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Loving Marie
Krista Bordon-Hathaway believes her friend Marie lived a fairy-tale life before her tragic death a short time ago. The perfect home in the mountains of Colorado. The perfect husband who'd loved her since they were teens. The perfect miracle child born in spite of Marie's heart problems.
Krista's life is far from perfect, and when it falls apart one final time, she runs away to find Marie's old house in Colorado, a place where Krista can get lost.
Only one problem: Marie's life, far from drama-free, is slowly becoming Krista's.
She immerses herself in Marie's world, and though it complicates hers, her own healing begins, and she finds a love that makes her believe again.
Until her ex-husband decides it's time to end this charade.
Krista's life is far from perfect, and when it falls apart one final time, she runs away to find Marie's old house in Colorado, a place where Krista can get lost.
Only one problem: Marie's life, far from drama-free, is slowly becoming Krista's.
She immerses herself in Marie's world, and though it complicates hers, her own healing begins, and she finds a love that makes her believe again.
Until her ex-husband decides it's time to end this charade.
302 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 3, 1986
About the author
Dawn Reno Langley
26 books221 followersLangley writes full-time in Durham, North Carolina
Born an Army brat to a WWII and Korea vet, Dawn (Brander Tutela Reno) Langley began writing at a young age. Her essay on the Cuban missile crisis was published in a local newspaper, and since then, she has written hundreds of articles for newspapers and magazines, has published children's books, novels, nonfiction books on Native American and African American art, award-winning essays, short stories, and poetry.
As a novelist, she employs the skills she used as a journalist and conducts extensive research. Each story centers on a social dilemma, and she never writes a story about which she has no passion. The back story for each novel is on her Goodreads blog. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
She also blogs about excursions with her dog, Izzy, as well as one about growing up in the 1950s/60s and occasionally contributes to others' blogs (as well as to her own about gardening):
http://dawnrenolangley.wordpress.com
http://dawnrenolangley.blogspot.com/
http://poetryandgardening.blogspot.com/
Born an Army brat to a WWII and Korea vet, Dawn (Brander Tutela Reno) Langley began writing at a young age. Her essay on the Cuban missile crisis was published in a local newspaper, and since then, she has written hundreds of articles for newspapers and magazines, has published children's books, novels, nonfiction books on Native American and African American art, award-winning essays, short stories, and poetry.
As a novelist, she employs the skills she used as a journalist and conducts extensive research. Each story centers on a social dilemma, and she never writes a story about which she has no passion. The back story for each novel is on her Goodreads blog. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
She also blogs about excursions with her dog, Izzy, as well as one about growing up in the 1950s/60s and occasionally contributes to others' blogs (as well as to her own about gardening):
http://dawnrenolangley.wordpress.com
http://dawnrenolangley.blogspot.com/
http://poetryandgardening.blogspot.com/
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 21, 2017
Update: Here is my review -- after the kindle corrections: All the technical problems are fully corrected!
I'm 'extremely' passionate about Dawn's book "The Mourning Parade".....I mean crazy -love that book......( can't recommend it highly enough).
I don't expect authors to touch me with the same level of excitement with every book. That said....I enjoyed "Loving Marie". It was 'comfort' reading.... and by that I mean....it's not that tragic issues weren't going on -- they were --but I felt I knew the characters....and the writing flows effortlessly.
The blurb tells enough ... it's perfect IMO.... giving the reader exactly enough information needed to inform and entice any potential reader.....not giving 'away' too much.
Long term friendships go through cycles and changes. I think many women have experience having a 'super' close friend- best friend - before going off to college - or going separate ways after college - or other major changes in life.....moving away from each other.... which is what happens to Krista and Marie.
Krista and Marie wrote letters to each other for years as their form of communication when Marie was still alive.
Gosh, I remember the 'pages' and 'pages' of letter exchanges between my older sister and I when I was in college at Cal in Berkeley in Northern Cal. She was married living in Manhattan Beach in Southern Cal.
Letter writing feels so much different -than email exchanges. I use to get so excited when a letter was in my mailbox. I'm a little less excited with mail in my email box today. Laughing? You too, right?
HOWEVER... THIS IS NOT THE POINT OF THE STORY.... but it still took me back to memories of when letter writing was a big part of people's lives.
Within the letters between Krista and Marie -- 'not' all was being expressed. ( they should have seen my letters to my sister: I didn't leave out anything). And because not 'all' was expressed, Krista discovers a can of worms - not literally -once she gets to Morrison, Colorado about her friend -after her death.
In the meantime Krista's mother is taking care of her daughter back home in Connecticut. She recently left an abusive husband.
There was one part in the book - about midway that I 'paused'...to think. It was about wishing for something that you want - getting it --only to 'get it'.... but then once getting it... THEN WHAT??? What to do with it???
I totally could relate to the experience. ( not the same circumstances, but the same experience).
At some point - Krista realizes that everything that has always been so hard for her, making friends, finding love, those things which she always envied in other people.... effortless conversations...great camaraderie in communities...she has recently found it - for herself in Colorado.... but she honestly did not know what to do with it.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE IS GOING TO DO EITHER..... and that's where the writing and storytelling is good. Just enough tension build up to keep us turning pages.
There are haunting moments and there is humor......
unleashing a collision of universal forces: loss, desire, friendship, parenting, abuse, and love.
Thanks Dawn ... another good book by you! .....Inspires Love!
UPDATE.............The Kindle problem has been solved!!!!!!!!!! 5 stars for correcting the problem :)
I'll keep the 5 stars for now. After I read the book --I'll be back with a review -- (make adjustments if needed) --
Looking forward to reading this book. There are several other great reviews!
After reading "The Mourning Parade", by Dawn Reno Langley - earlier this year....
and absolutely LOVED IT.....and Highly recommended it to my friends....
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I've read this year....I immediately downloaded another ebook by Dawn Reno Langley...."Loving Marie".
I keep forgetting to report the situation with this ebook. I was never able to read it because the download transfer to my kindle is defected. I've tried to re-purchase it a few times ---and at this point Amazon rejects my entire request - as if the book is no longer available.
So......unfortunately 1 star for technical difficulties. I wasn't able to read the book!
I'm 'extremely' passionate about Dawn's book "The Mourning Parade".....I mean crazy -love that book......( can't recommend it highly enough).
I don't expect authors to touch me with the same level of excitement with every book. That said....I enjoyed "Loving Marie". It was 'comfort' reading.... and by that I mean....it's not that tragic issues weren't going on -- they were --but I felt I knew the characters....and the writing flows effortlessly.
The blurb tells enough ... it's perfect IMO.... giving the reader exactly enough information needed to inform and entice any potential reader.....not giving 'away' too much.
Long term friendships go through cycles and changes. I think many women have experience having a 'super' close friend- best friend - before going off to college - or going separate ways after college - or other major changes in life.....moving away from each other.... which is what happens to Krista and Marie.
Krista and Marie wrote letters to each other for years as their form of communication when Marie was still alive.
Gosh, I remember the 'pages' and 'pages' of letter exchanges between my older sister and I when I was in college at Cal in Berkeley in Northern Cal. She was married living in Manhattan Beach in Southern Cal.
Letter writing feels so much different -than email exchanges. I use to get so excited when a letter was in my mailbox. I'm a little less excited with mail in my email box today. Laughing? You too, right?
HOWEVER... THIS IS NOT THE POINT OF THE STORY.... but it still took me back to memories of when letter writing was a big part of people's lives.
Within the letters between Krista and Marie -- 'not' all was being expressed. ( they should have seen my letters to my sister: I didn't leave out anything). And because not 'all' was expressed, Krista discovers a can of worms - not literally -once she gets to Morrison, Colorado about her friend -after her death.
In the meantime Krista's mother is taking care of her daughter back home in Connecticut. She recently left an abusive husband.
There was one part in the book - about midway that I 'paused'...to think. It was about wishing for something that you want - getting it --only to 'get it'.... but then once getting it... THEN WHAT??? What to do with it???
I totally could relate to the experience. ( not the same circumstances, but the same experience).
At some point - Krista realizes that everything that has always been so hard for her, making friends, finding love, those things which she always envied in other people.... effortless conversations...great camaraderie in communities...she has recently found it - for herself in Colorado.... but she honestly did not know what to do with it.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE IS GOING TO DO EITHER..... and that's where the writing and storytelling is good. Just enough tension build up to keep us turning pages.
There are haunting moments and there is humor......
unleashing a collision of universal forces: loss, desire, friendship, parenting, abuse, and love.
Thanks Dawn ... another good book by you! .....Inspires Love!
UPDATE.............The Kindle problem has been solved!!!!!!!!!! 5 stars for correcting the problem :)
I'll keep the 5 stars for now. After I read the book --I'll be back with a review -- (make adjustments if needed) --
Looking forward to reading this book. There are several other great reviews!
After reading "The Mourning Parade", by Dawn Reno Langley - earlier this year....
and absolutely LOVED IT.....and Highly recommended it to my friends....
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I've read this year....I immediately downloaded another ebook by Dawn Reno Langley...."Loving Marie".
I keep forgetting to report the situation with this ebook. I was never able to read it because the download transfer to my kindle is defected. I've tried to re-purchase it a few times ---and at this point Amazon rejects my entire request - as if the book is no longer available.
So......unfortunately 1 star for technical difficulties. I wasn't able to read the book!
May 31, 2017
Justifies the breathtaking cover!
The grass always looks greener on the other side.
The above lines are so true for the protagonist in Loving Marie.
Krista and Marie. Two inseparable best friends. Until their college came to an end, they were living like soul sisters. Their careers and choices took them away from each other and they started enjoying their lives in their own terms.
Only one thing that connected them during this phase was their letters.
Krista, a woman who has issues with her abusive husband and wants the custody of their daughter, lands in the place where Marie lived. Marie was suffering from an incurable disease and before dying she writes tons of letters to Krista.
Krista finds her place extremely peaceful and for some time, forgets her troubles and dilemma. She meets an agreeable person whom she eventually falls in love. But truth is yet to come. It is just around the corner.
Her revelation of how she was living a lie, how everything she ever thought was nothing but a false image she created before herself.
Everything shakes you up.
Dawn's writing style is something I vouch for everywhere. She has got an extraordinary talent in presenting a situation that makes the reader feel closest to the characters. You walk and talk in their shoes and skin. You become their friend and everything around you keeps altering.
I loved the way each scenario has been sequenced. First you start reading this novel and then there comes a time, when all of it becomes reality for you, making you see that things are happening just in front of you. This magic only a few authors can create and Dawn is undoubtedly one of them.
Highly recommended for you if you're making up your mind for a woman-fiction.
Her books teaches the meaning of friendship, love and what it's like to live life amply.
The grass always looks greener on the other side.
The above lines are so true for the protagonist in Loving Marie.
Krista and Marie. Two inseparable best friends. Until their college came to an end, they were living like soul sisters. Their careers and choices took them away from each other and they started enjoying their lives in their own terms.
Only one thing that connected them during this phase was their letters.
Krista, a woman who has issues with her abusive husband and wants the custody of their daughter, lands in the place where Marie lived. Marie was suffering from an incurable disease and before dying she writes tons of letters to Krista.
Krista finds her place extremely peaceful and for some time, forgets her troubles and dilemma. She meets an agreeable person whom she eventually falls in love. But truth is yet to come. It is just around the corner.
Her revelation of how she was living a lie, how everything she ever thought was nothing but a false image she created before herself.
Everything shakes you up.
Dawn's writing style is something I vouch for everywhere. She has got an extraordinary talent in presenting a situation that makes the reader feel closest to the characters. You walk and talk in their shoes and skin. You become their friend and everything around you keeps altering.
I loved the way each scenario has been sequenced. First you start reading this novel and then there comes a time, when all of it becomes reality for you, making you see that things are happening just in front of you. This magic only a few authors can create and Dawn is undoubtedly one of them.
Highly recommended for you if you're making up your mind for a woman-fiction.
Her books teaches the meaning of friendship, love and what it's like to live life amply.
January 3, 2017
'Loving Marie' is the touching story of how friendship can endure despite distance and time. After experiencing years in an abusive marriage and a toxic relationship with her mother, Krista is determined to start a new life in Colorado. She moves into the home of her beloved best friend Marie who has recently passed away. Though seperated from each other for years, the connection between the two women had remained strong, and it is Krista's admiration and love for her friend that draws her to the new home she plans to create with her daughter. As she discovers a side of Marie she never knew, she discovers in herself what Marie had always seen: a strong, capable woman who is worthy of extraordinary love.
Dawn Reno Langley is a gifted storyteller who brings her characters to life with her incredible insight into human nature. Her mastery of setting and vivid descriptions transport the reader to the mountains of Colorado. I enjoyed this novel immensely and look forward to reading more from the writer.
Dawn Reno Langley is a gifted storyteller who brings her characters to life with her incredible insight into human nature. Her mastery of setting and vivid descriptions transport the reader to the mountains of Colorado. I enjoyed this novel immensely and look forward to reading more from the writer.
February 4, 2017
Krista and Marie were childhood friends who had grown apart over the years although they still communicated through letters and phone calls. After Marie's death, Krista leaves Connecticut and her abusive marriage for Colorado in hope of finding the peace she believed Marie had found there.
I expected the book to be more about Marie but at the heart of this story is Krista finding herself and her new life.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I expected the book to be more about Marie but at the heart of this story is Krista finding herself and her new life.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
February 10, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this book. When I initially started reading it, the book felt like it was poorly written, but when I sank into the first few pages, I was hooked. I was intrigued by Marie and I felt so much for Krista and her abusive husband. I really wish men would not take out their problems on women. It is scary and completely undermines women. It's psychologically damaging and it hurts to read. And that was the best part in this book.
I felt so much for Kris and when I sat down to read the book, I was absorbed completely. One part of the book was so scary, I actually got shivers while reading it. Reading this enforced how essential it was for us as people to be mentally strong and not let their circumstances affect them. It also told me how important it was for parents to ensure that they kept a holistic and positive environment around their children.
This was a great book to read. And as I read it, I felt I was getting closure too. I'll happily recommend this book to people for a roller coaster of emotions and moving on. With an abuse element as well.
I felt so much for Kris and when I sat down to read the book, I was absorbed completely. One part of the book was so scary, I actually got shivers while reading it. Reading this enforced how essential it was for us as people to be mentally strong and not let their circumstances affect them. It also told me how important it was for parents to ensure that they kept a holistic and positive environment around their children.
This was a great book to read. And as I read it, I felt I was getting closure too. I'll happily recommend this book to people for a roller coaster of emotions and moving on. With an abuse element as well.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews