What We Keep

Rating:
Summary: Not a keeper
Review: Let me preface this by saying I really like Berg's style. I had the opportunity to hear her reading in Ft. Myers, Florida, and she has a lovely lulling voice and a truly soft and soothing aura. As to "What We Keep," I enjoyed the book, and probably would have enjoyed it even more if I could relate to 50s America, but being as I grew up mainly in England at a later time, I can't.
I felt that a family secret hinted at in earlier parts of the novel but not revealed until late in the text was not satisfactorily addressed by the three women. What did they actually feel about it? It should have had more impact. For 35 years, the two sisters harbor resentment toward their mother based in part on false assumptions. Now they are finally reunited and a slightly different spin is put on past events. Yet, before we know it, the protag is back on the plane and, after a lifetime of being misinformed and angry, seems all of a sudden very accepting of the actual situation.--Sophie Simonet, author of "Act of Love," Romantic Suspense (Fictionwise)

Rating:
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.

Rating:
Summary: A Story of a mother-daughter relationship
Review: WHAT WE KEEP was the story of a woman (Ginny Young ) who is about to meet her mother for the first time after being apart for 35 years. During the flight to California, she remembers the events that lead up to her mother's departure. Ginny was 12 years old when she last sees her mother, and we see the events through Ginny's 12 year old eyes. And although the 12 year old Ginny does not fully understand why things happened the way they did, the reader will note things that the young inexperienced Ginny could not understand. The adult Ginny finally is able to understand, and it takes the reunion with Ginny, older sister Sharla, and their mother Marion to help her realize why her mother left them all those years ago.

This was the first time I read a book by Elizabeth Berg and I was very pleased. I found it to be a fast read. Her descriptions were so vivid that I could imagine the characters as if watching a movie. I also found her characters to be interesting and real. I could relate to them and understand them. I am looking forward to reading more by Elizabeth Berg.