Realistic, well-plotted, eminently readable portrait of a family in crisis—and an improvement on Leavitt's usual formula.
Lively melodrama from the author of six family-centric novels (Into Thin Air, 1993, etc.) in the vein of Jacquelyn Mitchard or Jane Hamilton.
Middle-aged Manhattan book-designer Gary Breyer—orphaned as an infant and raised by a now-dead aunt—watched all his friends marry, breed, and move to the suburbs. He'd resigned himself to a solitary life until he meets Molly Goldman, a redheaded New Jersey schoolteacher (and fellow orphan). After a whirlwind romance, the two marry. But a few days after giving birth to their first child, Otis, Molly's uterus begins to fill with blood and she grows increasingly ill, falling into a coma. Gary takes a leave from work, hires a German nurse (a well-drawn character who provides much-needed comic relief), and begins sifting through medical Web sites in search of information about Molly's condition. As her illness continues seemingly without end, Gary's slimy boss fires him. Gary, in turn, fires the expensive nurse and begs Suzanne, Molly's estranged older sister (a beauty who ran off to California with her rock musician boyfriend when she was 17), to come back east and help take care of Otis. Destitute and friendless, Suzanne readily agrees. When she arrives, however, she behaves like a stubborn teenager: incessantly smoking around Otis, refusing to perform even the simplest household tasks, letting the baby cry endlessly. Then she and Gary spend the night together, caring for the colicky Otis, and Suzanne develops affection for both the son and his father (who has taken a job as a night watchman). Slowly, she evolves into the model aunt and sister-in-law—except that, unfortunately, she's developed a fierce crush on Gary.
Realistic, well-plotted, eminently readable portrait of a family in crisis—and an improvement on Leavitt's usual formula.Pub Date: April 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-312-26937-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2001
As she seeks to repair bridges, Cat awakens anger and treachery in the hearts of those she once betrayed. Making amends,...
Before sobriety, Catherine "Cat" Coombs had it all: fun friends, an exciting job, and a love affair with alcohol. Until she blacked out one more time and woke up in a stranger’s bed.
By that time, “having it all” had already devolved into hiding the extent of her drinking from everyone she cared about, including herself. Luckily for Cat, the stranger turned out to be Jason Halliwell, a rather delicious television director marking three years, eight months, and 69 days of sobriety. Inspired by Jason—or rather, inspired by the prospect of a romantic relationship with this handsome hunk—Cat joins him at AA meetings and embarks on her own journey toward clarity. But sobriety won’t work until Cat commits to it for herself. Their relationship is tumultuous, as Cat falls off the wagon time and again. Along the way, Cat discovers that the cold man she grew up endlessly failing to please was not her real father, and with his death, her mother’s secret escapes. So she heads for Nantucket, where she meets her drunken dad and two half sisters—one boisterously welcoming and the other sulkily suspicious—and where she commits an unforgivable blunder. Years later, despairing of her persistent relapses, Jason has left Cat, taking their daughter with him. Finally, painfully, Cat gets clean. Green (Saving Grace, 2014, etc.) handles grim issues with a sure hand, balancing light romance with tense family drama. She unflinchingly documents Cat’s humiliations under the influence and then traces her commitment to sobriety. Simultaneously masking the motivations of those surrounding our heroine, Green sets up a surprising karmic lesson.
As she seeks to repair bridges, Cat awakens anger and treachery in the hearts of those she once betrayed. Making amends, like addiction, may endanger her future.Pub Date: June 23, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-04734-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2015
In his quest for easy moolah, Owen learns that the road to financial solvency can be rocky and fraught with work. Greene (Owen Foote, Soccer Star, 1998, etc.) touches upon the often-thorny issue of chores and allowances: Owen’s mom wants him to help out because he’s part of the family and not just for the money—while Owen wants the money without having to do tedious household chores. This universal dilemma leaves Owen without funds and eagerly searching for ways to make a quick buck. His madcap schemes range from original—a “free” toilet demonstration that costs 50 cents—to disastrous, as during the trial run of his children’s fishing video, Owen ends up hooking his ear instead of a trout. Enlisting the aid of his stalwart, if long-suffering, friend Joseph, the two form a dog-walking club that becomes vastly restricted in clientele after Owen has a close encounter with an incontinent, octogenarian canine. Ultimately, Owen learns a valuable lesson about work and money when an unselfish action is generously rewarded. These sudden riches motivate Owen to consider wiser investments for his money than plastic vomit. Greene’s crisp writing style and wry humor is on-target for young readers. Brief chapters revolving around a significant event or action and fast pacing are an effective draw for tentative readers. Weston’s (Space Guys!, p. 392, etc.) black-and-white illustrations, ranging in size from quarter- to full-page, deftly portray Owen’s humorous escapades. A wise, witty addition to Greene’s successful series. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2000
ISBN: 0-618-02369-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000
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