Abuse. A young tot is raised by his grandmother after he is involved in a car accident that killed his mother. Not only does he want to know the story of his mother, but wants to know why he has no male figure in his life. A very sad commentary on the depths that alcohol dependency affects families. 3☆'s = Good. Very hard to read, at some points I considered not finishing!
March 18, 2014
This story really starts back in 1968 when Barbara discovers she is pregnant with Mary. She's excited to tell her husband the news. Over the years, though, as Barbara's priorities shift also to raising Mary, her husband becomes very bitter and violent. He drinks a lot and abuses Barbara and Mary. Mary can't wait to leave ... once she goes away to university, she never sees her father again. In time, Mary becomes pregnant with John and decides to raise him as a single mother. Tragedy strikes when she is killed in a car accident when a drunk driver runs into them and Barbara is left to raise John.
Robert is that drunk driver. When he first wakes up in the drunk tank, he assumes he'll be released. But that's not the case. He is sentenced to four years in prison for vehicular homicide for Mary's death. At first, he is very arrogant and is just putting in his time 'til he's released. One of the conditions of his sentence is that he has to attend AA meetings. At first, he resists ... but he eventually opens up and is able to take responsibility for what he'd done.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it. I liked the writing style and thought it flowed well. It jumps around during different time periods but it's obvious (the dates are at the top of the chapters). Some readers don't like this style but I don't mind it. The writing is in third person perspective ... the point of view was determined by whoever the focus was on. As a head's up, the language and some activity is for a mature reader (the "F-bomb" is dropped a lot).
The characters were interesting. Barbara is an abused wife of a philandering alcoholic but puts up with it to keep her family together. She is a housewife and barely gets by on the money her husband gives her for necessities. Mary is feisty and smart and can't wait for the day until she's able to move away from her father. It's too bad her life was cut so short just as she was getting it together. John is a cute kid and it was obvious that he and his grandmother loved each other. There are some secondary characters who were supportive friends.
I'd recommend this book if you are looking for a story with complex relationships and characters you want to cheer for.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2014/03...
Robert is that drunk driver. When he first wakes up in the drunk tank, he assumes he'll be released. But that's not the case. He is sentenced to four years in prison for vehicular homicide for Mary's death. At first, he is very arrogant and is just putting in his time 'til he's released. One of the conditions of his sentence is that he has to attend AA meetings. At first, he resists ... but he eventually opens up and is able to take responsibility for what he'd done.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it. I liked the writing style and thought it flowed well. It jumps around during different time periods but it's obvious (the dates are at the top of the chapters). Some readers don't like this style but I don't mind it. The writing is in third person perspective ... the point of view was determined by whoever the focus was on. As a head's up, the language and some activity is for a mature reader (the "F-bomb" is dropped a lot).
The characters were interesting. Barbara is an abused wife of a philandering alcoholic but puts up with it to keep her family together. She is a housewife and barely gets by on the money her husband gives her for necessities. Mary is feisty and smart and can't wait for the day until she's able to move away from her father. It's too bad her life was cut so short just as she was getting it together. John is a cute kid and it was obvious that he and his grandmother loved each other. There are some secondary characters who were supportive friends.
I'd recommend this book if you are looking for a story with complex relationships and characters you want to cheer for.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2014/03...
January 8, 2016
This story follows a group of people both before and after a tramautic event. We see the aftermath of poor decision making (not only the decisions that lead up to a young mother's death but all the decisions her family had made before hand) the switching between present and past took me a while to get used to because you would get times where it was one chapter in the past then 3 in the present and then maybe 2 in the past and 1 in the present. At some points it made me feel like I was just hitting the stride of keeping up with the past and then all of a sudden I'm yanked into the present. Its a really interesting story though. It was awesome to see how all of these little moments lead to this larger defining moment not just for Robert but also for Mary and John and the other characters we see along the way.
When I first read the synopsis for this book They called it a saga of a family and it truly is. Its one of those books that stretch way back into the history of a family and you are exactly how events that happened in the past directly influence events in the present and even in the future. Robert gets the time to learn about himself due to being in prison and how things have changed When you are taken out of the life you knew and you have to rebuild who you are within this new reality. We see this same learning experience a few times in the story. Mary and Barbara both have this realization that they need to change their realities and break free. Its a long journey so when you start this book you might want to prepare! There are Some tough issues also dealt with which make this not a rainbows and unicorns all is happiness but I do promise you this it is An beautiful story.
When I first read the synopsis for this book They called it a saga of a family and it truly is. Its one of those books that stretch way back into the history of a family and you are exactly how events that happened in the past directly influence events in the present and even in the future. Robert gets the time to learn about himself due to being in prison and how things have changed When you are taken out of the life you knew and you have to rebuild who you are within this new reality. We see this same learning experience a few times in the story. Mary and Barbara both have this realization that they need to change their realities and break free. Its a long journey so when you start this book you might want to prepare! There are Some tough issues also dealt with which make this not a rainbows and unicorns all is happiness but I do promise you this it is An beautiful story.
June 7, 2016
This is a tough read and this is a tough review.
The subject matter is one you explore and unfold like an onion. You want to cry but only a tear or two escapes as you get to the heart of the matter. I loved this but... And this is a big one you are expected to jump from pov to pov to pov over and over back and forward in time. This drove me nuts and almost made me put down the book.
Then John turns into a right little sh!t&. And we are all expected to understand him, his reasoning, yes, far better than most but still, I hated the jd youth. And fast I found myself totally losing sympathy for him.
The granny. Amazing. Unsure why her friend is such a HUGE deal in the first half and less than a sentence mentioned here and there elsewhere. I liked her. She had developed a lot and her dropping off of the scene got on my nerves.
Then the end. Possibly one of the worse ever endings. I felt as if the author got tired of her work and simply stopped after a full sentence without ending the story first.
So you think I hated this right? Wrong. I simply cannot get over John's change cause I really liked him. I also mostly hate a jumping pov. Very few authors can pull it off let alone pull it off across time to boot.
Yes. The ending I do hate.
The subject matter is one you explore and unfold like an onion. You want to cry but only a tear or two escapes as you get to the heart of the matter. I loved this but... And this is a big one you are expected to jump from pov to pov to pov over and over back and forward in time. This drove me nuts and almost made me put down the book.
Then John turns into a right little sh!t&. And we are all expected to understand him, his reasoning, yes, far better than most but still, I hated the jd youth. And fast I found myself totally losing sympathy for him.
The granny. Amazing. Unsure why her friend is such a HUGE deal in the first half and less than a sentence mentioned here and there elsewhere. I liked her. She had developed a lot and her dropping off of the scene got on my nerves.
Then the end. Possibly one of the worse ever endings. I felt as if the author got tired of her work and simply stopped after a full sentence without ending the story first.
So you think I hated this right? Wrong. I simply cannot get over John's change cause I really liked him. I also mostly hate a jumping pov. Very few authors can pull it off let alone pull it off across time to boot.
Yes. The ending I do hate.
May 10, 2014
This book reminded me of how precious life is and how your loved ones are usually the ones you hurt the most. It also reminded me that you should never take your loved ones for granted. I liked that the author talked about Mary's life and not just her death. I was hit by two drunk drivers, six months apart and I applaud this author for talking about how people are negatively affected by drivers that get intoxicated and then get behind the wheel. The author also pulled the reader in and I felt bad for these women. They were abused and went through horrible times. I would have liked the driver punished more. The ending made me want to slap Robert. He did not deserve to have what he got, after he did what he did. Snoopy was my favorite character! I also liked the grandmother. Her love for her daughter made her strong enough to raise her grandson. I am giving this book a 3/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own. - See more at: http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/2...
November 15, 2014
A must read! Book is well written, and definitely a tug on the emotions. My heart went out for the characters in this book struggling with alcoholism, domestic violence, emotional abuse, guilt, and the consequences of one's behavior. WOW a lot going on with all of the characters! This book really made an impact on me with the realization of how much strength is needed to deal with these issues. This probably is one of the best books I have ever read. The ending was a bit odd, however,the way it ended, kept me thinking even more about everything in the book! I have recommended this book to several friends, and will keep on doing so to everyone I talk to.
I received this book free on Amazon almost a year ago, so glad I read it. Will be reading more books written by Jennifer Lesher in the future
I received this book free on Amazon almost a year ago, so glad I read it. Will be reading more books written by Jennifer Lesher in the future
November 14, 2014
This is going to be a hard book to give you a true sense of, absolutely nothing should be given away before you read it. There is so much to this story of the life of three generations of a family. Trust me, if you like real life drama, this one is for you. I will say that it is one of the most poignant stories of surviving life with an alcoholic husband/father/grandfather that I have ever read. If you have ever lived around alcoholism in your family, you are going to see yourself in the pages of this book. There are the most heart-wrenching events imaginable, and there is amazing redemption, but this is not at all a stereotyped happily ever after story. What it IS is real.
Bravo Jennifer Lesher!
Bravo Jennifer Lesher!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews