Little Night

Jan 31, 2013 Paige rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, the first I've read by Luanne Rice. It grabbed my interest from the beginning and as the plot unraveled, it continued to be a page turner. The book looks at the relationships between mother/daughter (Anne, Grit), sisters (Anne, Clare), brother/sister (Gilly, Grit) and two people trying to fall in love again (Clare, Paul). And also husband/wife (Frederik - not a fan/Anne). While I wasn't necessarily a fan of all the birding terminology, I liked the comparison Rice drew...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Regina Spiker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: abuse, sisters, birding, new-york, new-york-city

In New York City lived two perfect and exceptionally close daughters, Anne and Clare Burke. From their father's affairs they learned to keep secrets and from their mother - acceptance and resignation. To escape their parent's constant fighting, they roamed Central Park and discovered raptors in the night. Now grown up and grown apart from the horrible event, almost 20 years ago, that placed Clare in lock up for two long years, Clare is trying to slowly move on with her life. When Anne's daughter...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Paula Phillips rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I first read the blurb of this book , it intrigued me as I love to read novels that are out of the ordinary, novels that target those edgy topics. Ones that it takes a certain type of person to pull off. I had always percieved Luanne Rice as writing family sagas and romances so when I read the back of this novel I was a little cautious as in what to expect. I have to say I was blown away and I loved this book as with every page turn the story got deeper and deeper and it drew the reader int...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Kathy rated it 1 of 5 stars

I have read most of the author's books. This one is the worst ever. The story concerns an estranged family. Once two sisters, Claire and Anne, were close. Now they haven't spoken for years, since Anne's husband accused Claire of trying to kill him, with Anne agreeing, and Caire went off to prison for a while. One day, years after her release, Anne's daughter, Grit, shows up at Claire's door and stays on with her. The story line is weak. The sequence of events, slowly put forth through the book i...more

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Jun 23, 2012 cupcake rated it 3 of 5 stars

Let's say your sister is married to a man who hurts her. Not only does he physically abuse her, he isolates her from her sister and parents. He is hateful. And let's say that one day you go visit your sister and her two children, and one of the children says that Daddy sometimes hurts Mommy. So you beg your sister to leave - you will protect her and the children. Just as you're leaving, here comes the husband. He clamps his hand around your sister's throat and throws her against a wall. What do...more Let's say your sister is married to a man who hurts her. Not only does he physically abuse her, he isolates her from her sister and parents. He is hateful. And let's say that one day you go visit your sister and her two children, and one of the children says that Daddy sometimes hurts Mommy. So you beg your sister to leave - you will protect her and the children. Just as you're leaving, here comes the husband. He clamps his hand around your sister's throat and throws her against a wall. What do you do?

In the case of Clare Burke, she attacks her brother-in-law. Unfortunately, she doesn't kill him. She merely hurts him, and has to spend two years in prison for assault. When she gets out, she has Paul, the love of her life, as well as her job. For the ensuing eighteen years, she lives. Perhaps not with great joy or fulfillment, and certainly with no relationship with her sister Anne. And then one day, Anne's daughter, Grit, shows up on Clare's doorstep. Grit has her own sadnesses and secrets, and as the two women grow closer, they help each other heal from the hurts imparted by Anne. They also come to believe that Anne is in New York as well.

This is a pretty simple story of several complex characters, especially Clare, Grit and Anne. Luanne Rice keeps a good pace and creates sympathetic characters in Clare, Grit and Paul. (Oh, Paul - I love him. He's just a good guy, and you don't often come across fictional men who are purely good.) Anne is not so sympathetic, although I think we are supposed to empathize with her. But I didn't. Perhaps that is due to insufficient explanation of why she allowed her husband to cut her off from her sister and parents. And Frederik, the husband. He is almost a caricature of the Angry, Abusive Spouse.

Fortunately, though, we have Clare. There are blanks where she is concerned; she alludes to the terrors of prison life, but aside from a weight gain and poor skin, we are told nothing about it. She distances us from that experience, but perhaps that's how she survived the experience. I don't think it's an accident that Clare spends her life following birds: this is a woman who knows what it's like to be caged in and what it's like to be set free. That she wants to believe that an extinct bird continues to exist makes sense. She wants to know that her sister, extinct to Clare for twenty years, is alive and well.

Paul, who has loved her since high school, believes Clare is worth fighting for and will do anything to make her happy. But first he needs to convince Clare that she deserves to be happy.

Love and hope. For Clare they hadn't gone together in years. Her skin rippled. Paul was somewhere in the park. She knew the way an owl, gliding low over hills, senses her mate without hearing his call. He'd be doing his Urban Park Ranger duties, along the way keeping watch for the Whekau. Although he didn't believe in the bird the ay she did, he had his own reasons for wishing a vanished species could someday come back.

Luanne Rice takes some shortcuts in this book, not just with Anne and Frederik, but with Grit as well. Grit is able to pull herself together with alarming alacrity, which is frustrating because Grit, of all people, ought to need more time. In fact, the treatment of Grit is the reason I can't give this book more than three stars. I feel cheated by her rapid healing.

Yet I do think Little Night is a good book. Not great, not fabulous, but good. It is a very quick read, and Clare is worth getting to know.

Published on cupcake's book cupboard. @VivaAmaRisata
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.(less)

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May 30, 2012 Eustacia Tan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

I didn't know what to expect when I requested this book. It's supposed to be a family drama, but I didn't know what type (If you want a brief long introduction to family drama, watch the Taiwanese series Ai (Love)). But basically, Little Night examines the relationships between sisters and mother-daughter.

While trying to protect her sister Anne from her abusive husband, Clare hit him and got sent to jail for two years. This more-or-less broke the ties between them since Anne lied on the stand fo...more I didn't know what to expect when I requested this book. It's supposed to be a family drama, but I didn't know what type (If you want a brief long introduction to family drama, watch the Taiwanese series Ai (Love)). But basically, Little Night examines the relationships between sisters and mother-daughter.

While trying to protect her sister Anne from her abusive husband, Clare hit him and got sent to jail for two years. This more-or-less broke the ties between them since Anne lied on the stand for her husband. But one day, Anne's daughter Grit appears on Clare's doorstep all of a sudden, and well, everything collides.

I found this story really heartbreaking. The two sisters didn't intentionally severe ties, it was all caused by Anne's husband, who emotionally and I think physically abused her. Basically, the book explores the effects of domestic violence on the relationship between female members of the family. It's not as clinical as I make it sound, but it's heartbreaking because while I was hoping for a happy ending, I could see that it wasn't going to happen (and it didn't).

As for the characters, I think they were wonderful. I have nothing more to say about it, except that I thought it was realistic.

The plot was interesting. It shifted between the incident in the past, the present, Clare and Grit's point of view and Anne's journals/website. In this way, I kinda knew more than the characters, but that actually served to increase the "tension". Because I knew more, I wanted the characters to behave a certain way but since they only knew what they knew, their actions and my expectations diverged.

Plus, in Anne's case, the release of information was well timed. Because it's linked to when Clare/Grit reads her diaries, we only get her point of view at very selective stages - and a lot of it is about the past. There was another plot device that managed to delay releasing information from her website even though the reader knows it exists.

In conclusion, this is a good book. I think it was sensitively written, and I enjoyed reading it very much. Most of the plots were fully explored so yay!

Disclaimer: I got this book free from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

First posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile (less)

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May 11, 2012 Julie Barrett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Little Night by Luanne Rice
ISBN: 9780670023561
Book starts out with Clare attacking her sisters husband because of what he's done to them all. She ends up in prison and her sister Anne and the kids, gilly and grit are still left behind to endure his torture.
While in prison she's had a lot of time to herself and thinks about the past and ends things with her Central Park ranger boyfriend, Paul. She is depressed and comes to life once again after a visitor has left with the promise of a job, with...more Little Night by Luanne Rice
ISBN: 9780670023561
Book starts out with Clare attacking her sisters husband because of what he's done to them all. She ends up in prison and her sister Anne and the kids, gilly and grit are still left behind to endure his torture.
While in prison she's had a lot of time to herself and thinks about the past and ends things with her Central Park ranger boyfriend, Paul. She is depressed and comes to life once again after a visitor has left with the promise of a job, with conditions.
After Clare gets out she does seek out Paul again and they resume their bird watches and rescues in the hopes of seeing an extinct laughing owl.
Grit comes to live with Clare and the truth comes out as to why she is there.
The symbolism of the bog, the accident and how it brings them closer makes all that's happened come together as one.
Just when you think you've learned all you can about a topic: snowy owls, Central Park, variety of birds, rather than shoving it down your throats like other authors might do, Luanne knows exactly when to move onto other things. It's just a super blend, seamless.
Like that Grit knows how to cook elegantly from scratch and can do wonders with barely anything.
What happened at the bog landed Grit in the hospital. While there she knows her mother stood over her bed. She's seen other signs of her mother being in town, and so has Clare.

Love the mystery as to why Anne couldn't contact them in the city.
I like a book that takes me places and learn new things. I am really into this book: the ferry to the statue of liberty-never knew about the rooms at the bottom; the glassblowing; all the birds and facts; the scenery, different named areas, and atmosphere of ny central park, very detailed architecture and the cooking.
Countries overseas have an appeal all their own.
Like how when the book has stated a Danish remark the translation is the next line-won't leave you guessing or have to look it up on the pc.
Love the idea of the special picnic and how the book got its title from it and opened the web page.

Learned so much in this book, as I do follow our local snowy owl and have seen one in Oregon at a refuge for birds.
Clare compares her life with some of the extinct owls.

Love the ending and how things have gone full circle.
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Jan 22, 2013 Arlena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-stars, abuse, adult-read, ebooks, excellent-book, my-reviews, drama

Author: Luanne Rice
Published By: Pamela Dorman Books
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 5

Review:

"Little Night" by Luanne Rice was a intriguing family drama read in that it was a little different from my normal reads that this read simply blow me away. It was not a easy read in that it will bring to light."violence, family abuse, narcissistic disorders, prison time, death and murder." "Little Night" plot will bring to you many twist and turns as this story wil...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Ian rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

Over the Easter long weekend I was in Sydney and found myself in the middle of a situation where a guy was getting rough with his girlfriend. It ended with him realizing he couldn’t bully me and he had a snowflakes chance in hell of beating me in a fight so he stormed off. That’s the extent of my knowledge about partner abuse...I know men who get rough with women are usually cowards and not much more.

Little Night was quite interesting (in a disturbing way) because it gave me a glimpse i...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Kathy rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is among my "top 10" WORSE BOOKS OF ALL TIME~!! I truly hated this book but read it to the end. Who cares about all the birds and owls in Centeral Park? Who gets paid real monies to blog and write about these birds? Come on.... I am a bird feeder of over 39 years and my backyard is home to dozens of blue jays, cardinals, chickadees, tufted titmouses, Jenny wrens, gold finches, etc. but I wouldn't bore a reader about every detail about them.

I have a low tolerance for women who stay in abusiv...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Jill rated it 2 of 5 stars

Having read a number of books by Luanne Rice, beginning with Cloud Nine (1999), I was expecting more than was delivered. I found this to be by far the darkest book I have read by Ms. Rice, as well as disappointingly unbelievable, both in characterization and plot. The story is that of two sisters, Clare and Anne, who grew up very close, presumably as they were mostly shut out of their parents’ lives during their childhood. Anne, the older sister, marries Frederik, a controlling, narcissistic Eur...more Having read a number of books by Luanne Rice, beginning with Cloud Nine (1999), I was expecting more than was delivered. I found this to be by far the darkest book I have read by Ms. Rice, as well as disappointingly unbelievable, both in characterization and plot. The story is that of two sisters, Clare and Anne, who grew up very close, presumably as they were mostly shut out of their parents’ lives during their childhood. Anne, the older sister, marries Frederik, a controlling, narcissistic European glassblower who effectively removes her from the lives of her family, both physically and emotionally. Frederik is the personification of evil, yet we are given no insight as to the reason. No insight into the character, really. Clare remains devoted to Anne, despite not being able to see her or her two children for several years, and one day she takes it upon herself to visit. On seeing that Anne is obviously an abused wife, Clare convinces her to leave Frederik, but alas, it is at this point that, predictably, Frederik returns home and immediately upon hearing Anne agree to go away with Clare, he begins choking Anne. Clare grabs a burning log from the fireplace and hits Frederik in the face with it to get him away from Anne, but once the police arrive, Anne agrees with her husband that Clare intended to murder Frederik and thus the stage is set … Clare goes to prison while Anne, Frederik and the children (who have the unlikely names of Gilly and Grit) move to Europe, completing the separation of the sisters. Note that this is not a spoiler, as all this takes place during the first few pages of the book.

Sometimes we need to be disturbed, shaken out of our own peaceful, secure lives and made to look around us in order to realize that there is despair and hopelessness in the world. And this book is certainly disturbing, but my two main complaints are that it is fairly unrealistic and that despair seems to be the main theme. At one point, it is implied that the theme is redemption, which is the opposite of despair, but I failed to see where redemption came into play. I will not go into detail, as I don’t like to write spoilers into my reviews, but suffice it to say that what little happiness is found in these character’s lives is similar to what they say about one-horse towns: don’t blink or you’ll miss it.

Aside from my complaints about the sense of doom, anger and evil that comprise the plot, I was also disappointed in the development of the characters. None seemed real to me, and although Clare and Grit are sympathetic characters, I was not able to connect to them as I would have liked. The character of Anne vacillated between pitiable, despicable and just plain crazy, while the character of Frederik was consistently evil, but as mentioned above, with no insight as to the roots of his persona. Had the characters been more three-dimensional, it might have saved this book despite the deficiencies in plot. I rarely read a book that I regret having read, though some are certainly better than others, but I must say I wish I had not wasted the time on this one, as it left me feeling disturbed and angry. That said, I have enjoyed other books by this author and will not let my disappointment in this book turn me away from reading more by her.
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Nov 13, 2012 Tanya Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-the-library-bag, read-in-2012

Two sisters. One gets married to a controlling, VERY controlling and abusive, Danish artist. The other is unhappy, of course, being banished from her sister's life after marriage and shows up one day while the husband is out in order to visit. The husband returns and Clare, the unmarried sister, goes into protective mode and attacks the husband. Anne, the married sister, takes the side of the husband and Clare goes to prison.

I've only read a few of Rice's books - this being the 3rd one, I think...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Laurel-Rain rated it 3 of 5 stars

In the opening pages of "Little Night: A Novel," the reader is thrust into the aftermath of domestic violence, and the consequences for one young woman who risked everything to protect her sister.

Unfortunately, the control Frederik Rasmussen wielded over his wife Anne and their two children is the kind of hold often exerted by men who must monitor every thought, feeling, and action of those he calls "his." This kind of domination is most effective within an isolated unit such as the one this per...more In the opening pages of "Little Night: A Novel," the reader is thrust into the aftermath of domestic violence, and the consequences for one young woman who risked everything to protect her sister.

Unfortunately, the control Frederik Rasmussen wielded over his wife Anne and their two children is the kind of hold often exerted by men who must monitor every thought, feeling, and action of those he calls "his." This kind of domination is most effective within an isolated unit such as the one this perpetrator has created.

When Anne follows her husband into his darkness and lies to the police and in court, her sister Clare is sentenced to prison.

What happens in the years that follow sets the scene for some kind of reunion or redemption, but that does not happen. Instead, Clare comes home one day to a letter from her niece Grit, who is announcing her plan to visit.

In flashes backward and forward, the story progresses, showing a bit about how Clare and Anne grew up and how that family dynamic created the secrecy, the tendency to hide, and even the sneaky following of those they loved.

What is interesting in these kinds of families is that not all of the children grow up to be in abusive relationships. Sometimes one or more family members are the designated "rescuers," like Clare.

How does Grit's moving in on Clare's solitude as an urban birder and blogger virtually change the landscape of her life? What will Grit bring to Clare that will help enlighten her about her sister's life? And how will Anne finally show herself in the end?

Of course Frederik was an obnoxious creature with no redeeming value, in my opinion. He is not really typical of abusers; they often have some charming characteristics that hook their victims. In this way, he was not real to me.

Anne was also not a convincing character to me, but another caricature, like Frederik. The two were drawn in bold strokes of extremes, perhaps to accentuate the hold an abuser has on those around him.

Grit was another unlikeable character with sneaky, intrusive qualities that made it hard to relate to her or root for her. And yet again, her behavior could definitely occur within the framework of such a family home.

An interesting study in family dysfunction, which I enjoyed, for the most part. The ending felt anticlimactic to me. 3.5 stars.
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Jun 30, 2012 Connie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Luanne Rice has been one of my favorite authors for many years. I believe that this book is her most mature/sophisticated book with a complex plot and characters.

I enjoyed:
Learning about landmarks in NYC, especially those that involved Central Park and natural settings such as bogs.

Learning about professional birdwatchers/ornitholgists and the vast variety of birds.

The Scandanavian setting for portions of the book. I know that there has been a "Scandanavian trend" that involves crime/suspence/m...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Jackie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I think Little Night is an excellent book as it reveals a story of two different but immediate families caught in a cycle of physical and emotional abuse. When the abuse spikes with one family member the resulting decisions and lies by the other family member hurts her sibling by having her sent to prison for trying to protect her sibling from spousal abouse.

Domestic abuse is poison to the whole family. The spouse is abused and so are the children. It is a living nightmare for each member of the...more

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Jun 02, 2012 LORI CASWELL rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

How far would you go to protect your sister? What if you do protect you sister and she tells lies that don't backup your story?

That's exactly what happened to Clare Burke. She tried to help Anne leave the husband that was abusing her and ended up being charged with assault. The verdict largely hinged on her sister's defense of her spouse. She stuck with her abusive husband and her testimony was all lies. Clare ended up in prison.

Even after she was released the sisters remained estranged. Her sis...more How far would you go to protect your sister? What if you do protect you sister and she tells lies that don't backup your story?

That's exactly what happened to Clare Burke. She tried to help Anne leave the husband that was abusing her and ended up being charged with assault. The verdict largely hinged on her sister's defense of her spouse. She stuck with her abusive husband and her testimony was all lies. Clare ended up in prison.

Even after she was released the sisters remained estranged. Her sister has moved to Denmark where her husband was born and raised. Clare is living in Manhattan, writing her blog about the birds of Central Park. A very quiet life compared to her life before. Her relationship with fellow birder Paul has been sorely tested over the years and they have not been able to reconcile. They have tried to remain friends.

Almost twenty years after the incident that sent her to jail Clare is surprised when her niece, Grit, shows up on her doorstep. Grit has always wanted a relationship with her aunt. She knew the kind of man her father was and she remembered how Clare tried to help. As they work hard to develop that relationship they must face the wounds inflicted upon them by Anne as she stayed by her husband's side. Healing is difficult for both of them but together they hope they can get by the physical and emotional scars left from the pain they have both suffered. They still hold out hope that Anne will her leave husband and return to her family and friends who really love her.

Dollycas's Thoughts
Written in true Luanne Rice style we are taken inside a very complex family situation that has us reeling. The physical and emotion abuse that splits Anne off from her own family is tragic and when it continues on to her own son and daughter is even more disturbing. Tempered by her wonderful descriptions of nature, the birds and the bogs we are given a bit of a rest from the extreme family drama. Rice is an expert of creating the ebbs and flows necessary for a story as powerful as this one. I have never been to Central Park but after reading this book I almost feel like I have.

We received a sneak peek at these characters in How We Started that was released for Kindle on May 1. The story of how Clare and Paul met was perfect before delving into this story that was so heartbreaking. In a split second Clare and Paul's lives changed forever. She pushes him away when she is in prison and tells him to get on with his life. Even when released her heart is so closed off she is afraid to let anyone in. The arrival of Grit helps her start the healing process and her niece tries to move forward as well.

This is the 30th novel from Luanne Rice. It is fresh and original and just plain outstanding. Another one for the keeper shelf because you will definitely want to read it more than once.(less)

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Jun 28, 2012 Lyn M rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Lyn M by: Netgalley

Shelves: 2012, netgalley, read-for-review, borrowed, contemporary, romance, women-s-fiction, arc, group-read

I recently finished reading Luanne Rice's newest offering, Little Night: A Novel. This books takes a compelling look at the effects of spousal abuse on family dynamics. An author can go several ways with this type of a story, and I thought this one did a good job of telling a harrowing tale without making the book overly dark. Anne and Clare grew up with an overbearing father and as that often does, it brought them close together. Until Anne made the mistake that many women growing up in those c...more

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Jun 06, 2012 rameau rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley, annoying-1st-3rd-voice-mixing, contemporary, theory-good-practice-not, read-in-2012

When I started reading this book, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I had never read a Luanne Rice novel before and I only knew that I liked the cover. And that I liked weird novels.

The blurb promises a story of two generations meeting, estranged sisters and a family tragedy. It reminded me a lot of Purge and that, unfortunately, raised my expectations to unrealistic proportions.

Where Oksanen uses a family tragedy to describe the horrors of two or three lost generations, Rice's sto...more When I started reading this book, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I had never read a Luanne Rice novel before and I only knew that I liked the cover. And that I liked weird novels.

The blurb promises a story of two generations meeting, estranged sisters and a family tragedy. It reminded me a lot of Purge and that, unfortunately, raised my expectations to unrealistic proportions.

Where Oksanen uses a family tragedy to describe the horrors of two or three lost generations, Rice's story is smaller. So much more intimate. She contents herself with describing a family tragedy on a more personal level. She explores how abuse affects not only those within the immediate family unit, but the people around them, the extended family and their friends.

Clare watches her sister's new husband isolate her from everyone she's known before. Parent's and sister aren't welcome in their house; they are something to be left behind. Clare watches her sister change from afar until she can't take any longer. She picks a time for a visit and tries to reconnect with her sister. Instead of taking Anne and her children away, Clare ends up saving her sister's life and being sent to jail for an assault. Eighteen years later, it's time for Clare's niece to visit unexpectedly.

I was really looking forward to reading about Clare dealing with her sister's betrayal and trying not to project those feelings onto her niece, Grit. Instead, I read about her unrealistic forgiveness and neverending longing for the sister of her childhood.

I've seen what a betrayal of a close family member does. to a person. I've seen what taking them to court and lying there does. When someone who is your flesh and blood does that to you, you don't simply turn on the blinders and say: "He made her do it. He's at fault." No. You pretend they're dead, because what kind of mother does that to her child. Not a living one.

Only bond closer than the one between a mother and a daughter I can imagine is that one between two sisters. A sister who betrays you isn't a sister at all. People react differently, you say. They do, but wholly without anger? I think not. Clare never expresses any anger or rage at her sister. She's the virtuous, too good to be true woman who forgives.

That's where this novel fails, for me. It wasn't in the wonderfully fantastical, fairytaleish quality of the writing. It wasn't focusing on more than one person's point of view. It wasn't even in my pet peeve of switching between first and third person limited narratives.

It was in the lack of character growth for Clare. She might have learned to open herself up to Paul, but she never really worked through her issues with her sister. At least Grit went through the stages of grief and dealing with her hate and anger and rage against her mother. At least Grit admitted she'd been betrayed and learned to forgive.

The story of these three women could have been truly magical instead of just pretending to be it.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.(less)

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Sep 16, 2012 Elizabeth added it

Just finished reading the book and all I have to say is there better be a sequel!! The book grabbed my attention from the beginning and was excited to see what was going to happen in the ending. I got to chapter 22,which to me was at it's climax, and then noticed that there were only 4 more chapters to go and thought to myself "don't tell me it's one of those where the author gives great detailing throughout the book and then ends it abruptly" and guess what...it did!! It's like it was just rush...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Monica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Despite a somewhat predictable ending, “Little Night” is a lovely book that focuses on family bonds, particularly between sisters, and how those bonds can never be broken. Luanne Rice is a remarkable author who is able to bring her characters to life in a very sharp way. Although the two sisters, Claire and Anne, are very similar in many ways, in just as many ways they are uniquely defined.

The pace in this book is fast and each chapter ending had me quickly turning the page into the next chapter...more

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May 29, 2012 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-read

*I got a advanced copy of this book from the publisher through the Goodreads contest*

Wow, I went through alot of different emotions in this one. First let me say I loved Claire her character made this book to me. She loved her sister unconditionally even after all the horrible things she did to her. Ann the abused sister was a tough person to like. I really tired, I at times felt sorry for her but some of the horrible things she had done to Claire and her own kids kept me from truly liking her....more

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Oct 15, 2012 Patricia Solla rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-books

It took 3/4's of the book before there was any mention of the title. The story revolves around a young woman who tries to help her sister out of an abusive marriage only to be thrown in jail for attacking the husband who was strangling his wife in front of their children. The young woman now out of jail and is putting her life back together when her niece shows up on her doorstep. Now the story turns to what happened to the sister's family after the incident. The ending is kind of a let down. Wh...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 12, 2012 Amodini rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is about domestic violence and Rice's description of situations which foster abuse kept me reading. She describes such situations realistically - it is not only physical violence that is damaging, it is also verbal insinuations and mental coercions that make life hell. Her description of Anne and Frederik's life from Anne's diary truly show how abusive relationships can look normal to a casual passer-by but cause the vicitims to remain on tenterhooks awaiting the next outburst of viole...more This book is about domestic violence and Rice's description of situations which foster abuse kept me reading. She describes such situations realistically - it is not only physical violence that is damaging, it is also verbal insinuations and mental coercions that make life hell. Her description of Anne and Frederik's life from Anne's diary truly show how abusive relationships can look normal to a casual passer-by but cause the vicitims to remain on tenterhooks awaiting the next outburst of violence. Besides that, truly heartbreaking are the effects of all this on the children. Anne's kids, Grit and Gilly, helpless witnesses to domestic violence, receive bad treatment not only from abusive Frederik but also from Anne.

The novel takes some time getting to the crux of the problem. Even though Grit moves in with her aunt she takes her time spilling the beans, and I was a little taken aback with the restraint shown by Clare as she goes about bird-watching instead if demanding answers of Grit about Anne, the sister she has been longing for all these years. Clare also seemed frail and vulnerable and living life at a distance afraid to commit, which seemed a realistic portrayal. Grit character was well-sketched; her spying habits and her lies tied in well with her tortured character.

I did find certain things in the book a little clichéd. Also, I understand that Rice tries to give us a clearer picture, but some backstory telling seemed exactly that - more tell and less show, which takes away from the novel. Clare's character seemed quite forgiving towards her sister given that it was Anne's false testimony that helped put Clare in jail. She seems to absolve Anne of all responsibility - a little too saintly and hard to take, and something which might be food for thought post-read.

I would recommend this novel to all my readers. It is a thought-provoking book, and well-worth the read, and I read it very quickly, almost in one sitting. The book has a gorgeous cover, which Rice tweets (in response to mine) is of Poet's Walk in Central Park.(less)

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Nov 20, 2012 Angie Holtz rated it 5 of 5 stars

From Lilac Wolf and Stuff

This is a story about a woman who has been finding her way after being released from prison for attacking her sister's abusive husband. She never stopped loving her sister, even when her sister stood up in court and said her sister was unprovoked. Who then took her children and fled the country with this man. Who physically abused her own daughter under this man's thumb. These kinds of stories break my heart for everyone involved, but I also think they are important. The...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Mary Chrapliwy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley-books

There are a limited number of stories out there, each writer has a different way of telling that story that makes it interesting. That's exactly what Luanne Rice has done in her book Little Night.

Clare and Anne come from a home heavy with secrets and when they move into their love lives each reaches for something different. Clare finds true, gently love, while Anne finds deadly love. What follows is a story of Anne living in an abusive marriage, lying to herself as many abused spouses might, bar...more

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May 08, 2012 Diane S. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have loved many of Luanne Rice's books but this one is not one of my favorites. Did like the character of Gris and could relate somewhat to Clare, even liked the birding in Central Park but the book just didn't connect with me. Just think I cannot relate to the character of Anne and everyone else just giving her a pass. Also cannot really understand how she could do what she did based on the information available about the type of person she had been in the past. Did understand that their own...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Sofia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Two sisters torn apart by domestic violence. Love lost and found. Luanne Rice's "Little Night" is a quick yet vivid read. I'm always fascinated by stories about sisters, and this novel offers a long view of two sisters' relationships with each other, their family, and their significant others. Throughout the book, there is also a thread about New York City birders. I, of course, love birds and New York City, so this just made the book all the more interesting to me.

I couldn't help but be repeat...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Cindy Jacobson rated it 4 of 5 stars

(Spoiler alert). I thought this book had such potential, looking at spousal abuse and what happens to children who grow up in violent households. I couldn't put the book down but was oddly dissatisfied when I finished. I believe the author could have done more to explore more completely why a wife would choose to stay in an abusive situation and so completely abandon her children. Also, the character of Claire was almost too saint-like. Seriously, she really could forgive her sister so complete...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Kari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

Read for book club, Domestic Violence Awareness month discussion.
Opening a book, knowing that at least one of the characters you are about to meet is the victim of dv, makes me a little reluctant to open the book to experience this unhappy topic. Clare is imprisoned for trying to protect her sister Anne from her abusive husband. Fast forward over a dozen years, and Anne's daughter Grit seeks out Clare in NYC. She has been kicked out of her family, disowned by her mother as well as her father. C...more

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Little Night

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