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Blue Heaven
A new, irresistible, emotionally compelling novel by the author of The Girls .
Three women -- Mollie; her daughter, Gilliana; and Gilliana's daughter, Clare -- take us into their lives. In the past, Mollie's her passionate early marriage, surviving separation in World War II only to be destroyed by her husband's uncontrollable gambling; the unexpected sweetness and soundness of the years of her marriage with the beloved Lew. And Gilliana's a perfect -- and doomed -- romance with a famous entertainer who is both charming and giving; a glamorous career; a failing marriage.
And in the teenage Clare, observing the crash of her parents' marriage and, even worse, her grandmother Mollie's descent into senility, while she herself, on the brink of first love, tries to understand and avoid the mistakes and tragedies of her family's past.
These are loving the generous, sweet-tempered, domestic Mollie; the ardent, wise-cracking Gilliana; the cool, straightforward, "modern" Clare. Their lives, their feelings, their richly articulated voices are the heart of this moving, embracing novel that catches the essence of family love, sexual love, and the sheer love of life.
Three women -- Mollie; her daughter, Gilliana; and Gilliana's daughter, Clare -- take us into their lives. In the past, Mollie's her passionate early marriage, surviving separation in World War II only to be destroyed by her husband's uncontrollable gambling; the unexpected sweetness and soundness of the years of her marriage with the beloved Lew. And Gilliana's a perfect -- and doomed -- romance with a famous entertainer who is both charming and giving; a glamorous career; a failing marriage.
And in the teenage Clare, observing the crash of her parents' marriage and, even worse, her grandmother Mollie's descent into senility, while she herself, on the brink of first love, tries to understand and avoid the mistakes and tragedies of her family's past.
These are loving the generous, sweet-tempered, domestic Mollie; the ardent, wise-cracking Gilliana; the cool, straightforward, "modern" Clare. Their lives, their feelings, their richly articulated voices are the heart of this moving, embracing novel that catches the essence of family love, sexual love, and the sheer love of life.
351 pages, Hardcover
First published March 26, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 8, 2016
Grandmother, mother, and daughter each narrate their own chapters as they cope with aging, a mid-life marriage crisis, and adolescence. Kagan has a great ear for dialogue -- very realistic. Especially touching in the last few chapters -- this one got better and better as I read.
August 9, 2016
An older book - but the tales are timeless - love, loss and self-discovery. Characters and storyline still very current!
November 23, 2025
Otin kirjaston ilmaishyllystä. Sattumalta oli saman tyylinen kuin sitä ennen ottamani Alba de Cespedesin Kielletty päiväkirja. Kumpikin resonoi hyvin elettyyn naisen elämääni, nämä naiset olivat keski-ikäisiä ja kertoivat arkielämän haasteista ja iloista.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews