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125th out of 151 books
—
24 voters
Woman in Red
by
Eileen Goudge (Goodreads Author)
Alice Kessler spent nine years in prison for the attempted murder of the drunk driver who killed her son. Now she’s returned home to Gray’s Island to reconnect with the son she left behind. Her boy, Jeremy, now a sullen teenager, is wrongly accused of rape, and mother and son are thrown together in a desperate attempt to prove his innocence. She’s aided by Colin McGinty, a...more
Hardcover, 368 pages
Published
June 12th 2007
by Vanguard Press
(first published 2007)
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Eileen Goudge offers a fantastically woven story of revisiting the past and the relationships involved in family affairs, dating back many years and catching up with the present. A contemporary novel drawn with a good plot, involving intriguing twists, Woman in Red captures family values and crafts them into a well-developed, though at times too far-fetched, story of family, love, and overall human caring.
Acknowledging her past may haunt her, Alice Kessler returns to her home by ferry to an isl...more
Acknowledging her past may haunt her, Alice Kessler returns to her home by ferry to an isl...more
This book was just okay. The story, though interesting, failed to deliver any effective twists and turns in the plot; the reader pretty much knew the "big secret" half way into the book. This made the book's ending mediocre at best. Some of the wording was trite and cheesy (for lack of a better term) which put me off a bit. Although this book wasn't a total waste of time, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone--there are too many other great books out there on which to spend one's free time.
This book had so much potential as a story -- a plot about three family lines living on an island and how each generation interacts -- but I ended up pretty frustrated with the book. First of all, the author uses the same repetitive language: like so many stars in the sky, like so many waves in the sea, like so many splinters on the ground. Either pick another phrase or stop with the similes altogether! Additionally, I didn't really like the characters. I know you don't have to like the characte...more
No matter how hard you try, people hold the past against you. When Alice Kessler stepped off the ferry, she could feel the ill will. It penetrated her skin, like the chilling fingers of the relentless wind.
Grays Island, located in Puget Sound, Washington, held many wonderful recollections for Alice. But they were overshadowed by dark, vivid memories, full of pain, anger, and injustice. One desperate act had left her young son, Jeremy, without his mother. That was nine years ago. The complete em...more
Grays Island, located in Puget Sound, Washington, held many wonderful recollections for Alice. But they were overshadowed by dark, vivid memories, full of pain, anger, and injustice. One desperate act had left her young son, Jeremy, without his mother. That was nine years ago. The complete em...more
Eileen Goudge weaves a tale of intrigue, mystery, love, and family ties in Woman in Red. She also touches on the heavier issues of war and racism towards Japanese US citizens during WWII. I was caught up in this novel immediately, surprising myself by consuming its almost-400 pages in a single day.
The story begins with the death of 9-year-old David, hit by Owen White (popular, wealthy man-about-town), while riding his bicycle near his home. David's mother, Alice, is witness to the accident and e...more
The story begins with the death of 9-year-old David, hit by Owen White (popular, wealthy man-about-town), while riding his bicycle near his home. David's mother, Alice, is witness to the accident and e...more
I read so many books that for one to get more than 3 stars from me, it has to be awfully good in either the writing, the mystery, or the entertainment and while this story was mildly interesting, it was a little too predictable for me. The other thing is that when a book is not about what I was thinking it would be, it is a bit of a disappointment (that would be my own fault for assuming I knew ahead of time what the story would be). I was assuming that this would be more about a trial and reve...more
Woman in Red centers around a woman who was recently released from prison after running down her son's killer and how she goes about rebuilding her life.
What I liked about the story was the story within a story. The 'other' story deals with the woman's grandmother during WW2. Goudge weaves the two stories together very well and brings it to a neat and tidy end. A little too neat and tidy for my personal taste, but other people will like it.
What I didn't like was she tended to use certain phras...more
What I liked about the story was the story within a story. The 'other' story deals with the woman's grandmother during WW2. Goudge weaves the two stories together very well and brings it to a neat and tidy end. A little too neat and tidy for my personal taste, but other people will like it.
What I didn't like was she tended to use certain phras...more
This was not an engrossing, cannot put it down kind of book, but it was not so awful that I could not read the entire thing either. If anything, the occurences were all too coincental to be realistic. The ending was also a little too happy and pit pat. The characters made numerous bad life decisions, but it all goes away and makes a happy ending. I enjoyed the world war two parts more than the present day and wish there had been more details and story in that time period. I related more to Elean...more
Alice lost her son at the hands of Owen, a man who was driving drunk. And when Owen gets to walk after trial, Alice seeks her revenge by running him over. The story takes place after she gets out of jail and is forced make a new life for herself, including making amends with her other son. The story contains a lot of vivid characters, including Calpurnia, Alice's friend who was in prison with her, and the rest of her family. The story goes back and forth between Alice's story and her grandmother...more
I won this book in a contest and was excited to read it. You don't find out until about 1/2 way through that is gets pretty ... graphic. I enjoyed the story, but not worth reading all the trashy stuff to get through it.
Jul 02, 2011
Angie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Diane , Jill , Sheri
Recommended to Angie by:
me!
Shelves:
fiction
As I think about my review for this book , I have to laugh ... Although Goudge has the market cornered on secrets in this superb book , I'm going to disclose a secret of my very own !
Even though I LOVE to read , I am not one of those folks you'll see on the bus with book in hand , in the grocery store check-out line flipping pages, or waiting in the car for hubby to return something in the hardware store with my nose in a book . I'd like to be one of those people , but ...
Truth is , I am not
...more
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This book was a very pleasant surprise. Having never read Goudge before, I did what I usually do with new authors – give the first 50 pages a go – apprehensively. Right from the start, though, I was hooked. Goudge has an excellent knack for building characters from the ground up…and using those characters to be the basis for her strong storytelling. This story starts, told mostly in the present but also during WWII, with the story of Alice, a mother who just lost her older son and cannot deal wi...more
On a small island in the Pacific Northwest, Alice is mourning the loss of her son, killed by a drunk driver who happens to be one of the more powerful men in their small community. When her suit against him fails, she loses control and runs him over with her car. After spending nine years in prison, she return to her home to the dismay of several island inhabitants. On the ferry heading home, she meets Colin, also a wounded survivor, a 9-11 widower who is 9 months into his recovery from alcoholi...more
Not my usual selection, but my book club decided to read it, so I picked it and got through it in a day and forgot about it just as quickly.
The island setting is integral to understanding the motivations of the characters: They seem to be trapped in space. The time, however, shifts around in the past, involving recent ancestors and their influence on events in the present.
My problem, as usual, was that I just didn't care about the characters. Sure, the protagonist goes off and almost kills the m...more
The island setting is integral to understanding the motivations of the characters: They seem to be trapped in space. The time, however, shifts around in the past, involving recent ancestors and their influence on events in the present.
My problem, as usual, was that I just didn't care about the characters. Sure, the protagonist goes off and almost kills the m...more
Colin McGinty's grandfather, a famous artist, is best known for his haunting portrait Woman in Red, which happens to be of Alice Kessler's grandmother. In a tale that weaves the past with the present, we come to know the story behind the portrait, of a forbidden wartime romance between William McGinty and Eleanor Styles, and a deadly secret--one that is about to be unburied, as the ghost of an enemy from long ago surfaces in the form of Colin's grandson.
Listen to Woman in Red on your smartphone,...more
Listen to Woman in Red on your smartphone,...more
I loved this book, it was endless with excitement!! I never got bored with it!!
I enjoyed reading this book, but I wouldn't call it a great book. The story moved along quickly and I kept reading to find out what would happen next. The bummer was that it didn't really go that deep. It had potential and it had what could have been very interesting characters, but neither the storyline nor the characters were fully developed. It was more than a two star book, I did enjoy it, but I wish it could have lived up to it's promise. Something that I found amusing/odd, is that the pers...more
Basically pretty bad, had the tone of a romance novel with a little mystery thrown in. I didn't feel connected with these people or this place and although I think it was supposed to be about triumphing over adversity, neutralizing the past, renaisance of the spirit within, I didn't get it. The prison experience of the main character wasn't believable, the heardache from loss of her son seemed hazey, the rage of her crime was like a dream. The ensuing story didn't grip me, silly shallow romances...more
Well, now that I read this book I am ashamed for not reading it earlier. I borrowed it from a friend, and the book was on my shelve for almost a month. I don't know..there was something seriously bothering with this book (I don't like the cover and I hate red color). So, these were the main reasons why it took me so long to grab this book into my hands. But boy oh boy, was I wrong!!! The book is great! I loved the story (though romance is not my fav genre) and the characters. Being a mother myse...more
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This book was a bit slow at the start, but did pick up the pace and in turn my interest around the middle. Alice and Colin were very interesting characters. I also loved the story about their grandparents. It is truly a story about love and the wonders of it. How love can be the muse to create a beautiful piece of art, to endure the pain of seeing the one you love, but not being able to have it, and how love can heal old wounds. Love is at the core.
The end was satisfying. I was a bit bummed tha...more
The end was satisfying. I was a bit bummed tha...more
I quite liked the book. It was a refreshing treat after the crap teen books I've been reading recently. It explored many issues and her writing echoes faintly that of Jodi Picoult's.
It was nice to read something realistic and see tragedy turn into happiness.
I really liked how the story revolved around the painting of the woman in red and the characters of Eleanor Styles and William McGinty and how their actions resounded through the story bringing all the characters together.
All the different n...more
It was nice to read something realistic and see tragedy turn into happiness.
I really liked how the story revolved around the painting of the woman in red and the characters of Eleanor Styles and William McGinty and how their actions resounded through the story bringing all the characters together.
All the different n...more
What an intriguing story! Set in two different time periods on a small island off the coast of Washington, it begins with the present day as Alice has just been released from 9 years in prison. She was found guilty of crippling the man who hit and killed her child while driving drunk. He got away with it because he basically owned the whole island.
Rebuffed by most of her neighbors and even her remaining son, she gradually becomes friends with Colin, a recovering alcoholic who hit bottom after hi...more
Rebuffed by most of her neighbors and even her remaining son, she gradually becomes friends with Colin, a recovering alcoholic who hit bottom after hi...more
Woman in Red by Eileen Goudge was an exquisite read. They say you should never judge a book by it's cover but in this case you most certainly should. The stunning beauty of the cover is only a sampling of what lies within. A must read for any romance lover.
Alice Kessler is your average mom in every way except that she has lost her oldest son to a freak accident. Driven by grief she cannot let go when the driver is found innocent. This in turn sets forth a chain of events leading her to make choi...more
Alice Kessler is your average mom in every way except that she has lost her oldest son to a freak accident. Driven by grief she cannot let go when the driver is found innocent. This in turn sets forth a chain of events leading her to make choi...more
I gave this book a B, a 1/2 point off because of the sloppy research about the cardinal being in the San Juans (mentioned more than once) but 1/2 point added due to the setting (a fictionalized Orcas Island, called Gray's Island in the book). Basically it's about Alice Kessler who has just returned to Gray's Island after nine years in prison for attempted murder of the man responsible for the death of her young son. Arriving on the same ferry is Colin McGinty, a 9/11 widower there to settle his...more
An enjoyable read! Author Eileen Goudge weaves intermingling stories between the past and the present--with a careful eye on how the plot unravels in the end. On top of interweaving complicated plot lines and structures, Goudge pays keen attention to character development and issues that thrive on the grey areas instead of the pure black and white (evil/good) structure, making the reader quite sympathetic to those involved in the ensuing drama. The result is a page-turning read that provides ins...more
Eileen Goujdge is hit or miss in her writing. Her books can be so mundane and then there is one that is a page turner and that is WOMAN IN RED. Telling the tale from two different generations and showing how they mesh is what hold your interest. From Grandmother to Granddaughter; from Grandfather to Grandson; from WWII to present day the suspense keeps you going and the meshing at the end, though epected, is very pleasing.
What a pleasant surprise! I really enjoyed this book. It was the first time I had tried this author. The people were brought to life in the story by the author. You could almost hear them talking. A story of three generations of three main families. The good and bad, and of love taking many different paths. It was so interesting, that I couldn't wait to turn the page and see what came next.
The writing in this novel is absolutely superb! The level of talent this author possesses is clearly evident from her diction to her ability to transform words into feelings and emotions. The storyline itself is simple enough, but the language Goudge uses brings the scenery, let alone the characters, to life.
A beautiful read! I wouldn't change a word.
A beautiful read! I wouldn't change a word.
Another favorite author! Dynamic writer. A must read! Tale of about love, family, honor, justice, set in two separate eras. The interlocking mysteries of how these three families touch each other's lives unfold skillfully. Goudge takes time to carefully develop her major characters and you fall in love with them! Would love to see a movie based on the book! "
Story was "ok"...actually the tale behind the grandmother was much better than the "main story" of the book. Easy to figure out midway thru and not much to carry you thru to the end.
Easy read if you have nothing else in the house to challenge you! I wouldn't skip it as an option but I wouldn't run out and buy it full price in a snowstorm as a 'must have to read"
Easy read if you have nothing else in the house to challenge you! I wouldn't skip it as an option but I wouldn't run out and buy it full price in a snowstorm as a 'must have to read"
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I was born on the Fourth of July, and it's been fireworks ever since. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay area as one of six kids, I was never without a cast with which to stage my early theatrical productions, which included a musical rendition of "The Christmas Carol," in which I was Ebenezer Scrooge. I began writing at age eight, with short stories and poems, and I haven’t looked back since. Fr...more
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