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Never Too Late
by
Decades ago, a shotgun wedding locked Edith into a life with a husband she’s not sure she ever loved. Now, at a ‘certain age,’ she feels like a ghost in her own life, wondering where all this came from: the scornful husband, the mercenary brood of grandchildren, the well-meaning but controlling daughter-in-law. Then one Christmas morning Edith wakes to find her husband dea
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Kindle Edition, 284 pages
Published
September 14th 2015
by Penner Publishing
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Never Too Late is the story of re-awakening, learning about oneself, family and moving forward.
Edith woke up Christmas morning to a dead husband. She was nearly 70 years old and had been in a loveless marriage since the beginning. She had a son, Brian, a daughter-in-law that she didn't really like, two grandchildren that she really didn't know and very few friends.
After the funeral she found an envelope that was her husband's. It had many mysterious receipts in it that she wanted to investigate ...more
Edith woke up Christmas morning to a dead husband. She was nearly 70 years old and had been in a loveless marriage since the beginning. She had a son, Brian, a daughter-in-law that she didn't really like, two grandchildren that she really didn't know and very few friends.
After the funeral she found an envelope that was her husband's. It had many mysterious receipts in it that she wanted to investigate ...more
I received a copy of this via NetGalley in return for a fair and honest review
This book had such a powerful beginning that it proves extremely difficult not to be immediately drawn in, and the continued intelligent writing makes sure you are kept guessing and almost living Ediths' life until all the secrets are revealed by the end.
The start is when Edith reaches over to wake Art up on Christmas morning so they can get things ready for their normal family christmas with the grandchildren, but she ...more
This book had such a powerful beginning that it proves extremely difficult not to be immediately drawn in, and the continued intelligent writing makes sure you are kept guessing and almost living Ediths' life until all the secrets are revealed by the end.
The start is when Edith reaches over to wake Art up on Christmas morning so they can get things ready for their normal family christmas with the grandchildren, but she ...more
3.5 stars
When Edith wakes up Christmas morning, she discovers her husband of many years has died in his sleep. They were not happy in their marriage, as it had been a shotgun wedding after she’d gotten pregnant 47 years earlier. Now, Edith is discovering many secrets in her husband’s life that she had no idea about. Meantime, her daughter-in-law, Kathleen, has come to her with admissions that something is going on with Brian, Esther’s son, and his marriage. That is, Brian has been very secretive ...more
When Edith wakes up Christmas morning, she discovers her husband of many years has died in his sleep. They were not happy in their marriage, as it had been a shotgun wedding after she’d gotten pregnant 47 years earlier. Now, Edith is discovering many secrets in her husband’s life that she had no idea about. Meantime, her daughter-in-law, Kathleen, has come to her with admissions that something is going on with Brian, Esther’s son, and his marriage. That is, Brian has been very secretive ...more
A pretty good book, a little confusing in the middle, but generally a good story.
When Edith’s husband of fifty years, Art, dies unexpectedly, she’s left with many more questions than answers. Edith’s life with Art was loveless and abusive, and when she begins piecing together the clues that increasingly point to infidelity, Edith is angry that she remained in the marriage. Determined to find out the truth, Edith sets out to track Art’s final days.
There are so few books with older women in the main character role. When I saw this was a freebie I decided to go ahead and take a ...more
There are so few books with older women in the main character role. When I saw this was a freebie I decided to go ahead and take a ...more
I was given a free copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Never Too Late is an emotional roller-coaster. Once I started to get into the novel I couldn’t put it down. The characters are brilliant. I thought Edith was wonderfully real and raw. I loved the way the author explored Edith and Art’s unhappy marriage. It must have been very hard for her to be married to someone who treated her and their son with such cold disdain. It must have been equally hard for him married to someone ou ...more
Never Too Late is an emotional roller-coaster. Once I started to get into the novel I couldn’t put it down. The characters are brilliant. I thought Edith was wonderfully real and raw. I loved the way the author explored Edith and Art’s unhappy marriage. It must have been very hard for her to be married to someone who treated her and their son with such cold disdain. It must have been equally hard for him married to someone ou ...more
Great story but who edited this mess?
I was immediately drawn in by the characters and the way the book began. Almost as quickly, the sloppy editing began. I considered quitting as there are so many great story tellers who are more deserving. If you can make it past the glaringly sloppy mistakes with the language, it's truly a great story. ...more
I was immediately drawn in by the characters and the way the book began. Almost as quickly, the sloppy editing began. I considered quitting as there are so many great story tellers who are more deserving. If you can make it past the glaringly sloppy mistakes with the language, it's truly a great story. ...more
Weird. Not what I usually read. It's good, and I stayed up far later than I should have to keep reading... just one more chapter, I'd say after finding myself two chapters past the last time I decided to put it down. Saying that, I'm a bit annoyed at the end.
It's a story of a woman around 70 finding herself widowed after a very unhappy 50yrs of marriage to a very unhappy man after they got pregnant as teens. She realises there were things she didn't know about her husband, and more of the story ...more
It's a story of a woman around 70 finding herself widowed after a very unhappy 50yrs of marriage to a very unhappy man after they got pregnant as teens. She realises there were things she didn't know about her husband, and more of the story ...more
This book went in an entirely different direction than I expected. It got off to a slow and somewhat confusing start. In spite of this, there was something so compelling about the writing, I had to keep going. As I read, labels like gritty, sad, stark, heart-wrenching, raw, stoic, came to mind. It is sometimes emotionally brutal. It is a first-person story about a woman who, upon the death of her husband, begins a search to uncover answers to troubling secrets. In the process she comes to grips
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Edith finds her husband, Art, of 40+ years dead in bed on Christmas morning. It quickly becomes clear that their marriage had not been good. They married because she was pregnant. Both feel they lost their dreams. They have 1 son, Brian.
Their is some evidence that Art may have committed suicide. Edith, with the help of her daughter-in-law start to got through Art's things to figure out what is going on. As she investigates Art's life and secrets, Edith finds herself and grows and changes.
This i ...more
Their is some evidence that Art may have committed suicide. Edith, with the help of her daughter-in-law start to got through Art's things to figure out what is going on. As she investigates Art's life and secrets, Edith finds herself and grows and changes.
This i ...more
This was a good book about a woman who lived her whole life in a loveless marriage and finally managed to break out and do some things for herself after her husband died. We find out that she was and is an overprotective mother, and along the way we find that everyone makes mistakes, nobody is perfect, there is always room for improvement and change, and love DEFINITELY means having to say you're sorry. I thought it was a great story about the woman and her family and her journey of discovery.
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It is good to read a story from the point of view of someone who is older.
Edith wakes to find her husband dead, but chooses to ignore the fact and progress with a family Christmas day and deal with Art’s death later. An intriguing beginning to a novel.
This is an interesting reflection on a life where neither party has really communicated for years. Edith rediscovers her past through the new perspectives she is uncovering and realises the faults were as much hers as her husband’s.
The ending was ...more
Edith wakes to find her husband dead, but chooses to ignore the fact and progress with a family Christmas day and deal with Art’s death later. An intriguing beginning to a novel.
This is an interesting reflection on a life where neither party has really communicated for years. Edith rediscovers her past through the new perspectives she is uncovering and realises the faults were as much hers as her husband’s.
The ending was ...more
4 stars
Finally, an author who writes about senior issues. Love, loss, family , disappointment, all issues that effect the senior population daily. The book was good and many of the issues written on these pages I have experienced first hand. However, there are relevant matters that apply to all generations of women. This would have been a five star, however it needs more editing work.
Finally, an author who writes about senior issues. Love, loss, family , disappointment, all issues that effect the senior population daily. The book was good and many of the issues written on these pages I have experienced first hand. However, there are relevant matters that apply to all generations of women. This would have been a five star, however it needs more editing work.
Never Too Late is about a woman with an extremely negative mindset becoming a more satisfied and positive person. When I began reading this book I did not think I would like it. In the first chapter her husband dies, before too long her son and daughter-in-law are having serious problems. But, it turned out to be a very interesting and well written book, which is why I gave it 5 stars. This is the first book I have read by this author, but it won't be my last.
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I really enjoyed this book. It starts really strongly, with a bit of an eyebrow raiser, then delves deep into the life of the main character- Edith, a lady who has lived most of her life in an oppressive relationship and has a sudden change of gear. We join Edith at the reboot moment of her life, and stay with her while the dust settles and all the pieces slowly drop into place. I love her growth and development.
I thought this was going to be a more saccharine predictable story than it turned out to be. And while the protagonist lived all her adult life in an unhappy marriage, in the end she takes responsibility for the choices she made. So it's not a "done her wrong" story either. I'd be interested in more by this author.
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No forward movement
I did not dislike the book just felt it was rather boring. Mothers cannot fix everything and they must learn when to stop. The focus could then have been her own life to come rather than the past again. There was no forward movement on the main characters part. As a how to sort problems it worked.
I did not dislike the book just felt it was rather boring. Mothers cannot fix everything and they must learn when to stop. The focus could then have been her own life to come rather than the past again. There was no forward movement on the main characters part. As a how to sort problems it worked.
She knows what being old is.....
I had to laugh out loud when I read about the soap under the sheet. The little things that happen on a daily basis when you reach those years past 60. I enjoyed the humanizing that took place to tell a believable story of a family with unspoken problems.
I had to laugh out loud when I read about the soap under the sheet. The little things that happen on a daily basis when you reach those years past 60. I enjoyed the humanizing that took place to tell a believable story of a family with unspoken problems.
A lot of drama
I was tempted to stop reading after a couple of chapters. The bad language was unnecessary and the story line was dark and too emotional. I guess there are families with this kind of drama in their life on a daily basis, but I don’t feel comfortable reading about it. I will try another book by Jo Barney to see if this type of story line is in all of her work.
I was tempted to stop reading after a couple of chapters. The bad language was unnecessary and the story line was dark and too emotional. I guess there are families with this kind of drama in their life on a daily basis, but I don’t feel comfortable reading about it. I will try another book by Jo Barney to see if this type of story line is in all of her work.
A fun story
I liked everything about this. Edith wakes up to a dead husband and nothing is predictable after that. As she goes about finding out who her husband really was, she dyes her hair, makes friends with her daughter in law, meets a man- and so much more. It's an enjoyable read. ...more
I liked everything about this. Edith wakes up to a dead husband and nothing is predictable after that. As she goes about finding out who her husband really was, she dyes her hair, makes friends with her daughter in law, meets a man- and so much more. It's an enjoyable read. ...more
I really wanted to give this 5 stars, but there were some editing problems that prevented that. I would recommend this for folks that enjoyed “A Man Called Ove”. I personally preferred the female perspective, and loved the quirky characters that make you love them. It does give you a happily ever after ending, unlike Backman’s novel, but it seemed realistic as well.
Initially very interesting, but I lost interest quarter way through and felt like the novel didn’t know where it was going. I could have forced myself on, but I wasn’t enjoying it anymore and I need something to keep me interested in my current tired slump. I liked the idea and the elderly main character. Perhaps it would have improved further in.
I really enjoyed this book! I got it for $1.99 from Book Bub & didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. I was drawn into the family drama and rooted for the character of Edith, who was stuck in a loveless marriage and dealing with the grief and guilt of the death of a husband she hardly knew. I'll definitely check out more by this author.
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I really enjoyed "Never Too Late" by Jo Barney. It's about the Finlay family and sort of early on in the book the patriarch of the family (Art Finlay) dies. As the story unravels more about Edith, Brian, Kathleen and even Art is revealed. The book is full of drama and all of the makings of a unhappy marriage coupled with lots of secrets. You won't be able to put this one down. Enjoy!!
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A starkly honest book about a woman who wakes up beside her dead husband. And proceeds to find out there are mysteries in his last months which she doesn't know because she has become to despise him and their life. It gets even more complicated as pieces are discovered - - very real, very serious, and very engaging read.
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I started reading this book, but it took a while for me to get into it. I rated this book ok because it was slow paced but I kept picking it back up because I had to know how it ended and I didn't want to cheat and go to the end of the book. The story made me wonder how well we really know the people around us.
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A great read! A coming of age story, in a way. Highly recommend!
I loved this book. Complex characters, storyline was enthralling. A woman of a certain age finding herself and her family and beginning her next chapter.
I loved this book. Complex characters, storyline was enthralling. A woman of a certain age finding herself and her family and beginning her next chapter.
Thoughtful, nuanced story of a widow searching for the secrets in her husband's past to understand a marriage that became loveless. She also faces changes in her relationships with a daughter in law and grandchildren. About time a story is told with empathy from this time of life.
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Too late!
Lost its way! Ok book, but I found I wavered lost the rythem of the book, and lost the story, if I read it again I might be able to pick it up from where I wavered and hopefully like and get engrossed in the book. Sorry!
Lost its way! Ok book, but I found I wavered lost the rythem of the book, and lost the story, if I read it again I might be able to pick it up from where I wavered and hopefully like and get engrossed in the book. Sorry!
Secrets and changes
This is an interesting book that portrays some changes that a widow might make, even without trying to discover her late husband's secret(s). There is a lot of self discovery going on as well, and a roller coaster of emotions, and finally a coming to terms with herself, and the choices she made. ...more
This is an interesting book that portrays some changes that a widow might make, even without trying to discover her late husband's secret(s). There is a lot of self discovery going on as well, and a roller coaster of emotions, and finally a coming to terms with herself, and the choices she made. ...more
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