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Any Bitter Thing
Any Bitter Thing, Wood's brilliant new novel, is her breakout book, a timely, gripping, and compassionate tale of family, faith, and deeply hidden truths. One of its greatest strengths is its continuous ability to defy expectations. It's not what you think. It is worse. Lizzy Mitchell was raised from the age of two by her uncle, a Catholic priest. When she was nine, he was falsely accused of improprieties with her and dismissed from his church, and she was sent away to boarding school. Now thirty years old and in a failing marriage, she is nearly killed in a traffic accident. What she discovers when she sets out to find the truths surrounding the accident and about the accusations that led to her uncle's death does more than change her life. With deft insight into the snares of the human heart, Monica Wood has written an intimate and emotionally expansive novel full of understanding and hope.
356 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
67 people are currently reading
3267 people want to read
About the author
Monica Wood
24 books1,322 followersMonica Wood is the author of four works of fiction, most recently The One-in-a-Million-Boy, which won a 2017 Nautilus Award (Gold) and the 2017 fiction prize from the New England Society in the City of New York. She also is the author of Any Bitter Thing which spent 21 weeks on the American Booksellers Association extended bestseller list and was named a Book Sense Top Ten pick. Her other fiction includes Ernie’s Ark and My Only Story, a finalist for the Kate Chopin Award.
Monica is also the author of When We Were the Kennedys, a memoir of her growing up in Mexico, Maine. The book won the Maine Literary Award for Memoir in 2013, and the Sarton Women's Literary Awards for Memoir in 2012.
Monica is also the author of When We Were the Kennedys, a memoir of her growing up in Mexico, Maine. The book won the Maine Literary Award for Memoir in 2013, and the Sarton Women's Literary Awards for Memoir in 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 431 reviews
November 22, 2008
I picked this book up in Portland, ME, while on my vacation thinking it would be nice to have a local author's work to enjoy on my way home.
I could not put it down my entire trip back to Utah.
When I review books, I don't summarize the plot for fear of giving something away unnecessarily. Instead, I like to focus on the more technical side to analyzing works of fiction since I need a good, logical reason to read them in the first place.
Monica Wood has a great sense of cadence in her writing that helps her reader vividly see the characters, events, and details in her story. I enjoyed the religious tones of "Any Bitter Thing" even though I'm not catholic, and I really enjoyed the twists and turns in the novel. Her metaphors are fantastic and poetic, her dialogue just right. I identified with her characters, I empathized with them, I got sucked into the story, and so when that happens, I know the author is a good one.
I could not put it down my entire trip back to Utah.
When I review books, I don't summarize the plot for fear of giving something away unnecessarily. Instead, I like to focus on the more technical side to analyzing works of fiction since I need a good, logical reason to read them in the first place.
Monica Wood has a great sense of cadence in her writing that helps her reader vividly see the characters, events, and details in her story. I enjoyed the religious tones of "Any Bitter Thing" even though I'm not catholic, and I really enjoyed the twists and turns in the novel. Her metaphors are fantastic and poetic, her dialogue just right. I identified with her characters, I empathized with them, I got sucked into the story, and so when that happens, I know the author is a good one.
April 26, 2010
I loved this book. Loved it! The sense of longing was so beautifully portrayed that I had a constant lump in my throat or my hand on my heart the entire time. The prose is so perfect in parts, really this is some of the best writing I have read in years. It is not a fast moving story or action packed at all but it is an incredibly emotional portrayal of human relationships, full of depth and wonderfully constructed. For me, this is a book that I will measure other books against.
May 17, 2019
Twenty-five years ago I read a short story in Yankee Magazine by fledgling writer, Monica Wood. It impressed me so much that I saved the magazine and carried it around with me for years. It's worn and tattered and the cover is coming off, but I still have it somewhere.
I long ago gave up the search for more of her writing, until a friend of mine on Facebook recommended a new novel by an author with a somehow very familiar-sounding name.... I was delighted to re-discover Monica Wood, and to find that her writing style has, as I always expected, matured into something wonderful. Magical, even.
You may get synopses of this novel from other reviewers so I won't go into that here. I would just like to say that I found that the development and treatment of her characters was gently and lovingly done, and their actions believable. The outcome was unexpected but hopeful and uplifting. Ms Wood's prose is evocative of a time we'll never see again, of small-town industry, self-reliance and mutual acceptance and respect. Perhaps one of the reasons that her prose resonates with me is that I lived those times in Maine myself, I do remember them and I believe that she has captured the pulse of them accurately.
I am a person who tends to analyze things and I usually keep emotional moments to myself. It's an old Scottish blessing, rigorously instilled by generations of grim forbears. It surprised and relieved me when, a few pages from the end of Any Bitter Thing, I wept. I NEVER do that!
I long ago gave up the search for more of her writing, until a friend of mine on Facebook recommended a new novel by an author with a somehow very familiar-sounding name.... I was delighted to re-discover Monica Wood, and to find that her writing style has, as I always expected, matured into something wonderful. Magical, even.
You may get synopses of this novel from other reviewers so I won't go into that here. I would just like to say that I found that the development and treatment of her characters was gently and lovingly done, and their actions believable. The outcome was unexpected but hopeful and uplifting. Ms Wood's prose is evocative of a time we'll never see again, of small-town industry, self-reliance and mutual acceptance and respect. Perhaps one of the reasons that her prose resonates with me is that I lived those times in Maine myself, I do remember them and I believe that she has captured the pulse of them accurately.
I am a person who tends to analyze things and I usually keep emotional moments to myself. It's an old Scottish blessing, rigorously instilled by generations of grim forbears. It surprised and relieved me when, a few pages from the end of Any Bitter Thing, I wept. I NEVER do that!
June 11, 2011
I don't give 5 stars easily. This quiet book swept me up and dropped me breathlessly into that moment between Before and After. This writer, with her exquisite prose, weaves a gripping and grace-filled story of redemption. Human failings are brought to reconciliation, relationships are changed, and yet they remain somehow the same. There are surprises which astonish! I will go back to this amazing book again and again, to discern and savor subtleties I might have missed in my race through it the first time.
April 9, 2025
A provocative little novel. The Catholic Church motto - no scandals allowed, sweep it under the rug. But, Father Mike learned his lesson “as ye sow, so shall ye reap.” Way over the top with Catholicism, but a good story in spite of it.
Good characters and some surprising turns.
Good characters and some surprising turns.
July 27, 2007
I grabbed this book off of a discount shelf at barnes and noble, I don't regret it, but it wasn't a compelling read ... it was a "nice story" but not a tremendous literary achievement.
March 14, 2019
This was a firm favorite from 2013, when it was published. I very rarely reread anything, but the timing was right as my stack had dwindled. The second time around certainly measured up! What a unique plot, and Monica Wood is such a talented writer!
On the opening page, the pedestrian protagonist is struck by a car and abandoned in the middle of a dark road. The story, set in rural Maine, unfolds with flashbacks, and the characterization is vivid indeed. Woven throughout are themes of heartbreak and memory, regret and forgiveness. I found the experience absorbing, as the plot was truly original, with writing so strong that one was compelled to linger.
“September intoxicates him. Some lost memory of the Island drifts in on the bitten air: the rattle of leaves, the taste of apples. September! The natural world is in full crackle, a rapturous harvest surfacing at roadside stands. The altar abounds with pushy, pie-faced sunflowers.’
Unfolding in the first person, the tale features characters both rich and endearing. There’s plenty of suspense as well, but I didn’t want it to end. A sure sign of a winner! I also loved When We Were the Kennedys by this author.
On the opening page, the pedestrian protagonist is struck by a car and abandoned in the middle of a dark road. The story, set in rural Maine, unfolds with flashbacks, and the characterization is vivid indeed. Woven throughout are themes of heartbreak and memory, regret and forgiveness. I found the experience absorbing, as the plot was truly original, with writing so strong that one was compelled to linger.
“September intoxicates him. Some lost memory of the Island drifts in on the bitten air: the rattle of leaves, the taste of apples. September! The natural world is in full crackle, a rapturous harvest surfacing at roadside stands. The altar abounds with pushy, pie-faced sunflowers.’
Unfolding in the first person, the tale features characters both rich and endearing. There’s plenty of suspense as well, but I didn’t want it to end. A sure sign of a winner! I also loved When We Were the Kennedys by this author.
June 13, 2011
This book was very surprising. I thought that I knew what was going to happen, how the book would end, but I was surpirsed. Simple descriptions caught me, surprised me with the strangeness and perfection of the images conjured. Read this book!
June 8, 2015
Exquisite. Wood chooses every single word with care, and the structure is astounding. Better yet, it's a great story. A supremely good novel.
Read
May 28, 2025DNF p. 126. I enjoy Wood's writing style, but the story just wasn't keeping my interest and I have a new book I'd rather be reading instead.
April 8, 2025
An ending I wasn’t expecting that made this sad read worth it.
September 6, 2023
So many emotions!
July 10, 2009
A heartfelt story of loyalty, betrayal, Fatherhood, childhood, marriage and fidelity, faith, and love. Above all, I'd say it is a tale of relationships: what makes one healthy and abiding rather than abandoned or deceived. Technically my rating is 3.5, but that rounds up to 4.
What I loved: The characterization is MASTERFUL. You LOVE each of the characters, flawed and benevolent, and most importantly, feel like you KNOW them. Wood really helps you see inside, without cluttering the reading with too many points of view. Also, I enjoyed seeing things through the eyes of a faithful Catholic priest who is genuine in his desire to serve God. I learned a lot about Catholicism, and not just the "by tradition" kind.
What I didn't love: I lost a lot of respect for one character at the end. I just couldn't believe that is what happened. I was shocked, though, I'll give you that. Story definitely has a twist at the end. Also, there are a few characters who can't bridle their tongues. While the language bothered me, it was realistic for those characters.
What I loved: The characterization is MASTERFUL. You LOVE each of the characters, flawed and benevolent, and most importantly, feel like you KNOW them. Wood really helps you see inside, without cluttering the reading with too many points of view. Also, I enjoyed seeing things through the eyes of a faithful Catholic priest who is genuine in his desire to serve God. I learned a lot about Catholicism, and not just the "by tradition" kind.
What I didn't love: I lost a lot of respect for one character at the end. I just couldn't believe that is what happened. I was shocked, though, I'll give you that. Story definitely has a twist at the end. Also, there are a few characters who can't bridle their tongues. While the language bothered me, it was realistic for those characters.
June 19, 2009
Wow, wow, wow. This book captured me from the first page and even though the second half felt like a totally different book than the first half, I still loved it all the way through. Phenomenal (and I mean *phenomenal*) writing, deep and moving characters, engaging plot. I will definitely check out this author's other books. So glad to have stumbled upon this gem.
July 12, 2008
TOTALLY on my list of answers to: So, any good book recommendations? Any Bitter Thing, The Myth of You and Me, and Water for Elephants are the first that I list.
March 17, 2015
The story in this book was good. It made me angry from the standpoint of people and institutions making assumptions and accepting things as gospel even without really trying to find the answers.
December 7, 2024
Wood skillfully depicted ‘the snares of the human heart’ over the course of Any. The first and probably most significant aspect of these is the intense grief a child experiences into adulthood over the untimely deaths of parents. Or what adults feel over the loss of a beloved sibling or child. Another is the first stirrings of love in two lonely young people, how this can be unintentionally undermined by well meaning but ultimately misguided decisions a newly married couple might make, and how they can painstakingly work their way back from the brink to rekindle their love. The impact which alcoholism can have on one partner in a marriage and on children being raised in such a family is also powerfully portrayed. A priest struggling to keep his vows and how two childhood friends interact in adulthood are equally well developed.
The author accomplished this by describing the inner workings of Lizzy, Father Mike, and to a lesser extent others like Lizzy husband Drew, a student she counsels, and her childhood friend Marriette with meticulous care. There are timely, sometimes lengthy flashbacks which help the reader place the character in context. And there are passages where the prose describing a character’s feelings is so lush as to be lyrical. For example, Father Mike’s experience of ongoing, unresolved grief:
‘He thinks he knows grief in its every shade. As a dread of nightfall. A glue that has to be walked through. A ticking clock in an empty room, each tock like taking bites inside his body. He thinks he knows how grief works: it sucks taste from apples, it drains color from trees, it makes absence into a presence.
He thinks he’s ready.
But grief does not prepare one for future grief. Grief is not something you get good at. Practice does not perfect anything.’
Or in falling in love Lizzy and Drew:
’…have been alone, separately and for different reasons, for a long time. They enjoy the reassembled selves they become in each other’s presence. For the moment, they are the fully formed people they always intended to be, counting on the moment to forecast the rest of their lives. They skip into this new skin and hope it holds. Maybe that’s all love is.’
If there is any flaw with Any it is with one element of its plot line. Without giving anything away I will just opine that one of its twists seemed contrived to me. I had to work at suspending belief more than I would prefer in reading fiction.
But overall these ‘deeply scarred and intensely human characters’ (per the Kirkus review) made for very engaging, at times emotional reading. The title appropriately comes from a Biblical quote: ‘…to the hungry soul any bitter thing tastes sweet.’ I agree that it is ‘a quiet tale with epic repercussions.’
Thankfully, the novel comes to a heartwarming and hopeful conclusion. Lizzy and Drew are in their early 30’s and about to make some significant changes in their life. I would love to read a sequel about how their life together evolves. What happens to Father Mike and to Mariette? In the meantime, I will read more of Wood’s novels.
The Kirkus review is here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
The author accomplished this by describing the inner workings of Lizzy, Father Mike, and to a lesser extent others like Lizzy husband Drew, a student she counsels, and her childhood friend Marriette with meticulous care. There are timely, sometimes lengthy flashbacks which help the reader place the character in context. And there are passages where the prose describing a character’s feelings is so lush as to be lyrical. For example, Father Mike’s experience of ongoing, unresolved grief:
‘He thinks he knows grief in its every shade. As a dread of nightfall. A glue that has to be walked through. A ticking clock in an empty room, each tock like taking bites inside his body. He thinks he knows how grief works: it sucks taste from apples, it drains color from trees, it makes absence into a presence.
He thinks he’s ready.
But grief does not prepare one for future grief. Grief is not something you get good at. Practice does not perfect anything.’
Or in falling in love Lizzy and Drew:
’…have been alone, separately and for different reasons, for a long time. They enjoy the reassembled selves they become in each other’s presence. For the moment, they are the fully formed people they always intended to be, counting on the moment to forecast the rest of their lives. They skip into this new skin and hope it holds. Maybe that’s all love is.’
If there is any flaw with Any it is with one element of its plot line. Without giving anything away I will just opine that one of its twists seemed contrived to me. I had to work at suspending belief more than I would prefer in reading fiction.
But overall these ‘deeply scarred and intensely human characters’ (per the Kirkus review) made for very engaging, at times emotional reading. The title appropriately comes from a Biblical quote: ‘…to the hungry soul any bitter thing tastes sweet.’ I agree that it is ‘a quiet tale with epic repercussions.’
Thankfully, the novel comes to a heartwarming and hopeful conclusion. Lizzy and Drew are in their early 30’s and about to make some significant changes in their life. I would love to read a sequel about how their life together evolves. What happens to Father Mike and to Mariette? In the meantime, I will read more of Wood’s novels.
The Kirkus review is here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
August 11, 2025
4.5 stars
This is my fourth Monica Wood book and she did not disappoint. I love her writing style and the way she can suck me in emotionally with her story, characters and sense of place. The premise is heart wrenching but original and compelling. The way things play out is not predictable. It is a quiet introspective study of damaged people who deal with heavy “Before” and “After” situations that made my soul ache, but which were not maudlin in the least. These individuals work through their pasts in ways that drew me in to their broken lives.
The story goes back and forth through time seamlessly as the details are filled in and the tension builds quietly. After a slow-ish start I felt it was a 4 star read until the last half, then I couldn’t put it down until the end, so that bumped my rating to 5 stars.
There’s some religiosity in this story related to Catholic Church drama, so if that’s a turn-off for you then you may not enjoy this as much as I did, even though I am not Catholic. The author came from a large Catholic family so it’s an authentic perspective.
I fully recommend this book and really, anything by this author.
This is my fourth Monica Wood book and she did not disappoint. I love her writing style and the way she can suck me in emotionally with her story, characters and sense of place. The premise is heart wrenching but original and compelling. The way things play out is not predictable. It is a quiet introspective study of damaged people who deal with heavy “Before” and “After” situations that made my soul ache, but which were not maudlin in the least. These individuals work through their pasts in ways that drew me in to their broken lives.
The story goes back and forth through time seamlessly as the details are filled in and the tension builds quietly. After a slow-ish start I felt it was a 4 star read until the last half, then I couldn’t put it down until the end, so that bumped my rating to 5 stars.
There’s some religiosity in this story related to Catholic Church drama, so if that’s a turn-off for you then you may not enjoy this as much as I did, even though I am not Catholic. The author came from a large Catholic family so it’s an authentic perspective.
I fully recommend this book and really, anything by this author.
December 7, 2025
I don’t even know how to describe this book, because there was a lot going on it for what is at heart a character-driven literary novel. The book begins with main character Lizzy shortly after she has survived an almost fatal car accident - and while in the hospital, she thinks she received a visit from her long dead uncle who was also a priest, who was essentially a father to her for part of her childhood after she was orphaned at age two. The book tells the story of Lizzy’s both post-accident and as a child, and also things from her uncle’s point of view. But also so much more, about family, friendship, marriage, right and wrong and accusations of wrong and so much more.
I had a little trouble with the beginning of this one - I both couldn’t understand where the book was going, while at the same time thinking I knew where things were going and not liking it. And though I was right in part, there was just so much more, including some jaw dropping twists for a non-thriller. So while the beginning was slow, before long I found myself totally drawn in and emotionally affected. And the writing was just so good. A unique story and one that will stay with me.
4.25 stars
I had a little trouble with the beginning of this one - I both couldn’t understand where the book was going, while at the same time thinking I knew where things were going and not liking it. And though I was right in part, there was just so much more, including some jaw dropping twists for a non-thriller. So while the beginning was slow, before long I found myself totally drawn in and emotionally affected. And the writing was just so good. A unique story and one that will stay with me.
4.25 stars
June 27, 2019
I'm stunned by this novel. It is simply one of the best books I've read in recent memory.
I've long heard of Monica Wood, read some stories for Yankee or Downeast, and recently became curious because our library had her books on display.
Wood's gift for intricate structuring, fully alive characters, recurrent developing themes and narrative/plot shifts mark this book.
Without recounting plot I simply say that the story of Father Mike Murphy, his beloved and lost Lizzy Finneran and the huge cast of characters who blossom page by page pulls readers into thinking about love, hope, gossip, vengeance, self-destruction, recollection, religious fervor, possible resurrection (or, at least, reconfiguration), finding salvation in strange places, salvation-through-knowledge, the bitter dregs of guilt and the wonderful relief of forgiveness. Time...entrapping and healing.
Read this book even if you're not starved for some sweetness.
I've long heard of Monica Wood, read some stories for Yankee or Downeast, and recently became curious because our library had her books on display.
Wood's gift for intricate structuring, fully alive characters, recurrent developing themes and narrative/plot shifts mark this book.
Without recounting plot I simply say that the story of Father Mike Murphy, his beloved and lost Lizzy Finneran and the huge cast of characters who blossom page by page pulls readers into thinking about love, hope, gossip, vengeance, self-destruction, recollection, religious fervor, possible resurrection (or, at least, reconfiguration), finding salvation in strange places, salvation-through-knowledge, the bitter dregs of guilt and the wonderful relief of forgiveness. Time...entrapping and healing.
Read this book even if you're not starved for some sweetness.
September 10, 2020
Monica does it again! The layers of context in this wonderful novel peel like an onion. It is a multitude of stories with a pivotal character, Lizzy, a young girl who loses her parents as a toddler. She becomes the guardian of her priest uncle, a young man ill-equipped at first for the job but desperate to become the parent his only living relative deserves. Monica sets the story in a factory town in western Maine, populated by deeply religious French-Canadian emigres, a fact that complicates Father Murphy's guardianship of Lizzy. Her use of point of view mines the depths of each character's emotions with a razor sharp clarity, ultimately leading to an explosive and emotional confrontation. If you are looking for a page-turner you will have trouble putting down, this is your book!
July 4, 2018
I could not put this book down. The writing is poetic and ethereal...layers of meaning that make me stop to Re-read sentences and passages to rethink what I thought it said.
And the story...so many secrets and again, layers of truth. Beautiful.
And the story...so many secrets and again, layers of truth. Beautiful.
August 7, 2018
A solid 4+. Started a little sad, slow and curious...but had many unexpected twists and some fantastic, beautiful, understated writing. This is a heart-jerker. Really enjoyed the story and was sorry to see it end, the ending was 5 stars.
March 27, 2023
A beautiful and compassionate story of family, faith, and secrets. Loved it from the first page to the last.
“The full soul tramples upon the honeycomb, but to the hungry soul, every bitter thing tastes sweet”
Proverbs 27:7
“The full soul tramples upon the honeycomb, but to the hungry soul, every bitter thing tastes sweet”
Proverbs 27:7
January 29, 2019
This is a book which needs to be savoured. Full of the most beautiful prose, a story which is full of quiet sadness, love and 'what could have been'. The timeline jumps back and forward which is a style I really enjoy, great characters, a great story, one I am really sorry I've finished.
July 4, 2019
excellent. another winner by monica wood!! just as good as when we were the kennedys!
September 15, 2017
Had never heard this book & now can't wait to share it with book-loving friends.
I loved the author's prose. There are many 'time hops' in the story but most are designated by chapter. Characters and themes (religion, marriage, friendship)are handled with lots of 'gray areas' - no one and nothing is black & white. Really liked this aspect of the novel.
There are a couple plot twists/surprizes that make the last third of the book hard to put down.
Going to read more by this author!
I loved the author's prose. There are many 'time hops' in the story but most are designated by chapter. Characters and themes (religion, marriage, friendship)are handled with lots of 'gray areas' - no one and nothing is black & white. Really liked this aspect of the novel.
There are a couple plot twists/surprizes that make the last third of the book hard to put down.
Going to read more by this author!
September 23, 2020
I love a book like this. I was asked me what it was about, and as I struggled to answer, it occurred to me that the best books can't be summed up. Not really. Good writing, characters and plot with a depth I so much appreciate.
Having just helped a friend move, I was struck by this passage: I glanced around our bedroom at the shelves and baskets and closets and dressers landfilled with broken watches and un-opened packages of underwear and broken-backed novels and too-short belts and too-long shoelaces and owner's manuals for obsolete appliances and clothes we would never wear again and gewgaws and moth-eaten pennants and greeting cards with no envelopes and entire, undiscovered layers of things we were psychologically and probably pathologically unable to part with simply because we had once touched them and because they were - though useless, though ugly, though out of style, though crumbling at the core -ours. This is as good a reason as any for Konmari-ing one's house. The passage can also be seen as an extended metaphor of one's interior life: all these people, emotions, scars, moments living on long after one would expect, that clutter and sometimes define us. I guess the trick is to figure out what's valuable and hang on to it while climbing out of the detritus and moving forward.
Anyway, lovely book...
Having just helped a friend move, I was struck by this passage: I glanced around our bedroom at the shelves and baskets and closets and dressers landfilled with broken watches and un-opened packages of underwear and broken-backed novels and too-short belts and too-long shoelaces and owner's manuals for obsolete appliances and clothes we would never wear again and gewgaws and moth-eaten pennants and greeting cards with no envelopes and entire, undiscovered layers of things we were psychologically and probably pathologically unable to part with simply because we had once touched them and because they were - though useless, though ugly, though out of style, though crumbling at the core -ours. This is as good a reason as any for Konmari-ing one's house. The passage can also be seen as an extended metaphor of one's interior life: all these people, emotions, scars, moments living on long after one would expect, that clutter and sometimes define us. I guess the trick is to figure out what's valuable and hang on to it while climbing out of the detritus and moving forward.
Anyway, lovely book...
February 18, 2008
Wood gives an amazingly realistic portrayal of an adult's memory of early childhood. The relationship of a young girl to her caretaker that emerges is the most poignant I've ever read. Her attention to the details of childhood is such that it reminded me of things I hadn't thought about in decades. The main character's experience of being ripped from her caretaker amid false allegations is truly heart-wrenching without being maudlin - a difficult feat.
However, Wood's handling of the relationships of husbands and wives isn't nearly as compelling. In her defense, marital relations vary much more in detail than do parental relationships, yet I still found myself unmoved for the most part by the main marriage presented.
Overall though, Wood's handling and depiction of relationships and of complicated emotions - passion, grief, love, hate - is compelling. And as an added bonus, the book is quite a page turner.
However, Wood's handling of the relationships of husbands and wives isn't nearly as compelling. In her defense, marital relations vary much more in detail than do parental relationships, yet I still found myself unmoved for the most part by the main marriage presented.
Overall though, Wood's handling and depiction of relationships and of complicated emotions - passion, grief, love, hate - is compelling. And as an added bonus, the book is quite a page turner.
October 25, 2007
Very well written novel about a woman who was involved in a hit and run accident.. We met lizzy from the moment of her accident, where she lays unconcious, certain of seeing her dead uncle - a priest- at her beside. From there, we delve into her past ( an orphaned two year old being sent to live with her priest uncle until the age of nine, when he is accused of an awful crime)...while we also watch her recover, meet the "bad samaritian" (the man who moved her from the road and called 911), attempt to save her marriage, and also console her best friend, as she trys to come to terms with what her uncle and her past.
I was not expecting to get much out of this novel, but it totally took me by surprize. The first paragraph took hold of me and wouldnt let go.
Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!
I was not expecting to get much out of this novel, but it totally took me by surprize. The first paragraph took hold of me and wouldnt let go.
Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 431 reviews