Coming Back to Me : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: More, Ms. Leavitt!
Review: I picked up this book at the library and stayed up all night reading. What a writer Ms. Leavitt is! The characters were so alive, and the situation so gripping that I was spellbound. I've just put holds on all her other novels and cannot wait to read them. More, Ms. Leavitt!

Rating:
Summary: True to the heart
Review: It's not often that I find a contemporary novel that gets it right -- but Leavitt does. The very real situation, the family feeling, the love, the fear. Rather than overplay or gussy it up with any false depth, she stays true to the way the human heart really works and has given us a book that made me gasp, cry, and sorely miss it when I was done. I'll be re-reading "Coming Back to Me" like an old friend in years to come.

Rating:
Summary: Very simple book....too simple really
Review: If you like reading books where you absolutely do not have to think at all...then this is the book for you. Thirteen year olds would probably really enjoy it..personally I like something with a little more depth.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Read
Review: I found this book a week ago at the library. It was so hard for me to put it down and I could relate to the characters so much, considering I am a new mom. A lot of Molly's fears I could relate to and I ached for Gary, Molly and Baby Otis. It reads as a non-fiction and it makes me want to know how the family is doing today.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Kind of Great Read
Review: Though I'm constantly telling my kid not to inhale his food, that's exactly what I did with this novel. It's my absolutely favorite kind of book: the story is utterly compelling, the people are real, the pace is astonishing (this is maybe the most brilliant thing about it), the voices are absolutely distinctive -- I could not put it down. In places, I felt like Laurie Colwin had maybe come back to life (my highest praise; I still remember how "Happy All the Time" revived my soul). However, this is decidedly not a fairy tale, but a beautifully crafted tale of love, catastrophe, truth, disfunction, redemption -- all the biggies are here, and they're riveting. This is well-written fiction at the highest, and most accessible, level.

Rating:
Summary: What a find
Review: I love a book that can take plot and add to it characters that you want to be with and don't forget. I just loved that little Baby Otis (and naming the baby Otis, just added to his cachet) and it was wonderful watching the characters interact with him. Caroline Leavitt did such a fine job of character development with Molly, her mom, her sister, Suzanne, and her husband, Gary. I really knew these people. The story of Molly's critical illness shortly after giving birth to Otis, and how much this affected so many people was done with marvelous skill. This book is a find.

Rating:
Summary: A highly enjoyable read
Review: I give the highest of marks to Caroline Leavitt for creating characters I truly cared about. Molly, Gary, Suzanne and Baby Otis were people I actually was concerned for, and needed to know what the outcomes in their lives were. This is a touching story that is not as sickly sweet as you may think, these people are far from perfect and certainly possess as many weaknesses as strenghts. I had a few minor problems with this novel (there were some glaring typos for example), and some of the big issue problems like the financial crisis seemed to be forgotten by the end of the novel, but these are again minor and in no way affect the overall worthiness of the story. It is easy to lose yourself in the lives of these characters for a few hours, it would make for a fine summer read.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent read
Review: A novel with a unique style of writing that highlights familial loyalty, human bonding and a caring community. You get to know the characters, root for them, and hope for the best in their lives. The author is able to communicate a knowledge of human frailty, but also strength, as each of the characters struggle with a new mother's terrifying fight to stay alive. A true-to-life story and by an excellent storyteller.

Rating:
Summary: a heartfelt wonder
Review: This novel grabbed me from the start -- the family members became people I knew and loved and although at times the story twisted my heart painfully, I hung on -- and was glad I did. Now I need to go back and read Leavitt's other works. A marvelous escape from the ordinary that also celebrates everyday love!

Rating:
Summary: Coming Back to me - An Excellent Read!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Coming Back to Me by Caroline Leavitt. As a mother, I related to many characters in the book, from Molly's mother, to Suzanne and especially Molly. My favorite image is the first one Caroline gives you in the book, that of Gary in the diner with the baby. This book kept me reading intently and I became friends with the characters. I ended the book wanting to know more about the neighborhood, and what Gary, Molly, and Suzanne along with baby Otis are doing now. I will be reading Caroline's other books soon!