The Way We Were

by Marcia Willett

It was in the middle of a snowstorm when Tiggy arrived at the remote house on Bodmin Moor. She was alone, her partner tragically dead in an accident, and Julia, her dearest friend, welcomed her into her warm and chaotic family. Tiggy started to live again and await the birth of her child, but nearly thirty years later, when her son is about to become a father himself, the next generation discovers that there are secrets from the past which must be uncovered...

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, British Literature, Womens Fiction, Contemporary

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Marcia Willett began her career as a novelist when she was fifty years old. Since that first novel Marcia has written twenty more under her own name as well as a number of short stories. She has also written four books under the pseudonym "Willa Marsh", and is published in more than sixteen countries.
Marcia Willett's early life was devoted to the ballet, but her dreams of becoming a ballerina ended when she grew out of the classical proportions required. She had always loved books, and a family crisis made her take up a new career as a novelist - a decision she had never regretted.

Reviews

[``Laurie · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading a few pages of this book I can already see where this is headed and I'm not sure I want to stick around to see the resulting carnage.

First off, even though Marcia Willett is a talented novelist, she seems to write at a snail's pace; and while details are important I'm not sure so much detail is necessary.

The novel begins with Tiggy headed off on a day long journey to see her lifelong girlfriend where she will be spending the next few months. As Tiggy drives the author fills in Tiggy's past history and why she is taking this eventful journey.

Not only does the author relate her past history, she's decided to describe Tiggy's drive in excruciating detail with endless amounts of minutia causing me to wonder if I was really interested in learning about how many bathroom stops Tiggy is making? Do I really want to know how many times she makes a cup of coffee? Do you get my drift?

I persevere through her journey hoping that upon her arrival things would start moving at a faster pace. Tiggy arrives safely and the author tells us every little detail about the friend's family, children and past history *Yawn*

I'm not finding Tiggy very interesting at all and she's coming across to me as a very whiny, fragile Englishwoman - not that there's anything wrong with that - and I find myself wanting to tell Tiggy to 'buck up' and stop feeling sorry for yourself. It doesn't help that this is one of the most cloying books I've ever attempted to read and I don't care for cloying books.

Tiggy is incredibly unhappy so what to do but to make her best friend as miserable as she is by having an affair with her husband whilst visiting. I call that being an incredibly rude house guest for starters.

Although I haven't actually reached that part of the book, it's pretty obvious since the author is doing a whole lot of foreshadowing of what the future brings - with great detail of course. I'm surprised the author hasn't decided to count all of Tiggy's tears in order to enlighten the audience of how many tears Tiggy has actually shed.

I'm starting to get the feeling from the author that since Tiggy is unhappy and life has been cruel (not all that cruel imho) that it's quite OK for Tiggy to find temporary happiness by having the foreshadowed affair.

Maybe if I were younger I could've appreciated Tiggy's unremitting misery and felt sorry for her. But I'm not and Tiggy is steadily getting on my nerves.

Do I really want to stick around and learn about all the unhappiness Tiggy is going to be causing her *ahem* best friend along with all the gory details?
This tale is one of unrelenting tragedy and nobody is happy; particularly this reader, so it's time to find something else to read.

[Lese87maus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Musste schon nach kürzester Zeit aufhören mit dem Buch.
Empfinde es als Auflistung sämtlicher Ortschaften. Entspricht garnicht meinem Geschmack, naja, habe es auch nur geschenkt bekommen, ist also auch nicht so schlimm.

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this in one hit whilst down with a cold- not one of Marcia Willett's best that's for sure. It's very unstructured. The prologue is good but then part one just comes across as a giant muddle. New characters are introduced ad hoc without explanation leaving the reader confused as to who is who and whilst 'era swapping' is a common phenomenon it is done badly here and only adds to the confusion. As ever, her characterisation is spot on but several characters are placed in very unlikely scenarios and it all seems very unlikely. The whole book felt like a first draft rather than a final edit.I've still given it 2 stars as even a bad Willett is more readable than some modern 'chick lit' efforts & it did keep me turning the pages, albeit in a desolutory fashion :)

[Nona · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the hardest books I have tried to read. Constant moving from one era to another is totally confusing. There is far too much irrelevant language used. Some situations are really not plausible. The words of Cat and Angela to their supposed friends would hardly be tolerated in normal life.
Situation with Chris and Val and Liv is also one that would not be tolerated. Did not finish the book, there was nothing that grabbed me to know an ending.

[Carrie]

Well, I made the classic mistake of reading a review that spoiled the ending, without being marked as a "spoiler." Sigh...

This looked like a good book, for others who want to try it. For me, I'm relegating it to my "unfinished" folder. And onwards to the next book!

[Vickie Richens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love her books

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was during a snowstorm in February, 1976 when Tegan - known as Tiggy to her friends - arrived at the remote house on Bodmin Moor. She had lost her partner in a tragic accident and was now alone - and pregnant. Julia, her dearest friend, welcomed her into her warm and chaotic family, and Tiggy slowly started to live again. She awaited the birth of her child, temporarily secure in the supportive love which surrounded her.

But Tiggy's happiness was destined to be short-lived. Now, nearly thirty years later, when her son is about to become a father himself, the next generation discovers that there are secrets from the past that must be uncovered...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked the characters; the story itself, and the setting as well. I give this book an A!

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tegan, otherwise known as "Tiggy" has not had a good start in life. She has lost her Mother and is estranged from her Father, who has lead her a terrible life. The book starts as she has just lost her soul mate Tom in an accident and is now carrying his child.
She moves in with her best friend Julia and her family, in St Breward on Bodmin Moor, where she awaits the birth of her child. She is welcomed into the family by everbody and again finds happiness in her life. But will it last?
The book flits from 1976-1977 and then to 2004, when all the characters in the book have grown up and moved away from the house on Bodmin Moor.
However there is a secret that Tiggy has asked Julia never to reveal, but as events unfold can she keep her promise? Julia is torn apart by staying loyal to Tiggy and protecting her son Zack.
A great book, with lots of twists and turns, emotions and anxiety, which you feel throughout the book. Very well written with some very strong characters. Well worth a read.

[Hannah Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Audible account is doing this new thing where it just plays a book for me when I finish my last book... and for whatever reason, it played this one. I had no idea what the story was about going into it, but it reminded me of a Maeve Binchy or Rosamunde Pilcher. I *almost* gave it five stars, but there were some points where I struggled to remember who was who and therefore got a little mixed up in the story. But I really enjoyed this over all!

Perhaps the thing that surprised me most about this novel was that there was not only a field spaniel, but also a Dandy Dinmont! Those are NOT breeds that are frequently mentioned in books and it made me really happy to be reading something with unusual breeds!

[Aline Soules · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explores human relationships

If you like exploring human relationships, you'll enjoy this book. The author is perceptive and has clearly spent a great deal of time getting to know her characters. The only thing that's confusing are the time shifts. It takes a while e to get used to them, especially when the earlier years are in present tense and the later ones are in past tense.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dette var mit første møde med Marcia Willett og jeg vil bestemt gerne læse mere fra hende. Hun formåede i denne bog, at skabe et landskab for mit indre blik, der bestemt gjorde bogen værd at læse. Karaktererne var velfortalte, genkendelige og vedrørende. Plottet var måske lidt søgt og familiehemmeligheden lidt fesen, men alt i alt en fin læseoplevelse.

[Marcella Curry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I initially found this book soothing. I especially enjoyed the setting in the moors of southwest England. The story goes back in forth in time, from the mid 1970s to the early 2000s. The characters are struggling with finding their place in life. By the middle of the book the plot becomes somewhat muddled and diffuse.

[Phi · Rating 4 out of 5]

At once, I felt that Ms Willett was too adj-happy but as the story progressed I enjoyed her descriptions of the southern coastline of England. I did need to make a flow-chart of characters as she journeyed back and forth in timeline and for a while it was difficult to navigate characters. It was a great story, enjoyed it immensely. Loved the character development, what always draws me in.

[Sharon Stine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably 3 1/2 stars

It captured mr even if predictable. Even if the characters were a bit too black and white I thoroughly enjoyed the narrative

[HediBähren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spannende Familiengeschichte, wenn auch ein wenig konstruiert.

[Rebecca Travers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fair read, I enjoyed the premise and the analeptic structure. The characters were realistic and it kept me sustained for a weekend.

[Kathy Spann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t wait for bedtime to read this book! Such fascinating characters. Tiggy comes from a horrible home, but her friend takes her in.

[Jane Gregg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stuck in middle-brow mode it seems

[E.Nicholls · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping tale.

A story of suspense and intrjgue. It left the reader wanting more. Some unusual and interesting character s. When might there be a follow up ,I wonder.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great characters!! The good ones were relatable and the bad ones were hateable.

[Patricia J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by Willet made me sad. With reading, though.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cozy read— similar to Rosamund Plicher! Loved it!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiggy is given a bronze model of Merlin by her beloved grandmother, just before she goes to stay with her close friend Julia. There's evidently some unpleasant history related to Tiggy's father, which gradually becomes clear througout the book.

The story begins in 1976, then leaps forward to 2004 for a while. It's cleverly done, the plot unfolding with the different chronological perspectives, allowing a tragedy to happen in the earlier time frame, which we already know about with hindsight.

I found the number of characters a bit confusing, particularly with those who appear as children in the 1970s and adults in 2004, but I found the story compelling enough that I managed to keep track of most of them.

Great writing, some suspense, a few tugs on the heartstrings, and, overall, a satisfying story. Recommended.

Full review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Willett has been compared to Pilcher and Binchy but her stories, if this title is representative of her work, are not as compelling. The Way We Were jumps back and forth between 1976 and 2004. In 1976, Julia takes in her pregnant friend Tiggy, who dies in childbirth. Julia already has 3 kids and suffers a miscarriage at the same time but decides to raise Zack as her own. In 2005, Julia's kids are adults: Liv is helping an old boyfriend start a B&B with his wife, Zack is expecting his first child, and Andy is dating the daughter of a woman who almost ruined Julia's marriage. Though the individual stories are somewhat interesting, Willett weaves in an underlying vein of suspense that she overplays completely at the end. Descriptions of the scenery and characters' emotions may appeal to some readers but the story does not drive the book.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was thrilled to see that this author had a new book out but was kind of disappointed that the magic in some of her previous novels was missing in this book.
Good story, but the back and forth between two time periods was so often that it was mind-booggling and sure kept me on my toes.
Friends and family are what this author's stories are all about and they do leave one with a good feeling after having read the last page.
Two girlhood friends, one of them pregnant and unmarried, tho other married and with a few kids. Tiggy, the unmarried one, stays with Julia and they have an enchanting summer and then the trouble begins. One of the characters is Angela who is always stirring up trouble and her equally wicked daughter, named Cat.

[Mari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but the dialogue was what got me. It wasn't so much dialogue as back-and-forth monologues. Bizarre, and I can't imagine ANYONE speaking that way (although thinking that way, definitely).

There's also the non-linear storyline, in that it jumps back and forth through time. I hated it at first, but as the story kept going I liked it, and Willett is clear by labeling the sections by year. So it's pretty easy to know exactly where you are in time.

I didn't like the over-abundance of characters. There were at least 20 to keep track of, and 5-10 main characters, depending on how you define "main" ... so it was just a bit much, especially for a 300 page book.

Overall it was mostly inspiring in an "I should be able to do this too" kind of way. We'll see...

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit it -- I choose books by their covers, something I have in common with my mother-in-law! When I saw this one in the library here near Chicago I grabbed it and checked it out. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was set in the part of England where my mother-in-law lives! I enjoyed it initially for this reason as I'm familiar with many of the places in the book. But I enjoyed it more for the story of the lives and relationships it describes. It is the story of friendship, of marriages with their ups and downs, and of finding ones way in the world.

[Vionna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poignantly written. She interwines the happenings of the 1970s with those of the first decade of the twenty first century and covers the lives of two - almost three generations of a family. Their lives on the Devon moors are described with warmth and colour and ventures into Truro, Rock and Padstow are full of life. You will really becomes engrossed in the storey of the Bodrugan family. The characters are so well defined by Willett - from Tiggy, Julia's childhood friend, to Aunt Em.

[Christi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice story, well-told, without too much melodrama or forced sweetness.

I don't usually like stories that bounce back and forth between time periods. This author did a good job of relating what happened in 1976 with Tiggy and Julia to things that are now happening with Julia's children in 2004. The parallels work well here.

I will look for more of this author's work over the summer.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story which I highly recommend and thoroughly enjoyed. Alternates between 1976/77 and 2004 but done so well it's not at all confusing as some stories doing this can be.
Tragic in some parts but how wonderful to experience a friendship like that of Julia and Tiggy.
This is the second book by this author that I've read and I really liked that also.
Will definitely be reading more free m Marcia Willett.