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Domestic Affairs
“Rosie and Abigail are like family,” Ina Merriweather used to say. That is, until the day Ina abruptly cast out her housekeeper, Rosie, and her fifteen-year-old daughter Abigail. Abigail felt deeply betrayed, especially by Ina’s daughter Lila, who was her closest friend. Only Lila’s twin brother Vaughn, with whom Abigail had been exploring the joys and heartaches of first love, showed any compassion. Now, twenty-five years later, an old score is about to be settled...and an old love rekindled. Abigail is now a self-made woman who has built an empire out of the homemaking skills she learned from her mother. When Lila, who married well and for decades lived the glittering life of a Park Avenue socialite, suffers a tragic reversal of fortune, an opportunity to right an old wrong lands squarely in Abigail’s lap. Lila seeks the help of her childhood friend, but learns that the only opening available at the moment is as her housekeeper and Lila has no choice but to accept. At the same time, Abigail is coping with the fallout from a fire in her Mexico factory, which took the life of an innocent girl, whose mother, Concepción Morales, now seeks the rich señora she holds responsible for her daughter’s death. In a collision of fate, Abigail, Lila, and Concepción are thrown together and must unite to save one another...and themselves.
437 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
488 people are currently reading
929 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Goudge
120 books714 followersI began writing at the age of eight and wrote my way through the lean years before I found success as New York Times' bestselling author with my first novel GARDEN OF LIES. To date I have published 19 novels and a cookbook. Every life experience I've weathered has found its way into my novels in one form or another: bad exes, births, deaths, divorces, romances, and even true crime. My heroines are like me: tough cookies who don't crumble.
My latest novel, Book One of my Gold Creek series, ALL THEY NEED TO KNOW, is the story of a woman fleeing her abusive ex who finds refuge in a small California mountain town, where she's befriended by a group of women who call themselves The Tattooed Ladies and reinvents herself as a police sketch artist. Kyra "draws lines to stop crimes," as they say in the biz, never imagining she'll one day be forced to confront the biggest criminal of all: her ex.
I'm married to former entertainment reporter Sandy Kenyon and the mother of two grown children. We live in Sacramento, California, where we remodeled a 1940's house for which I was the on-site project manager. Fortunately, multi-tasking is my superpower, so I was able to write a book and supervise a home remodel at the same time. The latter is sure to find its way into a future book. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see pics of my home remodel and other adventures.
My latest novel, Book One of my Gold Creek series, ALL THEY NEED TO KNOW, is the story of a woman fleeing her abusive ex who finds refuge in a small California mountain town, where she's befriended by a group of women who call themselves The Tattooed Ladies and reinvents herself as a police sketch artist. Kyra "draws lines to stop crimes," as they say in the biz, never imagining she'll one day be forced to confront the biggest criminal of all: her ex.
I'm married to former entertainment reporter Sandy Kenyon and the mother of two grown children. We live in Sacramento, California, where we remodeled a 1940's house for which I was the on-site project manager. Fortunately, multi-tasking is my superpower, so I was able to write a book and supervise a home remodel at the same time. The latter is sure to find its way into a future book. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see pics of my home remodel and other adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
June 11, 2017
This is the kind of book that I like to casually come upon - either through a random browse at a half-price bookstore, or tucked away on a friend's dusty bookshelf. I loved the tempo of the author's writing, and I loved that her prose was never "dumbed down". She respects her readers, and that's always an author I can get behind.
As far as the story is concerned, Goudge had quite a challenge on her hands. She had to make us care about a vast cast of characters living in two different countries. And, for the most part, she did. However, there were parts of the drama that I think I cared about a little more than the author did. For instance, there was a major event that occurred that felt like - to me - the MCs viewed as an "also/and". I won't hold that against them (or the author), because there were A LOT of strings to tie up at the end of this book. And while I don't think all of the conclusions were handled successfully, the story had that kind of lingering ending that I prefer in my novels.
Summary: I liked the book ("loved it" would be a stretch) and I would definitely read another Eileen Goudge book again.
As far as the story is concerned, Goudge had quite a challenge on her hands. She had to make us care about a vast cast of characters living in two different countries. And, for the most part, she did. However, there were parts of the drama that I think I cared about a little more than the author did. For instance, there was a major event that occurred that felt like - to me - the MCs viewed as an "also/and". I won't hold that against them (or the author), because there were A LOT of strings to tie up at the end of this book. And while I don't think all of the conclusions were handled successfully, the story had that kind of lingering ending that I prefer in my novels.
Summary: I liked the book ("loved it" would be a stretch) and I would definitely read another Eileen Goudge book again.
June 21, 2012
Boo..I can honestly say I did not enjoy this book, pity too I was laid up for a week and could have really used a great read but I got this sappy, silly, melodrama about three women whose lives entertwine...Ironic I should finish this book on Mothers Day as the women are all mothers and their love for their children is unquestionable though it does make them do silly things..In the story we have Lila and Abigail, childhood friends until Abigail's mother is fired and they are thrown from the only home they have ever known and her "best friend" Lila did not lift a finger to help..Along with Lila there is her twin brother Vaughn Abigail secretly has a crush on that helps her with his random letters over the years become a strong, cool confident business mogul reminiscent of Martha Stewart. Abigail becomes beautiful, famous and rich as her best friend -now bitter enemy Lila was.. in a rude reversal of fate the rich Lila and her husband are slowly spiraling downward financially and when he decides to commit suicide she is penniless, and has to set aside her pride and get a job wherever she can and she comes begging to Abigail..It was here I thought the story was going to get better---but it never did, I incorrectly assumed more would be done with the poignant sweet revenge plot of Abigail hiring Lila to clean her house after watching her mother clean Lila and Vaughn' house all those years.. and I was ready for a few sickeningly sweet friendship scenes NOT these weird tangents from Abigail's third world factories where a young girl is killed, weak love stories and flowery, overly written silly plot twists I felt myself skimming through--double teen suicides, adulterous husbands, hidden sexual abuse and more that I just couldnt get with..the only character I kind of liked was Lila and she was sillier and sillier as the book went on..Was pretty disappointed with this sugary sweet long novel with no substance..
September 2, 2013
So far, this book is fairly terrible. It's predictable to a fault, and the inconsistencies are ever-present. In the first chapter, for example, the author tells us that Abigail, Lila, and Vaughn are all 15 years old in 1982. Later, she tells us that Vaughn had graduated from high school, spent 2 years in the peace corps, got a job at a TV station and was then filming in Beirut in '83. Um, nope.
On Page 213, she writes:
"It was apparent to Vaughn, if not to Lila, that Karim was smitten with her. It must have been apparent to Neal, too, because more than once, Vaughn caught him giving Karim the fish eye.
Lila wasn't blind to it, either, and Vaughn could see that it had her rattled."
Which is it? Was it not apparent to Lila? Or was she not blind to it? Where was the editing in this book? I understand that in any book, there are bound to be contradictions, but this discrepancy was separated by ONLY ONE SENTENCE. No one picked up on this?
I blame the editors.
I almost didn't even finish the book. I think it was sheer stubbornness that made me keep reading.
On Page 213, she writes:
"It was apparent to Vaughn, if not to Lila, that Karim was smitten with her. It must have been apparent to Neal, too, because more than once, Vaughn caught him giving Karim the fish eye.
Lila wasn't blind to it, either, and Vaughn could see that it had her rattled."
Which is it? Was it not apparent to Lila? Or was she not blind to it? Where was the editing in this book? I understand that in any book, there are bound to be contradictions, but this discrepancy was separated by ONLY ONE SENTENCE. No one picked up on this?
I blame the editors.
I almost didn't even finish the book. I think it was sheer stubbornness that made me keep reading.
November 10, 2015
Well, that could have been better.
This book follows three women whose lives intersect in really, very weird ways. Two of them knew one another as kids because the mom of one - Abigail - was a housekeeper for the other's - Lila - family. They grew up, and Lila married rich because - well, that's what rich people do, right? Only her husband lost all their money. And Abigail worked hard! Because that's what blue collar kids do, right? And she made a fortune and married a doctor. Now Lila needs a job so - surprise! Abigail hires her as a housekeeper. But Abigail has her own drama brewing because she's grown up to somehow be blind to the plight of blue collar workers and runs what is basically slave labour in her Mexican factory, leading to the death of another woman's kid. The other woman - Concepción - decides to go to America and stalk Abigail because, well, reasons.
There's a lot of drama and a lot of crappy stuff happens to the women and it's kind of soap-opera-ey but without the shirtless handsome men wandering around (do soap operas still have that? It's the only reason I watched them in my 20's). Instead there's a terrible, insensitively written middle-eastern immigrant and a terrible, insensitively written brother with cancer, and a terrible, insensitively written Mexican immigrant, and all I can think is DID THIS WHITE LADY EVER MEET ANYONE NOT WHITE AND RICH IN HER LIFE????
I mean, in many ways I'm just a basic white girl myself, but the language this woman uses, and the way she writes about other cultures and travel in third world countries and I just cannot even.
That said, I did manage to make it to the end, so I gave it two stars. But I spent a lot of time wandering around the house talking to the animals about how disgusted I was with parts of this book, and shaking my head and wanting to throw things.
This book follows three women whose lives intersect in really, very weird ways. Two of them knew one another as kids because the mom of one - Abigail - was a housekeeper for the other's - Lila - family. They grew up, and Lila married rich because - well, that's what rich people do, right? Only her husband lost all their money. And Abigail worked hard! Because that's what blue collar kids do, right? And she made a fortune and married a doctor. Now Lila needs a job so - surprise! Abigail hires her as a housekeeper. But Abigail has her own drama brewing because she's grown up to somehow be blind to the plight of blue collar workers and runs what is basically slave labour in her Mexican factory, leading to the death of another woman's kid. The other woman - Concepción - decides to go to America and stalk Abigail because, well, reasons.
There's a lot of drama and a lot of crappy stuff happens to the women and it's kind of soap-opera-ey but without the shirtless handsome men wandering around (do soap operas still have that? It's the only reason I watched them in my 20's). Instead there's a terrible, insensitively written middle-eastern immigrant and a terrible, insensitively written brother with cancer, and a terrible, insensitively written Mexican immigrant, and all I can think is DID THIS WHITE LADY EVER MEET ANYONE NOT WHITE AND RICH IN HER LIFE????
I mean, in many ways I'm just a basic white girl myself, but the language this woman uses, and the way she writes about other cultures and travel in third world countries and I just cannot even.
That said, I did manage to make it to the end, so I gave it two stars. But I spent a lot of time wandering around the house talking to the animals about how disgusted I was with parts of this book, and shaking my head and wanting to throw things.
September 10, 2008
Blergh. I picked this up because the name looked familiar but I couldn't remember if I liked the author's last book or not. Judging from how tedious this one was, I'd have to guess I didn't. It's a textbook example of why a writer needs to "show, not tell" because it read like a lengthy description of the story, rather than a story in itself. The premise had potential but the characters were too vanilla. The supposed main theme is the tangled relationship between two women; childhood friends, torn apart by a betrayal and acting out a symbolic revenge. It might have worked if the two characters were ever in the same scene for more than a paragraph or two. Or if there was actually tension between them. Or between any of the characters. This one's a dud.
February 7, 2017
My first novel by Eileen Goudge, and I'm ashamed to admit that I chose it from a bookshelf in my Mexican rental condo only because the print was larger than the other books! Not great literature, but I was surprised at how many reviewers had given it a single star. I didn't think it was so terrible. Yes, it was predictable, but the insinuation is that predictable is bad. It was a good holiday read.
July 18, 2014
I literally don't think this woman has ever spoken to an immigrant, or possibly even a nonwhite person, in her life. I'm a former ESL teacher, and my boyfriend is Afghan. Nonsense that jumped out at me, just off the top of my head:
- Holy crap, please never refer to local populations as "natives" again. What is this, the 1800s???
- Vaughn's contemptuous comment about "what passes for civilization in that part of the world," from a guy who supposedly loves living in those kinds of places. There is civilization in the third world!
- Why are all two of her Black extras "light-skinned Black women"???
- All of Concepcion's speech patterns are bs. Her comprehension and her pseudo "broken English" is a) way more advanced than you would ever find from someone who has never studied English and spent a few months in the US in a job where she never talks to English-speakers, and b) broken in completely different patterns than a Spanish-speaker would ever use.
- This might just be the audiobook version, but there were several instances of noticeably incorrect Spanish. "Claro no que" instead of "claro que no," and constantly addressing a daughter as "mi hija" instead of "mija" are the two that stick in my mind. You couldn't get even one Spanish speaker to double check your work?
- Karim magically speaks flawless English and understands literally every linguistic and cultural reference, from "do not pass go, do not collect $200" to the term "fairy lights" despite the fact that he moved to the US as an adult, has a job where he would rarely speak English with anyone, and supposedly doesn't even watch TV.
- Karim's actions and entire outlook on life are evidently totally unaffected by where he grew up - he acts and talks like an American, except that he's got a thin veneer of "eastern mystery" or whatever. Telling Lila to help him with heavy outdoor work, his comments that you have to assume kids will grow up and leave you alone, referring to "the Middle East" when they're talking about Afghanistan (!) - give me a break.
There were other things in this book that annoyed me, but I was too distracted by this kind of crap to even really notice. Do a little research next time, or maybe even consider making even one friend outside your own background before you write.
- Holy crap, please never refer to local populations as "natives" again. What is this, the 1800s???
- Vaughn's contemptuous comment about "what passes for civilization in that part of the world," from a guy who supposedly loves living in those kinds of places. There is civilization in the third world!
- Why are all two of her Black extras "light-skinned Black women"???
- All of Concepcion's speech patterns are bs. Her comprehension and her pseudo "broken English" is a) way more advanced than you would ever find from someone who has never studied English and spent a few months in the US in a job where she never talks to English-speakers, and b) broken in completely different patterns than a Spanish-speaker would ever use.
- This might just be the audiobook version, but there were several instances of noticeably incorrect Spanish. "Claro no que" instead of "claro que no," and constantly addressing a daughter as "mi hija" instead of "mija" are the two that stick in my mind. You couldn't get even one Spanish speaker to double check your work?
- Karim magically speaks flawless English and understands literally every linguistic and cultural reference, from "do not pass go, do not collect $200" to the term "fairy lights" despite the fact that he moved to the US as an adult, has a job where he would rarely speak English with anyone, and supposedly doesn't even watch TV.
- Karim's actions and entire outlook on life are evidently totally unaffected by where he grew up - he acts and talks like an American, except that he's got a thin veneer of "eastern mystery" or whatever. Telling Lila to help him with heavy outdoor work, his comments that you have to assume kids will grow up and leave you alone, referring to "the Middle East" when they're talking about Afghanistan (!) - give me a break.
There were other things in this book that annoyed me, but I was too distracted by this kind of crap to even really notice. Do a little research next time, or maybe even consider making even one friend outside your own background before you write.
January 13, 2011
Rosie had been housekeeper to the Merriweather family for a long time, her 15 year old daughter Abigail had grown up best friends with twins Lila & Vaughn Merriweather, she and Vaughn had been getting closer when all of a sudden Rosie had been sacked and they were thrown out. Abigail was angry that Lila did not help at all, it was only Vaughn who kept in touch.
Twenty Five years later and the books are turned. Abigail is a household name, she has built an empire out of the homemaking skills she learned from her mother, she is married to a doctor and has a daughter Febee.
Lila’s life has just changed dramatically as her husband committed suicide and left her to look after their son Neil. After looking everywhere for a job unsuccessfully Lila finds herself asking Abigail if she could give her a job, she does, as her housekeeper.
At the same time, Abigail has a threat on the horizon. After a fire in her factory in Mexico where a 19 year old girl died, her mother Concepcion Morales is seeking retribution from the senora she holds responsible for her daughter’s death. With Lila back in her life, Abigail is reuited with Vaughn Merriweather as well, he has led a life of trotting around the globe making documentaries.
This was a good read, with lots happening.
Twenty Five years later and the books are turned. Abigail is a household name, she has built an empire out of the homemaking skills she learned from her mother, she is married to a doctor and has a daughter Febee.
Lila’s life has just changed dramatically as her husband committed suicide and left her to look after their son Neil. After looking everywhere for a job unsuccessfully Lila finds herself asking Abigail if she could give her a job, she does, as her housekeeper.
At the same time, Abigail has a threat on the horizon. After a fire in her factory in Mexico where a 19 year old girl died, her mother Concepcion Morales is seeking retribution from the senora she holds responsible for her daughter’s death. With Lila back in her life, Abigail is reuited with Vaughn Merriweather as well, he has led a life of trotting around the globe making documentaries.
This was a good read, with lots happening.
November 1, 2014
This book was very long winded. It started with lots of potential, but unfortunately was not well executed. It was very "show" not "tell". Half way through I thought, "if one more sentence starts with 'as if' I'm going to scream!" the main supposed premise of the story was about two friends, betrayal, and their way back to one another. But the book almost turned out to include 3 other plots, none of which involve those characters the book was supposed to be centered around. They almost became background secondary characters than the leads. A lot of wasted character development. I won't be reading her again.
February 28, 2015
I can't say this is my favorite Eileen Goudge book and was a little disappointed with this saga of how the lives of three women intertwined. It was much too perfect, predictable and tidy. Life is messier.
February 18, 2009
This is the kind of book for people who like neat, tidy, happy endings, at all cost--even at the expense of plot cand character consistency.
February 21, 2009
I had such high hopes for this book. I usually enjoy reading Eileen Goudge. What a snoozer this one was, I can't even believe I read the whole thing.
March 13, 2016
Can't recommend.
November 28, 2016
Отново страхотна! Мисля, че авторката ме спечели
January 27, 2019
This book kinda threw me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting much and in the beginning it was starting to become a book just to get through but then it all started happening fast and I couldn’t put it down.
1982. Abigail and her mother work for the Merriweather’s, but when the mistress of the house accuses her of stealing her diamond necklace they are shown to the curb. Her friends, the children of the manor, that she grew up with Lila and Vaughn never really get to say goodbye to her and Abigail feels left out in the cold.
Fast forward to present day: Abby is a self-made woman with a million-dollar business. Even though she went through horrid trials to get there she has made it. Lila on the other hand is going through tragedy. Her husband committed suicide so he wouldn’t go to prison for embezzlement crimes he committed. So she has no money or friends or a job. The only person she can think of is Abby. And Abby gives a job as her housekeeper. Call it sweet justice or just helping a friend out. These two embark on finding out how to get back to the friendship they used to have. And then Abby’s long lost love Vaughn comes back in her life, but it’s because he has cancer. So while he gets treatment he and Abby reconnect and it brings all the feels and emotions they had back when they were teenagers.
Meanwhile there is a fire in her factory in Mexico and someone dies. The mother comes from Mexico and finds her way to Abby in order to seek justice. But that can mean many things.
Everyone’s life in this book has fallen apart. No one is unscathed. Each of these characters do find love which is the silver lining and that is great to read. But it can get kinda sad. True life drama. Well somewhat true life. It was sad but not like depressing sad. It kept me reading for more I’m sure it will do that to you too.
1982. Abigail and her mother work for the Merriweather’s, but when the mistress of the house accuses her of stealing her diamond necklace they are shown to the curb. Her friends, the children of the manor, that she grew up with Lila and Vaughn never really get to say goodbye to her and Abigail feels left out in the cold.
Fast forward to present day: Abby is a self-made woman with a million-dollar business. Even though she went through horrid trials to get there she has made it. Lila on the other hand is going through tragedy. Her husband committed suicide so he wouldn’t go to prison for embezzlement crimes he committed. So she has no money or friends or a job. The only person she can think of is Abby. And Abby gives a job as her housekeeper. Call it sweet justice or just helping a friend out. These two embark on finding out how to get back to the friendship they used to have. And then Abby’s long lost love Vaughn comes back in her life, but it’s because he has cancer. So while he gets treatment he and Abby reconnect and it brings all the feels and emotions they had back when they were teenagers.
Meanwhile there is a fire in her factory in Mexico and someone dies. The mother comes from Mexico and finds her way to Abby in order to seek justice. But that can mean many things.
Everyone’s life in this book has fallen apart. No one is unscathed. Each of these characters do find love which is the silver lining and that is great to read. But it can get kinda sad. True life drama. Well somewhat true life. It was sad but not like depressing sad. It kept me reading for more I’m sure it will do that to you too.
July 13, 2017
So, I have the same complaint with this book as I did with Garden of Lies - while I am in LOVE with the story, I feel that there are lots of elements that are completely unnecessary or just altogether over done. I think this book could have been written exceptionally well in about half the pages. For instances, the storylines involving Gillian and Vaughn, Phoebe and Neal (useless characters, honestly) and even Concepcion Delgado could have been removed entirely and the story still would have served its purpose. There were far too many "twists and turns" for this story to be believable, but for some reason, I was super invested in the characters of Abby and Lila, so I wanted to see it through. I'd rate this 3.75 stars.
We're following young Abigail and her mother, Rosie, who live with a very wealthy family. Rosie has been the housekeeper and trusted second mother to Lila and Vaughn - Abby's best friends - for a number of years. Unfortunately, in the wake of a scandal involving Lila's drunk mother, Abby and Rosie are displaced and forced to leave the beautiful estate.
Over twenty years later, while Abby is a famous cook, stylist, and all around one woman show, Lila is losing everything. The tables have truly turned when Abigail agrees to hire Lila as her family housekeeper for her, her husband Kent, and their daughter Phoebe. Lila is knocked down more than a few pegs by her new job, but still, she perseveres. I particularly enjoyed the characters Vaughn and Karim, and thought they added a bit of sweetness to the story. I needed to see where everyone ended up, and I'm glad I followed through.
We're following young Abigail and her mother, Rosie, who live with a very wealthy family. Rosie has been the housekeeper and trusted second mother to Lila and Vaughn - Abby's best friends - for a number of years. Unfortunately, in the wake of a scandal involving Lila's drunk mother, Abby and Rosie are displaced and forced to leave the beautiful estate.
Over twenty years later, while Abby is a famous cook, stylist, and all around one woman show, Lila is losing everything. The tables have truly turned when Abigail agrees to hire Lila as her family housekeeper for her, her husband Kent, and their daughter Phoebe. Lila is knocked down more than a few pegs by her new job, but still, she perseveres. I particularly enjoyed the characters Vaughn and Karim, and thought they added a bit of sweetness to the story. I needed to see where everyone ended up, and I'm glad I followed through.
September 20, 2018
This was a good book that I enjoyed. It is what I would call chick lit, or a good beach read. The plot was good - watching what happens as one rich girls best friend, the housekeepers daughter, loses track of that friend when the housekeeper is fired unjustly. and then 20 years later the tables are turned when the wealthy girl falls from penthouse to poorhouse while the other girl rises from maid's daughter to "Martha Stewart" stardom..... and yes, the original wealthy girl becomes her housekeeper! Revenge in all forms...... but this book is about their children as well, and the plot lines are all interesting and well written. The only problem I had with the book was that I was ready for it to end about three chapters earlier than it did - the last chapters really were not that useful to the story, they could have summed everything up much more quickly than dragging it out. But still, I give this book 4 stars. Eileen Goudge is a good author!
May 26, 2021
When Abigail was 15 her mother, the live-in housekeeper to a wealthy family, was summarily fired for theft. Abigail lost everything, her home, her best-friend Lila, her almost boyfriend, Lila's twin-brother Vaughn. The worst part, for Abby, was that Lila took her alcoholic mother's side. Twenty years later the shoe is on the other foot. Lila married well but her husband was convicted of fraud and committed suicide leaving Lila and her son Neal broken and bereft. Unable to get a job anywhere, Abigail, now a household name in cleaning, baking and entertaining, gives her a job as their housekeeper. It seems like a comedown but Lila is willing to do whatever she has to do to keep a roof over her head. And her brother Vaughn has cancer. Abigail's empire is doing well but her own family is not. Her marriage is floundering, her beloved daughter won't give her the time of day and her new factory in Mexico burned down, killing a young woman because safety procedures were compromised in the name of speed. Can these two women rebuild their friendship? More importantly, can they forge new bonds that will take them beyond the past and into the future that awaits them? If there had been more friendship rebuilding the book would have worked better but the story is told from one point of view then another and usually through separate incidents that had little to do with the other. By the time they do forge their friendship, they have both grown as people but they didn't need a shared past to have done it. It was well read but not a wonderful story.
August 5, 2017
Goodreads has a good plot summary which I don't need to repeat. The story is a bit predictable, especially Lila and Vaughn. It is a good summer read.
Abigail did not have an easy life. She worked hard for her success. It's easy to have sympathy for her, and she redeems herself at the end of the book for a tragedy that was not her fault.
Why are teenage girls always so awful? They just are.
I really liked Conception. The hardship she faced trying to cross the border into the U.S. was unbelievable. Grief was her motivation. I was happy she got her driver's license and a U.S. passport st the end of the book.
Abigail did not have an easy life. She worked hard for her success. It's easy to have sympathy for her, and she redeems herself at the end of the book for a tragedy that was not her fault.
Why are teenage girls always so awful? They just are.
I really liked Conception. The hardship she faced trying to cross the border into the U.S. was unbelievable. Grief was her motivation. I was happy she got her driver's license and a U.S. passport st the end of the book.
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November 15, 2022Autorica donosi intimnu priču o izgubljenim i ponovno stečenim prijateljstvima, o obnavljanju starih ljubavi i vatrenom krštenju koje na koncu dovodi do iskupljenja triju veoma posebnih žena.. U ovoj su izrazito emotivnoj priči tri žene primorane udružiti snage kako bi se spasile. Usput shvate da su sile koje su uništile njihove živote i njih oblikovale na nezamislive načine... Meni se knjiga svidjela i od mene imate preporuke
October 13, 2023
Bend or Break
When devastating changes enter the lives of two successful women, they have major decisions to make. Decisions that would determine not only their lives but the lives of those they love and who love them. Despite the somewhat “two steps forward, one step back” route their decisions take them, they both discover their true selves. An interesting journey; an encouraging ending.
When devastating changes enter the lives of two successful women, they have major decisions to make. Decisions that would determine not only their lives but the lives of those they love and who love them. Despite the somewhat “two steps forward, one step back” route their decisions take them, they both discover their true selves. An interesting journey; an encouraging ending.
June 23, 2018
A good story!
A novel about many forms of slavery and it's devastating impact on two families.
Loved the characters and the author 's vivid descriptions of landscape throughout the book.
Appreciated the sensitive treatment of the long term mental and physical anguish of sexual abuse.
A novel about many forms of slavery and it's devastating impact on two families.
Loved the characters and the author 's vivid descriptions of landscape throughout the book.
Appreciated the sensitive treatment of the long term mental and physical anguish of sexual abuse.
May 22, 2020
Found this book interesting but long an tedious. Basic story of friendship gone wrong between two girls and they somehow reconnect years later under different circumstances and complete reversal of
their previous situations.
But predictably things work out in the end.
It was to be expected.
Michele Zito
their previous situations.
But predictably things work out in the end.
It was to be expected.
Michele Zito
September 3, 2017
2 women who are friends in childhood. Life changes and their circumstances change. All about love, relationships, and children.
This book is bogged down with more descriptive details than necessary. Sometimes you wonder why there is so much detail...to just fill the pages???
This book is bogged down with more descriptive details than necessary. Sometimes you wonder why there is so much detail...to just fill the pages???
April 6, 2018
Eileen Goudge writes interesting books but for the most part they are simple and not intellectually challenging or provocative of further thought and discussion. Most are easy to discern the outcome early in the narrative - this is no exception.
August 14, 2017
Very good!
October 7, 2017
A tad bit predictable, but still kept my interest.
September 6, 2017
Read this in paperback a few years ago and it's a bit fuzzy in my memory. I always enjoy Eileen Goudge's novels.
February 28, 2018
I enjoyed this book and of course, the writing, Eileen Goudge is one of my favorites.
March 5, 2018
Characters that stick, believable story, emotion that feels so real, this was as great book for a holiday. Just starting another by her...new author for me. Mightily prolific!
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