Almost Strangers: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Boring and too coincidental
Review: I read this in one sitting, not because it was a page-turner, but because I just kept waiting for something to happen! The characters were flat and the relationships never really explored...It was also entirely TOO coincidental...The slowest part of the story is the "meat"- the entire body of the novel - when "Lucy" is wandering throughout Greece etc...the narrative is not descriptive and often jumps and it is really hard to follow. I know the author is trying to get you into Lucy's frame of mind, but enough already. I was very disappointed and the ending was not that great either.

Rating:
Summary: a woman's search for identity
Review: Ms. Winer's graphic images of identiy diffusion and formation are something every woman can relate to. The connection between her protagonist's intensely close relationship with her mother and the resulting confusion she has about intimacy is profound. This is a terrific first novel and one that will stay with you long after you close the book.

Rating:
Summary: Haunting
Review: This haunting and inspired novel is one whose gripping images remain with the reader long after the book is put down. As someone recently out of a relationship and in transition in my life, the image of a woman whose identity is lost and is being reshaped was profoundly compelling. In that, the book quietly and subtly offers hope and possibility, recognizing the everpresent dangers and possibilities of life changes. For anyone swirling from the unexpected turns life sends, this book will become a welcome partner.