book data
1113 ratings, 3.51 average rating, 121 reviews
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published
February 28th 2006
by Fawcett
binding
Mass Market Paperback, 256 pages
isbn
034548648X
(isbn13: 9780345486486)
description
It begins with the sudden revelation of astonishing secrets—secrets that have shaped the personalities and fates of three siblings, and now thre...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1381)
Read in July, 2008
recommended to Marie by:
Pat Bezansonrecommends it for: anyone who likes Anita Shreve or Jodi Picoult
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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There is a special kind of person out there, well suited to be a counselor or therapist, who can, and with great fascination, co-opt other people's pain. Reading this novel, it became clear to me that Elizabeth Berg is one of these people. In both this and "We are all welcome here," she readily admits that she is basing the events and circumstances on the extraordinary suffering of other people. She is a writer who has fallen into an unusual sort of pattern. She absorbs the stories of...more
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4 comments
Augusten Burroughs in multiple interviews has talked about his 'Elizabeth Berg problem' (his latest in NY Mag went so far as to say that if Elizabeth Berg had a dick, she'd be a modern John Updike). So I plucked one up (judged by cover and price, rather than any other criteria, I admit) and tried to enjoy it as my light read. However, it's so light it's not even worth it. I don't know why I expected it to be more than a Lifetime movie in book form, but alas, that's all you get, at least with thi...more
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Read in January, 2008
I found this book to be 'comfortable.' Berg has a lovely writing styly - you fall into the pages like you fall into a big, soft, warm easy chair. It is easy to turn the pages, because the words draw you in. Her writing is simple, clean, yet have the power to evoke a range of emotions and memories. For that reason I enjoyed the book. The story itself was underwhelming. Aside from one twist (and, in my opinion, not a critical one), I predicted each twist and turn in Laura and her family's jo...more
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2 comments
Read in February, 2007
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 you intere...more
Berg is an amazing writer. She keeps you intere...more
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Read in September, 2008
This book was very good. The main character Laura Bartone sets out for her annual family reunion and over the course of the next few weeks learns new things about herself and her family that she has to incorporate into her view of both them and herself. The primary theme of the book is the topic of abuse and how people deal with it and move past it.
The author fully acknowledges that no one is perfect and no one has a perfect family or a perfect childhood or a perfect life. We all make mis...more
The author fully acknowledges that no one is perfect and no one has a perfect family or a perfect childhood or a perfect life. We all make mis...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommended to Emily by:
FC Bookclub
So many people I know love Elizabeth Berg. I have read and really enjoyed Handmaid and the Carpenter, so I was excited to read another novel of hers. But this book was...boring. I appreciated her writing style. My mom describes it well, "It's like reading a conversation." That's how I think I like to write too. But the story of the Art of Mending wasn't very captivating. I didn't like any of the characters' personalities, although I thought they were vivid. Laura, the main character se...more
Read in April, 2004
I have only read a few of this author's previous works, and was not a loyal fan. This book made me one! I read it in one day and wanted to start all over again once I finished. The family drama is a bit reminiscent of Jane Smiley's "A Thousand Acres", but definitely not a knock-off. It was a wonderful exploration of the mother daughter and sibling relationships within a family. Further, Ms. Berg's technique of using photographic imagery at the beginning of most chapters to "illumi...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
no one
The subject matter of the book was very alluring. Three siblings and a difference of opinion about the family atmosphere when they were growing up and "secrets". Being one of three sisters, I was intrigued. I was disappointed. It lacked substance and, many times, a point. Too many unrelated situations, loose ends & dead ends with no point. For example, the relationship between Laura and Gregory, the gay proprietor from Fabric World. She invited him to dinner and couldn't make ...more
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This one is very much a girly book - just what I was looking for. It falls just a touch flat to call it a solid read, but still was a worthwhile way to have spent my time. I liked the idea that no one was perfect but thought it odd to have characters that no one fully liked.
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I liked this book mostly because the main character was an art quilter. So what, you say?
I do like the way Elizabeth Berg writes. She uses beautiful words that cause you to think deeply. Yet, she can sometimes be disturbing and too real. This is one of her better books.
I do like the way Elizabeth Berg writes. She uses beautiful words that cause you to think deeply. Yet, she can sometimes be disturbing and too real. This is one of her better books.
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Read in October, 2008
Elizabeth Berg is always good for a quick, easy read with some thoughtful observations about ordinary life and relationships.
This is not one of her best, but I still enjoyed it. Her other books have more joy and caring in among the sorrow and emotional exploration. This one was a little more angry. The only truly beautiful, caring, forgiving character in the book is Laura's husband Pete.
The book does have value in that it shows how we can grow up in the same household with our siblings a...more
This is not one of her best, but I still enjoyed it. Her other books have more joy and caring in among the sorrow and emotional exploration. This one was a little more angry. The only truly beautiful, caring, forgiving character in the book is Laura's husband Pete.
The book does have value in that it shows how we can grow up in the same household with our siblings a...more
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Read in January, 2008
Listened on audiobook, and sometimes the reader impacts the way I feel about a book...it usually takes me a couple of chapters to get used to their voice. This one was no exception!
My problem with this book was that I didn't like the main character. I do think it's a pretty well-written story, although sometimes the "memories" and present-day get a little hard to follow (that could be just me getting distracted). Although the story kept me interested and the subject matter was i...more
My problem with this book was that I didn't like the main character. I do think it's a pretty well-written story, although sometimes the "memories" and present-day get a little hard to follow (that could be just me getting distracted). Although the story kept me interested and the subject matter was i...more
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Some themes that really get you thinking. Excellent writing and thoughtful characterization. If you have sibling issues, this will hit home!
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Read in November, 2008
recommends it for:
anyone
Made me consider the different perceptions we each have of the same times and how each person in a family has a unique place.
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Read in June, 2008
I started out this book on the recommendation of the librarian, and I liked it. As the book progressed, however, it felt as though the author was hurrying through the plot to get to the next big twist, and that eventually, she ran out of things to write about, so she just ended the book. Bad idea, as she could have put more effort into developing the relationship between the mother and daughters.
I have found with Berg that some of her novels are so intricate and detailed and wonderfully writt...more
I have found with Berg that some of her novels are so intricate and detailed and wonderfully writt...more
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Read in October, 2007
OK it may be women's lit, but I just love this author. Her books are like comfort food to me. I read this one while sick and depressed and confined to bed. I always want to live the lives of her characters. She writes about things like quilt-making and pie-baking and female friendships and complicated family relationships and intelligent women and hanging laundry on the line to dry and lilacs. The protagonists in this one visit the Minneapolis State Fair, at which they enjoy many fried foods, ...more
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Read in March, 2008
Too much like going to work for me!
Great book that really moved me. While it did not mirror my experiences by any means, it touched my heart in a place that has inspired me to take my own steps towards mending, forgivness and healing. I cried several times throught this book because of the resonant echo's of pain, loss, and confussion that can happen when you are a tertiary witness in an unstable family. i also smiled and laughed during this read because it constantly reminds you that there will always be a tomorrow, and all is n...more
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Read in January, 2008
The main character is a woman who quilts, (love that!) and she confronts some facts about her family, and the family dynamic she grew up in, that she has never acknowledged. This is set in motion by a meeting with her sister in which her sister basically asks, "Do you remember our childhood the way I do?" Really interesting book. Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite authors. Wonderful descriptive writer.
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quotes from this book
"You are born into your family and your family is born into you. No returns. No exchanges."
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