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On Maggie's Watch
Maggie Finley has returned with her husband from the big city to her Wisconsin hometown, where she reunites with her best friend and awaits the any-minute-now birth of her baby. She's determined to create a safe haven on Hemlock Road, a neighborhood that has always meant security, community, and love. One way to do that: resurrect the defunct Neighborhood Watch program.
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Paperback, 304 pages
Published
November 2nd 2010
by Berkley Trade
(first published September 29th 2010)
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drey’s thoughts:
What do you do when you’re eight-and-a-half months pregnant and find out there’s a sex offender living on your street? If you’re Maggie Finley, you start up the Neighborhood Watch and take midnight strolls past his house. Just to make sure he’s not out there hurting anyone, that’s all…
But it’s not all for Maggie. She’s a natural worrier–worrying about the baby, the neighbors, the husband working late… Then she makes a new friend and starts worrying if she maybe likes him just a...more
What do you do when you’re eight-and-a-half months pregnant and find out there’s a sex offender living on your street? If you’re Maggie Finley, you start up the Neighborhood Watch and take midnight strolls past his house. Just to make sure he’s not out there hurting anyone, that’s all…
But it’s not all for Maggie. She’s a natural worrier–worrying about the baby, the neighbors, the husband working late… Then she makes a new friend and starts worrying if she maybe likes him just a...more
Maggie and Martin Finley have returned to Maggie’s Wisconsin hometown, leaving behind a fast-paced, high-profile life. The purpose is to create a safe environment for their child. With the birth impending, safety is increasingly important to Maggie, still recovering from a tragedy that is still fresh.
Maggie decides that the best way to create a safe environment for her baby is to resurrect the inactive neighborhood watch. In doing this, she gets more than she bargained for, including becoming th...more
Maggie decides that the best way to create a safe environment for her baby is to resurrect the inactive neighborhood watch. In doing this, she gets more than she bargained for, including becoming th...more
May 03, 2011
Molly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Molly by:
Ann Wertz Garvin
Shelves:
book-review
When I sat down to read this book, I was really expecting it to be rather slow, honestly. I am not afraid to admit that. But, what happened totally blew me away. I was instantly captured and taken by surprise at how fast of a read and how engrossing of a read this truly was. Garvin really did a FANTASTIC job at writing this novel.
On Maggie's Watch is a perfectly blended combination of humor, love, friendship, and worry. I'm not going to go into deep detail about the novel, for if I do, I will gi...more
On Maggie's Watch is a perfectly blended combination of humor, love, friendship, and worry. I'm not going to go into deep detail about the novel, for if I do, I will gi...more
This is truly a story of a woman who has suffered a tragedy and her efforts to get her life back on course. Maggie Finley first child was still-born and while the grief was overwhelming for both her and her husband, it has turned Maggie into a entirely different person. When she finds out she is pregnant again, they pull up stakes and move back to her hometown in Wisconsin, where she reconnects with her best friend.
But Maggie becomes obsessed with protecting herself and her family. She restarts...more
But Maggie becomes obsessed with protecting herself and her family. She restarts...more
I was contacted by Ann Wertz Garvin asking me if I would be interested in reviewing her book On Maggie's Watch. I took a look to see what it was about and immediately thought that this would be a fun read. I was not disappointed. The two female characters, Maggie and Julia, are old friends and since Maggie and her husband have returned to a small Wisconsin town( I live in Wisconsin also), they have become friends again. Maggie decides to become interested in the Neighborhood Watch program becaus...more
Nov 19, 2010
Mary (BookHounds)
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
2010-book-challenge,
from-publisher-author
This book will strike a chord with women everywhere. Especially those who have been pregnant and understand the bizarre thought process that occurs during this special time. From my own experience, pregnant women are not always rational and the hormonal tidal wave that happens to your body seems to enhance thoughts that would normally be dismissed. And there you have Maggie in a nutshell. Maggie is pregnant again after losing her first child and the obsession over keeping this new baby safe over...more
Maggie is eight months pregnant when she and her husband Martin move back to her hometown. She reconnects with her former friend Julia. Maggie is a bit different now that she's back. She suffered a great loss that has changed her views on the world and as a result she becomes obsessed with protecting her unborn child.
She decides to organize her neighborhood watch program which leads to her discovery of a sex offender living in the neighborhood. Sicken by this, Maggie decides to take matters into...more
She decides to organize her neighborhood watch program which leads to her discovery of a sex offender living in the neighborhood. Sicken by this, Maggie decides to take matters into...more
I was drawn to the book at first due to the setting. I had seen it in the passing before and read a little bit about it and thought that I would give it a shot. The setting takes place in a suburb of WI. Being from a suburb from WI I really did enjoy hearing about how the characters in the story didn't have much to do, but mettle into other peoples business. As a parent you really start to feel for the two main characters in the story. Although they were very different due to circumstances we al...more
Wow, I supremely did not like this book. The female characters were written as catty, irrational and hormonal. The men as calm, even-keeled and under-appreciated. There is a question of sexual assault that is solved with the simple answer of "she was slutty and the charge was bogus." There was very little delving into the actual emotional experience of a second pregnancy after a failed first. Perhaps Garvin has internalized our patriarchal culture too much to realize that she is simply regurgita...more
I can't even pretend that I understand Maggie's brain functions in this book. I am not a mother (well besides my furry babies) and I have never been pregnant so I have no idea about the so called "baby brain" but I have seen some of my pregnant friends try to rationalize completely irrational things, so I can understand this book from that perspective. I think mothers or pregnant women would find this book excellent and validating.
I enjoyed reading this book as a whole though. Ms. Garvin has a w...more
I enjoyed reading this book as a whole though. Ms. Garvin has a w...more
Maggie Finley moves back to her old neighborhood after the loss of her first baby and the pending birth of her second. She finds out their is a registered sex offender living there and this starts her on a journey of starting a Neighborhood Watch and almost losing her mind. I can understand the need for trying to keep her child safe after the devastating loss of her first child but it was really hard to like Maggie. I think if I'd liked her more, I would have been more invested in how things tur...more
On Maggie's Watch is author Ann Wertz Garvin's debut novel about a dark subject but handled with lightness and humor. I was interested in the book because I normally find books that revolve around a small community and cast of characters fun to read. On Maggie's Watch did not disappoint mainly because of main character Maggie's over the top actions and reactions.
As someone who herself has gone online to see what sexual predators are residing in and around my neighborhood, I related with Maggie'...more
As someone who herself has gone online to see what sexual predators are residing in and around my neighborhood, I related with Maggie'...more
The idea behind the story was a good one, but I just don't think the author carried it out well enough for more than a mediocre novel.
I just didn't find the actions of Maggie, the main character, believeable...they were over the top no matter what.
The idea of a Neighborhood Watch and how sex offenders do live among our own neighborhoods is quite real, and putting that out to the public is a good one.
I just didn't find the actions of Maggie, the main character, believeable...they were over the top no matter what.
The idea of a Neighborhood Watch and how sex offenders do live among our own neighborhoods is quite real, and putting that out to the public is a good one.
A woman from the city moves back to a small town in Wisc., is about to have a baby. It's kind of a book about her relationships with her best friend, her husband, her fellow townspeople. It got better as it went along, so if you read it and don't get captured right away, keep reading. I debated between 3 or 4 stars, but gave it 3 just because it didn't really grab me at first.
It began as light reading and improved as it progressed. There are some real insights into how differently people respond to events, especially when they have been impacted by a difficult life experience. But I could not relate to the main character, she seemed over the top. I did appreciate the mention of faith periodically as part of life, even if it was a shallow reference.
I didn't hate it, but I certainly didn't love it. I found this book about a pregnant, bored housewife boring. I suppose when your characters have no depth, the storyline can't have much either. It reminds me of something that the Lifetime Movie Network would air. Not my cup of tea.
Ann Wertz Garvin tells Maggie's story with insight and humor. I came away with the idea that Maggie involved herself in her adventures to keep her mind off her pregnancy. She is rightly worried, since her first pregnancy was heartbreaking. This book is a joy to read.
Witty, but predictable. The main character is thoroughly unlikeable and there's no emotional depth to the narrative. Reminiscent of a teleplay.
Encouraged me to put of CO detectors and gave me dreams about my neighbors.
Pretty much knew were the story was headed but liked it anyway.
This was an entertaining read with an unexpected twist at the end.
I nice little book, but didn't quite live up to the hype.
SSSSLLLLOOOOWWWW!!!
Story line could have been captivating--explores the difficulty of staying monogamous in the face of irrational obsessions. Though the characters were not fully developed.
I also disliked the fact that the publishers marketed it as "laugh out loud" funny when in reality it deals with a very serious subject. The quotes are likely from people who haven't even read the book.
I also disliked the fact that the publishers marketed it as "laugh out loud" funny when in reality it deals with a very serious subject. The quotes are likely from people who haven't even read the book.
This is a perfect book club book--interesting characters, interesting situations and unexpected twists. I loved it.
Was expecting a little more about the various neighbors.
I really wanted to like this book as the author is a professor at UW-Whitewater but I just couldn't get into the activities of the two women in this story. Perhaps it was my age as they were both young mothers. Maybe I will try it again sometime.
Overall the book was good. If Maggie's painful experience hadn't reminded me so much of something that happened to my cousin I probably would have liked the book better, but it hit a little too close to home.
May 17, 2013
Tallulah A. Scribbles
marked it as to-read
May 08, 2013
Heather Horvat atwood
marked it as to-read
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May 30, 2011 01:44pm