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Jun 04, 2009

Bonnie rated it:

The Art of Mending is the second-to-last of the fourteen books I read by Elizabeth Berg. The title is apt; it’s a book about healing. The theme seems to be addressed in so many stories these days, that I can find it tiresome, even as I can empathize with its victims. The story here, though, was well-crafted, and this was a more satisfying read than her next novel, The Year of Pleasures. While reading the latter, I frankly had the feeling that Berg had grown weary of writing, and needed a break. More...

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Jul 24, 2009

bookczuk rated it:

Early on, the characters in this novel captivated me. Laura is a wife, mother, daughter, and a quilter. As she pieces bits of fabrics together to make a quilt, she takes the bits and pieces of her life and her family's personalities to help create a new whole. The book is interspersed (I'm pretty sure I spelled that wrong- live with it) with descriptions of a family photograph album- snapshots in time, that together with what Laura discovers, create a new whole for her family.

The More...

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Nov 12, 2007

Kate rated it:

In The Art of Mending, Laura Bartone is heading to her annual family reunion and looking forward to the fair and a fun and relaxed time with her children, parents, siblings, and husband. Upon her arrival, however, her black sheep sister Caroline makes some shocking allegations about their mother, and Laura must figure out how to deal with and come to terms with her sister's allegations. The matter is further complicated by a death in the family.

Berg is an amazing writer. She keeps yo More...

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Jul 23, 2008

Marie rated it:

As all Elizabeth Berg books - I really enjoyed it! I am staying at my sister's as I read this book. That may have colored it a bit...but the story is about a family with 3 adult children going home. There is a part in the story where the main character is asked by her sister to do something. The main character is hesitant - her husband asks her if she would do the same thing for her best friend. The main character said without a doubt - Her husband asks her why is it easier to do something More...

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Nov 21, 2011

Mmtimes4 rated it:

It begins with the sudden revelation of astonishing secrets—secrets that have shaped the personalities and fates of three siblings, and now threaten to tear them apart. In renowned author Elizabeth Berg’s moving new novel, unearthed truths force one seemingly ordinary family to reexamine their disparate lives and to ask themselves: Is it too late to mend the hurts of the p...moreIt begins with the sudden revelation of astonishing secrets—secrets that have shaped the personalities and fates of th More...

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Oct 01, 2011

Lena rated it:

I wanted an easy read, and this was recommended to me by a friend, with the caveat that it was an old-lady novel from Target. I should have taken that more seriously, along with "old-lady novel for women who don't like to think/know how." (No offense, Allison). I believe I got to page 30 before wanting to vomit on myself & the book and then eating my vomit to only re-vomit again. Yep. That good.

My problem with this book, and others in its genre is this: it's recycled, care More...

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Sep 11, 2011

Logophile rated it:

At a family reunion, quilt-maker Laura Bartone discovers a horrible family secret from her odd and difficult younger sister Caroline. Although this novel had moments of emotional resonance, there were far too many moments that felt like simply padding, arbitrary and irrelevant to the story. For instance, the details about a dog quilt that Laura is making for a client who is not even named or seen in the novel seemed entirely superfluous, as did the discussion about the hypochondria of a friend's More...

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Jul 25, 2011

Lisa rated it:

Elizabeth Berg is a wonderful writer. She is able to tell the story in a way that holds your attention but doesn't over load it. She has a gift for bringing to light a rather heavy subject of emotional abuse in a way that is very real yet not so painful that you don't want to read it. She digs into our inner thoughts and provides many different angles to the subject allowing the reader to travel those paths and choose their own way of dealing with it. The main character in this book is not t More...

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Jul 05, 2011

Stephanie rated it:

This book is about abuse. To be more specific, it's about physical and emotional abuse handed down from parent to child. When I picked up the book at the library, I thought to myself "Oh, I have been wanting to read Elizabeth Berg for some time - this looks promising!" - See, I usually look forward to inspirational books that have a good message for mental well-being...I thought this was one of THOSE books. Not really...in fact, I whipped right through it - as far as books go it wa More...

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Jul 26, 2010

Carolyn rated it:

Like a quilt, this story has many pieces which have to be fitted together to make a pleasing whole.

I've read most of Elizabeth Berg's novels. A few didn't quite make a whole for me, this one did. Laura, a maker of 'commissioned' quilts, has to deal with some allegations about their mother by her sister, Caroline. These allegations make Laura look back (somewhat unwillingly) at her childhood with a new perspective.

Just as she would look at fabric with an eye toward wheth More...

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May 17, 2010

Kelly rated it:

This is the first Elizabeth Berg book I have read. It was a fairly easy, quick read for me. Since I work with children who have been abused, I tend to shy away from books about abuse. However, this was a bit different because the abuse is not in present day and the characters are adults. While I could understand the characters actions, I didn't like all of the characters some of the time. I thought of my own family and history a lot too. Not that I was abused like the woman in the story bu More...

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Nov 24, 2009

Sarah Joyce rated it:

The Art of Mending brings the reader along as family secrets are exposed and shows what the effects are on each of the characters. Berg did a great job of capturing the family dynamic and the reaction of those that hadn't yet put the pieces together. It is a painful story of how abuse, if not revealed and given the chance to heal, can destroy a person's life. The reader follows along as each memory is rediscovered and feels the confusion and disbelief that occurs when the siblings are told about More...

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Aug 27, 2009

Julie rated it:

this book was fascinating to read. it is a book about family relationships. the character in this book is a quiltmaker and she talks about the art of mending as it pertains to clothing (and relationships) and how it really is an art, how it takes time and effort to mend something and the garment is that much more valuable to you afterward because of the time and effort you have put into mending it when it tears or is ripped (i wish i could find the exact quote). while none of the characters in t More...

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Aug 11, 2009

Rcbuenaventura rated it:

his book was a bertday gift from franz.. hehehe.. so i need to read it. lol. peace

Now in her fifties, quilter Laura Bartone looks forward to the annual extended family gathering in Minnesota. Her husband Pete and their two children will accompany her as she gets together with her parents and her two siblings and their families. However, before they leave, her younger sister Caroline calls Laura to ask for some private time with her and their brother Steve.

When the s More...

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Dec 07, 2009

Becky rated it:

This is my favorite character of Berg's so far. All of her characters have a kind of blunt, raw honesty about them - unlike other written characters they have flaws that people would be embarrassed to admit to, they are weak and judgmental, and prejudiced, and while it makes you wince sometimes or maybe not love the character Berg creates, you have to admire the creation. This character felt more like me, so I enjoyed the story more.

Laura's sister Caroline is a overly-dramatic, sad, More...

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Jul 21, 2010

Carrie rated it:

This book was lent to me with a stack of books, so I didn’t “pick it,” but I’m glad I had the chance to read it. I am interested in other books by this author now.

Laura Bartone, a quilt artist, and her husband Pete reconnect each evening by sharing an experience from the day and a memory from the past. (I love that) The story does the same kind of thing, mixing memories from Laura's present-day life and those of her childhood.

Laura is excited about the annual family re More...

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Jan 13, 2012

Carol rated it:

I have not read a book by Berg before and it sounds like she has written some good books. My overall analysis of this book plays on the bizarre behavior of the Mother. I do not have a personal relationship to the loss of a child but I am the child of someone who gave up two children. In no way did my Mother (who bore those scars forever) end up treating subsequent children with such malice. I understand that Berg is playing out a role in this story, but I don't need to mesmerize myself in su More...

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Apr 04, 2009

Louise rated it:

This is Elizabeth Berg's newest book at the time I read it, which was in 2004. Again, she has done a wonderful job at story writing. She is definitely one of my favourite authors.

From the dust jacket:

"It begins with the sudden revelation of astonishing secrets-secrets that have shaped the personalities and fates of three siblings, and now threaten to tear them apart. In renowned author Elizabeth Berg's moving new novel, unearthed truths force one seemingly ordinary f More...

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May 08, 2010

Beth rated it:

Having read a stack of Berg novels in quick succession, I'm starting to realize that I particularly like the ones who have narrators/protagonists that I identify with. Although I don't sew, and am not crafty at all, I really enjoyed the descriptions of quilting -- which is the profession/art/hobby of the main character. The title of this novel is so well-chosen, and really does describe what happens, plot-wise, in the book.

Berg does a great job of making unlikeable characters sympa More...

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Aug 11, 2011

Tori rated it:

Well, what a pleasant surprise to find this audio book in the library just prior to my long drive to Vancouver! I had read another of Berg's books and this one was six hours long, just perfect for a road trip. It is the story of two sisters and a brother who learn a lot more about their parents and their growing up years during a yearly get-together. I enjoyed the fact that the narrator, Laura, was a quilt artist - how fun! I think Berg does a good job with believable characters. Ever More...

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Jan 15, 2011

Jen rated it:

Audio book read by Joyce Bean.

I loved this story. After hearing it, it felt like something that I had actually experienced, not just something that I sat and passively listened to. I felt like I had to go and tell someone what I'd heard and what I knew and what I thought about this family.

Comparing Berg to Berg: Home Safe is the only other Berg I've read and I didn't care for it. I wasn't planning on reading any more of her work until I read an interview in which August More...

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Aug 14, 2009

Carron rated it:

This was a Sandy Library Book Club book. This quote from the book really resonates with my life and marriage: pg. 15, "But I waited a long time to get married. I was forty when I finally fell in love with a man who was a widower. He'd been married exactly one week when his wife died.. Car accident--she'd gone out for butterscotch topping for the sundaes they were going to have after they finished wallpapering their bathroom. He didn't date for five years after her death, and he didn't More...

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Sep 29, 2010

Rebecca rated it:

4.0 stars. Laura is anticipating the annual family reunion in Minnesota but things go quickly awry. Her troubled younger sister, Caroline, has finally reached a breaking point and insists on having a sibling meeting so that she can come to grips with her unhappy childhood. Caroline and the father and mother have damaging secrets. The timing is most unfortunate because their father suddenly dies. What a familial mess. Author Berg has a good ear and eye for real-life conversations, inflection More...

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Apr 13, 2009

Leea rated it:

Elizabeth Burg's "The Art of Mending" is a book that explores childhood memories, love, and secrets never been told. The book starts out with the memory of three siblings: Laura, Steve, and Caroline. Laura a now middle-aged, quilt maker returns to her parents for a little family reunion. Caroline tells Laura she needs to confront her and Steve about some things that happened in the past that just keep bothering her. There is a deep family secret that is slowly destroying the family. La More...

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Jan 29, 2012

Dhe rated it:

l'interesse per il libro e la storia raccontata è cresciuto piano piano. preso in biblioteca perchè attirata dal titolo mi sono messa a leggerlo senza avere aspettative, senza aver letto cosa riportava la copertina, come spesso faccio per non togliermi il gusto della scoperta. è stata un buona lettura, forse più coinvolgente di quanto mi sarei aspettata.

elisabeth berg è un autrice piuttosto conosciuta, autrice di numerosi bestseller, vincitrice di premi di rilievo, nonostante non l'avessi mai se More...

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Sep 21, 2010

Cheryl rated it:

My freshman-year roommate once accused me of always interrupting people to tell stories about myself. My defense then and now is that this is how people relate--through stories. But after reading The Art of Mending, which constantly interrupts its own narrative to tell representative anecdotes about friends of friends, I can see how this could be an annoying habit. The Art of Mending is a novel about memory--specifically, how one child can grow up in an abusive household while her siblings have More...

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Apr 26, 2010

Debbie rated it:

A quote at the front of this book by Carol Shields caught my eye and I think best describes what this book is about. "Anyone's childhood can be an act of disablement if rehearsed and replayed and squinted at in a certain light."

This book is about a family of 3 adult children gathering at their parents' home for their annual summer visit together. One of the sisters is still trying to come to terms with her difficult childhood and painful relationship with her mother while More...

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May 26, 2010

Tracy rated it:

I haven't been a fan of Elizabeth Berg...I am not sure why. The last two books I have read by her have spoken to me in some way. This book was about family and the bond you share with them, for better or worse. You have heard the saying you can choose your friends but you can't choose your family. This book tackles that issue. What happens as children can be remembered in different ways...so what happens when your sister claims something happened to her and you can't remember any of it? La More...

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Jun 23, 2010

Knucklefish rated it:

A Mother's Day gift for my mom, and the gift keeps on giving. This is one of the sadder Berg books I've read, or at least more unpleasant. Yet even when she is telling a rather disturbing story, it is still oddly joyful to read. The book's dedication says this: "For those who find forgiveness by way of the truth and for those who find the truth by way of forgiveness." I think I must be the first sort of person because the truths stated so bravely and plainly in Berg's writing allow me More...

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Sep 17, 2010

Linda rated it:

When beginning a task, I finish the segment that I like least first. Then it's done and I can move on to the stuff I really like. There isn't a chance to move on to the stuff I really like in this book. I felt nervous reading it "I hope this doesn't happen," and then it did, just as expected. There isn't anyone to empathize with here; the main character isn't dimensional, she reads as flat as her quilts. Perhaps she has emotional troubles as well as the characters with featured problem More...

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