Rating: 
Summary: Why?
Review: Why does this woman have no friends? no one to say "You'll never guess!" or "my daughter's a brat" to me this makes the book phony. "The Pilot's Wife" was the same. I think it is just plain lazy of the author. If this woman was real she would have friends, or a friend, and would have discussed things! Granted she was a loner, but by no means was she so extreme that she should have no-one. I don't mean to obsess, but people doen't make such HUGE choices without talking to anyone!They just don't.
Rating: 
Summary: Human nature at its best and worst
Review: When I first sat down to read this book, I had no idea what I was getting into. It started out with a description of what I would describe a typical family--a husband, wife and children. The children have all 'flown the coop', leaving Jo and Daniel alone in the house with the dogs. Jo is a veterinarian who treats a dog belonging to someone from another lifetime, when she was in her 20s. When Eli comes back into her life courtesy of his dog, Jo starts remembering when she was in her 20s. She ran away from her home and started another life because she was restless and needed a change. She met a group of people and moved in with them in Cambridge, in the 60s. From there, the story goes back and forth, from present day back to the 60s. You get the perspective of her back then and now. The book is remarkably well written. Sue Miller does not miss a beat when she describes the interactions between Jo and Daniel and Jo and her 'other' family in Cambridge. The book is incredible in the description and portrayals of every character. While I Was Away addresses the restlessness that probably most people feel but may never act upon. It describes one woman's journey to 'find herself' in the 60s. It takes a tragedy to bring her together with the man she will eventually marry and have a family with. It also addresses Jo's need to put closure to the tragedy in the 60s. I recommend this book highly.
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Summary: Trying to find yourself.
Review: This wonderful book by Sue Miller is a touching, thrilling book about life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. The narrator Jo Becker tells of her story in the present as a vetrinarian, as well as looking back on her history as a young, searching adolesent. Jo tells of her times, when after leaving her husband, she moved in with complete strangers, and changed her name and everything about her, trying to start a new life. This story should be read by every mother and daughter, trying to understand each other. I loved this book and look forward to reading more Sue Miller novels.
Rating: 
Summary: Everyone May Not Like It - But I Certainly Did
Review: Friends of mine had trouble getting into this book; I thoroughly enjoyed it, although I could see where they got bored. If you like a sort of descriptive, sensual and lush writing - you'll enjoy this. If you like plot and action, you might want to pass - or at least plan to hold out until things really start happenning in the middle of the novel.
Rating: 
Summary: What a load of codswallop!!
Review: This book drove me mad. It's chock full of descriptions of bringing the groceries into the house and looking across at the husband and all the daily tripe that IS NOT INTERESTING! The minutiae is hideous. The only reason I read it to the end - and I had to skip hugely to do that - was to see what, if anything this total waste of time was about! If I ripped out all the bits that amount to nothing more than filler, this book would be about twenty pages long. Is this an Oprah book by the way? Yeah...it figures. WHAT A WASTE OF TIME.
Rating:
Summary: whiney midlife drivel
Review: I am reviewer 1,800. Too bad, because I will have little chance to warn others: this is indulgent, whiney drivel. We get to know the passive thoughts of the protagonist, with thumbnails of the rest. I didn't care about the main character, or anyone else, not even the dogs! The reason I finished it was to give an opinion to the friend who lent it to me. Her friend is murdered. Wow! I considered warding off readers by blowing the skimpy mystery, but please heed my warning: you will, or at least ought to, be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Oprah's usual type of story
Review: ....The story is of the woman next door, Jo Becker, who once lived the free and communal life of a 60's young adult, with all the hippies and drugs that seem to come with that time. She is on a constant search for what will make her happy as she runs and then moves from her first husband, to the second husband, a family and then questions her life when a friend from the past reenters her life. This story tells of a woman in mid-life questioning her past and her future ...
Rating:
Summary: 4 star
Review: This is the type of book that even three months later you are still thinking about the characters and mulling over in your mind how all of this could have come about. You never know what is going to happen next to this earthy veterinarian. She seems so together that it is really quite shocking when everything starts to spiral downward. Every character has purpose and a real personality...some will surprise you. A realistic ending and a realistic heroine.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and action packed
Review: The story line is fast-paced and will thrill the audience with its non-stop action, with a fun to read scene that fans will find delightful. The story line includes several likeable and not so likeable characters, but the show belongs to Jo Becker who must contend with the curious and crazy happenings that engulf her. The reader who wants action to the nth degree might feel a bit disoriented, but those who relish deeper understanding of the main character, Jo, will find her past enlightening. WHILE I WAS GONE is a well-written and entertaining tale. Though the characters occasionally seem two-dimensional, the story line never slows down. Sue Miller has written a complex, suspenseful, and exciting novel that contains several levels of understanding due to strong subplots that tie back to the prime theme. This novel shows flashes of a top talent, especially with the cast and their dialogue. Lurdane Blurber
Rating:
Summary: An Engrossing Read
Review: This is the first of Sue Miller's book that I have read. I found the characters to be quite interesting, especially Dana. I grew up in the 60's, so the commune house in Boston brought back memories. The adage that opposites attract was evident with Jo and David. There was several times that I found Jo to be quite consumed with herself. David just didn't know how to relate to her. David's sermon made me feel good. I felt Jo just couldn't move on from her past, but then I can remember times when I long for people from my past also. The ending was very interesting. It's the kind of book that gets the reader to do some soul searching. I'm looking forward to reading more of Sue Miller's books.
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