Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
54th out of 80 books
—
8 voters
Sleep Toward Heaven
by
Amanda Eyre Ward (Goodreads Author)
Amanda Eyre Ward's debut novel is an intimate portrait of three women whose lives collide during a brutal Texas summer.
In Gatestown, Texas, twenty-nine-year-old Karen Lowens awaits her execution with a host of convicted serial killers on death row. In Manhattan, Dr. Franny Wren, also twenty-nine, tends to a young cancer patient, and resists the urge to run from her fiance...more
In Gatestown, Texas, twenty-nine-year-old Karen Lowens awaits her execution with a host of convicted serial killers on death row. In Manhattan, Dr. Franny Wren, also twenty-nine, tends to a young cancer patient, and resists the urge to run from her fiance...more
Paperback, 294 pages
Published
February 17th 2004
by Harper Perennial
(first published January 1st 2003)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,875)
This is an amazing book. After having read and enjoyed Ward’s How to Be Lost, I went looking for her first novel, Sleep Towards Heaven. I am glad that I did. Sleep Towards Heaven takes place in Texas and examines the morality and far-reaching implications of the death penalty in a moving, yet relatively unbiased, manner.
The story is told from the perspective of three women: Celia, the librarian whose husband was murdered; Karen, a serial killer on death row; and Franny, a doctor whose life becom...more
The story is told from the perspective of three women: Celia, the librarian whose husband was murdered; Karen, a serial killer on death row; and Franny, a doctor whose life becom...more
Beautifully written novel about the lives of three women - Karen, on death row for murdering several men, Celia, a widow whose husband was killed by Karen and Franny, a doctor trying to make Karen's last days more humane. It is a story of forgiveness, what it means to forgive others and how to forgive yourself. My favorite line (page 44): "When do you stop trusting your instinct to run? Franny wondered. When do you accept that you will never feel at home no matter where you go? When do you just...more
This book is one to make you think after reading it. I chose the book because a friend of my brother's wrote it and it sounded interesting. However, until half way through it, I was not particularly impressed. I had trouble keeping up with the characters, who are all very damaged. Each chapter is about one of them and titled with the character's name, but the story is not first person. However, what changed my opinion is the last quarter of the book, when all the strings of the character's stori...more
This one will take you on a painful journey of the meaning of life, death and forgiveness; which is so individual and complex. The story centers on death row inmate women, their warden, a disheartened doctor and the victims families. This is a Thought provoking study of the pain their crimes cause the victims families and themselves. I question the value of years of waiting to be executed and the impact it has on both the inmates and the victims families. I didn't feel pity for the women who wer...more
The book is written from three different ladies' perspectives and you know from the beginning that the three women are all linked together but you don't know how. Right off the bat, you find out how Karen and Celia are linked then towards the middle of the book you figure out how Karen and Franny are linked. I couldn't put the book down because I couldn't figure out how Celia and Franny tied together. You keep reading it until you find out how and then the book goes down that lane of predictable...more
A very postmodern book, if only in its undertones. This was a surprisingly quick read which I devoured in a single afternoon. An engrossing storyline, a triangle between three women: a prisoner on Death Row, a doctor, and a librarian. At first they seem to be randomly thrown together but their connection is revealed soon enough. You won't be able to put it down after that.
As a native Texan, I enjoyed the well-reasearched bits about Huntsville, the prisons, and the death sentence. Texas executes...more
As a native Texan, I enjoyed the well-reasearched bits about Huntsville, the prisons, and the death sentence. Texas executes...more
Writing a novel about Death Row is a tricky thing, like walking tightrope on barbed wire.
Pop cult depictions of prisoners awaiting execution often have a hard time balancing pompous pulpit-pounding (as with movies like Dead Man Walking or The Life of David Gale) with the unglossed nitty-gritty (as in HBO's Oz or Norman Mailer's The Executioner's Song). We're either awash in pathos or grime. And what about humor? Isn't there a place for a couple of laughs on Death Row?
Amanda Eyre Ward rises to th...more
Pop cult depictions of prisoners awaiting execution often have a hard time balancing pompous pulpit-pounding (as with movies like Dead Man Walking or The Life of David Gale) with the unglossed nitty-gritty (as in HBO's Oz or Norman Mailer's The Executioner's Song). We're either awash in pathos or grime. And what about humor? Isn't there a place for a couple of laughs on Death Row?
Amanda Eyre Ward rises to th...more
This was a good book - though I did enjoy How To Be Lost a lot more. The characters in this novel were quite strong, and there was definitely a high emotional appeal, but the plot was very predictable. The biggest (and most shocking) drawback to the whole novel was Karen. Her entire crime wave as well as personal life was completely lifted from Aileen Wuornos's life. Ward hardly put any spin on that true story at all (other than change Karen's race) to make her story unique. I wouldn't have been...more
This book is a really good, fast read on a lazy summer afternoon. The stories of the 3 women are intertwined very well, 3 perspectives on the same issue. The murderer on death row, soon to be exectuted for her crimes, one of them being the killing of the small-town librarian's husband; the librarian herself, trying to put her life back together and figure out if this execution will provide her with any feeling that justice has been done since her husband will be dead no matter what; and the doct...more
On Death Row, the women all named by the media, The Black Widow, the Highway Honey, the Hairdresser of Death and the Satan Killer. They have their real names, too.
As you meet each one, you also meet Franny Wren, a TX native who was transplanted in NYC. A doctor who suddenly finds herself running from her (unmatched) fiance, facing her emotional limits as a doctor, breaking the engagement and returning to her hometown in TX, after her Uncle Jack passes away.
She returns to TX unsure and uncaring...more
As you meet each one, you also meet Franny Wren, a TX native who was transplanted in NYC. A doctor who suddenly finds herself running from her (unmatched) fiance, facing her emotional limits as a doctor, breaking the engagement and returning to her hometown in TX, after her Uncle Jack passes away.
She returns to TX unsure and uncaring...more
Originally I stayed away from this author becuase I thought she was another Anita Shreve or Carol Goodman.
But I actually couldn't put this book down. It's Ward's first novel, and it has that first-novel cautiously lovely language mixed with first-novel sort of cliche but why the hell not? language. There's a subtle kind of danger in the prose. And the women are not just tough because they choose to have a lot of casual sex and decide not to have children.
But I actually couldn't put this book down. It's Ward's first novel, and it has that first-novel cautiously lovely language mixed with first-novel sort of cliche but why the hell not? language. There's a subtle kind of danger in the prose. And the women are not just tough because they choose to have a lot of casual sex and decide not to have children.
This is a beautiful story about Karen-who has a horrible upbringing, ends up prostituting and being in love with Ellen and ends up killing for money so she can buy things for Ellen to 'prove her love.' Karen is on death row at Mountain View Jail. She has AIDS. Franny is a doctor who's parents both died early in her life and she was raised by her uncle who is Dr. Wren. He works at the Mountain View Jail and ends up dying midway through the book and brings Franny to Texas. Franny breaks off her en...more
I couldn't put it down. The writing is spare and powerful, beautiful, never a word too many or wrongly put. We follow 5 fictional women on death row in Texas, their crimes terrible. We also follow a doctor who works in the prison, and the wife of a victim. We explore hope and hopelessness, hatred and forgiveness, life and death. I don't think everything can or should be forgiven, but I recognize the redemptive power of forgiveness and it is brought out perfectly in this book. The woman on death...more
The only reason for two stars for this book is that it really gave my book club a lot to discuss; however, it was the topic of the book (not the book itself) that led to all the discussion. I personally felt the book was a little weak. I didn't like the character of Franny at all; difficult to believe she was a doctor - she was so wishy washy and tremulous all the time.
No matter how hard the author tried to make the reader feel sorry for the girls on death row, I just can't waste my sorrow and...more
No matter how hard the author tried to make the reader feel sorry for the girls on death row, I just can't waste my sorrow and...more
Wow. What an absolutely amazing book. I didn't really know what to expect from this book. I got it for Christmas many years ago and never went back to it. Now I am saddened that it took me so long to read this wonderful story.
The three main characters – Karen, Celia, and Franny – were so vivid and relatable. I absolutely loved them. Even the secondary characters had a special place in my heart. Once I picked up this book, I was unable to put it down. Left me crying one moment and then laughing....more
The three main characters – Karen, Celia, and Franny – were so vivid and relatable. I absolutely loved them. Even the secondary characters had a special place in my heart. Once I picked up this book, I was unable to put it down. Left me crying one moment and then laughing....more
For the last two days I've been living with women on Death Row. It's very loud. The TV is blaring almost constantly. The doors slam open and slam closed. People yell and scream and bang on their cell bars with their trays, anything that will clang. We are never alone. When we think we might be alone we are being watched on screen, remotely. We are strip-searched every 2 or 3 days. Except for a few guards and the doctor, we are considered dead meat. Pre-dead meat.
This bitch killed my husband. Tho...more
This bitch killed my husband. Tho...more
Ward's writing style wasn't all that impressive in prose, but it was so simple and I found it very easy to relate to what she wrote about. She didn't use huge words or bury the meaning in pretentious sentences. She just told it like it was.
The plot was very clever... parts of it were predictable, but not in a bad way. I really liked getting to know the three different characters, and now that I'm trying my own hand at writing a book, I appreciate more an author's ability to fully develop the cha...more
The plot was very clever... parts of it were predictable, but not in a bad way. I really liked getting to know the three different characters, and now that I'm trying my own hand at writing a book, I appreciate more an author's ability to fully develop the cha...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I mentioned this book briefly in my last post, but this makes it official.
Sleep Toward Heaven was quite good, actually. My friend Tim the Librarian says that stories with intersecting lives are "hot right now," and Sleep Toward Heaven tells the tale of three women: a convicted serial killer awaiting execution, a doctor in Manhattan running away from her life, and a librarian (not Tim) mourning the loss of her husband. How these three women connect and how their lives are changes by their interac...more
Sleep Toward Heaven was quite good, actually. My friend Tim the Librarian says that stories with intersecting lives are "hot right now," and Sleep Toward Heaven tells the tale of three women: a convicted serial killer awaiting execution, a doctor in Manhattan running away from her life, and a librarian (not Tim) mourning the loss of her husband. How these three women connect and how their lives are changes by their interac...more
Ce livre, en réalité je l'ai lu en anglais, et relu en français quelques années plus tard car il m'avait bouleversé et je voulais être certaine d'en avoir compris le sens et la profondeur. le thème de l'histoire pourrait vous sembler sombre et rébarbatif et c'est tout le contraire, c'est un livre sur l'espoir, le pardon, la rédemption. A travers les histoires et les destins croisés de ces trois femmes, à travers leurs choix, leurs rencontres on découvre trois vies cassées qui vont se reconstruir...more
Powerful, thought provoking, well written. One of the best in a while. The characters were well defined with physical and emotional detail, the predicament of being on death row was one of those things we rarely think about and yet drawing the reader in. It reminded me of seeing a horrible accident where your pulse races and you know there is blood, you don't want to look but you want to know "what happened? are they dead?"
I had not read this author before and I must say that I am not a big fan...more
I had not read this author before and I must say that I am not a big fan...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I went back to read this after reading another of her novels and felt it was very well done for a first novel even though it does include the typical "parents died in a car crash when she was young" detail.
Writing about the many complexities of grief and forgiveness is not for the faint of heart. For the most part the book is well-paced and compellingly written. You gain a sense of the characters without lots of words.
I love that not everything is tied up nicely in a bow at the end of the book...more
Writing about the many complexities of grief and forgiveness is not for the faint of heart. For the most part the book is well-paced and compellingly written. You gain a sense of the characters without lots of words.
I love that not everything is tied up nicely in a bow at the end of the book...more
This is the book club choice this month. Not a feel good book by any means but probably accurate. It follows 3 women whose lives intertwine though they don't all meet each other until the end. Karen is on death row for killing multiple men. Franny is a doctor who ends up working at the women's prison following the death of her uncle. Celia is the widow of one of the men Karen killed. They are all very sad people for different reasons. It's set in Texas and it has made me want to do some research...more
2.5 stars. I don't really have much to say about Sleep Toward Heaven. I thought it was fine & whatnot. For me, this was another book where I was interested, but didn't care. I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters. I wanted to feel sorry for the women on death row, but I didn't. Probably because of the lack of connection. I kept thinking, that death row was a short wait in this book. It seems in real life that people are on death row FOREVER before they are actually executed. Kar...more
The lives of three women unbeknownst to one another intersect in Gatestown, Texas over the course of one summer. Karen Lowens awaits her death sentence, Celia Mills continues to suffer the loss of her husband at the hands of Karen Lowens, and Dr. Franny Wren begins to heal following the breakup of her impending marriage as she volunteers to treat death row inmates. Each chapter alternates from the perspective of the three main characters. The power of love, loss, friendship, and faith are explor...more
I am really enjoying this book thus far. The characters are well developed and easy to relate too.
Update:
I read this book in 2 days. There was never a lull in the book which allowed me to breeze through it easily. I loved the 3 woman and their stories that all came together so nicely in the end.
The story is based around one woman on death row and how her story evolved around two other woman. I really appreciated that the author didn't try to push their beliefs or opinions about death sentences...more
Update:
I read this book in 2 days. There was never a lull in the book which allowed me to breeze through it easily. I loved the 3 woman and their stories that all came together so nicely in the end.
The story is based around one woman on death row and how her story evolved around two other woman. I really appreciated that the author didn't try to push their beliefs or opinions about death sentences...more
This one doesn't come together until the very end. I mean, the last two pages or so. It's very good when it finally does, but I wish the author had elaborated more on how all the stories connected and how significant these strangers actually are to each other. There are also quite a few grammatical errors in this book. Other than that I have no complaints, it was a great story. Ward has a very descriptive and enticing writing style. It didn't take me long to finish this one because I had a hard...more
Published in 2004, this is Amanda Eyre Ward's first novel and my first experience of the author.
Essentially the story of three very different women who don't know each other personally, yet find that their lives become connected.
Karen is on Death Row, she is a convicted murderer and her execution is imminent. Franny lives in New York, she's a doctor and engaged to be married and Celia is a young widow. Each of the three women have their own sorrows and life is a struggle for them. Each of them...more
Essentially the story of three very different women who don't know each other personally, yet find that their lives become connected.
Karen is on Death Row, she is a convicted murderer and her execution is imminent. Franny lives in New York, she's a doctor and engaged to be married and Celia is a young widow. Each of the three women have their own sorrows and life is a struggle for them. Each of them...more
First let me say that I did not enjoy Amanda Eyre Ward's first novel (Sleep Toward Heaven) nearly as much as her second (How to Be Lost). The prose in this book is rich and the story is compelling, but I had major issues with the characters.
The novel follows the lives of three women, who are all presented separately in the beginning. As the story progresses, we discover the vivid ways their lives are intertwined. Karen is a death row inmate, Franny is a doctor who is struggling with her career a...more
The novel follows the lives of three women, who are all presented separately in the beginning. As the story progresses, we discover the vivid ways their lives are intertwined. Karen is a death row inmate, Franny is a doctor who is struggling with her career a...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Amanda Eyre Ward was born in New York City in 1972. Her family moved to Rye, New York when she was four. Amanda attended Kent School in Kent, CT, where she wrote for the Kent News.
Amanda majored in English and American Studies at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She studied fiction writing with Jim Shepard and spent her junior fall in coastal Kenya. She worked part-time at the Will...more
More about Amanda Eyre Ward...
Amanda majored in English and American Studies at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She studied fiction writing with Jim Shepard and spent her junior fall in coastal Kenya. She worked part-time at the Will...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Oct 07, 2010 08:37am