Commuters

Nov 03, 2012 Teresa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wanting to read a local author, I bought this book, as a trip souvenir, last month in a great little bookstore on No. Broadway in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. I was disappointed when I realized it wasn't set in Chicago at all (a couple of characters are from Chicago, but they don't return there in print), but that was my assumption (thinking there would be 'commutes' between Chicago and NY), so I can't blame the author.

I almost abandoned it several pages in, thinking it wasn't for me (e...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Jean V. Naggar Literary rated it 5 of 5 stars

“Tedrowe...shows great promise in her compassionate, nuanced depiction of love--among the old and young alike--and her confident handling of alternating, multigenerational narrators.” --Publisher's Weekly

“Tedrowe is an exceptionally adept first-time novelist, creating a thoroughly engrossing plot, redolent settings, and intriguing characters coping valiantly with fear, terrible decisions, and the bewitchment of money. Tedrowe’s tale of family conflict, shelter, love, and loss is suspenseful, fun...more “Tedrowe...shows great promise in her compassionate, nuanced depiction of love--among the old and young alike--and her confident handling of alternating, multigenerational narrators.” --Publisher's Weekly

“Tedrowe is an exceptionally adept first-time novelist, creating a thoroughly engrossing plot, redolent settings, and intriguing characters coping valiantly with fear, terrible decisions, and the bewitchment of money. Tedrowe’s tale of family conflict, shelter, love, and loss is suspenseful, funny, and tender.” --Booklist

“In her wonderfully cohesive debut novel, short-story writer Tedrowe graduates to elegant novelist with a winding, convincing familial drama about the ties that bind and the bonds that bend to the breaking point....From her first steps into the story, Winnie is the most winning member of a multifaceted cast....the author’s deft handling of a large and distinctive cast should win raves from those who revel in this sort of ensemble crazy quilt. A lovely and literate family drama that wins bonus points for its sincerity and open-hearted delivery.” --Kirkus

“[Has] the tenderness, imagination and perspicacity of the best fiction....Judgments change. Assumptions are challenged. Justice is done where it matters. --Chicago Tribune

"The story is told in a precise style, clear as glass, with unnerving insights about what people will do for love and the unexpected anger that can be prompted by a spouse’s illness." --Chicago Sun-Times

“The reader feels sympathy for Tedrowe's characters, even when they behave badly, and through the various threads, Tedrowe reminds us that love transcends social and monetary boundaries....This New England family drama will be a good book club selection.” --Library Journal

“Tedrowe writes beautifully about money. Reading these absorbing pages, I couldn't help longing for each of her richly imagined characters to get his or her heart's desire. A deeply satisfying debut.” --Margot Livesey, author of THE HOUSE ON FORTUNE STREET

"Fantastic. This is the kind of book you would imagine Virginia Woolf might write were she with us is the 21st century: brand new, relentlessly funny, deeply insightful, and fearless in its exploration of people's private lives." -- Patrick Sommerville, author of THE CRADLE(less)

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Jul 24, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

OK- so the story basically is following three characters, Winnie (the new bride at 78), Rachel (Winnie's daughter), and Avery (Jerry's grandson, fresh out of rehab). I have to be honest (because I'm nothing if not honest)- I really disliked Winnie and Rachel. I liked Avery because I felt, at the core, he really wanted to be a better person, that he was aware of the things around him and he wanted to be better. Winnie, while I think it's kind of sweet that old people fall in love and get married,...more OK- so the story basically is following three characters, Winnie (the new bride at 78), Rachel (Winnie's daughter), and Avery (Jerry's grandson, fresh out of rehab). I have to be honest (because I'm nothing if not honest)- I really disliked Winnie and Rachel. I liked Avery because I felt, at the core, he really wanted to be a better person, that he was aware of the things around him and he wanted to be better. Winnie, while I think it's kind of sweet that old people fall in love and get married, is selfish. She is so fixated on building a pool, while removing a super old tree that is important to the community, just so Jerry can swim and feel better. I mean, I understand that swimming helps relieve aches and pains. I get it. But realistically? I have to think that most seniors understand that their time to die is coming soon. And I think her fixation on this pool and how unrealistic the dream is really stole her time with Jerry. It's like she couldn't really get beyond it. As a reader, it was really frustrating to me because I just wanted to shake her shoulders. In retrospect, maybe it was a way for her to cope with the inevitable loss of Jerry? I don't know- but it drove me nuts.

But Rachel. Oy. I really disliked her character. Not only was she mean to her husband, who survived a devastating accident that affected him permanently, but she was selfish. She's the type of person that is materialistic and more concerned about what people thought of her and her family than looking at what was truly important. And it's sad because everybody knows at least one person like this.

While I really started out disliking two of the main characters, I could really relate to the relationship between Winnie and Rachel. It echoed a lot of the things about the relationship I have with my own mom. Specifically times when Rachel questions her mother's motives and realizes she really doesn't know her mother. At another point Winnie realizes that through her pool project she either looks past Rachel's marriage which is on the rocks or doesn't see it in the first place. And honestly? It hit home.

I consider my mom and I to be close, but at the end of the day I wonder. I mean, she doesn't really know who my friends are, the things that make me tick, the things in my heart, the fears I have for the future. She doesn't understand why I do or say the things I do. And in turn, I don't really know my mom. Just because you've lived with someone for 28 years doesn't mean you know them. I don't know a lot about my mom after she had me. I hear childhood stories and I know some things from when I was little but there's a point in the timeline where I know nothing. And one of my fears is that someday, when she's gone, I'm going to find all of these things out and I'll feel sad that I never got to have a discussion with my mom. And it's nuts because there could be nothing there and it's all in my head, but what if there's something? So I felt like Winnie and Rachel are the same. While you just wish Rachel would wake up and appreciate her husband, her children, and the life they've built- you kind of know she won't.

And I have to say, without giving too much of the ending away, the way the Jerry character is phased out? Annoying. I honestly would have liked to have more Winnie vs. Annette (Jerry's daughter)- at least Annette hear some of the reasoning. I don't know- but I wish that character had been developed a little more.

I want to touch on Avery's character too. I loved Avery. He'd be the kind of guy, if I were single and dating, that I would automatically be drawn to. Kind of a bad boy, although recovering, a sensitive soul, the kind of guy you just want to hold his face and tell him he's special. He sounds dreamy. :) And I loved his relationship with Nona (his girlfriend) and the ending for his character? Fabulous. It almost feels like Avery & Nona could have their own book and I think that's a sign of some great character building- when you want to see more of them.

So in closing, this falls under my "good read" category. I really liked it, it made me look at the relationships in my life a little different. It was kind of nice to be able to step back and look at the same type relationship but as a third party. Maybe it's what I needed.(less)

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Feb 20, 2012 Andrea rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

The storyline itself was good: a 78-year-old widow marries a rich widower, and all sorts of family drama ensues. It's told from 3 perspectives: the grandmother's, her daughter's, and her step-grandson's. Takes place in a suburb of New York.

But there were several problems with the book, the least of which is that it left a few plot lines hanging. It felt sloppy and hurried at times, like the book was rushed to publication, for reasons I can't understand why. It was a debut, so maybe that's why? S...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

I almost ended up not participating in this tour because of some postal mishaps that led me to initially not receive this book. But thankfully everyone involved made sure I was still able to get a copy of this debut which I'm thankful for because I would have really missed out had I not read this one.

Commuters tells the story of a family of three generations -- it begins with the wedding of Winnie and Jerry, a widow and widower in their late 70's. It's an elaborate wedding, at least considerably...more I almost ended up not participating in this tour because of some postal mishaps that led me to initially not receive this book. But thankfully everyone involved made sure I was still able to get a copy of this debut which I'm thankful for because I would have really missed out had I not read this one.

Commuters tells the story of a family of three generations -- it begins with the wedding of Winnie and Jerry, a widow and widower in their late 70's. It's an elaborate wedding, at least considerably so for their ages -- according to most of the younger characters in the story. One of the main issues with this new family is the financial aspect -- Jerry is apparently a wealthy man whose money his daughter, Annette, fears will be distributed otherwise than the initial plan. This leads her to make decisions that only tear her and her father apart, and put strain on the rest of the family. But Winnie's children (well, really just her daughter, Rachel) aren't too much better. They are dealing with their own family turmoil after Rachel's husband suffers a mysterious injury. And then there's Winnie, herself, adjusting to her new way of living and insisting on building an underground pool in her front yard.

It's difficult to describe this story and its plot because of its quiet, observant nature. Not that it's devoid of plot, because that's not the case; instead, it's more broad; it's about a family and their difficulties adjusting to changes in their lives -- changes which are enhanced by the marriage of the grandparents but which really just shines a light on what issues were there all along. And though this didn't affect my reading of it, it's also difficult for me to relate, personally, to any of the characters because of my own family situation. I am in a small family with little to no interaction with any extended relatives; therefore, the dynamics of all three generations were those that I'm unfamiliar with but that, I think, others who can relate would appreciate.

Along those lines, I'm very unfamiliar with talk of money and wills and who's going to be in the will, etc. though I've had these conversations with friends. All those thoughts are so surreal to me. Maybe it's because I'm not from a wealthy family, but this aspect of the family was fascinating to me -- it's hard for me to imagine having a care or thought about that, but for some families it must be significant... SO THEN imagine your elderly parent basically marrying into another family and how difficult it must be in that sense... forget that you're in your 40's and now have new step-siblings...

Anyway, the story is told in 3rd person but from three different points of view: Winnie, the grandmother and new bride; Rachel, her daughter and wife to a man who is no longer working due to that mysterious but significant injury he sustained; and Avery, the young man looking for meaning in his new adult life. (He lives in New York City so that was a surprise treat for me in this book... hehe).

The author, Emily Gray Tedrowe, truly did an excellent job with this book; the writing was great and everything was well-paced. And I truly liked the characters and wanted to continue on to see what happened to them. Ironically, I think my least favorite character was the elderly grandfather, Jerry... I don't necessarily think he was meant to be portrayed in a negative light, but I didn't like the role he assumed in the marriage. He seemed sort of controlling to me, sort of like his wife was not an equal in the marriage -- maybe this is due to their age and what they were used to... not sure. But then my favorite character was the 20-year-old Avery. He's sort of stuck in the middle of his mother, Annette, who is not a likable character, but one I bet many can relate to, and his grandfather.

Ah, now I seem to be rambling. Basically, if you like enjoyable characters or stories of "family portraits" and the dynamics among family members, you can't go wrong with this thoroughly satisfying, observant story of "commuters".

Taken from my blog at www.takemeawayreading.com (less)

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Feb 06, 2011 Kooheli rated it 3 of 5 stars

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

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Apr 03, 2011 Khaya rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: uncritical family drama fans seeking an undemanding read

Recommended to Khaya by: marg

Shelves: ebooks, situation-not-a-story

I think I'm just too picky.

I liked what this book was trying to do; trying being the operative word. Decent writing plus an interesting situation -- two people marry late in life and the ensuing family politics, with various family members and temperaments and complex situations -- should equal a good book. There were times when it almost did. Almost.

Winifred, the 78-year-old bride, is clearly meant to be a kicky old lady with no patience for social convention. She will insist on a traditional...more I think I'm just too picky.

I liked what this book was trying to do; trying being the operative word. Decent writing plus an interesting situation -- two people marry late in life and the ensuing family politics, with various family members and temperaments and complex situations -- should equal a good book. There were times when it almost did. Almost.

Winifred, the 78-year-old bride, is clearly meant to be a kicky old lady with no patience for social convention. She will insist on a traditional wedding with all the trimmings, her age and people's disapproval notwithstanding; she will cut down the sycamore in front of her house to make room for a swimming pool for her new husband, and to hell with the neighbors and the radical environmentalists who want to stop her (all of them, with their increasingly desperate tactics for which I had to suspend some disbelief)! She even gains the trust and admiration of her new step-grandson, a tough guy fresh from rehab, because she's spunky and cool and knows how to talk to him. It's not an unbelievable scenario; cool old people do exist. It was Winnie who never quite seemed real to me. For a richly drawn aging woman, see Olive Kitteridge; it was clear to me what Emily wanted Winnie to be, but it wasn't clear to me that Winnie actually was that.

Emily's heart was in the right place as she tried to craft a complex relationship between Winnie and her daughter Rachel, who was struggling with problems of her own -- a newly disabled husband and money troubles. But Rachel, too, didn't quite realize her potential as a multi-dimensional character and neither did her relationships, not with Winnie or her husband or anyone else. Other situations also carried unrealized potential for conflict -- Winnie's wealthy new husband's daughter, convinced that Winnie and her family were gold-diggers, made only token appearances; her son Avery's girlfriend and business difficulties also failed to drive the story the way they might have.

The book was readable enough, and worthy of three stars. You could definitely do worse if you're stuck on an airplane or a desert island. But if you have access to a wider book selection, you can probably do better.(less)

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Jul 17, 2010 Caitlin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

My mother's father died when I was 7 or 8. I remember going to Mississippi with my folks for the funeral and all the family being there and I especially remember my grandmother sending us all home shortly after the funeral. She said she needed to learn to live alone and the quicker she got started the easier it would be. In later years when people would ask her if she'd ever remarry she'd always say that she was very happy as it was and didn't need some old man to take care of. She continued tea...more

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Sep 20, 2010 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

If half-star ratings were possible, I'd give this 4 1/2. It doesn't quite make it to a 5-star rating.

The premise for this novel is a late-in-life marriage and its impact on the families of the bride and the groom. A wedding for people in the waning years of their lives is at once lovely and hopeful, and also bittersweet; time together is limited.

The narrative is told from three perspectives: Winnie, the 78-year old bride, Rachel, Winnie's middle-aged daughter, and Avery, Winnie's 20-something...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Marla rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2013

At seventy-eight, Winnie Easton has finally found love again with Jerry Trevis, a wealthy Chicago businessman who has moved to the small, upstate town of Hartfield, New York, to begin his life anew. But their decision to buy one of the town's biggest houses ignites anger and skepticism--as children and grandchildren take drastic actions to secure their own futures and endangered inheritances. With so much riding on Jerry's wealth, a decline in his physical health forces hard decisions on the fam...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Richda Mcnutt rated it 3 of 5 stars

When love comes to a couple in their late 70's and early 80's, who are previously married, parents, grandparents, with individual family and business encumberances - well, there's some good news and some bad news. Happily ever after has its limitations. The book is told from the viewpoints of a mother, a daughter, and a grandson - with appropriate age-related perspectives. There are intra- and inter-family conflicts that do not lead to acceptance of circumstances for each individual, but there i...more

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Feb 19, 2011 marg rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is more of a 3.5-er, bordering on 4 - but it rests on a shelf of books I enjoyed a lot but really can't recommend - this was an extensive, well written look at two families coming together when their elderly father/grandfather and mother/grandmother wed - and not all that much happens except the vicissitudes of life which I love but a lot of people might find boring. The characters are well sketched, the dialogue rings true and the conflicts - old and young, money and what it does to people...more

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Dec 12, 2010 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked this up at the library the other night and finished it this morning.

This was an easy book to fall into and breeze through--exactly what I was looking for. The story and the characters were interesting enough to compel me to finish the book. (I particularly liked Rachel and Avery as characters) But along the way, I found myself editing/rewriting some of the sentences to make them more crisp, less redundant. Arrogantly, I kept on saying to myself, "I can write better than this." And I los...more

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Aug 10, 2010 Brenda Rupp rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was sick while reading this so am a little foggy about the book. It held my interest while I was suffereing from asthma/allergy stuff. There were some surprises in this book, the interactions between family members after a late in life marriage of a man who knew he had a health problem he didn't share with his new wife. His daughter who wants to stop him from spending any of his money, etc., knows this. Below I'm Including the information from the back of the book. I figure any book that can p...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

The novel begins with the wedding of 78-year old Winnie and her new-found love Jerry. Their unexpected (especially to their children) late-in-life second marriages bring them profound happiness but cause Jerry's daughter Annette and Winnie's daughter Rachel considerable consternation. When health problems ensue shortly after the wedding, family dysfunction is seen through the eyes of Winnie, the bitter Rachel and Jerry's grandson, ex-drug addict and would-be chef Avery. In the end, each comes to...more

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Mar 03, 2011 Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Some spoilers here! Liked the chef Avery and Winnie the matriarch. Those characters grew the most and
I was rooting for them more than any of the other characters.
Could picture the grand house, tree and pool. Rachel annoyed me to no end.
Not sure a car accident can exacerbate Alzheimer's disease though Jerry may
have had a seizure due to his condition. That would be an Alzheimer's plateau - breaker.
What ever happened with the recording Rachel was making while she
tried to talk with Jerry? The last...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Jan Polep rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was roaring right along, enjoying the story of 2 seventy somethings who marry and bring family baggage of all kinds into their lives in a bedroom community north of NYC. EAch chapter is told from the point of view of either the grandmother/bride, daughter, or grandson. The grandfather/groom's money leads you to believe that everything will get straightened out if they just hit it with enough money. But no. As one character descends into dementia, another recovers a life lost...but it just wasn...more

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Sep 08, 2010 Charity rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I really found this book to be a breath of fresh air after some recent lackluster reads. I was quickly pulled into the story and became attached to the characters. However, I must say that I was disappointed that there wasn't an epilogue to give you closure. While I don't think things necessarily need to be wrapped up neatly with a little bow, having a better idea of what happened to the characters you've spent so much time with makes you stay connected to them, rather than feeling like the door...more

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Aug 02, 2010 Martha Davis rated it 4 of 5 stars

The idea of love in the Autumn/Winter of life is a very hopeful thing. The idea of marriage in the same stage of life is very brave. Here's the story of Winnie and Jerry and their decision to get married at well into their 70s and the repercussions that decision has on those around them.

Told from the points of view of Winnie, her daughter Rachel, and her step-grandson Avery ~ Commuters tells the story of our commute through life and how each of our commutes effects the others in our life.

I love...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Nfmarshall rated it 4 of 5 stars

I gave a number of copies of this to friends for Christmas. It's about life in New York and suburbs, focused on two families who merge as the octogenarian widow of one marries the similarly aged widower of the other. Interactions between generations of children and grandchildren fill the book, with rich descriptions of life in New York and a happy life for the elder newlyweds that is crafted and then hijacked as illness and frailty creep forward. Poignant, edgy, warm.

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Oct 18, 2011 Brian rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book was pretty abyssmal. I started reading it a few days ago, made it to page 200 and couldn't take it. The characters were extremely boring and flat. The plot is about a woman who marries a man very late in life, and the repurcussions. The story is told from varying viewpoints, including the woman who got married, her daughter, and the woman's husband's grandson. My issue was that none of these characters were interesting, fun, or likeable. I hope to read something better after this!!!

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Jun 15, 2011 Mars rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics-my-way, favorites, general, read-in-2011

I picked Commuters up on impulse at a recent literary festival, mostly because I liked the title and the fact that the author was from Chicago. I am so glad I did! The book was wonderful - emotionally engaging, vivid characters, and it just seemed so very real. Parts were a little disjointed, but I liked that and thought it added to the overall mood; life is often disjointed. The last third of the book brought all the pieces together beautifully. I look forward to reading this again soon, as wel...more

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Jul 16, 2010 Lizz rated it 4 of 5 stars

So far I'm loving Emily's debut novel. I am a huge fan of multi-generational, multi-character novels and she delivers in full with an interesting but not over-the-top cast of characters with whom readers can identify or at least identify in their own lives. A fresh breath of air from the usual multi-character family dramas that seem to believe kooky, quirky and delightfully odd are the way to go.

This would be a great book club read.

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Jan 13, 2011 Eliza rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, library-book

This book was full of a wide variety of characters, most of which were very well-wrought. I was very impressed by how well the author managed three totally different perspectives. I wish the character of Annette had been more fleshed out, though. She just seemed a force of irrational anger, which I thought was a bit of a cop out on the author's part.

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Apr 25, 2013 David Jay rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lovely, sweet story about a woman embarking on a second marriage and all the complications that entails. But what sets this book apart from a typical "chick lit" version of that story is that the main character, Winnie, the bride in the book's opening, is 78 years old. It was refreshing and so different to read a romantic novel (though this book is much more than that) where the protagonists are in their late 70s at least.

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Oct 13, 2011 Kathi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

There are many things that I loved about this book. The first sentence of the book is delightful: "It was a small-town June wedding, and the bride was seventy-eight." This is a multi-generational story told while focusing on three members of an extended family that formed when an elderly couple, each having lost his/her spouse, marry. There were cute and charming points in the story, and there were emotional and heart-breaking points in the story. It was just an enjoyable book that I was able to...more

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Jul 29, 2010 Tiffany rated it 4 of 5 stars

I purchased this one on a recent trip to San Francisco and finished it on the plane ride home. The story is told from the point of view of three characters and rotates through them as the plot develops. I enjoyed the author's portrayal of family life during complicated and stressful life events. It's a fun and quick read.

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Sep 20, 2010 Maria rated it 3 of 5 stars

A unique story that illuminates the changes that happen in one's life through various generations. I enjoyed the characters that were chosen to tell the story through. It gets three stars for the storyline and its uniqueness. However, it was not a book that I needed to devour.

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Oct 17, 2010 Tress Huntley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reading-list

The story of love found again late in life, and all its ensuing consequences. I found it to be a very touching story full of realism and honesty. I have chronic difficulties with the ambiguous endings of contemporary novels, and this book definitely fell into that category.

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Apr 28, 2012 JoAnne Pulcino rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction, book-club-selection, women-s

Ms. Tedrowes debut novel is a tale of family conflict, love and loss.
When Winnie McClelland, a 78 year old woman marries a wealthy octogenarian businessman, Jerry Trevis in a lavish June wedding, and they buy a huge old mansion, the children are appalled.
Jerry’s daughter feels threatened financially while Winnie’s daughter is already asking Jerry for a loan. Jerry’s grandson is hoping his grandfather will help him open his own restaurant.
More conflict arises when Winnie wants to cut down a histo...more

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title link	preview: Commuters
avg rating	preview: Commuters Goodreads rating: 3.26 (218 ratings)
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