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60th out of 323 books
—
399 voters
What We Keep
Do you ever really know your mother, your daughter, the people in your family? In this rich and rewarding new novel by the beloved bestselling author of
Talk Before Sleep and The Pull of the Moon, a reunion between two sisters and their mother reveals how the secrets and complexities of the past have shaped the lives of the women in a family.
Ginny Young is on a plane, en...more
Talk Before Sleep and The Pull of the Moon, a reunion between two sisters and their mother reveals how the secrets and complexities of the past have shaped the lives of the women in a family.
Ginny Young is on a plane, en...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
May 25th 1999
by Ballantine Books
(first published 1998)
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At 47, as she prepares for a reunion with her mother after 35 years apart, Ginny Moore remembers the summer she turned twelve and her world shattered. Told in a most authentic voice, Berg depicts childhood in the '50s, characters we care about, and the complexity of family dynamics, but mostly it's a book about healing through forgiveness. A great summer read!
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Would I be considered an imbecile, Gertrude Stein, or Yogi Berra if I said, "Well, folks, the crux of Elizabeth Berg's WHAT WE KEEP is what we keep"? I'm betting on "imbecile." Not wanting to be thought of as imbecilic and, by the way, being a half-empty-glass type, I've decided to assert that the title is at least somewhat deceptive. Whether or not Berg intended to deceive us -- I can't say; but Wayne, a fifteen-year-old who does magic tricks, insists that "people want to be fooled" (Berg 157)....more
At the age of 47, Ginny is flying to California to see her mother, whom she has not seen in 35 years. Ginny's sister Sharla has arranged the meeting, and has also divulged that she, Sharla, might possibly have a serious illness. On the flight, Ginny tells a bit of her story to the woman sitting next to her. Then she lets the reader in on the past as she reminisces about the events of her childhood in preparation for the reunion.
During a time when Americans wanted their lives to look like Ozzie...more
During a time when Americans wanted their lives to look like Ozzie...more
I have some reservations about this book about family relationships, especially mothers and daughters, but not so many I wouldn't sample another title by the same author.
There was one main drawback for me. As I was reading along, I had a strong reaction against certain scenes that simply didn't ring true as presented. Hey, wait, I thought. The author has created an expectation of reality, so why doesn't this part feel "true?" For example, the dutiful, sober parents didn't notice that the two p...more
There was one main drawback for me. As I was reading along, I had a strong reaction against certain scenes that simply didn't ring true as presented. Hey, wait, I thought. The author has created an expectation of reality, so why doesn't this part feel "true?" For example, the dutiful, sober parents didn't notice that the two p...more
I keep returning to Elizabeth Berg's books because she has a wonderfully real writing style... I love how she describes ordinary events and common emotions ...with such clarity and detail. But with each book I've read,though, there is a direction she takes that is implausible to me. I LOVED the first 2/3 or so of this book as told through the eyes of a 12 year-old girl, but unfortunately the story got weaker at the end.
One quote I could really relate to at this stage of life:
"I am thinking abou...more
One quote I could really relate to at this stage of life:
"I am thinking abou...more
Ginny is traveling to see her sister & reunite with the mother they haven't seen in 35 years - as she is flying she is flashing back to the summer in the 50s when she was 12 & her relationship with her sister & her mother.
One of my favorite quotes (from the end of the book, but it doesn't give away the ending)
"I am thinking about the way that life can be so slippery; the way that a twelve-year-old girl looking into the mirror to count freckles reaches out toward herself and that refl...more
One of my favorite quotes (from the end of the book, but it doesn't give away the ending)
"I am thinking about the way that life can be so slippery; the way that a twelve-year-old girl looking into the mirror to count freckles reaches out toward herself and that refl...more
This ended up being a really quick read. A daughter is flying across the country to see her mother whom she hasn't seen in 35 years, not since the summer she walked out on her family and the daughter never forgave her. Her sister has talked her into seeing their mother again.
The story is interspliced with flash-backs from that summer and what surrounded her leaving. To sum it up, the mother was a board housewife wanting to break out of the mold, so she left. An exotic neighbour is also involved...more
The story is interspliced with flash-backs from that summer and what surrounded her leaving. To sum it up, the mother was a board housewife wanting to break out of the mold, so she left. An exotic neighbour is also involved...more
The last book I read while we were in Europe...actually I managed to read it entirely while we spent the last night in Munich, Germany and then left it at the Munich airport for someone else to enjoy.
I always enjoy Elizabeth Berg's books and this one was no exception...it's a very quick read with an easy plot...so won't spend much time giving away things in it. Just this line: we base our feelings about people and happenings solely on our observations, or what we perceive as our observations...a...more
I always enjoy Elizabeth Berg's books and this one was no exception...it's a very quick read with an easy plot...so won't spend much time giving away things in it. Just this line: we base our feelings about people and happenings solely on our observations, or what we perceive as our observations...a...more
This is my favorite book! For some reason I love stories that are told thru the eyes of a child like this one partly is. I think Elizabeth Berg is one of the best authors out there today and have been rarely disappointed by her books. This is a great story of family and the relationships between sisters and mothers and daughters.
Another masterpiece by Elizabeth Berg. Her characters are so believable. Her mom-daughter(s) relationship rings so true. She is a master storyteller and uses accurate details and descriptions from the 50's and 60's to lead the reader. This is my fifth and so far, favorite, of Berg's novels. Compelling scenario. Just read it!
I liked this story - to me it was a reminder that forgiveness is so important and yet so hard for so many of us. Although it might sound a little incredible not to forgive someone for 35 years, I think Ginny (unfortunately) needed that time to get to the point where she could forgive. A lesson here for sure - what if her mother had died before forgiveness had taken place?I could relate to the sisters (although I am the older one in our family) - they shared a closeness and sameness but were ver...more
i was disappointed by the book - the story is compelling, but the author was a nasty little habit of nicely showing, then laboriously telling what the reader already understands quite nicely. It is as thought she doesn't trust the reader - or herself - to manage without an excess of words.
There were aspects I liked and aspects I didn't. Maybe I felt bitter, coming off of some hard publishing house rejections for my own novel. But I kept wondering, "Is this what passes for good writing these days?" It's not that suspenseful of a plot, the writing isn't that amazing; I think the main focus is the characters, and they were a bit insipid.
With so many kid-based chapters, I am kind of surprised this didn't pass for Young Adult fiction (it reminded me a bit of FLIPPED), except that she...more
With so many kid-based chapters, I am kind of surprised this didn't pass for Young Adult fiction (it reminded me a bit of FLIPPED), except that she...more
A little nugget of perspective on a mother and the two daughters (Sharla and Ginny) she leaves behind in order to find herself - told from Ginny's point of view. The chapters alternate between the voices of young Ginny and modern-day, adult Ginny who is on her way to see her mother after a 35-year separation. As the story builds, the questions "Why?" and "How could a mother leave?" bear down heavily and imminently.
So, Ginny reflects and realizes. My favorite passages (p. 228):
"I just remember...more
So, Ginny reflects and realizes. My favorite passages (p. 228):
"I just remember...more
I really enjoy Elizabeth Berg. Again, in this novel, she makes me care deeply about the character and empathize and hurt and laugh with the character. No matter what age her character is, she makes them relatable to me. In this case, the narrative is largely seen through the eyes of a 12 year old whose world is falling apart.
Berg captures the essence of what it means to be 12, and her writing was intelligent, but she was thinking like a 12 year old.
The only issue I had, was that I felt that the...more
Berg captures the essence of what it means to be 12, and her writing was intelligent, but she was thinking like a 12 year old.
The only issue I had, was that I felt that the...more
Elizabeth Berg is an easy read, which doesn't mean it's just an okay book. She's user friendly as far as fiction, but once you pick up a book, you can't put it down. The story always goes quickly, and as a reader, I am immediately with our heroine or whomever. Her latest is dealing with mother loss, sister, a view form a 12 year old and into maturity. She's terrific with dialogue and description, and every book is just an all around good read. In the back is stuff for book clubs; i haven't read...more
Elizabeth Berg writes a story about 2 sisters who grow up thinking that their mother had abandoned them. They moved on with their father and eventually he remarried and they lived happily ever after. Or did they? The book takes place in an era when there were certain roles that women were expected to fill. Any variations from the norm were net with speculations that many times were false. Women who couldn't live within these confines had the choice to either stay and suffer in silence or do the...more
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Apr 25, 2011
Mom
added it
Recommends it for:
Any woman who enjoys a good family story
Recommended to Mom by:
Library
I really like this author -- like the way she writes. Her books have been mentioned on Oprah.
When I finished this book, I felt sad that is was done with. I enjoyed it and toward the end kept thinking about how I raised my children and how they relate to me. The many references and memores of Gerry regaring her family included the different night they set aside for correspondence (they would write letters to their grandparents), vocabulary night (they would come ot the dinner table prepared with...more
When I finished this book, I felt sad that is was done with. I enjoyed it and toward the end kept thinking about how I raised my children and how they relate to me. The many references and memores of Gerry regaring her family included the different night they set aside for correspondence (they would write letters to their grandparents), vocabulary night (they would come ot the dinner table prepared with...more
A look at the lives of two young girls growing up in a family life they don't quite understand. The girls think they have the worst mom on earth after their childhood and the story is told through flashbacks to why they hate their mother.
Sometimes things are not what they seem and we hold on to baggage a lot longer than we should. One of the lines that I loved in this book was something along the lines of we only truly grow up when we forgive our parents. This book is that process for Ginny and...more
Sometimes things are not what they seem and we hold on to baggage a lot longer than we should. One of the lines that I loved in this book was something along the lines of we only truly grow up when we forgive our parents. This book is that process for Ginny and...more
So many emotions running as I read this book. Felt anger, disappointment and at times hatred for the mom. But then in finishing the story my opinion changed. Tears filled my eyes as I read the last couple chapters of the book. Great story about the freedom that moms sometimes want, but put aside for their family's sake. Hmm, that was a pretty daring mom for the 1950s - kudos to her! From the book: "I am wondering, what is it that we ask of our mothers: what do they owe us? What is it that we owe...more
Such a heartbreaking story, and a compelling one, but this is still among my least favorite of Elizabeth Berg’s books. It moves back and forth between the protagonist’s memories of the time that her mother left, and the present day which consists of ludicrously unrealistic scenes on an airplane—written as though the author had never been on a plane or spoken to a stranger herself. And I felt no sympathy for her mother’s decisions, and didn’t find her rationale for leaving her daughters at all be...more
This is a great read-in-one day while sitting at the pool book. Berg knows how to create characters that tug at your heart strings and make you die laughing at the same time. I give this book three stars because it is not a book that will stay with me for years to come. It was a pretty good story about two girls with a seemingly normal early childhood in the 1950s who lose their mother out of no where. Thirty-five years later, the two girl decide they are ready to face her. I recommend this for...more
Mommy's Day Out Book discussion for March 2011. Good reviews from all participants! Elizabeth Berg wins us all.
**
Her dedication says "To women who risk telling the hard truths"
Favorite quotes:
"Whenever I see a sight like these clouds, I think maybe everyone is wrong; maybe you can walk on air. Maybe we should just try. Everything could have changed without our noticing. Laws of physics, I mean. Why not? I want it to be true that such miracles occur" (3).
"It can hurt you, remembering - the shock...more
**
Her dedication says "To women who risk telling the hard truths"
Favorite quotes:
"Whenever I see a sight like these clouds, I think maybe everyone is wrong; maybe you can walk on air. Maybe we should just try. Everything could have changed without our noticing. Laws of physics, I mean. Why not? I want it to be true that such miracles occur" (3).
"It can hurt you, remembering - the shock...more
I like this author's style of writing, especially all the little details she adds that not only ring true but also help me identify with the main character and with those she describes through her. The honesty in the main character's depiction of herself and others is almost painful at times. I do feel that the author tends to write for women who are fairly affluent, though, with whom I do not identify, and that makes me uneasy. She's fairly snobbish, and sometimes has her protagonist admit this...more
This is the first time I've read a book from this author, and I will look for more books from her. I loved her writing style. The book raised some interesting issues about being true to your dreams, what you're willing to give up to achieve them, what a mother owes to her children, how children choose to see their mothers, what they need from them, how the relationship impacts their lives and the manner in which they parent their own children, and how the parent-child relationship may evolve ove...more
I enjoyed getting to interview Ms. Berg in-person, in 2001, when she released "Never Change". She'd already been an Oprah Book Club("Open House") pick.
This book, "What We Keep", is incredibly effective at showing us how very poorly we are at relating to, and actually understanding, one another.She manages to make us weep and laugh in the same sentence.
Acclaimed novelist Andre' Dubus describes Elizabeth Berg as one who"...writes with humor and a big heart about resilience, love and hope. And the...more
This book, "What We Keep", is incredibly effective at showing us how very poorly we are at relating to, and actually understanding, one another.She manages to make us weep and laugh in the same sentence.
Acclaimed novelist Andre' Dubus describes Elizabeth Berg as one who"...writes with humor and a big heart about resilience, love and hope. And the...more
This is my favorite of Elizabeth Berg's books. I've read many of her works, and usually I'm left feeling satisfied, but not incredibly so. They're just good and not great. This one stands out in my mind, though. This one was great.
This one really pulled me in emotionally. I understood all sides of the story. Everyone was likeable, everyone was believable, and you desperately wanted everyone to be happy, even though you knew they couldn't.
I would recommend this one, for sure. It's a great little...more
This one really pulled me in emotionally. I understood all sides of the story. Everyone was likeable, everyone was believable, and you desperately wanted everyone to be happy, even though you knew they couldn't.
I would recommend this one, for sure. It's a great little...more
Struggle with the premise of a mom abandoning her children. My own personal story as a strong single mom gets in my way of empathizing with this character.
The mom: I thought my leaving would be like a break in the circle of you girls and me, that I'd come back and still have a place. But the circle closed and I was on the outside, and I couldn't get back in.
Thye girl: (she couldn't give) her mother the thing she wanted most, to move back inside me to the lit place she used to occupy. That plac...more
The mom: I thought my leaving would be like a break in the circle of you girls and me, that I'd come back and still have a place. But the circle closed and I was on the outside, and I couldn't get back in.
Thye girl: (she couldn't give) her mother the thing she wanted most, to move back inside me to the lit place she used to occupy. That plac...more
What's not to like? I'm a tried and true Berg fan. A woman goes back to visit her mother whom she's estranged from for 35 years, and we find out why as the story unfolds and Berg uses flashback into the minds of two 12 year old sisters.
How a mother might find herself emeshed with another woman of exotic beauty and intelligence, is something we find out as we go backwards into a simplier time of youth.
Fast-paced, without too many annoying plot points, and character-driven, it's an excellently con...more
How a mother might find herself emeshed with another woman of exotic beauty and intelligence, is something we find out as we go backwards into a simplier time of youth.
Fast-paced, without too many annoying plot points, and character-driven, it's an excellently con...more
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Elizabeth Berg is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including We Are All Welcome Here, The Year of Pleasures, The Art of Mending, Say When, True to Form, Never Change, and Open House, which was an Oprah’s Book Club selection in 2000. Durable Goods and Joy School were selected as ALA Best Books of the Year, and Talk Before Sleep was short-listed for the ABBY Award in 1996. The w...more
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“I am thinking about the way that life can be so slippery; the way that a twelve-year-old girl looking into the mirror to count freckles reaches out toward herself and that reflection has turned into that of a woman on her wedding day, righting her veil. And how, when that bride blinks, she reopens her eyes to see a frazzled young mother trying to get lipstick on straight for the parent/teacher conference that starts in three minutes. And how after that young woman bends down to retrieve the wild-haired doll her daughter has left on the bathroom floor, she rises up to a forty-seven-year-old, looking into the mirror to count age spots.”
—
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