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Rosemarie leaned her weight on the big kitchen knife w ith blind efficiency. No one wanted to know the real secrets , not the really big ones. And, she thought emphatically, I don't want anyone to know mine!
On Christmas Eve in 1967, a London woman unhappily transplanted to the Austral ian suburbs makes a decision that will change forever the lives of her four young children. Forty years on, those children are adept at concealing their shared pain. Deborah has a demanding political career, James is a successful artist, Robert a respected school principal. Only Meredith, the baby of the family seems struck. But as their father begins to lose his grip on reality, they find themselves floundering i n an unfamiliar sea. And their past is about to reach into t he present in ways that will shock and challenge them all . . .
A spellbinding contemporary novel, Listen draws us deep into the intensely private world of family life and brilliantly illuminates the joys, sorrows and sustaining comfort that we find there.
On Christmas Eve in 1967, a London woman unhappily transplanted to the Austral ian suburbs makes a decision that will change forever the lives of her four young children. Forty years on, those children are adept at concealing their shared pain. Deborah has a demanding political career, James is a successful artist, Robert a respected school principal. Only Meredith, the baby of the family seems struck. But as their father begins to lose his grip on reality, they find themselves floundering i n an unfamiliar sea. And their past is about to reach into t he present in ways that will shock and challenge them all . . .
A spellbinding contemporary novel, Listen draws us deep into the intensely private world of family life and brilliantly illuminates the joys, sorrows and sustaining comfort that we find there.
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First published January 1, 2006
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About the author
Kate Veitch
5 books28 followersKate Veitch's debut novel was published as LISTEN in Australia, and was a bestseller there and in Germany. In July '08 it was published in the US as WITHOUT A BACKWARD GLANCE. By December, the novel had sold close to 30,000 copies and been nominated as one of American Library Journal's BEST BOOKS OF 2008. http://www.libraryjournal.com/article...
Kate splits her time between Australia and the US, where her partner works. She is currently completing her second novel, in a borrowed apartment overlooking Sydney Harbour.
Kate splits her time between Australia and the US, where her partner works. She is currently completing her second novel, in a borrowed apartment overlooking Sydney Harbour.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
September 17, 2008
I have to give major points to authors who make me emote as strongly as this one did. Sure, I normally either like or dislike characters or become annoyed with them, etc. But it’s rare that I read a book and completely despise any one character. This book manages this feat with two characters in fact so much so that I was almost just as angry that I couldn’t reach through the pages and scream at one or both of them.
On Christmas Eve, Rosemarie tells her four young children she’s going out to get Christmas lights for the tree, but she never comes home. Years later, as adults, the children are leading their own lives, each with their own set of a problems that could most definitely be attributed to the abandonment. One has control issues that are ruining her marriage, one suffers from OCD, one finds himself in a comfortable but passionless marriage, and one has a drinking problem. On top of their individual problems, they find that their father is suffering from dementia.
The story shows the family dynamics of these siblings as well as their individual points of view. When the artistic son finds his mother again, the dynamics change and a new point of view is brought into play, that of a woman who is now comfortably settled in England who, the reader finds eventually, holds much guilt over leaving her children.
I believe that maybe at some point I was supposed to feel sorry for the mother, but I never got to that point. From the first moment she revealed herself as such a selfish person, I spent the book being angry with her and felt that she didn’t deserve any measure of forgiveness. However, she wasn’t the only one I didn’t like. The oldest daughter was just as bad. Even most of the other characters failed to be likable, though some of them redeemed themselves at the end.
Usually not liking the characters would lower my whole opinion of the book, but this one is the exception. I really enjoyed this story, mostly because of the relatable family dynamics and partially because of the psychological aspect of how the abandonment affected each person. To be fair, there were also characters in the book that I adored. The little girl Olivia is probably one of the neatest characters I’ve come across, a very wise child who handles her life like a small adult, yet is content with who she is.
The story was wonderfully written and peppered with light Australian slang which gave the reading experience an added dimension, a plus for anyone who likes to experience different settings through books. Very poignant and very enjoyable, this book is definitely recommended.
On Christmas Eve, Rosemarie tells her four young children she’s going out to get Christmas lights for the tree, but she never comes home. Years later, as adults, the children are leading their own lives, each with their own set of a problems that could most definitely be attributed to the abandonment. One has control issues that are ruining her marriage, one suffers from OCD, one finds himself in a comfortable but passionless marriage, and one has a drinking problem. On top of their individual problems, they find that their father is suffering from dementia.
The story shows the family dynamics of these siblings as well as their individual points of view. When the artistic son finds his mother again, the dynamics change and a new point of view is brought into play, that of a woman who is now comfortably settled in England who, the reader finds eventually, holds much guilt over leaving her children.
I believe that maybe at some point I was supposed to feel sorry for the mother, but I never got to that point. From the first moment she revealed herself as such a selfish person, I spent the book being angry with her and felt that she didn’t deserve any measure of forgiveness. However, she wasn’t the only one I didn’t like. The oldest daughter was just as bad. Even most of the other characters failed to be likable, though some of them redeemed themselves at the end.
Usually not liking the characters would lower my whole opinion of the book, but this one is the exception. I really enjoyed this story, mostly because of the relatable family dynamics and partially because of the psychological aspect of how the abandonment affected each person. To be fair, there were also characters in the book that I adored. The little girl Olivia is probably one of the neatest characters I’ve come across, a very wise child who handles her life like a small adult, yet is content with who she is.
The story was wonderfully written and peppered with light Australian slang which gave the reading experience an added dimension, a plus for anyone who likes to experience different settings through books. Very poignant and very enjoyable, this book is definitely recommended.
December 30, 2016
A thought provoking and emotive novel that has me examining my feelings about the subject of motherhood and the associated responsibilities as well as maintaining one's own identity when becoming a parent.
On the one hand, I was angry and frustrated with Rosemarie for abandoning her children on Christmas Eve and not giving a second thought about the catastrophic consequences that would have on her children. On the other, I could see how she was a woman ahead of her time in that she wanted to retrieve her identity, follow her passion and overriding desire to just be herself and have a career. That said, her selfish actions were what landed her on the other side of the world, with 4 children and when she found that too suffocating, she decided to just waltz out of the life she created and start a new one. It seemed that once she'd satisfied her own desires, she just moved on without considering the devastation she was leaving behind. Even at the end of the novel, I still can't forgive her. Her shallow attitudes about her children and grandchildren were quite awful. The oldest daughter was another character that I really couldn't quite like. But all 4 siblings were a product of a situation none of them expected to have to cope with and it's no wonder they all ended up as rather dysfunctional adults.
All in all, a great exploration of abandonment by a mother and the emotional legacy that can have on children.
On the one hand, I was angry and frustrated with Rosemarie for abandoning her children on Christmas Eve and not giving a second thought about the catastrophic consequences that would have on her children. On the other, I could see how she was a woman ahead of her time in that she wanted to retrieve her identity, follow her passion and overriding desire to just be herself and have a career. That said, her selfish actions were what landed her on the other side of the world, with 4 children and when she found that too suffocating, she decided to just waltz out of the life she created and start a new one. It seemed that once she'd satisfied her own desires, she just moved on without considering the devastation she was leaving behind. Even at the end of the novel, I still can't forgive her. Her shallow attitudes about her children and grandchildren were quite awful. The oldest daughter was another character that I really couldn't quite like. But all 4 siblings were a product of a situation none of them expected to have to cope with and it's no wonder they all ended up as rather dysfunctional adults.
All in all, a great exploration of abandonment by a mother and the emotional legacy that can have on children.
July 15, 2008
A very interesting look at what leads a person to make the difficult choices in their lives and the repercussions that ripple outward from those choices.
August 22, 2008
I liked the way the story focused not on the mother who walked away from her family, but on the lives of the children she abandoned. Well-crafted, poignant, and funny. The ending, however, was a little trite.
July 29, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. In the beginning, it was hard not to dislike Rose because she walked away from her children and husband seemingly without an explanation. Yet, because you are given insight into her mind, you can also be sympathetic with a woman who perhaps shouldn't have been a mother and who wants something more from her life. Rose is creative and artistic and living in a time and place where that isn't appreciated or encouraged in women.
It would be easy to see Alex as a victim of Rose. But the author makes him human with flaws and rather than feel sorry for him because of his wife's abandonment, the reader is able to relate to him as a person who has also made mistakes. If Alex were a different type of man, Rose may not have left. In many ways, they weren't suited to each other and ended up together because of an unplanned pregnancy.
Although Alex is a central figure in the book because of his dementia, the story really becomes about the children that Rose deserted. Parents often make it easy for their children to not grow up entirely. But as Alex needs more care, we see Meredith take on more responsibility. Initially it's because she can't face the reality. But eventually she seems to do it out of love and because it is something that finally gives her life purpose and meaning. Up to that point, she really was just drifting along in an alcoholic haze.
Meredith's changes become a catalyst for Robert. These two siblings had always been close, but like many families, there were major things that they hid from each other. Or maybe the issues weren't really hidden so much as that they didn't want to face the reality.
In fact, facing reality and one's responsibilities is a thread that runs throughout the book. As the protective layers are peeled away, the children are finally able to become adults.
Which brings me to Deb. She was my least favorite character throughout the book. While she did have the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings thrust upon her, she chooses to act the victim. Her motives aren't altruistic and she is lucky that she doesn't end up alienating everyone. Fortunately people are often better than what we deserve and offer forgiveness. Deb's hiding her mother's letters really hampered her siblings chances to grow into adults. Although Rose asks Deb's forgiveness, I think Deb owed Rose a large apology as well.
Life is messy and this book is a testament to that fact. People often act without thinking about long term consequences. Fortunately we sometimes get second chances to make things right.
It would be easy to see Alex as a victim of Rose. But the author makes him human with flaws and rather than feel sorry for him because of his wife's abandonment, the reader is able to relate to him as a person who has also made mistakes. If Alex were a different type of man, Rose may not have left. In many ways, they weren't suited to each other and ended up together because of an unplanned pregnancy.
Although Alex is a central figure in the book because of his dementia, the story really becomes about the children that Rose deserted. Parents often make it easy for their children to not grow up entirely. But as Alex needs more care, we see Meredith take on more responsibility. Initially it's because she can't face the reality. But eventually she seems to do it out of love and because it is something that finally gives her life purpose and meaning. Up to that point, she really was just drifting along in an alcoholic haze.
Meredith's changes become a catalyst for Robert. These two siblings had always been close, but like many families, there were major things that they hid from each other. Or maybe the issues weren't really hidden so much as that they didn't want to face the reality.
In fact, facing reality and one's responsibilities is a thread that runs throughout the book. As the protective layers are peeled away, the children are finally able to become adults.
Which brings me to Deb. She was my least favorite character throughout the book. While she did have the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings thrust upon her, she chooses to act the victim. Her motives aren't altruistic and she is lucky that she doesn't end up alienating everyone. Fortunately people are often better than what we deserve and offer forgiveness. Deb's hiding her mother's letters really hampered her siblings chances to grow into adults. Although Rose asks Deb's forgiveness, I think Deb owed Rose a large apology as well.
Life is messy and this book is a testament to that fact. People often act without thinking about long term consequences. Fortunately we sometimes get second chances to make things right.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2008
I couldn't put this book down, having found the dialogue and plot so intriguing. While I didn't like most of the characters, I still felt obliged to look deeper. Deborah was particularly fascinating for her bitterness, her own clear lack of a mothering instinct (seems she had had enough mothering by default in her younger years), her attraction to feminism, and perhaps the most shocking outcome in my opinion - that *she* ended up the family villian for a time when Rose re-entered the picture. In fact, that's the key point that I found most frustrating - the kids' ultimate acceptance of Rose and Alex's complete lack of recall of his wife's abandonment meant Rose essentially "got away with it," despite the wreckage she left behind over the decades. But I still find myself wondering, what baggage would the kids be holding had their depressed, outward-looking, dissatisfied mother stuck around? How much better or worse would it have been for each family member?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2008
With such an intense topic as a mother leaving her four young children and husband, I would have thought the author may have given more attention to the children's growing-up years. Instead, it felt like there was a big missing piece for me in at least knowing how they *coped* or roughly what all those years from childhood to adulthood were like. It seemed even the mere hints or flavors of all those years wasn't really given to the reader.
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July 19, 2008Liked this a lot, even though it's a tough story. Four adults were abandoned by their mother, Rosemarie, when they were young. This intriguing story is told from the perspective of all of the characters, even Rosemarie. Outstanding writing, compelling story.
July 5, 2008
Why? This question holds open a gaping hole in the lives of a husband and four children for decades after a woman -- his wife, their mother -- gets into the back seat of a car on Christmas Eve, 1967, and disappears, evidently forever and without explanation.
As Chapter One of this fine novel opens, the reader becomes immersed in the twenty-first century lives of the children, now adult, and their aging father, Alex. How have they managed? How have they coped, each one, with this unexplained loss?
Set in her home country by Australian novelist Kate Veitch, this is an engrossing story of depth, color, and complexity that deals with universal feelings.
As my trust in the author's compassion and insight grew, I became increasingly eager to see what the children had been able to make or would be able to make of their lives.
The oldest, Deborah, her brothers Robert and James, and Meredith, a toddler when Mummy flees, struggle with the questions you and I would have had, surely. Why did she leave? How could she, and on Christmas Eve? Was it my fault, did I drive her away? Didn't she love me?
We are not dragged through the immediate traumas of the motherless child or the abandoned husband. Instead, we are introduced by Veitch to five distinct, well-drawn personalities in a complex family sharing a central, mysterious loss. (And, eventually, to a sixth.) Masterful in shifting speech patterns and tone as she moves from one character to another, Veitch gives her characters such life that I began to read slowly, not wanting to reach the end.
Sisters and brothers share knowledge and memories not accessible to others, and Veitch understands the profound power and inevitable exasperations of being close to siblings. I was drawn to these four. I was less sympathetic to the aggrieved father/husband and the mostly absent mother/wife.
In fact, by the end of the book, a part of me longed for punishment to be meted out for the crime that begins the story. Perhaps because I am male, I wanted Veitch to provide an ending to the story as dramatic as its start. I wanted, finally, action, catharsis, maybe even justice, some balancing of the scales. But what, in adult life, could equal the profundity of a child being deliberately abandoned by a mother?
I suspect the movie version of this novel (surely there will be one and it could become a classic) will give me what my emotions craved, but my reasoning mind knows the "big finish" I missed in the book will not be an improvement.
Veitch wrote this right and true, providing an ending populated with people who are no longer who they were in 1967, people less interested in sorting out what WAS than in getting on with what IS, with each other and with their own families and careers. How very like life. I think you’ll love this book and recommend it to friends.
As Chapter One of this fine novel opens, the reader becomes immersed in the twenty-first century lives of the children, now adult, and their aging father, Alex. How have they managed? How have they coped, each one, with this unexplained loss?
Set in her home country by Australian novelist Kate Veitch, this is an engrossing story of depth, color, and complexity that deals with universal feelings.
As my trust in the author's compassion and insight grew, I became increasingly eager to see what the children had been able to make or would be able to make of their lives.
The oldest, Deborah, her brothers Robert and James, and Meredith, a toddler when Mummy flees, struggle with the questions you and I would have had, surely. Why did she leave? How could she, and on Christmas Eve? Was it my fault, did I drive her away? Didn't she love me?
We are not dragged through the immediate traumas of the motherless child or the abandoned husband. Instead, we are introduced by Veitch to five distinct, well-drawn personalities in a complex family sharing a central, mysterious loss. (And, eventually, to a sixth.) Masterful in shifting speech patterns and tone as she moves from one character to another, Veitch gives her characters such life that I began to read slowly, not wanting to reach the end.
Sisters and brothers share knowledge and memories not accessible to others, and Veitch understands the profound power and inevitable exasperations of being close to siblings. I was drawn to these four. I was less sympathetic to the aggrieved father/husband and the mostly absent mother/wife.
In fact, by the end of the book, a part of me longed for punishment to be meted out for the crime that begins the story. Perhaps because I am male, I wanted Veitch to provide an ending to the story as dramatic as its start. I wanted, finally, action, catharsis, maybe even justice, some balancing of the scales. But what, in adult life, could equal the profundity of a child being deliberately abandoned by a mother?
I suspect the movie version of this novel (surely there will be one and it could become a classic) will give me what my emotions craved, but my reasoning mind knows the "big finish" I missed in the book will not be an improvement.
Veitch wrote this right and true, providing an ending populated with people who are no longer who they were in 1967, people less interested in sorting out what WAS than in getting on with what IS, with each other and with their own families and careers. How very like life. I think you’ll love this book and recommend it to friends.
September 5, 2010
Wow.... where to start. This again was another book that I bought for only $4.99. From the first page I was so interested in this novel, and stayed interested for the entire thing, reading at every chance I possibly could. The story and the characters, my goodness she did an amazing job at making you understand them and what they are going through. A mother of four children and an amazing husband decides to abandoned her family with no explanation or warning, and on Christmas Eve of all nights. From the beginning of the novel I disliked her, she had an amazing life and yet was unhappy. The author wrote out some of the mothers thoughts, and they were terrible. She genuinely seemed like she hated her children and her husband. So she ups and leaves. The oldest daughter, Deborah is left in the mother role, and the dad has totally shut Rosemary out of their life. Each child has their own characteristic, most likely resulting from the impact of their mother abandoning them at such an early age. One of the children an alcoholic, one with OCD, one an organization and control freak, and one incapable of love. During the novel they meet up with their mother, and their problems slowly are going away or becoming better. This novel reminds me a little of Jodi Picoult as you are really thinking of everyones feelings. I mean I understand if you are unhappy, then leave and make yourself happy, but to just abandon your children? Who does that? And then as the children reconnect with her, you wonder what in the world would make them want to? and to accept her back so quickly? The mother was selfish, and even at the end when her thoughts were still being written out, she still seemed mean (mean.. I know, such a wonderful word to use :) ) This novel just has so much going on, I mean your trying to follow what is going on with each of the children separately, as well as together, with their mother, and ofcourse the beloved Alex, their father with progressing dementia (whom I just loved and felt sadly for.) Its interesting to see how each of the family members react together as well. I just loved loved loved this book! I very much would recommend this to everyone. The only question that I have, and would love for someone to explain to me - WHAT WAS UP WITH THE LAST PARAGRAPH? The entire book was amazing and I was thinking how great it was going to end, and then it just ends so randomly?? I still recommend people to read it, but my goodness I'm left confused with why she put that part in. Definitely a great discussion book as well.
August 9, 2018
Without a backward glance is truly an Australian book. you might need to get your google search ready with some of the Aussie slang in here, as it truly captures the Aussie lexicon!
Rose has 4 children, it's the height of the swinging 60's and she's trapped in an inner melbourne suburb with a husband who is kind but not exciting.
It's christmas eve and she goes out the front to meet a car. She gets in and never returns.
We fast forward into the present, and catch up with the four children and how they managed to move through life with the unexplained loss of their mother.
Split into chapters that give all children their fair share of air time isn't an easy feat, and the book covers it fairly well. Unfortunately a lot of the characters are lacking likeable traits and makes it hard to really want to give them growth or a great resolution.
And for all the heartache that happens to lead the characters towards the end, I found it difficult to align the indifference of some of them about their connections with the other members of the family. Everything changed, but everything also remained the same, making the journey almost futile.
I did enjoy the australian writing, but just didn't appreciate some of the characters.
Rose has 4 children, it's the height of the swinging 60's and she's trapped in an inner melbourne suburb with a husband who is kind but not exciting.
It's christmas eve and she goes out the front to meet a car. She gets in and never returns.
We fast forward into the present, and catch up with the four children and how they managed to move through life with the unexplained loss of their mother.
Split into chapters that give all children their fair share of air time isn't an easy feat, and the book covers it fairly well. Unfortunately a lot of the characters are lacking likeable traits and makes it hard to really want to give them growth or a great resolution.
And for all the heartache that happens to lead the characters towards the end, I found it difficult to align the indifference of some of them about their connections with the other members of the family. Everything changed, but everything also remained the same, making the journey almost futile.
I did enjoy the australian writing, but just didn't appreciate some of the characters.
October 19, 2010
This book drones on and on, and forces the reader to plod through the characters' boring and fitful lives. Events happen sporadically, which normally would be a good thing, however, in this book the events are of little interest. Things happen and then are not followed up on. The book also jumps around to the various characters too often, without delving much into their lives. We are basically getting descriptions of their daily activities and simple thoughts. The author also wrote the characters in a one-dimensional sense. This book is nothing to get excited over.
September 20, 2009
This was a very slow start to read and by the end it was still disappointing. By the end when the mother meets up with her children again, you would think she would be happy but all she could think about was remembering why she left the kids in the first place and that it was the right decision. I couldn't even imagine a mother feeling that way.
September 2, 2008
At first I liked this book about an Australian family, but quickly grew bored. It was somewhat tedious- the 4 siblings and father dealing with the mother's abandonment of them- but it was nice to read about families in Australia (I guess ;))
June 14, 2010
fantastic! absorbing and beautifully written from a number of perspectives. i enjoyed the sequence of the story and the occasional flashback to explain past elements of the story to help round out the characters.
thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.
thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.
July 8, 2017
This was a fascinating read about family dysfunction and how different members cope with it. After Rosemarie left her family one Christmas Eve and never returned, the loved ones she left behind are forced to deal with their loss, each in their own way. Her husband relies on the oldest child, only 12 years old, who is forced to shoulder responsibilities beyond her years and grows up to be a controlling woman; the other children face issues involving alcoholism, OCD, a passionless marriage and infidelity. As their father develops dementia, they are forced to confront their own issues and their relationships with each other.
A chance encounter brings Rose back into their lives and issues of how her leaving affected them and forgiveness are explored.
Not all the characters are likable, but some are less likable than others; Deborah, the oldest "child" has few redeeming qualities. Even though Rose did the unthinkable, even she was appalled by her actions and had a hard time forgiving herself; I eventually came to like her even though I didn't like what she had done. The character I like the most was Olivia, Deborah's daughter: always full of spunk and remarkably insightful. Alex's descent into dementia is well portrayed and very poignant.
The book was well written and well plotted. For all the issues that it explores, it is a very good read.
A chance encounter brings Rose back into their lives and issues of how her leaving affected them and forgiveness are explored.
Not all the characters are likable, but some are less likable than others; Deborah, the oldest "child" has few redeeming qualities. Even though Rose did the unthinkable, even she was appalled by her actions and had a hard time forgiving herself; I eventually came to like her even though I didn't like what she had done. The character I like the most was Olivia, Deborah's daughter: always full of spunk and remarkably insightful. Alex's descent into dementia is well portrayed and very poignant.
The book was well written and well plotted. For all the issues that it explores, it is a very good read.
August 13, 2015
Thirty year old Rose McDonald looked around. It was Christmas Eve. Her 4 children, the oldest being 13, were bickering, her husband was offering comments on how to prepare the next day's dinner. The Australian heat was adding heat to the kitchen, heat to Rose's emotions. She had only been 17 when she ran off with Alex who was much older than she was. She left her family and her country (England) behind. She is missing the youth she never had. So when a strange car pulls up, she gets a bag and her purse, tells the children she is going out for Christmas lights and never returns.
Now it is years later. The 4 children have grown and have families and problems of their own. A pressing issue is the declining mental health of their father, Alex. He is eighty years old and has done the best he can raising his children without a mother....the mother no one, especially he, never talked about. The 4 adult children have different views on just how serious the issue of dementia is and cannot agree on how to proceed with the care of their father.
That, along with their own family problems, is pulling at the threads of their closeness. When James, the second oldest child, is reunited after all these years with his mother, he must decide when and how to tell his siblings. Now the fabric of their family may be torn apart completely, but the newly found Rose is determined to reunite with her children, accept her punishment, and try to start anew. It is a heart-breaking, heart-healing journey.
I really enjoyed this one. While I didn't agree with the decision Rose made to leave her family, I could understand it. I felt badly for Alex. He was much older and truly clueless about his young wife's feelings of being overwhelmed. Each of the children was affected by that night and it showed in the ways they chose to live their lives. I was sympathetic to all of them, more to some than to the others. The point is, each of the characters was so very real that I felt as if I knew them personally and I did care about each one of them. Olivia, the only of child of Deborah, the oldest of the McDonald children, stole my heart. She hasn't even reached the teen years, but she is an old soul with wisdom beyond her years and a fierce, strong love for her grandpa.
The journey of the McDonald was often painful, but it was a journey that had to be taken. Problems, resentments, anger, dysfunction...they were destroying the family, but the journey also ended up being one that could finally answer all questions and deal with all doubts and help the entire family to move on. I loved going on the journey with them.
Now it is years later. The 4 children have grown and have families and problems of their own. A pressing issue is the declining mental health of their father, Alex. He is eighty years old and has done the best he can raising his children without a mother....the mother no one, especially he, never talked about. The 4 adult children have different views on just how serious the issue of dementia is and cannot agree on how to proceed with the care of their father.
That, along with their own family problems, is pulling at the threads of their closeness. When James, the second oldest child, is reunited after all these years with his mother, he must decide when and how to tell his siblings. Now the fabric of their family may be torn apart completely, but the newly found Rose is determined to reunite with her children, accept her punishment, and try to start anew. It is a heart-breaking, heart-healing journey.
I really enjoyed this one. While I didn't agree with the decision Rose made to leave her family, I could understand it. I felt badly for Alex. He was much older and truly clueless about his young wife's feelings of being overwhelmed. Each of the children was affected by that night and it showed in the ways they chose to live their lives. I was sympathetic to all of them, more to some than to the others. The point is, each of the characters was so very real that I felt as if I knew them personally and I did care about each one of them. Olivia, the only of child of Deborah, the oldest of the McDonald children, stole my heart. She hasn't even reached the teen years, but she is an old soul with wisdom beyond her years and a fierce, strong love for her grandpa.
The journey of the McDonald was often painful, but it was a journey that had to be taken. Problems, resentments, anger, dysfunction...they were destroying the family, but the journey also ended up being one that could finally answer all questions and deal with all doubts and help the entire family to move on. I loved going on the journey with them.
December 4, 2010
I am rounding this up from 3.5 stars, but I did truly enjoy this novel. The end was a bit trite, but I appreciated that it was not neatly done, and the characters were still flawed and struggling. I think that Veitch's deft touch provided good detail on the characters while still allowing readers to have their own visceral reactions to each one's follies, weaknesses, personal heartaches, and triumphs. I didn't feel manipulated to cheer for any one character, which is often the case with these types of layered stories, and I look forward to continuing to contemplate on this book.
May 19, 2010
I picked this up at Costco because I was waiting for some other books at the Library. It was pretty much a waste of my time.
Story about a mom that walks out on her family of 4 children on Christmas Eve and how the disfunctional family all deal with this. Too many inappropriate sex scence and a real lack of resolution.
Story about a mom that walks out on her family of 4 children on Christmas Eve and how the disfunctional family all deal with this. Too many inappropriate sex scence and a real lack of resolution.
January 7, 2009
I sort of read this book. It took me about 3 months to read the first three chapters. After a few minutes I'd get bored with it and put it down. After that long on my coffee table and only getting an eighth of the way into the book I realized it was going nowhere and I gave it to Goodwill. Needless to say I don't recommend it.
October 7, 2008
This book tells the story of a group of adult siblings whose mother abandoned them as children and how they come to terms with her reappearance many years later. I loved the complex and quirky characters and really looked forward to reading this book every day. But in the end, I didn't believe this story. I didn't believe the abandonment in the first place, and I didn't believe the resolution.
June 11, 2014
I listened to the audiobook of this and gradually really warmed to it. It might have been too slow or too quiet for me to stick with if I was reading it, but it was a very suitable companion for housework and cooking. And the story was rewarding over time, and had an emotional and psychological honesty to it.
January 3, 2009
I enjoyed this novel, especially lovely during the holiday season as the book begins and ends at Christmas, 40 years apart. The characters were well-drawn, especially Robert (the brother with OCD). I'll keep an eye out for additional titles by Kate Veitch.
November 24, 2008
Wow, ahhhh, ummmm, what was UP with that ending? Can anyone please explain it?
I definitely loved the fact it was set in Australia, so I could be reminded of lots of Australianisms etc.
I definitely loved the fact it was set in Australia, so I could be reminded of lots of Australianisms etc.
January 16, 2010
i put this book down after 60 pages because the writing seemed so trite, and the characters never came to life for me.
December 27, 2017
An easy read. Fairly enjoyable. I found Rose's actions reprehensible, and some of the resolutions within the book were a little too 'easy', but overall a pretty good read.
October 30, 2017
One Christmas Eve in Australia, four young children say goodbye to their mother as she leaves to get lights for the tree. She doesn't return. They all grow into fairly dysfunctional adults, though they're all still close with each other and with their father. Just as they all start to think that maybe they can forget their mother for good, one of the kids receives a phone call that will change all of their lives again. As I've said before, I absolutely love reading about messy family drama, so this book was almost perfect for me. My only complaint is that a few parts toward the end moved a little too slowly and seemed like Veitch was trying to drag out the story instead of continuing with the faster pace she'd used at the beginning.
April 14, 2020
An interesting snapshot of the life of an extended family. The author was able to touch on a lot of difficult topics like dementia, child abandonment, cheating and to do so without being overly depressing or emotionally wrought. The novel had several POVs and each one felt unique, I will say the child, Olivia, felt a little too grown up at times, but that was supposed to be an aspect of her personality, her being an old soul. I usually hate stories with cheating, but in this one it was tolerable, you understood the character's reasoning, but in no way does it come across an an endorsement of his behaviour. Overall, and engaging read.
August 14, 2023
2.5 stars
I liked that the book had varying viewpoints from the siblings, but the switch between viewpoints was sometimes confusing. A few times some viewpoint or memory was shared that seemed like it would go somewhere never to be brought up again.
The premise of the book was good, I detested that the mom just left all her kids because she was young and bored. Overall they grew up well but they all had issues that were never directly tied back to their mom leaving them with no further contact.
This book was slow paced and a few times I was bored and willed myself to finish it, all in all not a bad book but not my favorite either.
I liked that the book had varying viewpoints from the siblings, but the switch between viewpoints was sometimes confusing. A few times some viewpoint or memory was shared that seemed like it would go somewhere never to be brought up again.
The premise of the book was good, I detested that the mom just left all her kids because she was young and bored. Overall they grew up well but they all had issues that were never directly tied back to their mom leaving them with no further contact.
This book was slow paced and a few times I was bored and willed myself to finish it, all in all not a bad book but not my favorite either.
December 30, 2017
This author must have written this novel " Without a Backward Glance". It gave me the impression it would be about a mother who leaves her children behind to begin living her youth that she feels she missed by starting her family so young. That is the only part to the book that is anything like the title. As far as I am concerned, it is mostly about Ol / Ollie/ Liv and her dogs.
Fortunately it was only a waste of 2 days of my time; unlike the waste of two years it took the author to write it ....really? Two years?
Fortunately it was only a waste of 2 days of my time; unlike the waste of two years it took the author to write it ....really? Two years?
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