She’s Come Undone discussion

One of my all-time favourite books is Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone. Even though the book is written by a man, Dolores' voice is so female. I believed in her. I loved her, felt her pain and rejoiced in her small happinesses.

What other books out there have such strong female voices, are filled with both beauty and hate and will ultimately leave me satisfied that I have met a wonderful new friend inside a novel?

Well oddly enough I would recommend White Oleander. :) I don't know if you've seen my most recent post. But I'm looking for recommendations that are like White Oleander. By the way, great review of She's Come Undone.

I loved shes come undone; just love wally lamb; I would like recommendations for other books like this.
I love the nostalgia of the 60s,70s, as that is when
I grew up. I also read white oleander; liked it but not nearly as much as this.

Wally Lamb is a perfect writer. So is Anne Rivers Siddons. Try her new book "Burnt Moutain" if you like being enthralled by a book's storyline!

It was awhile back, but it seems that A Gracious Plenty by Sheri Reynolds had a similar feel to it.

thanks!

I loved Lamb's other book, I Know This Much is True even more!

When I read She's Come Undone I couldn't believe that the author was male. I was impressed by Dolores. I read I Know This Much Is True. I enjoyed the book. But it isn't as good as She's Come Undone. It is filled with beauty and hate and an interesting story. I'm sure you will feel the pain and rejoice in the happiness of the main character. You may even find a new family in this novel.

I would recommend The Hour I First Believed or I Know This Much is True. Both books are much longer than She's Come Undone but they are worth the time.

I agree, you definitely need to read I Know This Much is True. I can recall sitting in a coffee shop sighing as I read the book. Finished it in 2-3 days, and it's a big book, I usually don't do that. Sad when it was over because I knew it would be hard to find another book that made me feel so much. Even better than She's Come Undone.

Alice wrote: "Wally Lamb is a perfect writer. So is Anne Rivers Siddons. Try her new book "Burnt Moutain" if you like being enthralled by a book's storyline!"

thanks Alice; I think I have read something by this author before; I will get this one.

thanks all, I have read and loved those other books
by Wally Lamb; my fave is "this much I know is true"
cant wait for another of his to come out!

I've read The Hour I First Believed...or maybe it was I Know This Much is True...which one was about the twin brothers? That one. Borrowed from the library. And I have read White Oleander, but it was a library book too. So I haven't read either recently and I'm not sure I want to read them again right now. But both are good suggestions!

I'll see if my library has Burnt Mountain or A Gracious Plenty.

Thanks everyone! ANd keep those suggestions coming! :)

I just finished The Hour I First Believed. Really good book. I think I liked it better than I Know This Much Is True, but not quite as much as She's Come Undone, which in my opinion is one of the best books out there!! White Oleander was very good too!!

Kiessa wrote: "I loved Lamb's other book, I Know This Much is True even more!"

It was such a gripping read. I have since bought any of his books I could get hold of because he is one of those author's whose books you want to read again and again.

I like "Fall On Your Knees" by Anne Marie McDonald, and if you're looking for strong female characters you could try anything by Alice Munroe.

Fall on Your Knees was a wonderful book.

Maybe I'll try some Alice Munro soon...

Somebody stole my thunder because I was going to say White Oleander as well. I also liked Fall on Your Knees. But now I'm going to recommend Lady Oracle or Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood. They're pretty long, as I remember, but both are about a favortie Atwood theme--women undergoing transformations. Another Canadian author who has been dead for 25 years but defintely should not be forgotten is Margaret Laurence. If you liked the above-mentioned books, you might like The Diviners, my favorite in the Mannewaka quartet.

She's Come Undone is one of my absolute favorite books, and White Oleander is not. Dolores is simply one of a kind. I just finished reading Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos, the main character, Cornelia, is also very easy to love.

The Kindess of Strangers by Katrina Kittle is also a must read. She's Come Undone is my absolute favorite book, but I've also liked several of the other books mentioned.

Lindsay wrote: "One of my all-time favourite books is Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone. Even though the book is written by a man, Dolores' voice is so female. I believed in her. I loved her, felt her pain and rej..."

Lindsay wrote: "One of my all-time favourite books is Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone. Even though the book is written by a man, Dolores' voice is so female. I believed in her. I loved her, felt her pain and rej..."

IF you are into ebooks, BREAKING TWIG (by Deborah Epperson), is a great Southern coming -of-age read. It's an emotional rollercoaster ride like White Oleander and She's Come Undone, but Becky (the young girl telling the story)is witty and has a dark sense of humor that gives the reader patches of relief from the raw intensity of the family drama. It explores the human heart and spirit with wisdom, humor, and unflinching honesty.

Saby wrote: "Well oddly enough I would recommend White Oleander. :) I don't know if you've seen my most recent post. But I'm looking for recommendations that are like White Oleander. By the way, great revie..."

Check out Breaking TWIG by Deborah Epperson.

Thanks C! :)

I just remembered another book I read a few years ago called Strong for Potatoes by Cynthia Thayer. I must have liked it because it stayed in my mind. It is a coming-of-age-story about a young girl who overcomes a number of personal losses and misfortunes and has a strong sense of place.

I've been in need of new "adult" books to read, so these are all really great suggestions! Time for another trip to the library! :)

Lindsay wrote: "One of my all-time favourite books is Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone. Even though the book is written by a man, Dolores' voice is so female. I believed in her. I loved her, felt her pain and rej..."

IF you are into ebooks, BREAKING TWIG (by Deborah Epperson), is a great Southern coming -of-age read. It's an emotional rollercoaster ride like White Oleander and She's Come Undone, but Becky (the young girl telling the story)is witty and has a dark sense of humor that gives the reader patches of relief from the raw intensity of the family drama. It explores the human heart and spirit with wisdom, humor, and unflinching honesty.

Della wrote: "I just remembered another book I read a few years ago called Strong for Potatoes by Cynthia Thayer. I must have liked it because it stayed in my mind. It is a coming-of-age-story about a young gi..."

Thanks. I'll check it out.

Lindsay wrote: "One of my all-time favourite books is Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone. Even though the book is written by a man, Dolores' voice is so female. I believed in her. I loved her, felt her pain and rej..."
Perfect! That is how I feel when I read a great book. I really do feel as if I have made a new friend.

IF you are into ebooks, BREAKING TWIG (by Deborah Epperson), is a great Southern coming -of-age read. It's an emotional rollercoaster ride like She's Come Undone, but Becky (the young girl telling the story)is witty and has a dark sense of humor that gives the reader patches of relief from the raw intensity of the family drama. It explores the human heart and spirit with wisdom, humor, and unflinching honesty

Try The Lovely Bones

Thank you C and Audrey. :)

Check out "Before Women had Wings" by Luisa May Fowler. I read it a long time ago and still think about Avocet, the little girl in the story.

Lydsay, If you loved the female carachter in She's Come Undone, you would love Cannie Shaprio in Good in Bed, by Jennifer Weiner. I loved how I rooted for her and felt like I knew Cannie at the end of the book. I felt like she was my sister. Love Jennifers writing stlye.

I have to second many of the other posts. A couple of favorites are White Oleander, I Know This Much is Trueand Fall on Your Knees. White Oleander would be my top vote though :)

On this we certainly agree.

I read Good in Bed and didn't really enjoy it. It was okay, but I didn't love the main character as much as I loved Dolores. Fall on Your Knees was pretty good.

I can't remember if I read I Know This Much is True or The Hour I First Believed. Which one has the twin brothers?

I did read a book quite recently called The Little Giant of Aberdeen County. I really enjoyed it and it had bits that totally made me think of She's Come Undone. A very neat little book!

Lindsay wrote: "I read Good in Bed and didn't really enjoy it. It was okay, but I didn't love the main character as much as I loved Dolores. Fall on Your Knees was pretty good.

I can't remember if I read I Kn..."

I know this much is true has the twin brothers :)

Lindsay, try The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty. After I read She's Come Undone, I thought there would never be a book worth reading again... I loved it that much. But then I found The Center of Everything. I used to put it under my pillow at night to soak up its brilliantness and hope that some of it would rub off on me and my own writing. (My book, Girl Unmoored, is coming out in early March). I have no idea why The Center of Everything didn't get more props, maybe through Goodreads it will make a come-back!

I Know This Much is True, also by Wally Lamb.

Too Close to the Falls, for something like She's come undone..but this one's a memoir and a fantastically written, reads like fiction and a coming of age story. ALso the book, Mathilda Savitch and A Complicated Kindness, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and in general- the authors Richard Russo and John Irving and Sandra Kring for more coming of age. For another Wally Lamb-ish book I recommend The Art of Fielding.

Kiessa wrote: "I loved Lamb's other book, I Know This Much is True even more!" That was going to be my suggestion!

Tammy wrote: "I have to second many of the other posts. A couple of favorites are White Oleander, I Know This Much is Trueand Fall on Your Knees. White Oleander would be my..."
I agree with both I Know This Much is True and Fall on Your Knees.

Lindsay wrote: "I read Good in Bed and didn't really enjoy it. It was okay, but I didn't love the main character as much as I loved Dolores. Fall on Your Knees was pretty good.

I can't remember if I read I Kn..."

I Know This Much is True has the twin brothers.

Jemima J...Jane Green. If you loved Wally Lambs book you will love Jemima J!

@Lindsay,
Since you liked Wally Lamb's book,which I loved, I'm recommending The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, Blessings by Anna Quindlen,also,The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen. If you're interested,I can think of more.

I have read The Sugar Queen, and while sweet, it was a little too sweet for me.

I quite enjoyed The Poisonwood Bible, so I might like other Barbara Kingsolver books.

For strong female characters: The Dovekeepers (or anything by Alice Hoffman) Nightwoods Little Bee The Tenderness of Wolves The Colour The Outlander(both of them: by Gil Adamson and Diana Galbaldon Winter's Bone

oh yeah I read both of those books by wally lamb and absolutely loved them; cant wait for another by him.

I Know This Much is True
White Oleander
I also loved Good in Bed, but it's a different "type" of story