89 books
—
2,288 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “The Deep End of the Ocean (Cappadora Family, #1)” as Want to Read:
The Deep End of the Ocean
(Cappadora Family #1)
by
Few first novels receive the kind of attention and acclaim showered on this powerful story—a nationwide bestseller, a critical success, and the first title chosen for Oprah's Book Club. Both highly suspenseful and deeply moving, The Deep End of the Ocean imagines every mother's worst nightmare—the disappearance of a child—as it explores a family's struggle to endure, even
...more
Get A Copy
Paperback, 464 pages
Published
October 1st 1999
by Penguin Books
(first published 1996)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
The Deep End of the Ocean,
please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
Beth Hope-cushey
If the book is an Oprah pick, I would suggest skipping it, I am an avid reader and usually her picks are not very good.
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of The Deep End of the Ocean (Cappadora Family, #1)
The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacqueline Mitchard is a 1996 Penguin publication.
Absorbing family drama…
Three-year-old Ben goes missing when his mother travels to Chicago for a class reunion. The fallout is placed under an intense microscope as a family is torn apart by the loss of their child…
It’s funny what minutiae is stored in my brain sometimes. Years ago, I was looking through the clearance table at my local paperback swap store, when I happened across this book. It triggered a memory in m ...more
Absorbing family drama…
Three-year-old Ben goes missing when his mother travels to Chicago for a class reunion. The fallout is placed under an intense microscope as a family is torn apart by the loss of their child…
It’s funny what minutiae is stored in my brain sometimes. Years ago, I was looking through the clearance table at my local paperback swap store, when I happened across this book. It triggered a memory in m ...more
I'm hesitant to outline the book's plot for fear of giving out too much information. However, since most reviews of the book give away the plot and because the story has also been made into a movie, I'll proceed. Be aware, though, that possible spoilers lie ahead.
SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!
Beth Cappadora, excited about her 15-year high school reunion, packs up her three kids (Vincent, 7; Ben, 3; and infant Kerry) and her niece/babysitter and drives from Madison, Wisconsi ...more
The Deep End of the Ocean (Cappadora Family #1), Jacquelyn Mitchard
Spoiler Alert
The Deep End of the Ocean is a best-selling novel by Jacquelyn Mitchard, released in 1996. Wisconsin photographer and housewife Beth Cappadora leaves her youngest son, Ben, alone with his older brother for a brief moment in a crowded Chicago hotel lobby, while attending her high school reunion. The older son lets go of Ben's hand and Ben vanishes without a trace. Beth goes into an extended mental breakdown and it is ...more
Spoiler Alert
The Deep End of the Ocean is a best-selling novel by Jacquelyn Mitchard, released in 1996. Wisconsin photographer and housewife Beth Cappadora leaves her youngest son, Ben, alone with his older brother for a brief moment in a crowded Chicago hotel lobby, while attending her high school reunion. The older son lets go of Ben's hand and Ben vanishes without a trace. Beth goes into an extended mental breakdown and it is ...more
It's been a while since I first read this but I read it on a trip to visit my mother, finished it at her house and flung it across the room. I left it behind and she read it and called me to berate me for leaving it for her to read! So count this as TWO negative reviews. The climax happens about halfway through the book and then the next 200 or so pages are padding that you end up hating yourself for reading.
...more
1.5 stars
I usually compare the book to its film, and almost always the book wins. Not this time. NOPE.
I've watched the film tons of times, and I loved it, and I cry every single time. With the book, only a couple of tears. And I adore the characters.
The characters here were unlikable, specially Beth Cappadora, the mother. I didn't like her from the start. As for the rest, I only liked Vincent/Reese a little. I get that all of them were really affected and damaged when tragedy striked, but most w ...more
I usually compare the book to its film, and almost always the book wins. Not this time. NOPE.
I've watched the film tons of times, and I loved it, and I cry every single time. With the book, only a couple of tears. And I adore the characters.
The characters here were unlikable, specially Beth Cappadora, the mother. I didn't like her from the start. As for the rest, I only liked Vincent/Reese a little. I get that all of them were really affected and damaged when tragedy striked, but most w ...more
I read this in 1996. That was the time of the Oprah book club and Oprah likes the drama.
I appreciated the story from what I remember. I wanted to like it because Oprah did, but looking back it was an Okay story. It's about a woman who goes through divorce and a life change. It's well done, but not my favorite kind of story.
I haven't read it since, but I saw someone talk about it and I was like, hey, I read that so I put it in my list.
I did own this book, but I got rid of it along the way. ...more
I appreciated the story from what I remember. I wanted to like it because Oprah did, but looking back it was an Okay story. It's about a woman who goes through divorce and a life change. It's well done, but not my favorite kind of story.
I haven't read it since, but I saw someone talk about it and I was like, hey, I read that so I put it in my list.
I did own this book, but I got rid of it along the way. ...more
4.5 stars
I actually read this book 15 years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter. It has stayed with me all these years. I thought it was a great book. Depressing and sad given the subject but very well written and easy to read. I read it very quickly over a couple of days.
I actually read this book 15 years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter. It has stayed with me all these years. I thought it was a great book. Depressing and sad given the subject but very well written and easy to read. I read it very quickly over a couple of days.
The kid is found and he's fine. That's not a spoiler; you can read it on the jacket. However, I had to skip to the second half to see for myself, and I read in other reviews that other people did, too. I really didn't want to be reading a book about a child being kidnapped and killed or abused. And that's not what it was at all, so rest assured.
The first half of the book is about what happens with a family when their middle child, a three-year-old, is kidnapped. The second half is about what hap ...more
The first half of the book is about what happens with a family when their middle child, a three-year-old, is kidnapped. The second half is about what hap ...more
This book relies heavily on coincidence, which is usually a sign of bad writing. In this case, however, the coincidence is more of a result of a "what if" question, rather than a "how can I loop this all together" scenario. I think its an interesting idea, what happens when the little boy is found, but the bad guys feel like the good guys and the good guys don't feel like anything?
One thing that struck me about this book was how self-centered the main character was. I can't comprehend what she ...more
One thing that struck me about this book was how self-centered the main character was. I can't comprehend what she ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Wes’ book review: Deep End of the Ocean. 2.5 stars. Meh, what a mixed bag. This book was a great idea that could have been executed much better by another writer with more experience in my opinion. (This was the author’s debut novel and I think it showed.) While it was a quick page turner, one is left feeling a little cheated by what could have been an absolutely stunning novel in the hands of someone with more control over their craft.
PROS:
1. Great idea and initial plot development. (A 3 year ...more
PROS:
1. Great idea and initial plot development. (A 3 year ...more
I read this book the first time back in the 90’s when it came out, and I really
loved it and I would have given it 5 stars. For some reason, I wanted to reread it 25 years later. It was different this time around, interestingly. Back then I was the mother of a 10 year old and was about the same age as the main character, Beth. I empathized with her and wrung my hands with her. This time, I am retired and a grandmother to two. I did not like it as well as the first time, though I did like it a lo ...more
loved it and I would have given it 5 stars. For some reason, I wanted to reread it 25 years later. It was different this time around, interestingly. Back then I was the mother of a 10 year old and was about the same age as the main character, Beth. I empathized with her and wrung my hands with her. This time, I am retired and a grandmother to two. I did not like it as well as the first time, though I did like it a lo ...more
This is quite possibly one of the worst books I have ever read. It was artistically abysmal and I would not have finished it if it weren't for the library book club I read it for. The characters (particularly the parents) are thin and unlikeable characters. The plot left unpleasantly dangling threads in several places where the author would take us to a location or revelation and then stop talking about it - including a pointless affair that did not contribute to the overall plot in any way. It
...more
Dec 27, 2007
Wendy
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
parents, people who have time for a page turner
I've read and reread this book a thousand times over. I get lost in the sorrow I feel for this family. Everytime I read this story I feel differently about the choices this family makes. I don't have children so it is hard to imagine the heart break of having one kidnapped. I think it is impossible to not get attached to these characters.
...more
The story of a family in the wake of a tragedy. When Ben, a three year old boy, disappears in a crowded hotel lobby, his family begins to slowly come apart. Nine years later, the boy is miraculously found and restored to the family, safe and unhurt. Unfortunately, it is not the happy homecoming everyone wanted. Ben does not remember his birth family. To him, the Cappadoras are rank strangers he is forced to live with while the father who raised him lives right down the street. The pain of all co
...more
Aug 28, 2011
Deborah Ideiosepius
rated it
did not like it
Recommends it for:
Anyone who genuinely enjoys sickly sweet, badly written pap.
Well, obviously I did not like it.
The abstract is that a three year old boy child vanishes, while in the care of his mother and watched by his seven year old brother. Family torn apart, police search, ect ect. Nine years later the boy is found by accident. This is a scenario that should make for a great book, how could all those dynamic elements go wrong?
Here’s how;
The literary style is very poor; so much so that the subject matter is obscured by the sickly sentimental and poorly edited writing ...more
The abstract is that a three year old boy child vanishes, while in the care of his mother and watched by his seven year old brother. Family torn apart, police search, ect ect. Nine years later the boy is found by accident. This is a scenario that should make for a great book, how could all those dynamic elements go wrong?
Here’s how;
The literary style is very poor; so much so that the subject matter is obscured by the sickly sentimental and poorly edited writing ...more
What a depressing book! I could actually say I have a lot in common with this book being
#1 a bereaved parent (although my child died, he did not disappear)
#2 being an adopted child who found and contacted the birth family as an adult and made an effort to fit into that family and have two families. I've been a quasi member of the birth family for years now, very quasi.
Three year old Ben, youngest member of a large Italian family from his father's side and Irish family from his mother's side, di ...more
#1 a bereaved parent (although my child died, he did not disappear)
#2 being an adopted child who found and contacted the birth family as an adult and made an effort to fit into that family and have two families. I've been a quasi member of the birth family for years now, very quasi.
Three year old Ben, youngest member of a large Italian family from his father's side and Irish family from his mother's side, di ...more
I saw the movie, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, years ago and always had in the back of my mind that I'd like to read the book. I'm glad I did. Jacquelyn Mitchard did a masterful job writing this book. The characters are rich, complex and fully developed. The plot has plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. And not everything gets explained or tied up in a neat bow - much like life.
The first two sections of the story are told from a single point of view and the rest of the book alternates ...more
The first two sections of the story are told from a single point of view and the rest of the book alternates ...more
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (October 1, 1999)
Language: English
My Rating - 5
This book for me was beautiful and scary. Imagine losing your child..the horror of it! It can ruin happy families apart, it can ruin marriages..This is what the book is about ,how the disappearance of a child completely changes the family dynamics and the lasting psychological impact of it.This one is quite a tearjerker. I myself wept quite a bit while reading it. However I have to say I found my ...more
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (October 1, 1999)
Language: English
My Rating - 5
This book for me was beautiful and scary. Imagine losing your child..the horror of it! It can ruin happy families apart, it can ruin marriages..This is what the book is about ,how the disappearance of a child completely changes the family dynamics and the lasting psychological impact of it.This one is quite a tearjerker. I myself wept quite a bit while reading it. However I have to say I found my ...more
Oct 31, 2012
Tandie
rated it
it was ok
Recommends it for:
People who like to kill baby seals
Recommended to Tandie by:
Oprah made me do it
I'm traumatized. Child gets kidnapped. Family completely falls apart & remaining kids are neglected. Everyone is messed up and struggling to live day by day. Fast forward a bunch of years. Older kidnapped kid is found & taken from his not-really family. He doesn't fit in with his real family and everyone is tragically messed up. They work a few things out, but everyone is emotionally scarred and yes, messed up for life.
What the heck? Oprah likes her book club to be super duper sad. All the time ...more
What the heck? Oprah likes her book club to be super duper sad. All the time ...more
Oprah's Book Club: A mother's 3 year old son was kidnapped while her back was turned checking into a hotel. I related most with the brother that didn't watch his brother like the mother asked. This was the subplot that held the book together. The mother recognizes her lost son 9 years later mowing lawns. He was innocent in the whole thing and it was sad for him to have two families and to feel torn between having to choose between them.
...more
...more
THE DEEP END of the OCEAN by Jacquelyn Mitchard
I decided to read this book because it was recommended by my mum as i didn't know what to read for my book reports.
The category i chose for this book is 'A book with a female main character'. This was interesting because the female main character was the mother of Ben the boy who went missing in this book and it showed us the pain she had for losing her son and how her family got torn apart.
My favourite quote from the book is "Where's Ben" because i ...more
I decided to read this book because it was recommended by my mum as i didn't know what to read for my book reports.
The category i chose for this book is 'A book with a female main character'. This was interesting because the female main character was the mother of Ben the boy who went missing in this book and it showed us the pain she had for losing her son and how her family got torn apart.
My favourite quote from the book is "Where's Ben" because i ...more
This book was just ok. The plot-line was interesting but, honestly, the only character I liked was Reese/Vincent. Sam/Ben I liked, as well, but, since we did not really get to know him too well, this was a minor interest for me. I actually had a fondness for Reese. That poor kid! Anyone interested in psychology might find Reese and his struggles fascinating. And I strongly disliked Beth. For the main character that we followed in the book, that is not a good thing.
I also felt the book was a tad ...more
I also felt the book was a tad ...more
This was a heartbreaking story of a lost 3 year old boy. His mother who already treated his older brother badly, literally fell apart after Ben was kidnapped. So the novel expounds ad nauseam on all the particulars of how the FBI and the cops searched for the child, for many years. The end was a little bit settled but not really.
As the mother of small children, I didn't think I would have the stomach for the subject matter. But Mitchard is so good at slowly doling out the tidbits of info and clues, that I was compelled to keep going. As the product of an Italian-Irish union I found the extended families entirely relatable, and I thought the character of Candy was especially great. There were times when i didn't really understand Beth's behavior. If one of my kids went missing I think I would be personally turning over e
...more
This book was like solving a 50 piece jigsaw puzzle, gathering all the pieces together. It was really hard to wrap my head around all the characters and the central story. However to my surprise, I really enjoyed the novel, it was provocative about a mother losing her absent minded son. Vincent her older son left a memorable impression on me as well, although he was ignored by Beth (his mother) who was only concerned about Ben and his whereabouts. Three three characters saved this book average r
...more
This book is about a kidnapping. It is told from the mother's point of view and the kidnapped child's brother. The characters really weren't that developed (and for me to notice that is saying something). The plot was predictable and I didn't even like the parents in the story, so I wasn't rooting for them. I only finished the book because I was hoping that something great would happen. It didn't.
...more
I enjoyed this book. It is a story about a family who lose a child. The Mother, Beth takes the children away and asks her older son who is 7, to watch her younger son who is 3 whilst she takes care of a hotel booking - she is just across the lobby. When she returns, Ben is gone and is nowhere to be found.
The book then follows the family, including extended family as they try to figure out what happened and where Ben has gone. Then, 10 years later Ben re-appears. (not a spoiler, it tells you on ...more
The book then follows the family, including extended family as they try to figure out what happened and where Ben has gone. Then, 10 years later Ben re-appears. (not a spoiler, it tells you on ...more
I did not really care for this one. I can't really pinpoint why. Maybe it was that Beth was shallow and so empty inside and that seemed to be her before Ben was kidnapped. Maybe it was that even though his brother was supposed to watch him and didn't, there was never any real attempt made to tell the brother that it was really NOT his fault. MOM was the adult. MOM could have held on to him while they checked into the hotel. Lord knows I have done it enough with my 3 girls. You just don't sit the
...more
Although the author obviously has talent, she has wasted little of it on this book about characters with whom audiences do not wish to identify.
The mother in this book is a basket case, completely uncaring about her family, and the reader finds himself unable to sympathize with her over the loss of her son. Most readers will sympathize with her husband instead; he has born the brunt of her problems for years and continues to do so after she loses her son at a class reunion.
I really had problems ...more
The mother in this book is a basket case, completely uncaring about her family, and the reader finds himself unable to sympathize with her over the loss of her son. Most readers will sympathize with her husband instead; he has born the brunt of her problems for years and continues to do so after she loses her son at a class reunion.
I really had problems ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Around the Year i...: The Deep End of the Ocean, by Jacquelyn Mitchard | 1 | 24 | Jul 13, 2016 09:31PM | |
| Oprah's Book Club...: Deep End of the Ocean | 6 | 47 | Apr 25, 2013 11:13PM |
Readers also enjoyed
766 users
92 users
85 users
55 users
53 users
44 users
40 users
34 users
34 users
20 users
Jacquelyn Mitchard’s first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, was named by USA Today as one of the ten most influential books of the past 25 years – second only to the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (but second by a long shot, it must be said.)
The Deep End of the Ocean was chosen as the first novel in the book club made famous by the TV host Oprah Winfrey, and transformed into a feature film p ...more
The Deep End of the Ocean was chosen as the first novel in the book club made famous by the TV host Oprah Winfrey, and transformed into a feature film p ...more
Other books in the series
Cappadora Family
(2 books)
Articles featuring this book
Need another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day.
To create our...
28 likes · 4 comments
3 trivia questions
1 quiz
More quizzes & trivia...
1 quiz
“And it was that, the beyond-grief, the sealing-up of a mind still expected to produce order and plans, which she dreaded.”
—
0 likes
“friable”
—
0 likes
More quotes…
