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Once Upon a Time, There Was You

3.13 of 5 stars 3.13 · rating details · 3,040 ratings · 595 reviews

From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of Home Safe and The Last Time I Saw You comes a beautiful and moving novel about a man and woman, long divorced, who rediscover the power of love and family in the midst of an unthinkable crisis.

Even on their wedding day, John and Irene sensed that they were about to make a mistake. Years later, divorced, dating other pe...more

Hardcover, 280 pages

Published April 5th 2011 by Random House (first published March 29th 2011)

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Kirkus Best Books of 2011

65th out of 88 books — 147 voters

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

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207th out of 211 books — 108 voters

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Community Reviews

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Nov 28, 2011 Michelle Robinson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction

I am an Elizabeth Berg FAn. She has written some of my favorite novels.

This was good but just did not seem to be as good as some things that I have read by her in the past such as, Open House (I loved this one) and Talk Before Sleep ( I didn't think I would stop crying when I read this).

The one factor that all of the works, that I have read, by Berg have in common is that the emotions the characters have are so authentic or realistic. While I found Irene to be prickly and a little hard to like,...more

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 15, 2011 Alex rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, for-review, net-galley

At First Sight: At age 36, John and Irene got married against their better judgement, mostly because they were growing older and didn't want to be alone. But neither of them had a good example to follow, both coming from broken homes and with less than ideal mother figures.

So it's no surprise that 20 years later they are divorced and living at different ends of the country - Irene in San Francisco and John in San Paul- with only their 18 year old daughter Sadie as a link between them.

While Ire...more At First Sight: At age 36, John and Irene got married against their better judgement, mostly because they were growing older and didn't want to be alone. But neither of them had a good example to follow, both coming from broken homes and with less than ideal mother figures.

So it's no surprise that 20 years later they are divorced and living at different ends of the country - Irene in San Francisco and John in San Paul- with only their 18 year old daughter Sadie as a link between them.

While Irene has become a bit of a serial dater in the years since the divorce, afraid of being alone; John never quite dated until very recently. But they surprisingly think quite often of each other.

And when their daughter's impulsive decisions force them to be together for a while, they can't help exploring the marriage they left behind, where they went wrong and the things they did right.

Second Glance: I'm not exactly sure how I feel about Once Upon a Time, There Was You, I think that it had been written by a man it would be called "Literary Fiction" and I'm not sure I'm a literary fiction kind of girl, but I'm sure that this neither is Chick Lit or a contemporary romance or anything like that. I can't even really call it Woman's Fiction because John's point of view is both important and takes about a third of the book.

The narrative alternates between Irene, John and Sadie and I have to say that I found that quite distracting, further more I found the plot to be a bit flat. It's so grounded and so day-to-day that there is very little spark to the story.

The most interesting parts were the ones that had to do with John and Irene's pasts, at least for me, and I wasn't really interested in their current lives. Sadie, I thought I was going to like her at first but I didn't, not really. I did like the guy she was dating, and that was something but not much.

Bottom Line: This is not a lighthearted, easy to read story. If you're looking for something realistic and a bit complex, this might be your type of read, but I don't see myself going back to this type of book any time soon. The writing is quite decent though.(less)

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Sep 28, 2011 Haley rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was my first Elizabeth Berg novel and, while not overly impressed with the book as a whole, I'm sure I'll read more.

The most redeeming quality is that she has wonderful characters and character development. By the end, I felt that I absolutely knew each person and I love that. I could picture Irene, John, and the struggles they had both together, and apart. She did a great job with their daughter, Sadie, also - an accurate portrayal of a teenager thoroughly embarrassed by her mother.

Howeve...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Doreen Fritz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Berg returns to some familiar themes: love, marriage, parenting, childhood memories, and sense of self. On their wedding day both John and Irene realize they should not get married, but they go ahead. Years later, divorced, they are brought back together to deal with a crisis involving their 18-year-old daughter Sadie. John lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Irene and Sadie live in San Francisco. Most of the questions raised in this novel are about marriage. Why do some marriages succeed and othe...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literature-fiction

John and Irene’s marriage only lasted eight short years. They divorced when their daughter, Sadie, was 8-years-old. Irene moved away making her the prime caregiver to Sadie and John visited when he could and had Sadie every August.

Their marriage and relationship was tenuous at best. In my opinion, it failed because of Irene. She is an odd character who is deeply lonely and neither she nor John had much in common other than their beloved Sadie.

When something terrible happens to Sadie, they come t...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 05, 2011 Cathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Here's something that doesn't happen often, an Elizabeth Berg novel that I didn't particularly enjoy.

The good: It is refreshing to occasionally read a story about some inconceivably bad event happening to a character, and the character actually getting past it. So many books I've read have had a terrible thing happen, and it rips apart the lives of anybody even loosely connected to that character. In this case, the repercussions of "the event" are widespread, but on a realistic level.

The bad: Wh...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Sheila DeChantal rated it 3 of 5 stars

As I continue my way through the works of Elizabeth Berg I found myself with her newest release, Once Upon A Time There was You. I felt almost from the beginning that this book was going to be predictable. A few pages in, I felt as though I knew how it would all end and with a resigned sigh, I proceeded deeper into the book.

It made me, and hopefully you as well, happy to know I was wrong.

Irene was not a strong woman. She was self conscious about her body, her age, and the fact that her daughter...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Ruth rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have read many of Berg's books and I must say this is perhaps the one that I have liked the least.

Irene and John were married for about nine years and then divorced. They had one daughter, Sadie who lived with her controlling mother and missed her father who remained in their hometown of Minneapolis while they moved to San Francisco. The few weeks a year when Sadie went to go visit her father never seemed to be enough for either of them.

One day, Irene is frantic and calls John. There is a cr...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Regina Spiker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Irene and John, never should have gotten married. Now divorced, the only thing they have in common is their beloved 18 year old daughter, Sadie, who is on the verge of going away to college. Living for the most part in California, with a few weeks spent in Minnesota with her Dad, Sadie tells a lie about going rock climbing with friends to her over protective mother - but instead has plans to spend a few days with her boyfriend, Ron. When Ron doesn't arrive on time at the rendezvous spot, Sadie m...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm working my way through all of Elizabeth Berg's books. This book was about a long-divorced man and woman who are brought together at a crisis time with their daughter. They review why they loved each other and what problems separated them. I thought it was a rather thoughtful look back over their marriage without bitterness, just some sadness. Some great quotes: "He resents the very posture of people who are online, the way they bend their backs over their various devices, blocking out any po...more

1 like · like · see review

May 12, 2011 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Nobody can write dialogue like Elizabeth Berg. She just gets how people talk, how they struggle to communicate their feelings and motivations, and how conversations can turn quickly and be misunderstood. She also can paint little vignettes, like a mom sharing a memory from her childhood with her daughter, that ring so true and real. I didn't give this book more stars, however, because the character of Sadie was just so annoying. Sadie's parents acted as if the sun set and rose on their wise (how...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Melissa Acuna rated it 1 of 5 stars

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

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 02, 2013 Candice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An excellent portrait of how parents' marriages can affect those of their children. Both John and Irene had difficult childhoods due largely to their parents' unhealthy marriages. When the book opens, on the eve of their wedding day, each of them is confiding to a friend that they don't think they should go through with the wedding. But they do, the result is disastrous, and eventually they divorce

From that mistake of a wedding, we fast-forward several years. John remains in St. Paul while Irene...more

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Oct 22, 2011 Tmholland38 rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I haven't read any of Elizabeth Berg's other works but I have to admit that despite the praise, I'm not overly impressed. Everything about this book seemed to just fall a little short. I felt like what could have been a very poignant story about the mistakes of life, finding your true self and the complexity and raw emotion of being a parent was turned into a rushed, glossy version that had to remain under 300 pages.

Over the first few chapters, I was expecting a rock climbing accident or a car...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com rated it 3 of 5 stars

UPON A TIME THERE WAS YOU by Elizabeth Berg
Sometimes books don't meet your highest of expectations. ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS YOU by Elizabeth Berg fell into this category. The book was ok but I did not love it like other books I have read by her. Therefore, failing to live up to the expectations that I have come to associate with Berg. Despite my lack luster recommendation for this book, I can say that Berg still created characters which resonant with her readers. Berg writes about things tha...more

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Aug 13, 2011 ♥Xeni♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-of-the-month, romance, love, family, coming-of-age, ebook

I read this book together with the Serious About Books group for August 2011.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this book. Based on the cover it looks like a Nicholas Sparks novel (and there is always so much sadness in them!) and from the blurb it felt a bit like one too. But that really wasn't the case.

This story taught me quite a bit about love, companionship, relationships, growing older and marriage. I felt so connected to the characters, even though the parents (John and Irene) are in the...more

1 like · like · see review

May 12, 2011 Darlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

I always enjoy Elizabeth Berg's books. She creates characters who are so vividly true-to-life.. right down to each character's personality flaws and all of the other neuroses that real people possess. In this story, John and Irene are a long divorced, middle aged couple living in separate parts of the country. The bond between them is their intense love and devotion for their 18 year old daughter, Sadie. A traumatic event happens to Sadie and immediately Irene calls John for support. John rushes...more

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May 23, 2011 Laurel-Rain rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes families are made up of people whose connections are tenuous. The couple may have entered the union for all the wrong reasons, and this is definitely the case with John and Irene, in "Once Upon a Time, There Was You: A Novel." Their responses to one another seem tepid. And yet they have a child and meander along for awhile before getting divorced.

A tragic event forces the two back together to help their daughter Sadie.

As in most Berg books, we get to read the detailed moments in their...more Sometimes families are made up of people whose connections are tenuous. The couple may have entered the union for all the wrong reasons, and this is definitely the case with John and Irene, in "Once Upon a Time, There Was You: A Novel." Their responses to one another seem tepid. And yet they have a child and meander along for awhile before getting divorced.

A tragic event forces the two back together to help their daughter Sadie.

As in most Berg books, we get to read the detailed moments in their lives, with their thoughts, their feelings, and those fears and insecurities that still hold them captive in the "autumn" years of their lives. We also have a view of their reactions to one another as we watch how each of them is coping with what Sadie has gone through...and what she has thrown at them. Like this excerpt, in which Irene's reaction to John is definitely no longer tepid:

"What fills Irene now is a wobbly kind of rage. She doesn't know who to be angrier at, John or Sadie. Easy for him to show up and be the even-tempered mediator! Easy for him to be the part-time parent who gets to say yes to everything because he never has to suffer the consequences of what he allows! She is the real parent, and she will handle this. She wishes he'd never come. He won't be of any use at all. He will make everything harder. `You keep out of this!' she tells John. `You don't even know what happened!'"

We also explore Sadie's feelings about her "helicopter" mother who hovers and dominates. But what Sadie does to rebel turns into something so frightening that she doesn't know how to react. So she does something completely drastic.

Living with the consequences of our choices is a theme that wends its way through the pages, even as we get to see the flaws and foibles of these characters, none of which are particularly lovable. I felt quite frustrated with Sadie, whose reactions seemed too childish for someone her age, but then again, with a domineering mother and an absent father, perhaps her behavior was not all that unsurprising.

Each character has difficulty expressing his or her feelings verbally, and when they interact, they often play games and lead with their emotions in "unhelpful" ways.

In true Berg form, we come to know the characters, inside and out, and discover small moments of insight as they work their way through what life throws at them. Five stars! (less)

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Feb 03, 2012 Joan Colby rated it 3 of 5 stars

Berg’s novels are always engaging. The dialogue and inner thoughts of her women characters seem spot-on, but her men sound and think too much like the women. They are universally sensitive,thoughtful, compassionate,not that men can’t be all those thing, but in this book, it rings false. How many men get together to discuss their deeply felt emotions. The other flaw in this book is the too pat and unlikely coincidence of Sadie’s rescue. It would have made a more striking story had Sadie actually...more

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Oct 12, 2011 thewanderingjew rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is not the usual type of book I read. It is more of a fast page turning novel for a plane flight, a beach day, a vacation, but it is a poignant, even tender tale that covers many of life’s ups and downs, pitfalls and horizons. It is almost a fairy tale, and it is a love story, among other things. To my surprise, it was very well written and much better than I thought it would be, since it is not the type of book I would have picked up to read if I had not won it.
When you get about 80 pages...more This is not the usual type of book I read. It is more of a fast page turning novel for a plane flight, a beach day, a vacation, but it is a poignant, even tender tale that covers many of life’s ups and downs, pitfalls and horizons. It is almost a fairy tale, and it is a love story, among other things. To my surprise, it was very well written and much better than I thought it would be, since it is not the type of book I would have picked up to read if I had not won it.
When you get about 80 pages into the paperback, the book begins to tackle some very serious life issues, and it meets the challenge of presenting a very traumatic event which almost made me close the book and put it on a shelf, by dealing expertly with it, implying what had to be implied but not overdoing the ordeal that followed or overloading the story with gory details. The suggestion of what was possibly going to happen was enough to entice the reader to read further without being scared off. It is a very good book for anyone liking the romance genre, and it contains no gratuitous sex.
So many everyday issues that we all could face in marriage, parenting and our day to day life, are discussed in a comfortable, conversational style. I feel certain that anyone reading the book will know someone who can probably identify with some issue these families are dealing with; someone who could be having the same types of conversations with their child or spouse, but hopefully, not someone who will identify with the near tragedy that almost occurred.
The characters are very well developed, even the minor ones, and although sometimes the dialogue seemed a little unnecessary and trite, the reader can easily imagine a situation where it might actually take place. Each particular issue seems to fit in with the telling of the tale at the time it was brought up. At times, though, it felt as if almost too many issues were covered: extramarital sex, unrequited love, homosexuality, divorce, suicide, parenting, rebellion, deception, illness in young and old, lying, and widowhood. Even though she does it well, it was overwhelming, at times.
This book is a love story for the old and young. It is a story about the damage secrets can do and how in some instances they can protect. It is a story about the things that can happen to anyone when they least expect it. It is a story about love gone bad, teenage mistakes and parental “helicoptering”.
One day all is right with the world and the next, there is a life-changing event from out of nowhere. We all develop different coping skills and how we face and handle our problems is a huge message of the book as well as the need to learn to love, to give it and receive it. It is a story that could be dissected and because of all the themes, it would be great for a book club.(less)

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Sep 16, 2012 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: hpl-book-group

This is my first Elizabeth Berg novel. The book had some things I could relate to, several really quotable lines and some laugh-out-loud moments, yet I found the story line to be lacking.

The two themes I liked the most were the parts about aging and also about marriage.

As a 50-ish woman, I could really relate to Irene's insecurities about getting older. On page 114, the scene where Jeffrey is sharing the picture of his greatest love, was fabulous. To talk about the beauty of aging, the concept t...more This is my first Elizabeth Berg novel. The book had some things I could relate to, several really quotable lines and some laugh-out-loud moments, yet I found the story line to be lacking.

The two themes I liked the most were the parts about aging and also about marriage.

As a 50-ish woman, I could really relate to Irene's insecurities about getting older. On page 114, the scene where Jeffrey is sharing the picture of his greatest love, was fabulous. To talk about the beauty of aging, the concept that "a woman is most beautiful when she is herself" is one women everywhere need to embrace. As I read this section, I was thinking about the movie "Calendar Girls".

Another part that resonated with me was the line "The idea that, no matter how long we live, we don't live long enough, so we'd better appreciate each other". (pg 145) Anyone who has lost someone dear tot hem can completely agree with this line.

But most of all, I appreciated the commentary on marriage:

Irene's realization that what she longed for was (pg 162) "the reliability and comfort of an old friendship" is huge. It reminded me of a Richard Grere movie "Shall We Dance" in which he realizes that one of the blessings of a long marriage is shared history... "a witness to our lives", that the other person hasn't just heard about the stories of your life, but actually shared them.

I found myself thinking "every young couple should hear this", when (page 193) she says "If you get a cat because you loooove cats, you're going to have plenty of days when you hate it because it's acting like a cat". Folks rarely go into marriage, recognizing the reality that the thing we love most about our spouse, some days, will drive us crazy.

I also liked the way she wove her friend's affair into the story to further share the reality of married life. I only partially agree with the statement (pg 211) "You know, sometimes marriage is like iron. Sometimes it's tissue paper. And I think that times it's tissue paper are when you need to keep things to yourself. Or you can end up making a mistake that you'll regret forever." I think that sometimes, when a marriage is in a fragile place, it is good to share that with someone else who has also been there, who stuck it out and watched their own relationship grow strong again. That person can encourage you to keep the faith and trust that your marriage can come back to a place of strength again. Too often, we through in the towwl, rather than working to move the marriage back to a "iron".

Likewise, Sadie's realization about her mother (pg 231) "She needs to stop plugging the hole and find out what is causing the leak in the first place." is true of many of us- we constantly try to deal with the symptom, instead of the cause.

Other reviews stated that they felt this was not Elizabeth Berg's best book. There was enough "good stuff" in this book to make me curious to read some of her other works.(less)

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May 26, 2011 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

From the very beginning, this reminded me more of an Anne Tyler novel than the author's usual work. It tells the story of a couple, divorced for ten years, brought back together for a time due to a crisis in their daughter's life. I wonder about this analysis of marriage. Since people are always in some measure unknowable, even to themselves, it seems foolish to wallow around in analytical, "aren't I such a complicated person" kind of thoughts. Too bad these people were unwilling to persevere in...more

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May 18, 2011 Gloria Bernal rated it 3 of 5 stars

There were some good nuggets in this such as page 276: "You have so much to give, but I feel like you're all the time digging in the tomato bin, saying "Where are the Apples?" Also the page about Phil Donohue, how he was one of the first men to encourage women to speak their minds and not shush them. In fact, he ran around his audience getting the mike in front of their faces. That is how I remember his show too. Berg's dialogue is always engaging, she is one of my favorite authors and I always...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 23, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookclub

Rating is really 3.5 stars but I'll round up and give it 4. Here's what I enjoyed about this book:
1) It captured me right from the start. I couldn't put it down; didn't want to put it down and found the ever-changing story to thrive. It was an easy, quick read.
2) I loved John. I wanted more chapters from him. I enjoyed his growth and personality of a character. John was interesting and real.
3) Talked about real things in life: love, divorce, dating, what's "too young"---age, deceit, danger, hone...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wish I could do half stars - I feel like a three is too low, but it doesn't quite deserve a four.

This was a true Elizabeth Berg book. There were so many times when the women would venture off on long stories that would veer off point and I would smile and think, "This is clearly Elizabeth Berg." However, I did like that she did something different with this story - she took it in a different direction with Sadie - one she has not taken before in any of her other books. And it was actually some...more I wish I could do half stars - I feel like a three is too low, but it doesn't quite deserve a four.

This was a true Elizabeth Berg book. There were so many times when the women would venture off on long stories that would veer off point and I would smile and think, "This is clearly Elizabeth Berg." However, I did like that she did something different with this story - she took it in a different direction with Sadie - one she has not taken before in any of her other books. And it was actually something different than I expected when I read the dust jacket. However, I don't think she fully took it far enough. Of course this is all from an outsider's point of view, for a fictional character, but I felt that Sadie completely over-reacted about something that lasted only a day or two. I really think Berg should have had it stretch out even further. I didn't think two days when nothing really happened to her warranted her being so scared, or her parents going on and on about how traumatized she was. And it's not even that I don't feel the scenario would have left her traumatized, but that I don't feel it was written thoroughly enough for me to really believe that she went through anything other than a night away from her family.

And Irene irked my nerves this entire book. This is starting to become the norm with recent Berg books - woman has bad relationship with mom, mom is crazy, annoying, and irritating - reader hates mom. She was just *so* over the top and acted like Sadie was eight instead of eighteen.

However, I was rather invested in the story because I read it quickly and always wanted to get back to it. I liked the story line between John and Amy and would have enjoyed more about that. I really wanted to know more about Valerie and her affair, but that was just mentioned one time. I wanted to know what happened with her husband - I wish that was a whole different book of its own. I didn't think there was really anything real between Sadie and Ron because I felt we didn't see them together enough. And although the story basically revolves around Sadie and her relationship with her parents, I get the feeling it wasn't about her at all. I would have liked to have known more about her life moving forward. Everything just kind of stopped.

The one thing I did really like was the ending with Irene. Most times everything gets wrapped up in a perfect little bow and I liked that for Irene it didn't - almost really felt like she didn't deserve it.

I continue to like Elizabeth Berg and after a few failed books in my opinion, I feel she has found herself again. I did like this book a lot, but am beginning to wish she'd step away from the cliche divorced (or widowed) couple she always writes about and would write about a happily married couple for once.(less)

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Jun 18, 2011 Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: relationships

Elizabeth Berg, your first half-dozen books were keepers for me; I could read lines from these books over and over again and they would make me cry and laugh at the same time, every time. Not so your last three novels. (I feel terribly sad telling you this. Yet I feel I must tell you this.)

You start with a promising premise: A man and woman marry, both feeling great misgivings about the wedding, and later divorce. But it never felt like you loved these characters like I felt you loved your char...more

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Oct 05, 2011 Jinky rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, playaway-audio

(Playaway digital audio, 9.5hrs)
The beginning left me saying, "Oh no!". Irene knew on her wedding day that she shouldn't marry John but she went ahead and married him anyways. One could say that it was cold feet. But, several years later they did divorce and lived thousands of miles apart. Then only to find themselves together again because they're 18yo daughter was missing. So they had to deal with each other while they wait for their daughter's return.

I was alright with the read up until the...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Kathy rated it 1 of 5 stars

I used to love Elizabeth Berg's books, eagerly awaiting the publication of each novel and then snatching it off the shelf to read immediately. The last few have been less than stellar and sadly, Once Upon a Time, There Was You continues the slide.

A disjointed book at best, this novel tells the story of Irene and John, divorced some years now, who are brought back together by a tragedy involving their daughter, Sadie, who is 18. Both Irene and John are selfish, self-absorbed and dull, dull, dead...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Christy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: overdrive-audio, dnf, audio-listened

1.5 star DNF
I just couldn't bring myself to care what happened to these tedious, unlikeable people. Spoilers
The abduction subplot was silly. Being knocked around and then locked in a shed and never bothered for over 2 days seemed unlikely beyond belief. Much as I didn't want Sadie to be raped or murdered, it was unrealistic that being locked up was the extent of her experience.
But mainly, I just could not stand Irene. Every little anecdote that was thrown in was more boring than the next, and n...more

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May 11, 2011 Dee rated it 2 of 5 stars

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

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Dee Hi Dana,

I am a retired psychologist, married to a retired psychologist. I have two grown daughters, two grown grand sons, and one 11-year-old granddau...more
May 15, 2011 06:33pm

Dana And here I thought you were a young girl (in your 30's) and you are a grandma! How lovely to live where you do, and to have a granddaughter. My underg...more
May 16, 2011 01:46pm

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About Elizabeth Berg

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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Quotes from Once Upon a Time, Ther...

“I like to listen to sad music when I’m sad. It seems honest. It makes me cry, and sometimes a
good cry is the only thing that can make you feel better.” — 8 people liked it

“People are stupid. Why are they so stupid? There is an algorithm for the way humans were designed: love and be loved. Follow it and
you’re happy. Fight against it and you’re not. It’s so simple, it’s hard to understand.” — 3 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8724520-once-upon-a-time-there-was-you?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320556116l/8724520.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8724520-once-upon-a-time-there-was-you?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Once Upon a Time, There Was You by Elizabeth Berg[/url]

Once Upon a Time, There Was You

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