Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Possibility of You

by Pamela Redmond Satran (Goodreads Author)

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 351 ratings · 96 reviews

New York Times bestselling author Pamela Redmond delivers a beautifully written novel about three generations of women in New York City and the experiences that shape and connect them to each other.The Possibility of You weaves together three interlocking stories involving three women dealing with issues of pregnancy and motherhood at key moments in history of the last cen...more

Paperback, 384 pages

Published February 21st 2012 by Gallery Books

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Four Sisters, All Queens by Sherry Jones

Women's Fiction 2012

29th out of 50 books — 116 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,480)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Oct 17, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Possibility of You by Pamela Redmond

Pamela Redmond delivers a well written novel depicting three generations of women and the stories that shape and connect them to each other.

Bridget in 1916 becomes pregnant and her husband ships off to war. Their son becomes desperately ill and she is forced to make a deal with Maude in exchange for her help obtaining medical care for her little one. Fast forward to 1976 and Billie’s father has just passed away when she finds old letters from his family....more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 03, 2012 Bookbabe rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was an easy and enjoyable read that coupled a meaningful story line with nicely developed characters. I typically enjoy books that follow characters in different timelines, but sometimes they can become too cluttered with unnecessary details or the repetition of too many family names. This book avoided all those issues and kept the action of the three main characters separate but integrated. It doesn’t matter that you can guess fairly quickly how the story will play out; that makes it easie...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 03, 2012 Dr. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Interesting book. It is a must read for mothers and daughters. It delves into the psychology of pregnancy and everything after that. It is three distinct tales about three different women, but they are woven so well to create one story. Yes, it is chick lit with a little bit of a historical novel thrown in. I enjoyed all the emotion and feeling in the book and the display of how choices made by someone far in the past do effect us today. I would recommend this book to reading groups because it h...more

3 likes · like · see review

May 08, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book alternates between three characters in different time periods - a young Irish immigrant maid in New York 1916 or so, a 19 year old woman in 1976, and a 35 year old journalist in the present. A bit of a departure from Pamela Redmond Satran's former books (perhaps why she dropped the Satran for this one?) Her other books are basically chick lit about grown up women with children, while this one was also historical fiction and a little deeper. Both the parallels between the three characte...more

1 like · like · see review

May 09, 2012 Christie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club-reads

Pamela Redmond admits in the introduction to her novel The Possibility of You that she “had bookclubs in mind” when she wrote the book. And that’s exactly how this novel reads – like a book written to get women talking.

The novel tells the story of three women: Bridget, Billie and Cait and spans several decades. Cait’s present-day story begins when she falls into bed with another journalist while they are on assignment to cover the story of a missing boy. Later, Cait discovers that she is pregnan...more Pamela Redmond admits in the introduction to her novel The Possibility of You that she “had bookclubs in mind” when she wrote the book. And that’s exactly how this novel reads – like a book written to get women talking.

The novel tells the story of three women: Bridget, Billie and Cait and spans several decades. Cait’s present-day story begins when she falls into bed with another journalist while they are on assignment to cover the story of a missing boy. Later, Cait discovers that she is pregnant and she decides she needs to locate her birth mother.

Bille’s story takes place in the 1970s. Orphaned after the death of her drug-addicted father, she heads to New York City with her best friend, Jupe. There she meets, for the first time, her eccentric and wealthy grandmother, Maude.

Going back even further is the story of Bridget, an Irish immigrant who works in Maude’s house caring for Maude’s young son, Floyd.

That these three women’s stories should be intertwined will come as no surprise to the reader. There isn’t actually anything surprising about that – or even all that original about their stories at all, actually. And I understand that that makes me sound sort of heartless. I think Redmond’s intent was that women of all stripes should find at least one of these women, and their stories of birth and death, to be compelling and relateable. The idea that women make sacrifices and mistakes isn’t riveting in and of itself, unless the characters are somehow sympathetic.

Maude was the most modern of the characters, a famous singer in her day, she married an much older man, had affairs which she openly bragged about and sent her maid, Bridget, to get birth control so she could sleep with her boyfriend without the complications of getting pregnant or having to get married. While she seems thoroughly forward thinking in 1915, at the end of the day, she is reprehensible and selfish.

The Possibility of You seemed like it should have added up to a lot more than the sum of its parts, but for me it just seemed like a cobbled-together story with all the talking points necessary for a good book club evening over a glass of wine.

My book club discussed the book last night and none of us were all that enamoured with it. In fact once we dispensed with the book’s central idea – how do women cope with giving up a child – we veered into a much more lively discussion of local politics. Despite the book’s positive reviews, we just weren’t moved by the novel or its characters.
(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 24, 2012 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was an intriguing book! I very much enjoyed the three storylines, beginning completely differently and with different characters. Each woman is very well developed and distinct. Each story is completely unlike the other in the beginning then share some important commonalities, and finally they weave together for the reader. There is a big reveal as they join together but it's not as big as it is made out to be. Clearly, one of the protagonists did not know the secret but the reader could ba...more This was an intriguing book! I very much enjoyed the three storylines, beginning completely differently and with different characters. Each woman is very well developed and distinct. Each story is completely unlike the other in the beginning then share some important commonalities, and finally they weave together for the reader. There is a big reveal as they join together but it's not as big as it is made out to be. Clearly, one of the protagonists did not know the secret but the reader could basically guess it fairly early on.

Today we have Cait, a single, mid-thirty year old woman establishing her career and doing quite well. She is an only child of aging parents and she's adopted. She's also pregnant. Oops. This begins her search for her birth mother as she struggles with the doubts of her own capability to love a child of her loins. Why was she placed? Didn't her birth mother love her? Cait's voice is one I found easy to follow. She's today's woman, grappling with the ghosts of her past and the societal pressures based on the women's movement in the past century. Both the positive and negative impacts are explored.

In 1916, we had Bridget. Fresh from Ireland and working as a nanny for Maude, a rich New York woman who enjoyed her social life but not her husband or young son. This story was mesmerizing because of the historical nature of the women's movement in its infancy, and attitudes towards ethnic groups and nationalities and the divide between rich and poor. This story evolves very quickly as life was unpredictable, as best.

Then we have Billie in 1976. She begins in San Francisco where she is cleaning out her father's home since he recently died, leaving her an orphan, although she's 19 years old. She discovers she is not alone as she believed and drives cross - country with her good friend, Jupe, to meet her paternal grandmother. Again, fascinating description of the time period. A different ethnic group and still a divide between the rich and poor, and the vocabulary is also different than what we use today.

Eventually, the stories tie together beautifully and it's a nice, interesting yet easy read.

Sex: Heavy
Dialogue: Laden with sex talk and occasional swearing, offensive descriptors but appropriate for time period (Negro, queer)
Violence: None(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 08, 2012 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This is one of those books that will catch your interest from the first page and keep you turning page after page long after you should have turned out the light. Pamela Redmond's "The Possibility of You" tells the story of three women, starting with Cait in the present; Billie in 1976 and Bridget in 1916. Three strong women who made choices that impacted not only their own lives, but the future of their families. Bridget is a young Irish immigrant who works as nanny to the only child of a wealt...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 05, 2012 Kerry Dingwall rated it 4 of 5 stars

Beautifully told story that keeps the reader wanting to read more and more. The secrets and choices of the women involved and how it affects the lives of so many is very intriging and is at times gripping and definitely a recommended read.

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 20, 2012 Literary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mandy's Review:

The possibility, or idea, of someone is often more grand in our mind than it is in reality. Then, when reality does strike us in the face, we sometimes make rash decisions that will affect us in the long-run.

Bridget's idea of someone pertained to her employer. She imagined her employer to have a motherly heart and actually care about other people outside of herself. Bridget learned the hard way that this isn't so. The lesson she learned came too late and caused her the one person...more

like · see review

Jan 29, 2012 Danielle Rossman rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Possibility of You written by well known author Pamela Redmond accomplishes many things for readers...it traverses three generations of women, tells a thoughtful and at times searingly emotional tale, but most of all it makes us think deeply about the choices we make in our lives and the possibilities these choices engender upon our heirs. It seems rather simple, in 1916 Bridget, an Irish immigrant is forced to live with her choices after her husband goes missing during the war...in 1976 Bil...more The Possibility of You written by well known author Pamela Redmond accomplishes many things for readers...it traverses three generations of women, tells a thoughtful and at times searingly emotional tale, but most of all it makes us think deeply about the choices we make in our lives and the possibilities these choices engender upon our heirs. It seems rather simple, in 1916 Bridget, an Irish immigrant is forced to live with her choices after her husband goes missing during the war...in 1976 Billie must make a choice that is now thoroughly legal, but so difficult for a very young woman to make, or not make...and in the present, Cait is overwhelmed with choices as she must decide if she wants to leave her life as a vagabond journalist in search of her own birth mother and become a mother herself. On the surface, this book seems about choices women are often faced with, motherhood, pregnancy and sometimes to not continue a pregnancy. But this story goes deeper as Redmond shows us how the decisions we make in our lives resound upon the generations that follow ours. Obviously there are no simple choices, but rather to be a mother or not changes the dynamic of families for years to come. I think Redmond is special because she tells this tale that can easily become so complicated and cluttered with too many characters and too many subplots that destroy the main idea of the novel. I must admit the story becomes predictable rather quickly because of this simplicity, but I also feel that the familial relationships are not meant to be shrouded by secrecy or verbosity. This is an integrated story where the relationships better develop because the family ties grow deeper and more obvious to the reader...albeit Maude, Bridget's long time employer throws a few mysterious twists that makes for a bit of guess work! (I will not spoil the secret!) I am most intrigued by Billy and Cait because they live in eras where women have choices, but their ultimate choices do not call for extreme measures, but rather they make good and honest decisions that preserve the sanctity of family and keep the history going. Hence, it may not be too far off the mark to call this a Historic novel because it traces familial relations over many years of cultural and societal upheaval. I would not call it a heavy historical analysis though, but I do call it a good read!...On an additional note, the advanced copy I received had a cover that did not make sense...just an angel cherub that lends no clue to the wonderful story inside. I hope that when the final cover comes out it offers the reader a better glimpse at the emotional story within!(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 24, 2012 Cindi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Interweaving the stories of three women dealing with unplanned pregnancies in three different eras, The Possibility of You by Pamela Redmond is not just a story but a history of female reproductive rights. As the mother of five children and a strong believer in life, I read this novel with my heart in my throat. It's difficult to read the sometimes callous thoughts about the unborn. However, Redmond treats the emotions and decisions of these women with dignity and respect.

Combining the stories o...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 07, 2012 Marilyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are a lot of themes touched upon in Pamela Redmond's tragically beautiful book "The Possibility of You". Among these are pregnancy, abortion, adoption, immigration, drug use, homosexuality, class and racism and how wealth and poverty play vastly different roles in these circumstances. But the thread that links this historical account of the lives of three very different, but eternally connected women, is the struggle of women for rights to their lives, their bodies, their relationships, th...more There are a lot of themes touched upon in Pamela Redmond's tragically beautiful book "The Possibility of You". Among these are pregnancy, abortion, adoption, immigration, drug use, homosexuality, class and racism and how wealth and poverty play vastly different roles in these circumstances. But the thread that links this historical account of the lives of three very different, but eternally connected women, is the struggle of women for rights to their lives, their bodies, their relationships, their destinies and their sexuality. The tale - occurring in three separate, but equally confusing times in the 20th century – makes an ambitious attempt to incorporate countless social ills of our times. And while it may fail to a degree to be all things to all the issues it tackles, it does succeed in demonstrating the extreme difficulties women endured (and continue to endure) in our society.

Redmond’s true gift is creating characters with such deep flaws and such rich passions that you can’t help but be drawn to them and identify with them. She drew initial inspiration from people in her own life (her daughter, who moved to Paris at 19, her grandmother, who came to America as a poor Irish immigrant in 1916, and Redmond herself, who came of age in 1976) and invented a whole new world rife with anger, lies, disappointments, drug abuse, manipulation, servitude and strength. It also helped that she spent years researching, so that the rich details of the past would not only be accurate, but vividly believable.

It was like magic watching her weave these lives (between 1916, 1976 and the Present) – against New York City as a backdrop - into a whole. As the reader I felt like I was eavesdropping all the way and I was always a step ahead of the characters as they staggered and stumbled to find themselves and, in some ways, each other.

Who am I as a whole being, if not for the choices you made (or could not make)? That’s the question I kept thinking about as I read. What is right, what is wrong and at the end, who are you to make that determination? It is a book that tries to answer as many questions as it leaves you with. But it does open your eyes to many things you perhaps were not aware of in the history of modern woman.

In the end I learned that women have come a long way, but that our fights are many and far from over, but our strengths will carry us through, as they always have.

(less)

like · see review

Feb 16, 2012 Maudeen Wachsmith rated it 5 of 5 stars

All I can saw is WOW! Never having read anything by this author before, I was a bit hesitant in taking it as my only book to work one day. I was hooked from page one!

Told in the views of three different women in three different eras (Irish nanny, Bridget in 1916, college student Billie in 1976, and journalist Cait in present day) -- it is soon apparent that they all have something in common. While some authors might not reveal the common thread until toward the end of a book, what binds these c...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 29, 2012 Jaylia3 rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Possibility of You shines as an interwoven, multi-generational story of three realistic and appealing women contending and then living with choices about motherhood. Bridget is a recently immigrated Irish nanny to a wealthy New York City family in 1916, a transitional time when people were trying psychoanalysis and women were lobbying for birth control and the right to vote. Billie is an orphaned teenager in a hippie/counter-culture influenced 1976, on her way to meet the grandmother she nev...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 20, 2012 Sabrina Laitinen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Three women's lives during seperate generations are explored and will arrive at a cumulative ending. The lives of these women delve into issues they face during times of trials and turbulence. As the stories of each character begin to unfold, the reader is taken through the situations that will ultimately bind them together.

I did find it difficult in the beginning to keep the character and time periods separated, but after a few chapters the characters begin to fall into place and it is hard to...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Denise rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.0 out of 5 stars - The unexpected pregnancy...

This is a story of three unique women in different time periods who are dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. How each handles her situation is based on thoughts and feelings she has had about her own birth and family life. Bridget, Billie, Cait -- 1916, 1976, present day -- the choices made echoed through lifetimes in sometimes heartbreaking ways. The political and moral climate of each time period, and how women faced difficult decisions with reg...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 12, 2012 Janell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-books-read

The Possibility of You is ideal for a book club read, and not just because there's a reading group guide in the back of the book. 'Possibility' will inevitably incite lively debate about the various facets of motherhood, and the different kinds of bonds between women. The challenging choices faced by the characters are very real no matter which generation one is reading about, although being transported back and forth between 1916 and 1976 sometimes required a little extra concentration.
The au...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 09, 2012 Northwestreader rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this book to be immediately engaging-- a talent that Ms. Redmond likely refined during her career as a magazine contributor. She immediately immerses us in a drama and then begins to flesh out the characters -- three separate women in three different eras, yet united by their similar circumstances. She is always moving the story forward and imparts the details without impeding the forward movement of the storyline. In brief, we follow three women with three inopportune pregnancies. Altho...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 01, 2012 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Three different main characters, three different time lines.Cait is a journalist in the present, Billie is a struggling college student in 1979 and finally there is Bridget who is an Irish nanny in 1916. I usually do not like books using this format. But, Pamela Redmond did a wonderful job of telling each story and also to intertwine them. Both complex and well balanced, this will keep you reading until the conclusion. Each woman faces a difficult choice dealing with pregnancy and child birth. T...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 12, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A wonderful novel weaving together the stories of 3 women –
Bridget, an Irish nanny in 1916, Billie, a young woman in 1976 living with her grandmother Maude in New York City, and Cait, in the present, pregnant and searching for the mother who gave her up for adoption. Each chapter focuses on one of the women as we learn more about her difficulties and the challenges she faces. The themes of pregnancy, illness, adoption, and family secrets and choices tie the stories together. We can guess that t...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 17, 2012 Virginia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I had very high hopes for this book based upon several reviews I had read, but I found it very predictable in every respect. the story is told in three different time periods, the time before and during WW I, the mid-1970's and the present, by three women whose lives are interconnected through time. It didn't take long for me to figure out the connections and the secret that bound them together.

This was an easy read, good for the beach or a long lazy summer afternoon, but it is not high literatu...more

like · see review

Sep 09, 2012 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

I adore this book. It is one I will be able to read over and over again every couple years, because I will always learn something new or come up with a new idea pertaining to it. Also, I think my reaction to the characters will change with each reading.

I thought it might be difficult to keep the characters straight (the book centers around three women: Bridget, Billie, and Cait and three different eras: 1916, 1976, and present day, respectively), but it was not. Ms. Redmond managed to make each...more

like · see review

Oct 30, 2012 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

I would rate this read 3 1/2stars. It is told in the voice of the three main characters. Bridget- 1916, Billie - 1976, and Cait, present day.

Bridget is in service to Maude, a wealthy woman who lives on Park Ave. She falls in love with George and marries him - and looses him to WWI. Maude's baby dies in Bridget's care of Polio.

Billie is an orphan at 19. Her father dies and she discovers amoung his things that he has family in NYC - Maude and Bridget.

Cait knows she is adopted, now that she is preg...more

like · see review

Jul 28, 2012 Rhonda Rae Baker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adoption, educational, family, healing, historical, legacy, loss, motivational, mystery, neglect, own, psychological, second-chance

This novel read like a memoir for the story fits along the lines of how choices in life affect future generations.

I was held from page one and gripped in my soul for what happened to these women.

Beautifully written in prose that felt true to life. I've marked several pages in each section to revisit and have found direction for what I'm currently writing.

I can't recommend this enough...Redmond is talented and I'll be reading, not only this novel, but other writing of hers.

The emotions stirred in...more

like · see review

May 12, 2012 Sallie rated it 3 of 5 stars

In THE POSSIBILITY OF YOU, author Pamela Redmond weaves three stories into one in a really expert way. I felt some of the story was predictable, however, was pretty surprised as the story unfolded and the 3 main characters lives were woven so neatly together. Three women, three different eras, three unexpected pregnancies, three separate solutions. This is a quick easy read that provokes questions and clearly showed how those hard personal decisions affected not only the woman making the decisio...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 04, 2012 Tanya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2012

I won a copy of this book through Goodreads, and was very excited to read it. I was not disappointed-this was a well written,thought provoking,multigenerational story of 3 women whose lives are interwoven through their pregnancies. I enjoyed each story and only feel that many of the stories could have been enhanced had the characters been even more developed and given more details. I wished I knew more about what happened to George, Johnny's downfall, and even to Maude and Bridget after Bridget'...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 27, 2011 Jane Md rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this book very much! I started reading my ARC as soon as it arrived and finished it 3 days later. I liked the connectivity of the stories of the three women. A few twists I saw coming, but there were more surprises. I like that in a book.

It's interesting how the different generations handled similar issues. One woman shocked me, but when I thought about her age and how she would have been raised, it was easier to understand.

Read this book!

1 like · like · see review

Sep 13, 2012 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't know if I can put into words how much I loved this book. I felt like I grew to know every one of the characters, and I found myself thinking about the book even when I wasn't reading it. I could not wait to find out what happened next in each of the character's lives. I found I liked each person in the book for something, even if the person was completely horrible. I definitely recommend this book.

like · see review

Jul 17, 2012 Maureen rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book had a lot of potential, but it just did not deliver. This book is about three generations of women, all three with unplanned pregnancies. Although it is not obvious in the beginning, all three are somehow connected. From the 1900's Margaret Sanger to today, the women learned how to take care of themselves. Some of the women did a better job than others. I would rate this as just so-so.

like · see review

Jun 24, 2012 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars

A great read. I didn't want it to end. Dont know how to describe it other than to say it spans a generation of women and how they are all interconnected. The challenges they each face ( generational) will still apply to present day issues as you wonder what times were like back in early 1900s vs now, and you see the problems are grappled with in different ways... A tear jerker. Amazing book

1 like · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 49 50 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Historical Fiction

12 users

Book Club

3 users

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

3 users

Family

2 users

Adult

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Pamela Redmond Satran

Pamela Redmond Satran is the author of 20 books, both fiction and non-fiction. Her most recent novel, The Possibility of You, is written as Pamela Redmond and published by Simon & Schuster's Gallery Books. A New York Times bestselling humor writer, she has a new humor book, Rabid: Are You Crazy About Your Dog or Just Crazy?, due out from Bloomsbury in September 2012. She is the creator with Li...more

More about Pamela Redmond Satran...

Books by Pamela Redmond Satran

30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She's 30

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Possibility o...

16 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

title link	preview: The Possibility of You
avg rating	preview: The Possibility of You Goodreads rating: 3.69 (351 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12784891-the-possibility-of-you?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348531710l/12784891.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12784891-the-possibility-of-you?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Possibility of You by Pamela Redmond Satran[/url]

The Possibility of You

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website