What do you think?
Rate this book
Cappadora Family #2
No Time to Wave Goodbye
New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard captured the heart of a nation with The Deep End of the Ocean, her celebrated debut novel about mother Beth Cappadora, a child kidnapped, a family in crisis. Now, in No Time to Wave Goodbye, the unforgettable Cappadoras are in peril once again, forced to confront an unimaginable evil.
It has been twenty-two years since Beth Cappadora’s three-year-old son Ben was abducted. By some miracle, he returned nine years later, and the family began to pick up the pieces of their lives. But their peace has always been fragile: Ben returned from the deep end as another child and has never felt entirely at ease with the family he was born into. Now the Cappadora children are grown: Ben is married with a baby girl, Kerry is studying to be an opera singer, and Vincent has emerged from his troubled adolescence as a fledgling filmmaker.
The subject of Vincent’s new documentary, “No Time to Wave Goodbye,” shakes Vincent’s unsuspecting family to the core; it focuses on five families caught in the tortuous web of never knowing the fate of their abducted children. Though Beth tries to stave off the torrent of buried emotions, she is left wondering if she and her family are fated to relive the past forever.
The film earns tremendous acclaim, but just as the Cappadoras are about to celebrate the culmination of Vincent’s artistic success, what Beth fears the most occurs, and the Cappadoras are cast back into the past, revisiting the worst moment of their lives–with only hours to find the truth that can save a life. High in a rugged California mountain range, their rescue becomes a desperate struggle for survival.
No Time to Wave Goodbye is Jacquelyn Mitchard at her best, a spellbinding novel about family loyalty, and love pushed to the limits of endurance.
It has been twenty-two years since Beth Cappadora’s three-year-old son Ben was abducted. By some miracle, he returned nine years later, and the family began to pick up the pieces of their lives. But their peace has always been fragile: Ben returned from the deep end as another child and has never felt entirely at ease with the family he was born into. Now the Cappadora children are grown: Ben is married with a baby girl, Kerry is studying to be an opera singer, and Vincent has emerged from his troubled adolescence as a fledgling filmmaker.
The subject of Vincent’s new documentary, “No Time to Wave Goodbye,” shakes Vincent’s unsuspecting family to the core; it focuses on five families caught in the tortuous web of never knowing the fate of their abducted children. Though Beth tries to stave off the torrent of buried emotions, she is left wondering if she and her family are fated to relive the past forever.
The film earns tremendous acclaim, but just as the Cappadoras are about to celebrate the culmination of Vincent’s artistic success, what Beth fears the most occurs, and the Cappadoras are cast back into the past, revisiting the worst moment of their lives–with only hours to find the truth that can save a life. High in a rugged California mountain range, their rescue becomes a desperate struggle for survival.
No Time to Wave Goodbye is Jacquelyn Mitchard at her best, a spellbinding novel about family loyalty, and love pushed to the limits of endurance.
228 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
234 people are currently reading
2208 people want to read
About the author
Jacquelyn Mitchard
80 books1,227 followersJacquelyn Mitchard’s first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, was named by USA Today as one of the ten most influential books of the past 25 years – second only to the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (but second by a long shot, it must be said.)
The Deep End of the Ocean was chosen as the first novel in the book club made famous by the TV host Oprah Winfrey, and transformed into a feature film produced by and starring Michelle Pfeiffer.
Most of Mitchard’s novels have been greater or lesser bestsellers – and include The Most Wanted, A Theory of Relativity, Twelve Times Blessed, The Breakdown Lane, The Good Son, and Cage of Stars. Critics have praised them for their authentic humanity and command of story. Readers identify because they see reflected, in her characters – however extreme their circumstances – emotions they already understand.
Mitchard also has written four novels for young adults.
The first, Now You See Her, from HarperTeen, is the story of a pampered, driven young actress who fakes her own abduction.
All We Know of Heaven told the story of lifetime best friends Bridget and Maureen, who are just sixteen when a fatal crash on an icy road and a poignant case of mistaken identity divide their small Minnesota town forever.
The Midnight Twins was the first in a trilogy of teen mysteries about identical twin sisters born on New Year’s Eve – one a minute before and a minute after midnight – Meredith and Mallory Brynn learn on the night they turn thirteen that their psychic abilities will force them to intervene in dire events, although one twin can see only the future and one can see only the past. The Midnight Twins is in development as a TV series by Kaleidoscope Entertainment.
Mitchard's newest novel for adult, A Very Inconvenient Scandal, out in November 2023 from Mira/HarperCollins, is the story of an acclaimed young underwater photographer whose famed marine biologist father shatters their family by marrying her best friend., a woman 35 years his junior.
At the local coffee shop, Mitchard is best-known as the mother of Rob, Dan, Marty, Francie, Mia, Will and Atticus , as the grandma of Hank and Diana and the wife of handsome Chris Brent.
Her favorite color is periwinkle blue; her favorite holiday is Halloween; her favorite flower is freesia; her favorite word is "smite," and her second favorite is "Massachusetts"; her lucky number is 119 (anyone who can guess where that comes from wins free first editions of her novels for life). She lives in her favorite place on earth, Cape Cod, summering in a villa on the Amalfi Coast. (Guess which part of that sentence is fiction.)
Her essays have appeared in publications including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune Magazine and Reader's Digest, and are widely anthologized and used in school curricula. She has taught in MFA programs in Vermont, Ohio, and Massachusetts, and is part of the faculty at the Summer Writers Institute at Yale University. She is a member of the Tall Poppies Writers and has been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the Ragdale Foundation.
Her pet peeves are known authors and editors who cannot and will not learn the difference between “lie” and “lay” and family signs pluralized with apostrophes.
She would love to appear on just ONE episode of any incarnation of ‘Law and Order,’ as has everyone else in America. She still is willing to play the role of a murder victim – except one found by earth-moving equipment in a landfill – though she would do that in a pinch.
Mitchard would like to have a swimming pool, because, although she lives near the ocean, she is afraid of the dark water and hates sand. She would love to have a clawfoot tub, or any tub.
She believes that stories are the ways that human beings make sense of life and that our stories will save us.
The Deep End of the Ocean was chosen as the first novel in the book club made famous by the TV host Oprah Winfrey, and transformed into a feature film produced by and starring Michelle Pfeiffer.
Most of Mitchard’s novels have been greater or lesser bestsellers – and include The Most Wanted, A Theory of Relativity, Twelve Times Blessed, The Breakdown Lane, The Good Son, and Cage of Stars. Critics have praised them for their authentic humanity and command of story. Readers identify because they see reflected, in her characters – however extreme their circumstances – emotions they already understand.
Mitchard also has written four novels for young adults.
The first, Now You See Her, from HarperTeen, is the story of a pampered, driven young actress who fakes her own abduction.
All We Know of Heaven told the story of lifetime best friends Bridget and Maureen, who are just sixteen when a fatal crash on an icy road and a poignant case of mistaken identity divide their small Minnesota town forever.
The Midnight Twins was the first in a trilogy of teen mysteries about identical twin sisters born on New Year’s Eve – one a minute before and a minute after midnight – Meredith and Mallory Brynn learn on the night they turn thirteen that their psychic abilities will force them to intervene in dire events, although one twin can see only the future and one can see only the past. The Midnight Twins is in development as a TV series by Kaleidoscope Entertainment.
Mitchard's newest novel for adult, A Very Inconvenient Scandal, out in November 2023 from Mira/HarperCollins, is the story of an acclaimed young underwater photographer whose famed marine biologist father shatters their family by marrying her best friend., a woman 35 years his junior.
At the local coffee shop, Mitchard is best-known as the mother of Rob, Dan, Marty, Francie, Mia, Will and Atticus , as the grandma of Hank and Diana and the wife of handsome Chris Brent.
Her favorite color is periwinkle blue; her favorite holiday is Halloween; her favorite flower is freesia; her favorite word is "smite," and her second favorite is "Massachusetts"; her lucky number is 119 (anyone who can guess where that comes from wins free first editions of her novels for life). She lives in her favorite place on earth, Cape Cod, summering in a villa on the Amalfi Coast. (Guess which part of that sentence is fiction.)
Her essays have appeared in publications including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune Magazine and Reader's Digest, and are widely anthologized and used in school curricula. She has taught in MFA programs in Vermont, Ohio, and Massachusetts, and is part of the faculty at the Summer Writers Institute at Yale University. She is a member of the Tall Poppies Writers and has been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the Ragdale Foundation.
Her pet peeves are known authors and editors who cannot and will not learn the difference between “lie” and “lay” and family signs pluralized with apostrophes.
She would love to appear on just ONE episode of any incarnation of ‘Law and Order,’ as has everyone else in America. She still is willing to play the role of a murder victim – except one found by earth-moving equipment in a landfill – though she would do that in a pinch.
Mitchard would like to have a swimming pool, because, although she lives near the ocean, she is afraid of the dark water and hates sand. She would love to have a clawfoot tub, or any tub.
She believes that stories are the ways that human beings make sense of life and that our stories will save us.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 379 reviews
March 16, 2016
2.5 stars
The first half of the book was TEDIOUS, and the second half was so implausible! But it was a little more fast-paced and I couldn't put it down as unbelievable as it was.
The characters were not really developed so I didn't feel almost any emotion or connection to them :(
The last chapter was amazing, though, it was the best part of the book.
The first half of the book was TEDIOUS, and the second half was so implausible! But it was a little more fast-paced and I couldn't put it down as unbelievable as it was.
The characters were not really developed so I didn't feel almost any emotion or connection to them :(
The last chapter was amazing, though, it was the best part of the book.
February 15, 2010
This is a sequel to "Deep End of the Ocean" and follows the family about 10 years after Ben/Sam is found and returned to his family. The focus on this book is more on Vincent, the oldest son, and his career as a documentary film maker and Ben/Sam is now married and has a young daughter, Stella. Vincent's film is nominated and wins an Oscar and during the ceremony Sam's daughter is kidnapped. I couldn't help but think, really? You're using this plot device again?!? From there, the plot just got more and more ridiculous. They figure who took Stella and the hunt to get her back starts. The chase includes snowshoe training, Sam having a near death experience, an isolated cabin, suicide and frostbite. The writing and story elicted no empathy with the characters and no insight into the family dynamic. The end was neatly tied up when Stella was returned and the family all forgives each other. Read the first book and skip this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2009
What a disappointment! I stuck it out because I feels a sense of loyalty to the author. BUT - I found only one line in the book that truly resonated with honesty and that touched me - "Pop -you can call me Ben."
October 27, 2009
TIME TO WAVE GOODBYE TO THE CAPPADORO'S
Back in the late 90's, I was just getting back into reading when, lo and behold, Oprah started her book club. For as much as the reader elite got pleasure in putting down an Oprah pick, I, on the other hand, couldn't wait for each new one to be announced. I was right there, at the beginning with her, when she touted Deep End of the Ocean as the first book to be read by the "club". I read it and loved it and was consequently introduced to Jacqueline Mitchard as a "new to me" author. I can probably count on one hand the books that have brought me to tears and Deep End was one of them.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I realized that her newest book was a sequel to that Oprah pick. I don't think there's anyone, who has read that book, who has not wondered, in their literary mind of course, whatever happened to the Cappadora family. Now was my chance to see what occurred in the years following their discovery that their kidnapped son Ben was still alive and well....and living just a few blocks from them. If you haven't read Deep End of the Ocean, I highly recommend reading it before beginning to delve into No Time To Say Goodbye.....if you must!!!
In a way, I almost wish I hadn't read Deep End because then I wouldn't have wasted my time reading this sequel. So I guess that pretty much spells out what I thought of this book. I always seem to be a sucker for all these five star Amazon reviews and I don't know when I'm going to learn my lesson and check to see just how many of them are written by first time reviewers....reviewers who have only written one review on this site. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that these are friends of the author obviously trying to boost the rating of the book.
So where did this book fall short for me? I think I'd have to start with the writing which is so disjointed that half the time I had to reread sentences and paragraphs just to find out where the characters were and how they got there. There is so much misplaced punctuation that it actually made it hard to read at times. The writing is so deplorable that I even found it hard to believe that the same author wrote both books. But I figured I'd overlook that and just try to enjoy the book. But my question is....how can you enjoy a book when you're basically disliking every character? Did I dislike them this much the first time around? I don't think so but I definitely didn't like anything about them in this go-round.
So many other reviewers have already given synopses of this story about the older brother Vincent trying to make something of his life by getting into the movie business. He's certainly talented but, unfortunately, his recent documentary will bring back some bad memories of a time in the Cappadora's lives where everyone was walking around in a daze. This was because their youngest son Ben had been kidnapped, while Vincent was supposed to be keeping an eye on him. So his has been a life filled with guilt. The only one who seems not to have minded those years is Ben himself, who still considers his kidnapper's husband to be his real father. I just found this part of the book so appalling, as Ben calls his real parents by their first names, Beth and Pat, while he calls this other man Dad. And, as if that isn't bad enough, he's so nasty to them and flaunts this relationship in their faces all the time.
As the story progresses, the family will once again face a potential tragedy that will bring out the worst in all of them. The only redeeming character in this entire book is the son Vincent, who I also felt an attachment to in the first book.
Prior to reading this, I had been on such a great run with mostly five star reads. This one ruined my streak. If you've already read Deep End of the Ocean, stop there and don't go any further. Just cherish those memories of a really good book and don't have them marred by a really not so good book.
Back in the late 90's, I was just getting back into reading when, lo and behold, Oprah started her book club. For as much as the reader elite got pleasure in putting down an Oprah pick, I, on the other hand, couldn't wait for each new one to be announced. I was right there, at the beginning with her, when she touted Deep End of the Ocean as the first book to be read by the "club". I read it and loved it and was consequently introduced to Jacqueline Mitchard as a "new to me" author. I can probably count on one hand the books that have brought me to tears and Deep End was one of them.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I realized that her newest book was a sequel to that Oprah pick. I don't think there's anyone, who has read that book, who has not wondered, in their literary mind of course, whatever happened to the Cappadora family. Now was my chance to see what occurred in the years following their discovery that their kidnapped son Ben was still alive and well....and living just a few blocks from them. If you haven't read Deep End of the Ocean, I highly recommend reading it before beginning to delve into No Time To Say Goodbye.....if you must!!!
In a way, I almost wish I hadn't read Deep End because then I wouldn't have wasted my time reading this sequel. So I guess that pretty much spells out what I thought of this book. I always seem to be a sucker for all these five star Amazon reviews and I don't know when I'm going to learn my lesson and check to see just how many of them are written by first time reviewers....reviewers who have only written one review on this site. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that these are friends of the author obviously trying to boost the rating of the book.
So where did this book fall short for me? I think I'd have to start with the writing which is so disjointed that half the time I had to reread sentences and paragraphs just to find out where the characters were and how they got there. There is so much misplaced punctuation that it actually made it hard to read at times. The writing is so deplorable that I even found it hard to believe that the same author wrote both books. But I figured I'd overlook that and just try to enjoy the book. But my question is....how can you enjoy a book when you're basically disliking every character? Did I dislike them this much the first time around? I don't think so but I definitely didn't like anything about them in this go-round.
So many other reviewers have already given synopses of this story about the older brother Vincent trying to make something of his life by getting into the movie business. He's certainly talented but, unfortunately, his recent documentary will bring back some bad memories of a time in the Cappadora's lives where everyone was walking around in a daze. This was because their youngest son Ben had been kidnapped, while Vincent was supposed to be keeping an eye on him. So his has been a life filled with guilt. The only one who seems not to have minded those years is Ben himself, who still considers his kidnapper's husband to be his real father. I just found this part of the book so appalling, as Ben calls his real parents by their first names, Beth and Pat, while he calls this other man Dad. And, as if that isn't bad enough, he's so nasty to them and flaunts this relationship in their faces all the time.
As the story progresses, the family will once again face a potential tragedy that will bring out the worst in all of them. The only redeeming character in this entire book is the son Vincent, who I also felt an attachment to in the first book.
Prior to reading this, I had been on such a great run with mostly five star reads. This one ruined my streak. If you've already read Deep End of the Ocean, stop there and don't go any further. Just cherish those memories of a really good book and don't have them marred by a really not so good book.
July 4, 2010
Maybe there's something up with Jacquelyn Mitchard lately--but her books, once reliable good-reads, feel like she's churning them out.
No Time to Wave Goodbye is a sequel to Deep End of the Ocean, but they feel like two separate authors wrote them--as if someone posing as Mitchard were trying to recapture that detailed pain of trying to live an ordinary life after the worse possible thing (a missing child) occurs. She doesn't quite achieve that-- the residual emotional fragility of the family feels forced--and worse, she tries to layer on the elements of a thriller.
We already care about the characters (that's why I gave this book 3 stars), but the plotting is pure TV script (you can almost hear the "danger" music in the background), one unnecessary twist after another. There are a dozen loose ends (what happens to the hapless babysitter?) and the plot veers into celebrity watching and fashion, mountain rescue techniques and film-making. And then there's a big old happy ending where everyone loves each other again.
It's really a two-star book, but every now and then, Mitchard recaptures her voice and there's some nice writing, engendering a willingness to continue reading about these people.
No Time to Wave Goodbye is a sequel to Deep End of the Ocean, but they feel like two separate authors wrote them--as if someone posing as Mitchard were trying to recapture that detailed pain of trying to live an ordinary life after the worse possible thing (a missing child) occurs. She doesn't quite achieve that-- the residual emotional fragility of the family feels forced--and worse, she tries to layer on the elements of a thriller.
We already care about the characters (that's why I gave this book 3 stars), but the plotting is pure TV script (you can almost hear the "danger" music in the background), one unnecessary twist after another. There are a dozen loose ends (what happens to the hapless babysitter?) and the plot veers into celebrity watching and fashion, mountain rescue techniques and film-making. And then there's a big old happy ending where everyone loves each other again.
It's really a two-star book, but every now and then, Mitchard recaptures her voice and there's some nice writing, engendering a willingness to continue reading about these people.
September 28, 2009
I listened to this on audio, and I apologize for not being able to remember the reader's name, but she did a great job. I viewed this book as family drama, not mystery. I particularly loved the last chapter and how it brought the story full circle.
October 1, 2009
Twenty years after the events of "The Deep End of the Ocean (Oprah's Book Club)," the Cappadora family still struggles with issues that sprang from that horrendous period in all their lives. And despite the reunion that came to them, their son Ben still calls himself "Sam," the name given to him by his "kidnapper," and still considers George, his "father" during that period, his "dad." He calls his birth parents "Beth" and "Pat."
Despite these things that "stick in their craw," Beth and Pat Cappadora consider themselves very fortunate.
Vincent, the older son, has been in and out of trouble, but now, finally, he seems to be on the right track. And he has produced, with the help of friends and even his brother and sister, Ben and Kerry, a documentary film.
On the night of its preview, Beth still doesn't know its mysterious topic. When she watches the film, however, she feels sick and proud at the same time. For her son has created a film about abducted children. Children still out there, missing—and then includes their family's story as well.
Beth feels betrayed, but can see that it is extremely good.
Then the unexpected happens upon the film's release. It is nominated for an Academy Award. On the night of the awards' show, the family is there, celebrating and honoring their beloved family member.
Events suddenly spin out of control and a tragedy occurs that will draw them all back into the past, revisiting the worst moments of their lives—and they must solve a mystery that will determine life or death for one of their own.
Sometimes sequels are disappointing, or fall flat in comparison to the original story.
That is not the case here. Mitchard has told another brilliant story of family, with all its secrets, betrayals, and complicated dynamics, and won my heart as I cheered the family on to the brilliant conclusion. Even at the end, a surprising twist presents the possibility of more to the story.
"No Time to Wave Goodbye: A Novel" is definitely five stars.
Despite these things that "stick in their craw," Beth and Pat Cappadora consider themselves very fortunate.
Vincent, the older son, has been in and out of trouble, but now, finally, he seems to be on the right track. And he has produced, with the help of friends and even his brother and sister, Ben and Kerry, a documentary film.
On the night of its preview, Beth still doesn't know its mysterious topic. When she watches the film, however, she feels sick and proud at the same time. For her son has created a film about abducted children. Children still out there, missing—and then includes their family's story as well.
Beth feels betrayed, but can see that it is extremely good.
Then the unexpected happens upon the film's release. It is nominated for an Academy Award. On the night of the awards' show, the family is there, celebrating and honoring their beloved family member.
Events suddenly spin out of control and a tragedy occurs that will draw them all back into the past, revisiting the worst moments of their lives—and they must solve a mystery that will determine life or death for one of their own.
Sometimes sequels are disappointing, or fall flat in comparison to the original story.
That is not the case here. Mitchard has told another brilliant story of family, with all its secrets, betrayals, and complicated dynamics, and won my heart as I cheered the family on to the brilliant conclusion. Even at the end, a surprising twist presents the possibility of more to the story.
"No Time to Wave Goodbye: A Novel" is definitely five stars.
September 24, 2009
Interesting sequel to Deep End of the Ocean, but the writing style is awkward and sometimes hard to follow. Had to read quite a few sentences twice to make sense of them.
June 25, 2010
I thought I would like this book -- I *wanted* to like this book -- about a family whose son is abducted, then found again 9 years later, and how that experience affects them. But I just found myself completely disengaged from the characters. The story just doesn't ring true in so many ways. The dialogue is stilted and doesn't sound like real people. The characters aren't actually drawn with any depth, and their actions don't make that much sense half the time.
Little things started bothering me early on -- one of the first extended sequences in the book is the premiere of a documentary (about missing children) by the older brother (the one who wasn't abducted). Everybody in the audience knows what the movie is about -- except his mother. Somehow he's kept her from finding out anything about the movie during a year or more of filming and production, with the whole rest of the family involved. And why would he do this? Well, it's never exactly clear; somehow he thinks she will be upset that he's made this movie, yet he made it to try to connect with her. Or something. Throughout the premiere, which lasts for an incredibly long time in "book time," the people in the theater are watching each other unbelievably closely. That doesn't make sense, either -- who can see every person in a darkened movie theater, and read their subtle reactions? And why would they be doing that instead of watching the movie?
Mitchard also tends to be overly verbose in places where it doesn't really create any sense of place or character, just gets in the way of what she's trying to say. At times I feel like she must have been writing with a thesaurus sitting next to her. Like this sentence: "Vincent's dexterous hands had lifted this subject out of bathos into impassioned gravity." Sorry, I just can't buy it.
I just didn't buy into the people and their story, and by a quarter of the way into the book, I was really just skimming to see if any character development was going to happen. By halfway through, I was in serious rapid-skimming mode -- I sort of wanted to know how it all turned out, but not enough to bother with the details. I thought I remembered reading and liking "The Deep End of the Ocean," but maybe I just remembered hearing about it. Anyway, I doubt I'll go read it after this one. Not a big fan.
Little things started bothering me early on -- one of the first extended sequences in the book is the premiere of a documentary (about missing children) by the older brother (the one who wasn't abducted). Everybody in the audience knows what the movie is about -- except his mother. Somehow he's kept her from finding out anything about the movie during a year or more of filming and production, with the whole rest of the family involved. And why would he do this? Well, it's never exactly clear; somehow he thinks she will be upset that he's made this movie, yet he made it to try to connect with her. Or something. Throughout the premiere, which lasts for an incredibly long time in "book time," the people in the theater are watching each other unbelievably closely. That doesn't make sense, either -- who can see every person in a darkened movie theater, and read their subtle reactions? And why would they be doing that instead of watching the movie?
Mitchard also tends to be overly verbose in places where it doesn't really create any sense of place or character, just gets in the way of what she's trying to say. At times I feel like she must have been writing with a thesaurus sitting next to her. Like this sentence: "Vincent's dexterous hands had lifted this subject out of bathos into impassioned gravity." Sorry, I just can't buy it.
I just didn't buy into the people and their story, and by a quarter of the way into the book, I was really just skimming to see if any character development was going to happen. By halfway through, I was in serious rapid-skimming mode -- I sort of wanted to know how it all turned out, but not enough to bother with the details. I thought I remembered reading and liking "The Deep End of the Ocean," but maybe I just remembered hearing about it. Anyway, I doubt I'll go read it after this one. Not a big fan.
February 11, 2019
I wanted so much more from this book. The Deep End of the Ocean is one of my all-time favorite books. Unfortunately, I feel like Mitchard's writing is getting worse instead of better. I really didn't like Still Summer, and this book has the same problem; Mitchard thinks we want action and suspense, and I don't. I just want character development and, in this case, to catch up on much-loved characters from another book. This doesn't happen AT ALL. All I got was that Pat and Beth are stinking rich now and live in Barrington - uh, I mean Harrington, Vincent is still tormented and irresponsible but arty, Kerry sings, and Ben/Sam doesn't feel like he belongs and got himself a materialistic child bride, Candy's adopted daughter. Blah. The survivalist stuff as they go off to rescue Stella? Inane. Uninteresting. This was such a disappointment.
March 8, 2010
Rather disappointing. The activity seemed frenetic, but there was no depth to the characters, and their emotions seemed fake. There were a number of plot stubs that went nowhere, making the action seem even more frenetic, as though Mitchard was trying to cram a lot in. The main story line seemed completely implausible.
I realize it's not a fair complaint, but the idea that there's an area 20 miles from San Francisco where it snows so hard a search and rescue squad has to be pulled off the job was so distracting and disturbing that it made me not like the book even more.
As I recall, I enjoyed The Deep End of the Ocean much more than this book.
I realize it's not a fair complaint, but the idea that there's an area 20 miles from San Francisco where it snows so hard a search and rescue squad has to be pulled off the job was so distracting and disturbing that it made me not like the book even more.
As I recall, I enjoyed The Deep End of the Ocean much more than this book.
November 1, 2009
Let me start by saying that I'm a Jacquelyn Mitchard fan. I haven't enjoyed all her books, but most of them. However, this book is a hot mess. That alone is disappointing, but because this book claims to be a sequel to one of my favorite Mitchard books, Deep End of the Ocean, I find myself actually angry that this book was even written. I don't know why - maybe pressure from her publisher? All I know is that - ESPECIALLY if you are a fan of Deep End - do not read this book. You'll wish you had left the Cappadora family as you remember them. At least, I wish Mitchard had done so.
February 18, 2010
I read The Deep End of the Ocean right when it came out. It was pretty much a Lifetime movie in book format. Nothing stupendous but not horrible either. So I saw this at the library and thought that it would be worth reading. Blergh. Not good. All of the characters are back again but flimsier than ever. And it has that same general feeling that a Jodi Picoult book has where you wonder if it's really written by a bookish 12-year-old because the situations are all so unrealistic in almost every way. I don't even think this would get made into a Lifetime movie.
October 12, 2009
What a disappointment. My friend Kim warned me, but because I love Mitchard's books, I decided to read the book anyway. I didn't hate it as much as Kim did, but it really wasn't a good story. I am probably being too easy on Mitchard because the book is not written well, and I didn't feel a strong connection to the characters (although I liked them in The Deep End of the Ocean). This book did not touch me the way her others have. I am saddened by that.
June 3, 2010
Just begun. Curious after meeting her. Loved Deep End of the Ocean.
Okay this is getting slower than molasses in January! I may have to switch books and leave this one behind if it doesn't pick up.
Okay it only took me 1/2 way thru this book to find it interesting. And then I could not put it down! OMG Had to go work today or I would have finished.
Is it just me or are more books slow or not that great lately??
Okay this is getting slower than molasses in January! I may have to switch books and leave this one behind if it doesn't pick up.
Okay it only took me 1/2 way thru this book to find it interesting. And then I could not put it down! OMG Had to go work today or I would have finished.
Is it just me or are more books slow or not that great lately??
October 2, 2009
This sequel by the much beloved Deep End of the Ocean fell flat. It had contrived characters and plot, and it dragged despite being a short novel. The plot isn't fully developed, and if the reader gets to know any of the characters well enough, there's nothing to like. One could understand Ben/Sam's sour attitude 22 years ago, but not now. As an adult he appears to be a pompous ass.
October 6, 2009
I really did not like the book. I felt it was a rushed sequel to The Deep End of the Ocean. Rushed, as in, story development, which was non-existent. The beginning was confusing with all the characters and all the names and nicknames and also known as. The characters were not developed and the dialogue was inane. It was such a disappointment.
October 28, 2009
Too predictable. Too boring. Revisiting a topic she already wrote about so she got to include a lot of that book in this one. AND why do so many authors start out writing good books and then go downhill? I think it's because they have a contract to get a book out and the creative juices are running on empty!
January 22, 2012
This book was absolutely horrible from start to finish . I plodded through the first half to get to the point where some readers said it got interesting, but it never did . The writing was awful. The story was unbelievable, and the dialogue was completely ridiculous at times. I'm sorry I even attempted to finish it .
Read
January 12, 2020I made it to page 71 and decided to call it a day.
October 22, 2017
I didn't like this nearly as much as some of Mitchard's previous books. There are many, many characters that are hard to keep straight and the story meanders, especially in the beginning.
February 12, 2025
I read The Deep End Of The Ocean back when it was featured in Oprah's Book Club. I recently found out there had been a sequel, and I rushed out to buy it because Deep had been one of the few Oprah books I had loved. I was immediately drawn into the story because of Mitchard's beautiful writing style. I'm glad I recently reread Deep because the characters weren't very well-drawn in this one, so it helped to know them already. I was kind of unhappy about 'the incident,' and it made me roll my eyes, but as the story went on, I realized how clever it was and how much insight it gave to Ben and Vincent and their relationship. I'm not sure any book could measure up to Deep, but this one came close several times but I can see where if you hadn't read Deep (or seen the movie) and hadn't been wondering how Vincent turned out, I can see where this book wouldn't resonate with you. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5
September 19, 2009
This is the sequel to The Deep End Of The Ocean , a book that I read (and purchased) when it was first published, and I really enjoyed it. I won this sequel at the Goodreads first-reads giveaway program. I think that the colors and design of this book’s cover are really beautiful.
I almost gave this book a 4 star rating, but then I would have had to increase The Deep End of the Ocean to a 5 star rating. For me, this book is probably a 3 ½ star book and The Deep End of the Ocean 4 ½ stars.
I loved the first book for the excellent family drama and for the unforgettable Cappadora family members. I am glad that this sequel was written and I loved catching up with this family, its members, including its new members.
This first book, despite the kidnapping of a young child being at the center of the novel, was a family drama. This sequel takes place over a decade after the ending of the last book. This book, which does have plenty of family drama elements, is more of a thriller than a drama.
I loved the last few chapters of this book and how all sorts of loose ends reached their resolutions. I liked that there sufficient background information given about the first novel, so this novel could be read on its own. (However, I strongly recommend reading The Deep End of the Ocean prior to reading this book.) I thoroughly enjoyed learning what happened to these characters and I continued to enjoy their company. I found the search dog fascinating.
I didn’t much like the Hollywood stuff, and that makes up much of the first part of the book. I thought the mystery/thriller was easy to predict and at times implausible. However, thinking back over all the mysteries/thrillers that I’ve read, these things are not at all uncommon, and I can still enjoy reading them. What happens here is just as believable as in many other books that I’ve read.
The reason I didn’t like this book as much as the book that precedes it is that I got very emotionally involved in the first book and my emotions, despite the subject matter that screamed for an emotional response, were not as strong for this book. It’s not that I didn’t feel anything, I did, but not with the same depth of feeling I experienced reading the first novel. Also, this sounds strange, but while I appreciated this book and was satisfied with how things turned out, I would have rather had it arrive there with a different story. I am not a writer though and I have no other particular story in mind, just some ideas that flitted through my head as I read.
What’s very funny is that I read this book when kidnappings (one recovered after nearly two decades absence and two still missing) of children were/are in the news, and also right before (not the Oscars but) the Emmys. This book involves child kidnapping found and not found, and the Oscars makes an important appearance in the first part of the book.
I almost gave this book a 4 star rating, but then I would have had to increase The Deep End of the Ocean to a 5 star rating. For me, this book is probably a 3 ½ star book and The Deep End of the Ocean 4 ½ stars.
I loved the first book for the excellent family drama and for the unforgettable Cappadora family members. I am glad that this sequel was written and I loved catching up with this family, its members, including its new members.
This first book, despite the kidnapping of a young child being at the center of the novel, was a family drama. This sequel takes place over a decade after the ending of the last book. This book, which does have plenty of family drama elements, is more of a thriller than a drama.
I loved the last few chapters of this book and how all sorts of loose ends reached their resolutions. I liked that there sufficient background information given about the first novel, so this novel could be read on its own. (However, I strongly recommend reading The Deep End of the Ocean prior to reading this book.) I thoroughly enjoyed learning what happened to these characters and I continued to enjoy their company. I found the search dog fascinating.
I didn’t much like the Hollywood stuff, and that makes up much of the first part of the book. I thought the mystery/thriller was easy to predict and at times implausible. However, thinking back over all the mysteries/thrillers that I’ve read, these things are not at all uncommon, and I can still enjoy reading them. What happens here is just as believable as in many other books that I’ve read.
The reason I didn’t like this book as much as the book that precedes it is that I got very emotionally involved in the first book and my emotions, despite the subject matter that screamed for an emotional response, were not as strong for this book. It’s not that I didn’t feel anything, I did, but not with the same depth of feeling I experienced reading the first novel. Also, this sounds strange, but while I appreciated this book and was satisfied with how things turned out, I would have rather had it arrive there with a different story. I am not a writer though and I have no other particular story in mind, just some ideas that flitted through my head as I read.
What’s very funny is that I read this book when kidnappings (one recovered after nearly two decades absence and two still missing) of children were/are in the news, and also right before (not the Oscars but) the Emmys. This book involves child kidnapping found and not found, and the Oscars makes an important appearance in the first part of the book.
March 13, 2020
If my memory is accurate, I recall enjoying Mitchard’s, “The Deep End of the Ocean” (long before Goodreads) so I went on to read several of her other books, many to my disappointment. But none annoyed me as much as this one!
First, it is my belief that if you are going to write about a place and mention it by name, then do your research and accurately portray the area. The latter part of this book is based in the San Francisco Bay area, yet there is no town called Durand (“They arrived in Durand, the Whittier’s tiny hometown just outside San Francisco”), no Cisco County, and no San Juan Diego Mountains. But, for me, her worst misstep was in describing a snowy, wintry, mountainous terrain just 20 miles northeast of her fictional town of Durand! This may not annoy others but for some reason, it ticks me off that place names are mentioned but that surrounding terrain is inaccurate. It would not have been that difficult to do some research.
It was laudable that Mitchard presented female characters in strong law enforcement roles but then she totally made them seem ridiculous. She gave them names like Candy Bliss and Sarah Stitch and the fact that Lorrie Hanna Sabo (really?) allowed Ben and Vincent to go with her to search for the baby is ridiculous! Also, Lorrie is mentioned as being almost as old as Ben and Vincent’s mother, yet she has two young daughters.
And don’t get me started on the whole Ben/Sam thing. He was presented as much too well-adjusted to be referred to by different names by different people! Do you know how often as suspense builds up in a book that the author leads you to believe that the first person suspected is not the person who commits the crime? Not in this one (sorry if I gave away the whole second half of the book).
Overall, I thought the writing was stilted and forced and the plot veered toward ridiculous (it made me feel like I was reading the script for a Lifetime movie, not that I don’t occasionally enjoy a good Lifetime movie). I also thought that she was just capitalizing on her success with “The Deep End of the Ocean” but as a sequel, this one didn’t do it for me.
Re-reading some of my reviews of other Mitchard books I have read makes me think her first book was her best. There are so many other good authors out there that I think I’m giving up on this one!
First, it is my belief that if you are going to write about a place and mention it by name, then do your research and accurately portray the area. The latter part of this book is based in the San Francisco Bay area, yet there is no town called Durand (“They arrived in Durand, the Whittier’s tiny hometown just outside San Francisco”), no Cisco County, and no San Juan Diego Mountains. But, for me, her worst misstep was in describing a snowy, wintry, mountainous terrain just 20 miles northeast of her fictional town of Durand! This may not annoy others but for some reason, it ticks me off that place names are mentioned but that surrounding terrain is inaccurate. It would not have been that difficult to do some research.
It was laudable that Mitchard presented female characters in strong law enforcement roles but then she totally made them seem ridiculous. She gave them names like Candy Bliss and Sarah Stitch and the fact that Lorrie Hanna Sabo (really?) allowed Ben and Vincent to go with her to search for the baby is ridiculous! Also, Lorrie is mentioned as being almost as old as Ben and Vincent’s mother, yet she has two young daughters.
And don’t get me started on the whole Ben/Sam thing. He was presented as much too well-adjusted to be referred to by different names by different people! Do you know how often as suspense builds up in a book that the author leads you to believe that the first person suspected is not the person who commits the crime? Not in this one (sorry if I gave away the whole second half of the book).
Overall, I thought the writing was stilted and forced and the plot veered toward ridiculous (it made me feel like I was reading the script for a Lifetime movie, not that I don’t occasionally enjoy a good Lifetime movie). I also thought that she was just capitalizing on her success with “The Deep End of the Ocean” but as a sequel, this one didn’t do it for me.
Re-reading some of my reviews of other Mitchard books I have read makes me think her first book was her best. There are so many other good authors out there that I think I’m giving up on this one!
November 20, 2011
When Jacquelyn Mitchard's first novel, "Deep End of the Ocean" was selected by Oprah Winfrey as her first book club selection, the book immediately became a best seller. I thought it was an interesting book, but not great.
At the time, I lived in Milwaukee and was a fan of Mitchard's column in the Journal Sentinel so I was pleased at her success. She and I had some similar life experiences and I had an opportunity to correspond with her via email and to meet her. She was warm and gracious. I wish I liked her novels better. I have been disappointed in her novels since the first one.
I had never heard of this book until I spotted it on sale at a book store that is going out of business. The book reintroduces the Cappadora family 22 years after their 3-year-old son Ben was abducted. He was missing for 9 years, then was returned home. The woman who had kidnapped him had died in the interim and he was raised by her husband, who appeared to be a wonderful man. Ben, who had been renamed Sam, preferred the father he knew to the birth family he didn't know, and went back and forth between the two families during his teen years. He is now married and has a baby daughter.
"Deep End" explored what the abduction and return of a child does to the parents and the siblings, an older brother, Vincent, and baby sister, Kerry. In her Acknowledgments, Mitchard thanks her readers who asked her "what became of the lost boy, Vincent, until finally I knew."
In this book, Vincent has written and produced a film called "No Time to Wave Goodbye," in which he explores what happens in five families who have had children abducted. His film is nominated for an Academy Award as the Best Documentary. His family is thrilled when the film wins the Oscar, only to be devastated when Ben's six-month-old daughter is abducted. The rest of the book is about trying to find the granddaughter and what happens to some of the other families.
The kidnapping of the baby in this book did not ring true to me. I would have enjoyed reading about Vincent's success and how the members of the family have coped, instead of reading about how the family is devasted by another child abduction.
At the time, I lived in Milwaukee and was a fan of Mitchard's column in the Journal Sentinel so I was pleased at her success. She and I had some similar life experiences and I had an opportunity to correspond with her via email and to meet her. She was warm and gracious. I wish I liked her novels better. I have been disappointed in her novels since the first one.
I had never heard of this book until I spotted it on sale at a book store that is going out of business. The book reintroduces the Cappadora family 22 years after their 3-year-old son Ben was abducted. He was missing for 9 years, then was returned home. The woman who had kidnapped him had died in the interim and he was raised by her husband, who appeared to be a wonderful man. Ben, who had been renamed Sam, preferred the father he knew to the birth family he didn't know, and went back and forth between the two families during his teen years. He is now married and has a baby daughter.
"Deep End" explored what the abduction and return of a child does to the parents and the siblings, an older brother, Vincent, and baby sister, Kerry. In her Acknowledgments, Mitchard thanks her readers who asked her "what became of the lost boy, Vincent, until finally I knew."
In this book, Vincent has written and produced a film called "No Time to Wave Goodbye," in which he explores what happens in five families who have had children abducted. His film is nominated for an Academy Award as the Best Documentary. His family is thrilled when the film wins the Oscar, only to be devastated when Ben's six-month-old daughter is abducted. The rest of the book is about trying to find the granddaughter and what happens to some of the other families.
The kidnapping of the baby in this book did not ring true to me. I would have enjoyed reading about Vincent's success and how the members of the family have coped, instead of reading about how the family is devasted by another child abduction.
October 2, 2009
No Time to Wave Goodbye, by Jacquelyn Mitchard, is a sequel to her 1996 novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, which was later made into a movie.
In The Deep End of the Ocean, three year old Ben Cappadora was kidnapped, and surprisingly, he returns home nine years later.
In Mitchard's latest novel, the Cappadora children are grown. Vincent, an older brother of Ben, films a documentary about five families whose children were abducted and are still missing. Sister Kerry helps with the film.
At the screening of the documentary, Beth, the mother, is shocked when she learns what the film is about. The film begins to stir up old wounds and emotions among family members. When the film is nominated for an Academy Award, everyone is thrilled for Vincent, and everyone is looking forward to the big event. While the family is celebrating at the ceremony, the happiness they are feeling becomes short-lived when the unthinkable happens --another abduction occurs, causing all the past terrors of such a horrible event to be relived.
My Thoughts: A good story with some poignant and skillfully drawn out scenes, kept me turning the pages. However, all was not perfect with this novel. There were boring and unnecessary details (which seemed to go on forever) about Hollywood, fashions and makeovers. There were also some highly improbable events that occurred. The author did redeem herself, in my opinion, by tying up some loose ends rather well.
RECOMMENDATION: To get the full impact of the story, I would recommend reading The Deep End of the Ocean first, or at least watch the movie, if you have not done so already.
In The Deep End of the Ocean, three year old Ben Cappadora was kidnapped, and surprisingly, he returns home nine years later.
In Mitchard's latest novel, the Cappadora children are grown. Vincent, an older brother of Ben, films a documentary about five families whose children were abducted and are still missing. Sister Kerry helps with the film.
At the screening of the documentary, Beth, the mother, is shocked when she learns what the film is about. The film begins to stir up old wounds and emotions among family members. When the film is nominated for an Academy Award, everyone is thrilled for Vincent, and everyone is looking forward to the big event. While the family is celebrating at the ceremony, the happiness they are feeling becomes short-lived when the unthinkable happens --another abduction occurs, causing all the past terrors of such a horrible event to be relived.
My Thoughts: A good story with some poignant and skillfully drawn out scenes, kept me turning the pages. However, all was not perfect with this novel. There were boring and unnecessary details (which seemed to go on forever) about Hollywood, fashions and makeovers. There were also some highly improbable events that occurred. The author did redeem herself, in my opinion, by tying up some loose ends rather well.
RECOMMENDATION: To get the full impact of the story, I would recommend reading The Deep End of the Ocean first, or at least watch the movie, if you have not done so already.
September 1, 2009
The Cappadora family is welcome in my home any time. I read “Deep End of the Ocean” many years ago, saw the movie once on the big screen, then on video, my mother listened to the audio book and I grabbed it and listened, then read the book again - all this over a period of several years. I was delighted when I heard that there would be more . . . . . that once again we would have the opportunity to renew our relationship with this family. Jacquelyn Mitchard has an insight into family dynamics that is remarkable. From page one, I knew it would be an adventure with twists and turns – feelings of betrayal and feelings of love and desperation.
I was thrilled with the success of Vincent, happy that Ben had found a life he could embrace and, pleased that Kerry was encouraging and supporting her family. Often when there is a tragedy as experienced by this family, the unit cannot hold together, and hearts cannot mend. “No Time To Wave Goodbye” keeps readers wondering if such will be the case for the Cappadoras. From the Oscars to the wilderness, this family has endured it all. Many of us can relate to the pain and agony that can happen when families are attacked from within and without.
Beth is every woman. That is why so many relate to her and her desires, passions, frustrations and sense of longing for family and normalcy. Jackie Mitchard truly has an insight into every woman. This is the best book I have read all year and I read a lot.
Can’t wait for this author to give us even more.
I was thrilled with the success of Vincent, happy that Ben had found a life he could embrace and, pleased that Kerry was encouraging and supporting her family. Often when there is a tragedy as experienced by this family, the unit cannot hold together, and hearts cannot mend. “No Time To Wave Goodbye” keeps readers wondering if such will be the case for the Cappadoras. From the Oscars to the wilderness, this family has endured it all. Many of us can relate to the pain and agony that can happen when families are attacked from within and without.
Beth is every woman. That is why so many relate to her and her desires, passions, frustrations and sense of longing for family and normalcy. Jackie Mitchard truly has an insight into every woman. This is the best book I have read all year and I read a lot.
Can’t wait for this author to give us even more.
November 21, 2016
I got halfway through this book and had to finally quit reading .. there are too many good books yet to be read to waste my time on one written so poorly. I loved The Deep End of the Ocean by this author. I read it many years ago and didn't realize this was a sequel. I just picked this up because I knew I had read something by this author in the past and I had enjoyed it. However, very shortly into the book, I began wondering if it had been written by a committee of ghost writers or something. It is so definitely not of the same caliber as her previous books. It strikes me that whoever wrote this book had recently completed a class on "How to write a book 101." Clichés that are poor and weak permeate the book and whole sections of it just don't make sense. The author seems to go off on tangents regarding an event in some minor character's life. I found myself saying out loud to the book, "Come on ... Move on. I so don't care about this." Strangely enough, I didn't feel any connection with any of the characters in the book ... major or minor. They had no depth and it seemed no attempt was made to develop them into people we cared about.
I finally said, "Enough!" I've moved on to an Ann Patchett book, which is entirely believable, enjoyable and genuine. I won't be picking up another Michaels book for a long time.
I finally said, "Enough!" I've moved on to an Ann Patchett book, which is entirely believable, enjoyable and genuine. I won't be picking up another Michaels book for a long time.
December 21, 2009
This book is a sequel to the author's "The Deep End of the Ocean", Oprah's first ever book club pick. You don't really need to have read the first one to understand this one. But this one is not as good as that one either.
Ben was kidnapped when he was young, but was found many years later. Difficulties in the family ensued. That was the first book. This one picks up many years later. Ben is married to the daughter of the police detective who worked his kidnapping case, and they have a small daughter. His brother Vincent has just made a documentary about children who go missing and are never found. The film is nominated for an Academy Award. Then the unthinkable happens...again.
Although this book does explore the characters thoughts and feelings somewhat, here that is secondary to the storyline being told. I bought into the implausibility of the plot line until the experienced rescue person allowed the brothers to accompany her. From there it was all downhill into an overly neat resolution tied up with a pretty bow at the end. This is completely opposite of the first book and why I loved it. So this is an entertaining book, but it won't achieve the greatness of the original story.
Ben was kidnapped when he was young, but was found many years later. Difficulties in the family ensued. That was the first book. This one picks up many years later. Ben is married to the daughter of the police detective who worked his kidnapping case, and they have a small daughter. His brother Vincent has just made a documentary about children who go missing and are never found. The film is nominated for an Academy Award. Then the unthinkable happens...again.
Although this book does explore the characters thoughts and feelings somewhat, here that is secondary to the storyline being told. I bought into the implausibility of the plot line until the experienced rescue person allowed the brothers to accompany her. From there it was all downhill into an overly neat resolution tied up with a pretty bow at the end. This is completely opposite of the first book and why I loved it. So this is an entertaining book, but it won't achieve the greatness of the original story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2013
No Time to Wave Goodbye is the sequel to The Deep End of the Ocean, which I read over a decade ago when Oprah announced it as her very first book club pick. I would definitely recommend reading that one before this one; you really need to know the background of the Cappadora family to totally get the sequel.
I didn't expect much more than mediocrity due to the slightly less than average rating, and my expectations were right on target. I really liked the beginning and the very end, but the bulk of the novel was too sappy and cheesy for my taste. I found myself rolling my eyes at several parts of the story. Despite this, however, it was a page-turner and a quick read.
I didn't expect much more than mediocrity due to the slightly less than average rating, and my expectations were right on target. I really liked the beginning and the very end, but the bulk of the novel was too sappy and cheesy for my taste. I found myself rolling my eyes at several parts of the story. Despite this, however, it was a page-turner and a quick read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 379 reviews