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Middle Falls Time Travel #10

The Empathetic Life of Rebecca Wright

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Rebecca Wright had an enviable life, and she enjoyed that envy. She had a beautiful house, handsome husband, and a no-limit credit card. What she didn't have was empathy.

In the world of Middle Falls, you often get several chances to find what you really need. Rebecca may need every chance she can get.

The Empathetic Life of Rebecca Wright is the tenth novel in the Middle Falls Time Travel series. Like all books in the series it can be read completely as a standalone novel.

6 pages, Audible Audio

First published May 17, 2019

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Shawn Inmon

100 books606 followers

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5 stars
528 (51%)
4 stars
341 (33%)
3 stars
134 (13%)
2 stars
13 (1%)
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3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
Profile Image for Tiff.
574 reviews46 followers
December 16, 2022
Generational behavior pattern intervention is all over this one!

3.75 rounded up
Profile Image for Jen.
2,179 reviews154 followers
July 4, 2021
I never think I'm going to enjoy these stories nearly as much as I do. In this case, Rebecca takes a good long while to get things right. Finally, though, she realizes what's important in life and makes the most of it. I love that there's always a moral piece to the story, whether it's something like getting beyond yourself and looking to the welfare of others or just accepting oneself.

Therese Plummer was excellent on audio. She's a favorite.
Profile Image for Grumpus.
498 reviews311 followers
May 7, 2024
The grumpus23 (23-word commentary)
Book 10 of 12. I've given each book in the series five stars and believe I have praised it previously in every manner.
6 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2019
Let me get this out of the way first - I love this series of books by Shawn Inmon. They are all stand alone books which can be enjoyed in any order, and each one is refreshingly unique.
The possibilities and the lifetimes of living again and again in Middle Falls are endless, as the title characters get to experience, and sometimes improve, their lives from a "do-over" point.
The Empathetic Life Of Rebecca Wright might be the best book yet, as Rebecca grows and learns through successes and failures, and discovers that her priorities change with each new perspective.
I finished this book in a day, as the story flows easily. When I realized I was nearing the end I tried to slow down to savor it and make it last, but just couldn't resist zooming right through it. To me that's a telltale mark of a really good read.
If you haven't read any of the Middle Falls Time Travel books yet, you're missing out on a wonderful series of stories.
If you're already a fan of Shawn Inmon, then the Empathetic Life Of Rebecca Wright is another great story not to be missed.
Profile Image for Kirsten McKenzie.
Author 17 books276 followers
March 28, 2025
I cried in this one. Well worth its 5 stars. Loved it. Loved Rebecca's journey and her relationship with her brother.
Profile Image for Ray Smillie.
753 reviews
February 16, 2021
Enjoying this series even more second time around and I particularly enthused about The Empathic Life of Rebecca Wright on the first reading. Rebecca is one of the returners who lives many lives before the penny drops as to why she has felt unfulfilled in all the trips. Being well travelled and well off does not always equate to a happy life. Having empathy does help, as the title suggests, but it is one hell of a life(s) getting to that path. Great book.
Profile Image for Ownerofmars.
104 reviews3 followers
October 31, 2024
Yay ! Had what I wanted

I wanted a character in middle falls to do what I think I'd do ( regarding money). I loved all the different options and times of recycling and seeing the variety in each one.
I think having characters in middle falls that many people can relate to is good. I resonated with the relationship aspect with her mother.
I highly Recommend reading the entire middle falls series by this author.
Profile Image for Cloak88.
1,054 reviews19 followers
September 1, 2020
Good author, good book! 4stars

Rebecca had it all, but didn't really care for anyone other than herself. Having lived a selfish and lonely life she dies and is reset the moment she could turn it all around. But does she really need to, she ever did the logical thing, the thing everyone els would have done...

By now this will be an oft repeated praise for this series, but it is just really, really good! Shawn Inmon writes engaging characters and places them in interesting situations. You want to see what they will do, you want to see them improve and learn from their mistakes. It makes you feel for the characters even if their actions aren't endearing, because at the end things may jus be All Right.

So yet again a solid 4 stars
Profile Image for Steven.
Author 1 book7 followers
May 17, 2019
Disclosure: I downloaded this book for free, have purchased four previous books by the author, and am posting an honest review of this work.

This is another great time-travel, self-discovery novel by Shawn Inmon—the tenth (but, fortunately, not the final book) in his Middle Falls series. It is perhaps the best one yet!

Rebecca Wright is an unhappily married woman who doesn't relate to others. She cares only about what people think of her house, furniture, car, and job success. She has "it all" but really has nothing.

She has an uncaring mother and she is similar to her in her attitudes and actions. Only her gay brother, Duncan Goodson, has any kind of relationship with Rebecca. He IS the "good son" while she is the bad daughter (in her mother's eyes).

Rebecca's first life ends unhappily with her alone, not even caring about her son, Christopher. Subsequently, she is "reborn" several times in the novel, learning more and more about empathy and happiness. Each time, she returns to the moment her husband, Mark, leaves her in 1984. At first, it is apparent that she has learned nothing about happiness, complaining that she doesn't even have an iPhone to play solitaire and that finances led to her first unhappy life. Eventually, she uses her knowledge of future developments to do well in the stock market and as a real-estate broker, as well as helping fight the coming AIDS epidemic (as one of the "thousands points of light"). But most importantly for her, she learns to care about and help others, which leads to personal fulfillment and happiness.

Inmon (as in all his novels) is incredibly effective in capturing character, and getting you to care about his protagonist and those around her. I also enjoyed his descriptions of the Florida Keys.

The novel was a quick read. I finished it in a little over a day.
Profile Image for Nirkatze.
1,446 reviews30 followers
April 16, 2022
I listened to this on Audible Plus. The series again has a stellar narrator for this edition.

A very different entry while still holding a lot of the hallmarks of the series. Rebecca is a rather unlikeable character from the start--but her brother Duncan is awesome. It was interesting being drawn into a story with a main character who I enjoyed but didn't like as a person. And while I thought the final life was a bit too much of an easy panacea, I really did enjoy its development, especially the sisterhood relationship that develops. In a lot of ways, this story is about building and finding your family.
Profile Image for Glenn Younger.
Author 4 books5 followers
September 29, 2025
Empathy or sympathy?

At first, I didn’t understand why I was vaguely dissatisfied with this story. Yes, Rebecca Wright is totally self centered in her first few lives so you have a solid baseline for a good character arc. I never found her unlikable, however. Rather, she’s a reflection of someone who pragmatically measures self value—or even life value—by money, prestige of social connection, and control. Shallow stuff when there’s no intimate human connection in the mix.

At the beginning, Rebecca pays little attention to her son Christopher and his nanny nor her brother Duncan. Any concept of relationship with her mother is dead on the vine since her mother is as distant as Rebecca. Her soul travel loop begins with her husband asking for a divorce because of her inability to connect.

You accept all of that because there’s the promise of change.

However.

Empathy means to share and understand the feelings of another.

Sympathy means feeling compassion or pity without necessarily feeling their emotions firsthand.

This book would be better titled The Sympathetic Life of Rebecca Wright because it’s never shown that she FEELS other people’s feelings. She does, however, learn to sympathize with those closest to her. That is a valuable step in the right direction.

There are some nice loops in the story and some character callbacks from previous installments so, all in all—and apart from some serious misuse of the word empathetic—it’s an enjoyable read. Not as satisfying as the other books in the series, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Profile Image for Donadee's Corner.
2,648 reviews63 followers
June 20, 2019
Shawn Inmon - Middle Falls Time Travel Series Bk 10 - The Empathetic Life of Rebecca White
When you have it all, how could be surprised that it’s not what you really wanted all along?

Rebecca Wright had everything that she wanted, husband, money, house, car, and job. What she didn’t have was the ability to relate to anyone but her brother. But as we all know in Middle Falls what you don’t know in this lifetime can maybe be learned, obtained or gained in the next or the next till it’s right. For Rebecca, she may need all those next ones to finally get what she really wants but she just doesn’t know it yet.

What did I like? This series just keeps getting better and better. Each life is so awesome, and you would just think that it could not take you by a storm. But it does, each book has me reading till it’s done.

What will you like? Excellent writing, well developed, exciting, lots of laughter, excitement, delightful, enjoyable read. Shawn Inmon must be the master in this time travel style because he will have you turning the pages faster than a tornado! The characters are always so next-door type and you just know that you grew up with someone just like them, hey! Maybe we are really on our 2nd or 3rd life and we just don’t know it. LOL, Well, I just hope that he doesn’t stop writing them because I will be one of the first in line to get my copy. Another great one, Shawn!
Profile Image for John Loyd.
1,397 reviews30 followers
November 4, 2023
Rebecca grows up with a distant mother, and sort of becomes the same person with the addition of wanting a bit of social status, e.g. being one of the top three agents and therefore getting a private office at the real estate company, and some luxury, a Lincoln instead of a Cougar. When she and her husband have a baby they get a nanny it removes a lot of the motherly responsibility from Rebecca. Her husband asks for a divorce, she gets a nice settlement, but wants that Lincoln and keeps Maria. Eventually she has to start selling assets. Living a more and more meager existence until she dies. Then wakes up with Mark asking for a divorce. In her second life she tries to avoid the pitfalls of her original, but basically lives the first life again. Third go around is something wildly different.

Nice read, the third life was antithetical to me (Not evil just something that is outside my comfort zone, but, heck, I'd never be a vigilante, etc. either.) so I didn't enjoy the start of that though it had a really neat resolution. Once she passed that phase the story just felt right. Nice job. 4.8 stars.
Profile Image for ReneE.
429 reviews6 followers
May 28, 2019
I know I said this about earlier books in the series, but this was my favorite book of all! :-) At first, I didn't know if I would like it or not because the main character was so unlikeable. However, Mr. Inmon worked his magic and developed this story so expertly that I could not put it down!

The pacing of the book was perfect. Rebecca's transformation was a joy to watch; every step was the right one at the right time. I wonder how Mr. Inmon writes his books. Does he have a general idea of the story line and just jumps in and writes it? Or does he outline the plot/steps like putting together a puzzle? Whatever he does, it really works.

The characters -- Duncan, Maria, Christopher, Patricia -- were drawn so well that they almost came alive for me. I thought Rebecca's FINAL ;-) life was a believable culmination of all the other lives she had led. It was a perfect ending.

I'm so glad Mr. Inmon has not ended this series. It is just too good to end, and his readers would be sooo disappointed. Keep 'em coming!
Profile Image for Ryan.
682 reviews
October 26, 2020
Spoilers for The Empathetic Life of Rebecca Wright!

First of all, I try to space books over the course of a year, usually only reading three books in a series per year to keep it fresh. I’ve now doubled that, reading three of the Middle Falls series practically back to back.

This was another solid edition. Rebecca Wright never had a chance with her upbringing. We see humanity start to rise out of her with Duncan’s first death, but it takes many more lifetimes for her to purge herself of her need to prioritize status, money and the non-necessity of love. I think it may be the most lives we’ve seen since Michael Hollister, and the second novel in a row where a character finds themselves tired of life after repeat after repeat, but the catalyst of Duncan’s death due to her choices was enough to give her the restart she needs. Through Maria, through Christopher and Izzy, she finds family, and for the second book in a row, she realizes it’s not her job to fix someone who can’t be helped. That messiness really pushes this one forward, along with the bookended ending.
Profile Image for Cora.
486 reviews2 followers
July 1, 2021
Having been the daughter of a cold, unloving, distant mother, Rebecca herself never learned to have loving, empathetic feelings towards others. The one exception being her brother, Duncan.

In her first life, Rebecca and her husband divorced, she never had a connection with her son, and she managed her money badly. Her mother died without ever developing a relationship with her. He brother Duncan died far too young, leaving her with really no one else that she cared anything about. Duncan's death could have been prevented, so in most of her do-overs, Rebecca did attempt to save him.

Rebecca had MANY do-overs. She did different things with each life that she thought would make her happy. But when you lack empathy, it's not something you can just choose to "do over". It's something that has to be learned. Slowly.

I really enjoyed this book and I am once again amazed at how well Shawn Inmon understands human nature, and of his ability to create such relatable characters.
Profile Image for Joel Duncan.
Author 1 book8 followers
January 12, 2023
This was a satisfying read. Rebecca Wright has probably been the most flawed character after Michael Hollister and so when she reaches her conclusion, it sinks in deeper. Shawn Inmon is a master at pulling out all the emotions in you without ever manipulating to accomplish that. In every life there's ups, downs, learning curves, endings and beginnings. He takes us naturally through all that, in many lifetimes. I've never felt so connected to characters as I do in these novels, as we journey through so much together.

But it's funny because the entries in this series that I always think I'm going to care the least for, I end up loving the most. Veronica McAllister, I hope wherever you are that you get to catch up with Rebecca, you two have a lot in common.
Profile Image for Karen.
145 reviews
October 1, 2025
This is book ten in the Middle Falls series and I continue to enjoy the plots, characters, and redemption arcs of the main characters. In this story we meet Rebecca Wright, an uncaring and self centered woman who is very lonely, by choice. Her only positive human connection is with her brother, Duncan. While I enjoyed watching Beck evolve into a decent human being, the bright spot in this story was Duncan. I found myself rooting for him and wanting to see him achieve happiness.

Beck didn’t resonate with me. But I appreciated that, in this arc, we see that even when you can live your life over and over and over, you can’t control the behavior of other people. And sometimes you just have to accept their limitations and plan accordingly.

6 reviews
May 28, 2019
Another fabulous read by Shawn Inmon that was so hard to put down

I absolutely loved this story... definitely another favorite! With this story in the series taking place in the 80s, I was eager to see how the storyline would address events of that decade. I was not disappointed! This story really touched me as it tells a tale of how much impact just one life can have on so many others, and how positive relationships can truly make a person wealthy in non-monetary ways. The depth of the characters in this story was phenomenal. Thank you Shawn for continuing to create such great stories in this series!
Profile Image for JenBsBooks.
2,644 reviews71 followers
November 12, 2021
Another "live life again" story. I really liked it, and there were some spots that hit me, bringing the feels/emotions. It is satisfying when the character finally gets things right. I was a little confused at the beginning, with Donna being featured with toddler Rebecca. I wasn't sure what that had to do with the story overall. Donna ends up in the "supervisory" position ... but unless I missed something, I didn't feel like she added anything, changed anything (as some of these "angels" have in other books). It was just kind of interesting, but I wasn't really sure why that part of the story was even included.
Profile Image for Marilouise Gilley.
62 reviews1 follower
May 23, 2019
Now this is returning back to your own life in style. Shawn Inmon takes us to Middle Falls, and all it's residents somehow get to right the wrongs that have happened to them in life, that is until they finally get it right! Right is is, Middle Falls is the place to be and you will find that several of the people that find themselves able to re-live their lives also interact with others that have had the experience as well. Usually they do not tell each other of the experience, however, there have been exceptions to that rule.
My advice, if you like time travel, redemption, and a chance to "Make it right" you will fall in love with Middle Falls and all the wonderful people that have experienced this rebirth and or redemption in such a well written adventure. Looking forward to July 2019 for the next adventure, keep them coming Shawn.
Profile Image for Jane.
677 reviews8 followers
April 8, 2022
So far this has been my least favorite of these novels. They are called Time travel novels and I guess they are, but they’re really humanistic redemption novels in that the character gets to start their life over and over again as often as they need to until they learn how to be the best person that they can. It’s always kind of fun to see second chances but this one got kind of tedious and in order to tell everything the author wanted he did a lot of telling instead of showing.
Profile Image for Suz.
2,293 reviews74 followers
December 19, 2022
I've read through to book 15 of this series to date. Although I found some stronger than others, and I do think listening to them back to back they become a bit formulaic, but in spite of all that these stories are like crack. You can't eat just one. Once you fall into this world you will feel like one of these characters living groundhog-day lives, over and over trying to get it right.

But it will be inescapable.

Bulk Input Day
402 reviews5 followers
May 18, 2019
Shawn Inmon, you never disappoint!

Once again a very engaging story from Middle Falls. All of his books on this series has a "Groundhog Day" feel to it. A person dies and goes back to the same point in time to reboot their life. Like Bill Murray, eventually they learn and grow to become bigger, better beings.
59 reviews
May 18, 2019
Oh my god! I was so gutted when two books ago Shawn said he would be leaving middle falls behind. This book is another amazing one to add to the collection, maybe even better. In fact with every book I find myself feeling more and more part of the series.
I love that this character was so unlikeable to start with and enjoyed watching her learn and grow.
Profile Image for John.
541 reviews18 followers
March 29, 2020
Good...

But not as good as some of the books in this series. I disliked the main character of the story for the first three quarters of the story. I was going to give this story three stars at the three quarters mark of the book, but the last quarter was so well written, I upped it to four. Interesting read.
Profile Image for Rick Hyland.
17 reviews
June 22, 2020
Returning to Middle Falls was such a joy and I'd forgotten how much I missed it after a year since I read book 9. I love the familiar nature of Shawn Inmon's narrative and it immediately hooks me in. Each one is like a little gem in it's own right and the small connections between all the books/characters just adds to the story. I've picked up number 11 straight away and I'm already loving it.
Profile Image for Shibbs.
15 reviews
October 11, 2022
Any book that brings tears to my eyes, I would highly
recommend people to read. Makes myself wonder about any afterlife and who WILL BE WAITING!

I will read all Shawn Inmon’s books, for inspiration to be a better person out there (even if you are the only one). Love 💕 Rebecca’s last days, and yes, I had tears in my eyes.
Profile Image for Beckie Hines.
398 reviews1 follower
November 6, 2022
Out of all the characters you have written, Rebecca is the most self absorbed. At 1st I didn't like her character but after her final life she FINALLY has empathy and became likeable. I'm glad Duncan had a more productive life in Rebecca's last life. Nice that the family actually was a FAMILY in the end. Look fwd to the next one. Love the series.
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