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24th out of 197 books
—
21 voters
Deep Down True
by
Juliette Fay (Goodreads Author)
From the author of Shelter Me--a funny and poignant novel about having your heart in the right place.
Newly divorced Dana Stellgarten has always been unfailingly nice- even to telemarketers-but now her temper is wearing thin. Money is tight, her kids are reeling from their dad's departure, and her Goth teenage niece has just landed on her doorstep. As she enters the slips...more
Newly divorced Dana Stellgarten has always been unfailingly nice- even to telemarketers-but now her temper is wearing thin. Money is tight, her kids are reeling from their dad's departure, and her Goth teenage niece has just landed on her doorstep. As she enters the slips...more
Paperback, 432 pages
Published
January 25th 2011
by Penguin Books
(first published 2011)
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While the writing was fairly good, I found it pocked by cliché. The edges were too smooth in a story where there was so much opportunity to make Dana a little less even. I would have enjoyed seeing the ragged become flattened by reason instead of seeing a well-rounded woman become minorly unhinged; but never enough to curl my gut with empathy. So sorry to say that the bubble wrap anaolgy (where the title was apparently dervived)left me flat. And I knew the ending from the second she walked into...more
I so loved "Shelter Me," Juliette Fay's first book, that I had high expectations of her second. Her writing is superb, the characters multi-dimensional, and the conflicts believable. In particular, I like her male characters. I had to root for Tony Sakimoto, his humor,generosity and patience are characteristics we'd like to see in every potential love interest.
It is obvious that the author is a mother because her portrayal of the children in her books are true to nature. She displays both the jo...more
It is obvious that the author is a mother because her portrayal of the children in her books are true to nature. She displays both the jo...more
This is the story of Dana, the recently divorced mother of two children, who is struggling to come to terms with her newly single status. Over the course of the book she goes from being hurt and raw to finding a way for her and her children to move forward. She has to assume responsibility for herself financially, find a way to accept her husband's new relationship and to help her children to move on - as well as learning to move forward romantically.
I didn't particularly enjoy this book. Most o...more
I didn't particularly enjoy this book. Most o...more
I loved reading Deep Down True by Juliette Fay! I have not read "Shelter Me," yet, but I am planning to go back and read it at some point. I think that most women, no matter what stage they are in their lives, will find something to identify with in this book. Fay does an excellent job of illustrating those passages of life that we all go through, first as daughters, then as friends, wives, mothers and even grandmothers, to some extent. There are certain aspects of life that are intrinsic to bei...more
Dana Stellgarten, is a newly divorced mom trying to balance all the things in her life her kids, her ex-husband, her daughter’s eating disorder, dating, friendships, working, and family. This is simply no easy task. Dana has this very sweet personality and wants to be nice to everyone. She even makes sure to volunteer to prepare meals to families who are dealing with catastrophic illness. The problems seem to grow and she can no longer be sweet Dana. Her ex-husband seems surprised when he isn’t...more
Dana Stellgarten has the most common of stories. Her husband left her for another woman, now she struggles to make ends meet, to deal with the lonely times when her kids are with their dad, and to reinvent herself as something other than a wife. She is the consummate caretaker, always putting the others (even her son's flirtatious football coach) before herself. As her teenage daughter points out, Dana is nice to a fault. Suddenly without the safety net of marriage Dana has to find strength she...more
I am not sure this was a really great book, but it made me think A LOT about my life so I had to give it 4 stars for that.
It was about a divorced mom (Dana) of 2 kids who's husband left her for a younger woman a year before. It doesn't focus on that, but it is present and active in the book. She is mainly dealing with her children and how they are coping with this drastic change. Her preteen daughter is purging along with having friend drama and her second grade son is closing up and angry. Her...more
It was about a divorced mom (Dana) of 2 kids who's husband left her for a younger woman a year before. It doesn't focus on that, but it is present and active in the book. She is mainly dealing with her children and how they are coping with this drastic change. Her preteen daughter is purging along with having friend drama and her second grade son is closing up and angry. Her...more
Dana Stellgarten's life is full of problems. In an extremely cliché fashion, her ex-husband leaves her for a younger woman. And everyone in the house seems to be coping with the fallout of the divorce in destructive fashion. Dana's twelve-year-old daughter, Morgan, develops an eating disorder. Her seven-year-old son, Grady, gets in fights at school and is sullen at home. And her sixteen-year-old niece shows up one day needing a haven but brings her own set of problems with her.
Dana struggles thr...more
Dana struggles thr...more
The book starts with the classic theme of a woman whose husband leaves her for a younger woman. She is trying to support her children through this difficult time period when her husband presents the next dilemma. Business is slow and he needs help in supporting the family. Dana is forced to find a job. Her world is full of firsts - entering the dating world, working at her job, balancing a household with a lack of funds, and dealing with her husband's young girlfriend. These changes are unnervin...more
This was a book that grew on me. Difficult start - wasn't drawn in at first. The main character, divorced mom Dana of Morgan (girl tween) and Grady (boy 7 yro ) annoyed the heck out of me. Just wanted her to get a spine! Then...she did. Slowly but surely she learned to stand up for herself, whether battling it out in the neighborhood cliques (moms and their daughters) or with her ex-husband, or her sister (who's daughter Alder has come to live with her) or the other men in her life, bit by bit D...more
I was hesitant to read this book as I so enjoyed the first novel written by Juliette Fay. I feared she could not pull off a second one like the first. I am glad to say I was wrong.
Deep Down True is about the truest part of you. The part you might hide or at least not acknowledge at times. The main character, Dana tore at my heart. The struggles that her family goes through is one that so many people go through - divorce. In some ways it is harder because you have to figure out how to parent sepa...more
Deep Down True is about the truest part of you. The part you might hide or at least not acknowledge at times. The main character, Dana tore at my heart. The struggles that her family goes through is one that so many people go through - divorce. In some ways it is harder because you have to figure out how to parent sepa...more
In Deep Down True feels like your reading your own inner diary. Not so much the events as much as the feelings. We are all still sorta like a awkward 13 year old inside. Praying to be accepted by others. Wanting to show our independence and being fearful of not achieving just that. Even as grown women with our own kids and life experiences, things get knotted up inside at times. And then just when we have had enough it seems something else is piled on top. Finally we blow and pieces of life go f...more
Fay has instantly become one of my favourite authors to read when I want an easy, relatable but not-too-fluffy read. She has a remarkable ability to portray characters with whom one can easily relate and identify with, characters who are real, who are flawed and who show growth and development. Unlike The Shortest Way Home, the protagonisty in Deep Down True, could have been me and I felt that I can virtually insert myself into the story. I felt this way reading Home too, and I love that despite...more
Again, I am impressed with Juliette Fay's ability to create characters that seem so real I forget they aren't actual people I know. I loved, loved, loved her first book, Shelter Me, and I liked her follow up a lot, but I didn't love it, and I am not entirely sure why. I suppose it was a bit cheesy at times, a bit predictable, but there were also times I laughed out loud (most of which had to do with the oaf she dates for awhile). I cringed on Dana's behalf due to the actions of her a-hole ex-hus...more
Why I wanted to read it: I read Juliette's debut novel, Shelter Me (my review here), and really enjoyed it. I noticed that she had a new book out and wanted to read it.
Source: Public Library
The book started out slowly for me and I wasn't too sure that I was going to keep reading it. It could have been my mood at the time but for whatever reason I had a hard time connecting to the story. About 60 pages in though, something changed and I was a bit more invest into the main protagonist's story.
Dan...more
Source: Public Library
The book started out slowly for me and I wasn't too sure that I was going to keep reading it. It could have been my mood at the time but for whatever reason I had a hard time connecting to the story. About 60 pages in though, something changed and I was a bit more invest into the main protagonist's story.
Dan...more
“Shelter Me,” was one of my favorite reads last year and was a book that I immediately became enchanted with. I was hoping to be just as enchanted with Fay’s latest release, but it fell a little short. That being said, I still love her writing and loved this book, just not as much as her first book.
Dana Stellgarten is newly divorced and has found herself dealing with issues that she never thought she would have to deal with- a bulimic daughter, a moody son, a Goth teenage niece who has come to l...more
Dana Stellgarten is newly divorced and has found herself dealing with issues that she never thought she would have to deal with- a bulimic daughter, a moody son, a Goth teenage niece who has come to l...more
4 stars. A solid book about the difficulties in holding onto who you thought you were when everything around you changes, eventually finding that staying your true self is more important than the superficials.
Dana is a newly-divorced mom of two: twelve-year-old Morgan and seven-year-old Grady. Now that her husband has left her for a 'newer model' (she rightly calls it a 'cliche'), Dana's trying to keep her post-divorce life as similar to her pre-divorce life. But, as anyone who's experienced it...more
Dana is a newly-divorced mom of two: twelve-year-old Morgan and seven-year-old Grady. Now that her husband has left her for a 'newer model' (she rightly calls it a 'cliche'), Dana's trying to keep her post-divorce life as similar to her pre-divorce life. But, as anyone who's experienced it...more
I’m still not sure I liked this book. Is that a strange review? I read the entire thing, but the entire time I was reading it, I kept looking for the story. I understand that the author took the story as how a woman recovers from her husbands infidelity and thier subsequent divorce. How she managed raising her two kids and dealing with the issues that arose in them because of the divorce. But when I finished the book, I was unfulfilled. There wasn’t some big “ta-da” moment. Nothing that really t...more
This is about a newly single mom coping with her two children and her teenaged niece. She is one of those women who is always nice, and who usually gets the "short end of the stick". As the children's issues and her own problems with friends and family escalate she slowly comes to the realization that being the "good one" doesn't necessarily bring good results. The children are likable enough though the author seems to forget at times that she is writing about a seven year old boy as he behaves...more
This book was a pretty easy, quick read. Nothing earth shattering, but a good read none the less. The story revolved around Dana Stellgarten who has been divorced for about a year and her seven year old son, twelve year old daughter and sixteen year old niece who moves in with them. Dana struggles with all the complexities of single motherhood from reduced finances, to getting a job after years of staying at home, to managing her time to be home when the kids needed her, to starting to date agai...more
I liked this book even though it was somewhat predictable. Dana is dealing with a twelve year old daughter (middle school drama)and a seven year old son, all of them hurting from her husbands request for a divorce about a year prior to the start of the story. Everyone says she is kindness personified, so she has no trouble bringing her niece into the fold--along with the niece's own package of hurt. Add to that her volunteer activity of feeding the family of a dying man, starting a part time job...more
Dana is so real, well, so "deep down true." I could visualize her as an ordinary woman thrown into some extraordinary circumstances. She was always the good girl, good daughter, good sister, good worker, good wife, good mom, good friend. And her goodness slam dunked her into turmoil. She learns that she's not really always so nice and stands up for herself and her kids. I laughed out loud at different scenes, smiled at many and was almost in tears at others. There are characters you love and cha...more
Cosy couch read !
Well-written, with likeable characters, but a predictable plot (though not so much so that the book was ruined for me). The main character, Dana, is very warm and appealing and I found her confusion over how to treat her daughter's incipent eating disorder very realistic. In fact, I found all of her parenting conundrums realistic, and not cartoonish; I find that refreshing, since a lot of novels' descriptions of parenting make me wonder if the author has ever actually spoken to a real child befo...more
Pleasant, familiar read about a woman/single mom finding her footing after an unexpected divorce. She deals with the reactions of her two children in the form of their changed behaviors (aggression, bulimia), her own reaction to her ex-husband's remarriage replete with new baby on the way, her ventures back into the dating world, and finally finding new love.
Was glad to see the issue of kids acting out addressed. This was all realistic. The re-entry into the dating world though was perhaps a bit...more
Was glad to see the issue of kids acting out addressed. This was all realistic. The re-entry into the dating world though was perhaps a bit...more
3.5 stars. An easy read with likable, realistic characters. There was a point where I wanted to slap Dana to make her more aware of her kids' problems (newly divorced: 12 year-old daughter has eating disorder and 7 year-old son has Daddy issues) and to make her more aware of what an idiot her new boyfriend was, but it's obvious to the reader that it's supposed to be obvious to us and not to her. It wraps up a little too neatly, but it is an enjoyable read. The 12-year-old angst over who gets to...more
Juliette Fay's second novel - I find her writing fresh and extremely authentic as she enlightens us about life after tragedy...in this case, divorce. Yes, her writing includes some sexuality but it's not gimmicky and not just a plot device the way some more established writers have come to use it. What I most appreciate about Fay's writing is that it feels very real and her characters are rich and multi-layered. She tells the story of life after divorce, and, particularly, the effect of divorce...more
I'm not even sure where I got this book, but I'm so glad it found it's way to me! It is ana amazing book, so real and true. Often I would not like something like this, but it came at the right time and was the right tone and right lesson to learn.
The characters are so real that they make you cry or your stomach hurt along with the matter at hand.
I'm passing this on to a friend, and I recommend the book to everyone.
Once you pick it up and get started, you will not want to put it down until you ar...more
This book was so real I almost felt like I was a shadow in the life of the main character and was following her around for months. I have found that I love the books that simply tell a story about people, who they are now and who they were then. How they handle all the crap life throws at them and how they change because of it. This book had it all. The writing was very good and even though there were times I wanted to take the main character and shake her for being so pliable...that was who she...more
The author has a way of making the characters so real, you forget you're reading a piece of fiction. Dana and her children are all struggling after her divorce and it was really interesting to read how she, as a newly single mom, coped in trying to keep herself and her family together. The scene where she forces herself to vomit to gain a sense of understanding of her own daughter's issue with bulimia was shocking yet so real. It's hard to explain but I did like this book. It was a little slow f...more
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Juliette is the author of SHELTER ME (HarperCollins 2009) a 2009 Massachusetts Book Award “Book of the Year,” and DEEP DOWN TRUE (Viking Penguin 2011) which was shortlisted for the Women's Fiction Award of the American Library Association.
Her latest, THE SHORTEST WAY HOME, was chosen for Library Journal's Best of 2012: Women's Fiction.
Juliette received a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and...more
More about Juliette Fay...
Her latest, THE SHORTEST WAY HOME, was chosen for Library Journal's Best of 2012: Women's Fiction.
Juliette received a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and...more
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“The memory of a book, Dana mused as she turned off the light and headed out of the room. Wouldn't life be so easy if that's all we needed to feel comforted?”
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3 people liked it
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Jun 22, 2011 10:14am