The First Time

Rating:
Summary: Just enjoy this book...
Review: I absolutely loved this book. Sure, if you want to get super analytical you can find many faults with the characters, the plot, etc. But I put all that aside and I just let myself into the story - and my definition of a good story is one in which I never notice the fact that the writer mentions "Evian" water. I cried like a baby at the end and that felt really good. Don't go into this book thinking it is a Pulitzer Prizer winner - it's not. But it is a damn good read of a heartfelt and well-told story.

Rating:
Summary: No raves here
Review: I could not have sympathy for the " moral heroine" who was being cheated on by her husband over and over again and then ended up rolling in the hay with another man herself. You'll like this one if you like sex and assisted suicide. The author seems to paint them both with a flowery brush. This was the first book I read by Fielding and I think I'll pass on her others.

Rating:
Summary: An insightful story
Review: Joy Fielding always writes an absorbing tale of love lost and found. What makes this novel so remarkable is that all its dominent themes are intrinsically depressing - infidelity, child abuse, drugs, unwanted pregnancy, fatal illness. It's certainly a testimony to the writer's talent that the result is a gripping story, complete with laughs and hope and the sense that it's never too late to learn to love, even when "late" comes far too early.

Rating:
Summary: The First Time
Review: I love this book, I have not ever read any of Joy Fieldings books but I am hooked I hope they are all as good as this one. I laughed and I cried throughout this book, Mattie Hart is a very strong woman and se goes through alot.

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT**********
Review: I DIDN'T THINK I WAS GOING TO ENJOY THE BOOK, BUT THEN REALIZED I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. IT FELT LIKE I WAS LIVING OUT THE STORY WITH THIS INCREDIBLE FAMILY! AS I READ THE BOOK, I PICTURED WHAT MAGGIE, KIM, THE FATHER AND EVEN THE MISTRESS LOOKED LIKE. THIS WAS A REAL TOUCHING BOOK. IT WOULD MAKE A GREAT MOVIE ON LIFETIME T.V.!!!!! THATS JUST MY OPINION.

Rating:
Summary: Excellant book!
Review: I loved this book! I liked the way Mattie took control of her life after 16 years of marriage. This book really kept my interest all the way to the end.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent! Wonderful! Terrific! Emotional!
Review: This is one of those books that made me feel like I knew these people and that I could actually experience the emotions stirred up by this story. This story gave me a better understanding of ALS/ Lou Gerhig's Disease. A very good book, easy to read and finish because it's so interesting right from the beginning, and the people are so "real". There's a teenage daughter that has to watch her mother go through her terminal illness, and the author made her so real to life. Excellent book......Pick this one up and read it, you'll most definitely enjoy it and learn from it. There was so much more to this story than an illness though. An almost exhusband who finally opened his heart to love. That part of this book is so touching. Another thing this book did is make me realize how a person's past can form the future if allowed. This is such a great story about much more than a terminally ill wife/mother/daughter. She's got spunk, hope, and faith.

Rating:
Summary: The First Time
Review: I really sobbed. The only other time I ever cried from a book was "Beaches". This book really got to me. Ms. Fielding's dialog, especially with her mother and daughter was touching. You also felt like you knew how it was having the disease. WOW!!

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: this was the first book that I read by Joy Fielding and I was hooked. From the first page to the end I couldn't put it down. Now I am reading all of her other books and have not been disapointed yet!

Rating:
Summary: wonderful and Joy's best work by far
Review: I just finished reading this book and am stunned by how much it touched me. It was not only the best book Joy Fielding has ever written but one of the best books I have ever read. I like Joy Fielding books and have read all of them and this one by far is her deepest. Her others are a much lighter read and although they are enjoyable (especially See Jane Run) this one she outdid herself with and I feel it deserves recognition. It is a much better read than a Danielle Steele novel. It is worth paying hardcover price!! Each character was interesting in this story but Mattie and her daughter Kim were so heartfelt in their relationships and struggles. The way that the author explained Mattie's disease was so easy to understand as she kept it simple but explained it fully. I of course hated Jake and the way he was so selfish but by the end of the book I felt differently. I loved every part of this book, even the ending. If you like a heartfelt, meaningful story about family and tragedy, you will love this book.