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Summary: the best writing ,ever,from the point of view of a child
Review: I am Elizabeth Berg's newest, biggest fan. No one writes from the point of view of a child like Berg. No one. She remembers every detail of a child's life, the ritual, the ordinary day-in-day-out stuff from which youth springs. Her sibling banter is rich and believable. The plot makes no difference whatsoever. What holds the reader is four or five hours with Ginny and Sharla, because you remember; you were there.
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Summary: This one is my favorite!
Review: I've read nearly all of EB's books and i found this one to be my favorite so far. I felt like I was living in the house with Sharla and Ginny and could picture Marion and Georgia so clearly. The end of the book kind of left me hanging...but i truly enjoyed every page!
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Summary: A NIce Story.....
Review: I thought this was a cute, sad story. I thought it was emotional because the mother left the girls, but with Berg being such a good writer, she also made it funny & bright. I am guessing that it took the dark, mysterious neighbor to move in & befriend the mother to make the mother realize that she needed to pursue her goals as well, even though it turned out the neighbor was on the run from a rich, abusive, powerful spouse. Berg could have almost left that character out. Anyway, I thought it was cute - I loved the 'wedding & marriage vows' between 'Wild Bill Cody' and "Ave Maria' ~ priceless! Even if pain is caused, all must be forgiven.
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Summary: If you like to read from a child's perspective -
Review: as well as a woman's you will enjoy this book. It is written in the present and past tense. Two grown women travel to see their mother whom they haven't seen in 35 years. They story tells us about their family life, growing up in the 50's and beyond, and references to the times were fun to read and remember.
The estrangement of the girls with their mother is indeed a tragedy that could have been prevented. The whole book is written so well, that it keeps us women turning those pages, she knows just how we think, but the last part of the book makes the entire read worth the journey, as she describes the impact of choices made in our lives, the consequences of our actions, and how love is manifested in different ways, in different families.
I recommend this book for mothers and daughters, sisters, or any woman. Also recommended "Pull of the Moon." I loved that book.
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Summary: Easy Pleasing Reading
Review: Elizabeth Bergs books always sound like something I will want to read and yet I find I have a hard time getting started on them. This one was an easy pleasurable read. Almost too easy. I thought everything happened too easy in this story. I loved the sisters, Sharla and Ginny. Their characters were well done and realistic but I felt the fathers character was not developed enough for the final unbelievable statement about him. It was still very enjoyable.
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Summary: Breaking free of cages
Review: I found the most interesting relationship in this book was between the two sisters, Ginny and Sharla. The story details their struggle with their mother but their true touchstone in life and anchor is each other.
I also related to the mother's, Marion, struggle. The call of breaking free of whatever cages we surround ourselves with is tempting but the price paid once the cage is escaped can be very very high. In this case, Marion had no access to the key to climb back in a newly expanded cage and was left on the outside looking in.
"And I did not want to understand my mother. If I understood her, I might have to forgive her. And at some critical time I became very much invested in not forgiving her-we all did. It became an underpinning in our reduced family, a need, even; just as there seems to be a terrible need for family feuds to continue. In a way, it is as if your refusal to forgive is too much a part of you for you to lose it. Who would you be without it? Not yourself. Lost, somehow. Thinkk of how people tend to pick the same chair to sit in over and over again. We are always trying to make sure we know where we are. Though we may long for adventure, we also cherish the familiar. We just do."
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Summary: Another good vacation read
Review: Found this book from a used book cart for $1 while on vacation. It looked like a great vacation book and it didn't disappoint. I was really drawn into the story and could not put it down!
The only major complaint I have is that the information revealed about the father at the end of the story was totally *not* believable based on his character as developed throughout the story. It was totally from left field and felt like it was thown into the story simply for effect.
That aside, this was the first book by this author and I'm looking forward to reading some of her other works.
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Summary: This one is my favorite!
Review: This book moves quickly, lets you read a few pages at a time or the entire book in one or two sittings. I love Berg's masterful use of the English language, the depth of her characters, and also the tempo of how the story plays out. While the theme is similar to that of Secret Life of Bees, this novel is superior by far. A delightful book.
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Summary: Not one of Berg's best
Review: I've read many of Elizabeth Berg's books and have found that while some are wonderful, others are merely okay. WHAT WE KEEP unfortunately fell into the latter category. The main character is Ginny, a middle-aged woman who is flying out to California to meet the mother she has not seen in 35 years. Although Ginny had written off the relationship with her mother long ago, she made this trip at the request of her older sister, Sharla, who may or may not have cancer. As Ginny flies across the country, she recollects her childhood, reviweing the events that led to her and her sister's estrangement from their mother.The majority of this novel is told in flashbacks. Although Ginny and Sharla's anger towards their mother was understandable, the resulting 35-year estrangement seemed to be an extreme reaction. Furthermore, once the novel returns to the present day, the reunion between Ginny and Sharla with their mother happens too quickly and too easily. Although the story was engaging at times, ultimately, I did not find it to be believable, and I was disappointed in the end.
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