Rating: 
Summary: Hard Choices
Review: Although I often find abused women sagas frustrating, Quindlen's novel is well-written and generally satisfying. With a bit too much repetition, she does her best to explain why a bright, loving woman like Fran would stay with Bobby, the sexy, macho cop who becomes a monster. I would have liked more detail as to how the conclusion of the novel was reached. It seemed a bit too rushed and left me unsettled. Not quite up to Roddy Doyle's great "The Woman who Walked into Doors", but worth reading nevertheless.
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Summary: Anna Quindlen has done it again. FABULOUS
Review: I was saddened when I learned that Anna Quindlen was leaving The New York Times. Imagine how delighted I am that she has produced three terrific books. I didn't think she could top - One Last Best Thing - and she has. Tough, awful, true subject, beautifully done.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book
Review: I read this book in two days and loved it. While not perfect, this book is very powerful and will definitely hit home for many women. The husband, Bobby, reminded me so much of my high school romance, and Fran's physical and immature attraction to Bobby reminds us all why we wind up in relationships that are not good for us. Yes, the ending is a bit predictable, but this novel is well worth a read for approaching a subject that is difficult to address.
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Summary: Unforgettable and heartbreaking
Review: I loved this book; the characters were real and become part of your life. I read it in four days and it is still on my mind one month later. Read this book!
Rating: 
Summary: Almost¿but not quite¿a classic
Review: First of all, kudos to Anna Quindlen for dealing with some very difficult subject matter honestly and unflinchingly. This book will make thousands upon thousands of women (and men) take a moment to consider the plight of the domestically abused, and maybe even help create empathy where before existed only disbelief. However, Quindlen's take on the matter, though compelling, is perhaps a bit antiseptic, as though she were examining her characters from afar in an almost anthropological way. Missing here is the emotional confusion and upheaval that must surely accompany this kind of uprooted life-it's hinted at, but not delivered. The constant shifting of viewpoint from present to past prevents either storyline from being completely realized. Meeting Bobby in flashback prevents the reader from ever understanding why a woman like Fran would ever love him. And the repeated flashbacks constantly interrupt the novel's forward momentum. Worse yet, the ending is unfulfilling. Frannie winds up in a good marriage almost despite herself, reinforcing the implication that women like Frannie are mere creatures of circumstance, just hollow balloons to be blown about by the winds of life. Is it a good book? Yes, it's almost a classic. But not quite.
Rating:
Summary: A gripping tale revealing the horrors of domestic violence
Review: Anna Quindlen realistically portrays the shame and loathing that Fran Bennedetto feels each time she is abused by her policeman spouse. Her decision to break free and establish a new life for herself has the listener cheering. Her attempts at starting a new life without fear are met with heartfelt concern because the listener can't help but feel her fear that Robert will find her and destroy whatever she has done for herself and ten-year old Bobby. The author leads the listener through a labyrinth of choices which Fran makes, leading to an inevitable, happy-sad conclusion. It is well worth the time expended and the listener would do well to note that the realism of the story happens daily in the lives of real women. The whole presents a tale of a society which cannot control or solve the problems of domestic violence, but it is also the story of a strong woman trying desperately to change her wrong choices.
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Summary: All women owe it to themselves to read this book
Review: I don't know how Anna Quindlen obtained her research - but she pulled out all the stops. Her main character, Fran, spoke so candidly about her ambiguous feelings toward her husband and marriage that I felt like she was directing it to me. Excellent book about a touchy subject.
Rating:
Summary: A deep, sensitive account of domestic abuse
Review: I am still feeling the effects of this story, weeks later. I felt so close to Frannie, and the cast of characters in this tale. They are as real to me as my own family. Anna Quindlen captures the true essence of how tough it is to leave, but how necessary it is when you have a child to protect. I loved the Mother/son relationship she describes, it is exactly how I have felt towards my sons. I cried and cried at the end, the story touched me so deep. This is a story that I will never forget, the writing was beautiful and very realistic. I roared thru this book and will look for more from Ms. Quindlen. A great read!
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Summary: A WONDERFUL READ
Review: This book was utterly fabulous, and I simply could not put it down. It was beautifully written by an author of immense talent. The characters are realistic, the plot suspenseful and fascinating, and the effect that this novel had on me was a powerful one. It truly touched my heart, and I was sad that it had to end. Do not think twice about reading this novel!
Rating: 
Summary: Frannie was never honest with her son. He deserved better .
Review: When Frannie left her husband, she should have had counseling for herself and her son. As a nurse she had to be aware that one third of the women that go thru the emergency wards are the victims of domestic violence. She should not have kept so many secrets from her son.
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