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The Goodbye Summer
The Goodbye Summer is an unforgettable novel about daring to love, braving a loss, and setting yourself free, by Patricia Gaffney , the author of the phenomenal New York Times bestseller, The Saving Graces . Poignantly exploring one woman’s inner growth and self discovery over the course of a season of profound change, The Goodbye Summer is women’s fiction at its finest—heartbreaking, healing, emotional, and real. As Nora Roberts so aptly puts it, Patricia Gaffney “reminds us what it’s like to be a woman.”
480 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2004
125 people are currently reading
938 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Gaffney
40 books319 followersPatricia Gaffney was born in Tampa, Florida, and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, and also studied literature at Royal Holloway College of the University of London, at George Washington University, and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
After college, Gaffney taught 12th grade English for a year before becoming a freelance court reporter, a job she pursued in North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C., for the next fifteen years.
Her first book, a historical romance, was published by Dorchester in 1989. Between then and 1997, she wrote 11 more romance novels (Dorchester; Penguin USA), for which she was nominated for or won many awards. Many of these previously out of print classics are available again today as digitally reissued classics, including the author's most recently re-released and much beloved novels in The Wyckerley Trilogy.
In 1999, she went in a new direction with her hardcover fiction debut, The Saving Graces (HarperCollins). A contemporary story about four women friends, the novel explored issues of love, friendship, trust, and commitment among women. The Saving Graces enjoyed bestseller status on the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and other lists.
Circle of Three (2000), Flight Lessons (2002), and The Goodbye Summer (2004) followed, all national bestsellers. Gaffney’s most recent novel was Mad Dash (2007), a humorous but insightful look at a 20-year marriage, told from the viewpoints of both longsuffering spouses.
More recently, Pat's been indulging her purely creative side in a brand new format for her -- novellas. With friends including J. D. Robb, she has contributed stories to three anthologies, all New York Times bestsellers. In "The Dog Days of Laurie Summer" (The Lost, 2009), a woman in a troubled marriage "dies" and comes back as the family dog. "The Dancing Ghost" (The Other Side, 2010) brings together a pretty spinster and a shady ghost buster in 1895 New England. And in "Dear One" (The Unquiet, 2011), a fake phone psychic (or IS she?) meets her match in a stuffy Capitol Hill lobbyist -- who couldn't possibly be that sexy-voiced cowboy from Medicine Bend who keeps calling the psychic line.
Patricia Gaffney lives in southern Pennsylvania with her husband.
After college, Gaffney taught 12th grade English for a year before becoming a freelance court reporter, a job she pursued in North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C., for the next fifteen years.
Her first book, a historical romance, was published by Dorchester in 1989. Between then and 1997, she wrote 11 more romance novels (Dorchester; Penguin USA), for which she was nominated for or won many awards. Many of these previously out of print classics are available again today as digitally reissued classics, including the author's most recently re-released and much beloved novels in The Wyckerley Trilogy.
In 1999, she went in a new direction with her hardcover fiction debut, The Saving Graces (HarperCollins). A contemporary story about four women friends, the novel explored issues of love, friendship, trust, and commitment among women. The Saving Graces enjoyed bestseller status on the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and other lists.
Circle of Three (2000), Flight Lessons (2002), and The Goodbye Summer (2004) followed, all national bestsellers. Gaffney’s most recent novel was Mad Dash (2007), a humorous but insightful look at a 20-year marriage, told from the viewpoints of both longsuffering spouses.
More recently, Pat's been indulging her purely creative side in a brand new format for her -- novellas. With friends including J. D. Robb, she has contributed stories to three anthologies, all New York Times bestsellers. In "The Dog Days of Laurie Summer" (The Lost, 2009), a woman in a troubled marriage "dies" and comes back as the family dog. "The Dancing Ghost" (The Other Side, 2010) brings together a pretty spinster and a shady ghost buster in 1895 New England. And in "Dear One" (The Unquiet, 2011), a fake phone psychic (or IS she?) meets her match in a stuffy Capitol Hill lobbyist -- who couldn't possibly be that sexy-voiced cowboy from Medicine Bend who keeps calling the psychic line.
Patricia Gaffney lives in southern Pennsylvania with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
August 23, 2024
The challenge: read a book with a Goodreads rating of 3.4 or less. The conclusion: the rating was overly optimistic.
The female main character described herself this way close to the end of the book:
She only had two moods, two personas, ghost and crybaby.
Add self-centered and that pretty much covers it. AND SHE’S THE WHOLE BOOK.
This book felt like a forced 8-hour shopping excursion through every aisle in the Well Known Superstore. Sure, there was an interesting moment or two, but after two hours of meandering aimlessly it became tedious, after four hours of overcrowded aisles full of grumpy strangers it was boring and joyless, after six hours of detours and progress stalled and clean-ups in Aisle 3 it was painful, and after eight hours, after finding not one single item worth spending money on, I only wanted to beat the doors down in my haste to get out.
This was awful and left me depressed and angry.
The female main character described herself this way close to the end of the book:
She only had two moods, two personas, ghost and crybaby.
Add self-centered and that pretty much covers it. AND SHE’S THE WHOLE BOOK.
This book felt like a forced 8-hour shopping excursion through every aisle in the Well Known Superstore. Sure, there was an interesting moment or two, but after two hours of meandering aimlessly it became tedious, after four hours of overcrowded aisles full of grumpy strangers it was boring and joyless, after six hours of detours and progress stalled and clean-ups in Aisle 3 it was painful, and after eight hours, after finding not one single item worth spending money on, I only wanted to beat the doors down in my haste to get out.
This was awful and left me depressed and angry.
July 1, 2016
A light, feel-good book that's sweet, at times sad, funny, and hopeful. The characters are interesting, and I couldn't wait to see what happened to them. Perfect for summer reading.
September 17, 2009
I started out really liking this book then by the end I liked everybody but Caddy! She didn't want Migill because she was in too much pain she says it the last night again then desides to go and find him and has the nerve to get mad because he went to champain with another girl. She didn't learn anything just that he would be there whenever she wanted him to be and he would go away whenever she wanted him to go away.
August 14, 2016
I was hoping to read a Lovely Book after a few too many gruesome crime fictions, something not too gripping that would distract me from study, and needed to get through some of my Book Club pile, so thought it would fit the bill. Sadly, it's not a LB, just rather dull. Caddie is 32 and still living in Maryland with the eccentric artist grandmother who raised her when her mother ran off to join a band, then was killed in a car crash when Caddie was 9. She teaches music and is dissatisfied with herself and her life but doesn't do anything about it. When Nana breaks a leg she decides to move into a historic old house that has been converted into a convalescent home, leaving Caddie alone. She meets a handsome cad who dumps her just as she discovers she's pregnant, spends all her free time visiting the home and making friends with the residents, including elegant mother-figure Thea and young(ish) Magill, physically and emotionally broken after the skydiving accident that killed his girlfriend. I struggled to keep going with it as I didn't like any of the characters (even the dog was annoying) but had taken it with me on a weekend away so ploughed through it on a bad weather day. Some things do eventually happen, the writing was ok, there were some interesting perspectives on ageing, and I didn't mind the way it worked out, but overall this was a 2.5 for me, rounded down for Caddie's patheticness.
February 19, 2011
** "The Goodbye Summer" by Patricia Gaffney is a bittersweet almost romance lasting over winter, so I do not understand the title. Caddy, thirty-two, has been raised by her eccentric artistic grandmother, who asks to recuperate from a broken leg in the former town magnate's mansion turned rest home. She befriends residents, especially loving elegant newcomer Thea, brain-injured engineer her age Magill, and a curmdugeon. The young man falls for Caddy, the oldest for Thea. [Spoilers: Odd behavior escalates into dementia but Nana first discloses both Caddy and her mom were illegitimate, coats everything in her room with white paint to represent the purity of old age, then returns home. Thea succumbs gracefully to a hidden heart ailment. Tracing an old love letter, Caddy find's her father's family. Caddy loses a pregnancy by a handsome jerk who dumps her, unknowing. At the final New Year party, the curmudgeon departs to live with his son's widow and unhappy boy, and a recovered working Magill woos Caddy successfully. The author's terrier is an active character. Happy ending.]
July 25, 2011
At 32, Caddie is facing my worst fear. She's left to live on her own for the first time (aside from a brief stint during college), with no one to care for her and no one for her to take care of. What do you do with yourself, alone, in a big, old house? If you are Caddie, you visit the old folks boarding house (where her grandmother is staying while she recovers from a broken leg)and you give the occasional piano lesson to children who don't want to take piano lessons. You experience a few life lessons, but don't learn from them. You say you have changed, then you go back to doing the same things and thinking the same way you did before. Repeat this cycle a few more times and you have Gaffney's "The Goodbye Summer." While there was some humor, most of it didn't register on my Richter scale. Just like a 3.0 earthquake, it may have happened, but I didn't feel it. The only ray of sunshine is that after reading Caddie's story, I know my life isn't--and won't ever be--that bad. Say goodbye to this book and don't waste a mmoment of your summer.
May 30, 2016
At the start of this book, I almost put it down because it was so clownish, especially the development of the characters at the elder care home. I kept plowing along because a friend had recommended the book. I found some worthwhile moments. What turned out to be best about this book is its look at aging. I liked the remembrance writings by the residents of the elder care home. The idea that they felt the same inside as they had when they were in their twenties; that they didn't necessarily have anything wise to say because they were old; that they had regrets or didn't; that they were happy to be alive or weren't. What I didn't like, however, was Patricia Gaffrey couldn't decide if the book was a commentary on aging, single motherhood, abandonment or a romance. It didn't succeed well on any theme.
July 27, 2024
honestly- how many books have people written where the main character learns almost nothing?? in my head i see the next chapter after the last one she wrote and its the same damn thing over and over.
caddie doesn't know how good she's got it but she spends the whole time feeling sorry for herself. you'd think after the people like magill who she meets she would get off her ass and do something with her life... maybe make a friend her own age or get a job that requires leaving the house her grandmothers owns and pays for.
sorry- i'm not usually this harsh but i read this right after "the memory keepers daughter" and i am a little over these lame ass books that go nowhere.
caddie doesn't know how good she's got it but she spends the whole time feeling sorry for herself. you'd think after the people like magill who she meets she would get off her ass and do something with her life... maybe make a friend her own age or get a job that requires leaving the house her grandmothers owns and pays for.
sorry- i'm not usually this harsh but i read this right after "the memory keepers daughter" and i am a little over these lame ass books that go nowhere.
September 28, 2009
ok first i was really into this book. As a matter of fact it made me cry!!! THats how good it was, how attached to it I was. Only one other book so far has made me cry. I'll say it, I did not like the main character(Caddie) persona. She kinda pissed me off, being afraid of life and all. But the ending KILLED it!!! I mean come on how do they not end up together, or maybe they do and its all how u take it....i dont know.
September 7, 2023
Bevor ich ein Wort über den Inhalt verliere, muss ich mein Herz über die deutsche Aufmachung ausschütten: Dieses Buch ist ein Paradebeispiel wie man es NICHT machen sollte.
Wenn ich ein Buch so gar nicht leiden kann, aber für seine Veröffentlichung verantwortlich wäre, dann käme sowas dabei raus. Ein völlig vertrottelter Buchtitel (nicht dass der original Titel jetzt der Brüller wäre „The Goodbye Summer“), das Buchcover bestehend aus einem langweiligen Foto aus einem 90er Jahre Sprüchekalender, ein Klappentext der absolut nicht den Punkt trifft und das Lektorat einfach komplett einsparen (auf gefühlt jeder fünften Seite ein Fehler).
Und DAS hat dieses Buch absolut nicht verdient, dies ist keine schmalzige Lovestory, es ist der Entwicklungsroman einer jungen Frau, die völlig ohne Selbstbewusstsein ist und so gut wie kein Sozialleben hat. Sie wohnt zusammen mit ihrer exzentrischen Großmutter, die Künstlerin ist.
Bei einer Kunstinstallation zieht sich Nana einen komplizierten Beinbruch zu und zieht bis zur Genesung in eine Art betreutes Wohnen. Durch die Besuche ihrer Großmutter findet Caddie nach und nach Menschen, die sie aufrichtig sympathisch und liebenswert finden und Caddie gewinnt immer mehr an Selbstbewusstsein und Motivation ihr Leben in den Griff zu bekommen.
Die Story brachte mich teils zum Schmunzeln, dann wieder musste ich schwer schlucken… alle Höhen und Tiefen des Lebens stecken in diesen über 500 Seiten, allerdings ohne Drama und Kitsch.
Die Charaktere kommen sehr authentisch rüber, ebenso die Dialoge und Handlungen. Ein großes Bravo an die Autorin, dass sie es geschafft hat, ältere Menschen authentisch darzustellen. Das bereitet vielen Autor:innen oft Probleme: Kinder und alte Menschen.
Gaffney aber hat hier eine Handvoll sehr liebenswerter Charaktere erschaffen, die man ganz einfach in sein Herz schließen muss.
Leider gibt es dieses Buch nur noch gebraucht, aber falls Ihr es in einem öffentlichen Bücherschrank seht: nehmt es mit, es ist ein ganz wunderbarer Roman.
Wenn ich ein Buch so gar nicht leiden kann, aber für seine Veröffentlichung verantwortlich wäre, dann käme sowas dabei raus. Ein völlig vertrottelter Buchtitel (nicht dass der original Titel jetzt der Brüller wäre „The Goodbye Summer“), das Buchcover bestehend aus einem langweiligen Foto aus einem 90er Jahre Sprüchekalender, ein Klappentext der absolut nicht den Punkt trifft und das Lektorat einfach komplett einsparen (auf gefühlt jeder fünften Seite ein Fehler).
Und DAS hat dieses Buch absolut nicht verdient, dies ist keine schmalzige Lovestory, es ist der Entwicklungsroman einer jungen Frau, die völlig ohne Selbstbewusstsein ist und so gut wie kein Sozialleben hat. Sie wohnt zusammen mit ihrer exzentrischen Großmutter, die Künstlerin ist.
Bei einer Kunstinstallation zieht sich Nana einen komplizierten Beinbruch zu und zieht bis zur Genesung in eine Art betreutes Wohnen. Durch die Besuche ihrer Großmutter findet Caddie nach und nach Menschen, die sie aufrichtig sympathisch und liebenswert finden und Caddie gewinnt immer mehr an Selbstbewusstsein und Motivation ihr Leben in den Griff zu bekommen.
Die Story brachte mich teils zum Schmunzeln, dann wieder musste ich schwer schlucken… alle Höhen und Tiefen des Lebens stecken in diesen über 500 Seiten, allerdings ohne Drama und Kitsch.
Die Charaktere kommen sehr authentisch rüber, ebenso die Dialoge und Handlungen. Ein großes Bravo an die Autorin, dass sie es geschafft hat, ältere Menschen authentisch darzustellen. Das bereitet vielen Autor:innen oft Probleme: Kinder und alte Menschen.
Gaffney aber hat hier eine Handvoll sehr liebenswerter Charaktere erschaffen, die man ganz einfach in sein Herz schließen muss.
Leider gibt es dieses Buch nur noch gebraucht, aber falls Ihr es in einem öffentlichen Bücherschrank seht: nehmt es mit, es ist ein ganz wunderbarer Roman.
December 31, 2018
This was a hard to put down book. I tried to figure out why things were happening. The characters were real and interesting. ButCaddie was too whiny. Things happen in life, but she chose to hide from them. I am not a fan of weak women.
June 22, 2013
How much can one summer change a person's life? For thirty-two year old Caddie Winger, one summer can make the whole world look different. A piano teacher who gives lessons to the neighborhood children, Caddie still lives with her grandmother and is extremely happy with her present life.
Caddie's mother died when she was nine, and she was raised by her grandmother. Now, their roles are reversed, and it's Caddie who cares for her Nana. When her grandmother breaks her leg and insists on going into a convalescent home, Caddie finds herself being pulled out of her comfy, self-made nest. Living on her own for the first time since college, she uncovers some startling truths from her past.
Jolted, she looks at the world through new eyes and begins to take charge of her future. As she makes a new best friend, takes risks she never dreamed she could, and navigates the depths and shallows of true love and devastating heartbreak, Caddie learns how to trust other people and, ultimately, how to trust herself.
This is the third book by Patricia Gaffney that I've ever read, and I have truly enjoyed all three books that I've read. I loved the portrayal of the characters in The Goodbye Summer and have to say that this book was lovely to read. The Goodbye Summer by Patricia Gaffney is a definite five star read for me, and I'm certainly going to put it on my keeper bookshelf. Definitely an A+! book for me and I look forward to reading more from Patricia Gaffney very soon! :)
Caddie's mother died when she was nine, and she was raised by her grandmother. Now, their roles are reversed, and it's Caddie who cares for her Nana. When her grandmother breaks her leg and insists on going into a convalescent home, Caddie finds herself being pulled out of her comfy, self-made nest. Living on her own for the first time since college, she uncovers some startling truths from her past.
Jolted, she looks at the world through new eyes and begins to take charge of her future. As she makes a new best friend, takes risks she never dreamed she could, and navigates the depths and shallows of true love and devastating heartbreak, Caddie learns how to trust other people and, ultimately, how to trust herself.
This is the third book by Patricia Gaffney that I've ever read, and I have truly enjoyed all three books that I've read. I loved the portrayal of the characters in The Goodbye Summer and have to say that this book was lovely to read. The Goodbye Summer by Patricia Gaffney is a definite five star read for me, and I'm certainly going to put it on my keeper bookshelf. Definitely an A+! book for me and I look forward to reading more from Patricia Gaffney very soon! :)
April 19, 2015
I had a hard time rating this book. My feelings about the book keep changing. At times it was slow, boring and then it would get interesting and I wanted to know what was going to happen. Is a slow pace book and the characters for the most part are not very likeable. Depressing at times but also realistic about old age. Caddie is single and living with the grandmother who raised her. Her mother left her at an early age to go off with a band and then was killed in a car wreck. She never knew who her father was. She is musical but shy and not a very happy person and rather dull. Her grandmother has broken her leg and decides to move into Wake House to recover. Caddie is alone for the first time in a a long time. She meets a man and they begin a relationship but then things happen. She spends lots of time at Wake House and especially becomes attached to one lady Thea. SHe is like the mother she never had. Caddie's grandmother is an artist and has strange ideas about art. She is also having memory problems so will she be able to stay at Wake House. Caddie helps the people at Wake House write their life history. Learning about these people was interesting. Lots of characters in the book. Will Caddie finally take a chance and experience life? This is not one of my favorite books by this author but is very thought provoking. I am glad I read it and think other people might enjoy it.
August 1, 2014
This book has been sitting on my shelf for a while; I think I got it from my mom years ago, and never really looked at it until now. I figured it was finally time to get it off my shelf. I haven't read anything by Patricia Gaffney before, and this sounded interesting, so I gave it a try!
This was an interesting read. It didn't suck me in and I don't think it was an amazing book, but I liked it. It kept me interested in reading and I wanted to figure out what happened to the characters. Caddie lives with her grandmother until her grandmother goes to Wake House because she injured her leg. Caddie is living alone for the first time in a while and doesn't quite know how to adjust. As the book goes on, we see Caddie grow and become slightly more confident in herself. She forms new relationships with other residents of Wake House, like Thea, Magill, and Cornel. She struggles with finding her independence, but ultimately, this summer transforms her life completely.
Overall, it was a good book, but not great. There wasn't really anything wrong with it, but it didn't have the 'wow' factor I was hoping for throughout the story.
Pagesofcomfort.blogspot.com
This was an interesting read. It didn't suck me in and I don't think it was an amazing book, but I liked it. It kept me interested in reading and I wanted to figure out what happened to the characters. Caddie lives with her grandmother until her grandmother goes to Wake House because she injured her leg. Caddie is living alone for the first time in a while and doesn't quite know how to adjust. As the book goes on, we see Caddie grow and become slightly more confident in herself. She forms new relationships with other residents of Wake House, like Thea, Magill, and Cornel. She struggles with finding her independence, but ultimately, this summer transforms her life completely.
Overall, it was a good book, but not great. There wasn't really anything wrong with it, but it didn't have the 'wow' factor I was hoping for throughout the story.
Pagesofcomfort.blogspot.com
November 13, 2009
This is not the kind of book I usually enjoy, but the characters were so sympathetic and well-drawn that they really pulled me into the story.
By the end, I was ready for the main character to grow up and stop whining, and the ending was definitely trite, but I still enjoyed it.
By the end, I was ready for the main character to grow up and stop whining, and the ending was definitely trite, but I still enjoyed it.
January 12, 2021
This book was a good read on many levels. I really liked the character of Caddie Winger. Even though we don’t have much in common, I felt a bond with her caring for her grandmother and making new relationships with the people of Wake House. Wake House seems like the place you would want to go to volunteer, visit, have a loved one there, or be the place to go when you reach a certain stage in life.
Caddie’s grandmother, an artist, decides she needs to go to Wake House after she breaks her leg and realizes she’s not only getting older, but losing her mind. She probably also wants her granddaughter to have more of a life without her. The transition of moving in and Caddie living alone with her dog in the house goes smoothly. Caddie spends her time giving music lessons and visiting Wake House. She meets many new people...Magill, her age, injured in a hang gliding accident where his girlfriend was killed; Thea Barnes, who becomes like a mother to Caddie, and Cornel, grumpy, but a good man to have around to tell it like it is.
Caddie finds romance with Christopher Fox, who trains dogs. Everything is going great until Christopher learns Caddie isn’t interested in getting married or having a family, and/or she tells him she loves him too soon. He awkwardly breaks things off with her. Soon after, Caddie learns she’s pregnant. She gives a lot of thought to what she should do, not ever finding the right time to tell Christopher. In the background of all this is Magill. He has fallen for Caddie, a big accomplishment, since his accident. But because of his disabilities Caddie sees him as joking and brushed off his idea that they should get married so the baby would have a father.
The goodbyes continue to happen as the summer goes on. Thea passes away unexpectedly. Caddie, Magill, and Cornel decide to take a trip to Cape May where Thea wanted to go bird watching. But plans change when Caddie’s car breaks down. While it’s getting fixed, and the three of them have to stay overnight in the town, Caddie looks up and calls the phone number of who may be her birth father. She discovered a letter he wrote to her mother at the time her mother was pregnant. Since her mother died and she never knew who her father was, it seemed like the right time to call and find out. Unfortunately her father passed away, but she finds out she has an aunt, uncle, and grandmother who welcome her with open arms. Magill and Cornel enjoy the adventure.
The trip takes another unexpected turn when Caddie has a miscarriage. It has nothing to do with the night before spent with Magill, but it puts a strain on any relationship that started. Caddie is very distraught, and a sad time in her life is accompanied by having to bring her grandmother home from Wake House to live with her again since her forgetfulness is getting worse. Caddie pushes Magill away one too many times it seems, but thank goodness Caddie realizes on New Year’s Eve that she loves Magill too.
Caddie’s grandmother, an artist, decides she needs to go to Wake House after she breaks her leg and realizes she’s not only getting older, but losing her mind. She probably also wants her granddaughter to have more of a life without her. The transition of moving in and Caddie living alone with her dog in the house goes smoothly. Caddie spends her time giving music lessons and visiting Wake House. She meets many new people...Magill, her age, injured in a hang gliding accident where his girlfriend was killed; Thea Barnes, who becomes like a mother to Caddie, and Cornel, grumpy, but a good man to have around to tell it like it is.
Caddie finds romance with Christopher Fox, who trains dogs. Everything is going great until Christopher learns Caddie isn’t interested in getting married or having a family, and/or she tells him she loves him too soon. He awkwardly breaks things off with her. Soon after, Caddie learns she’s pregnant. She gives a lot of thought to what she should do, not ever finding the right time to tell Christopher. In the background of all this is Magill. He has fallen for Caddie, a big accomplishment, since his accident. But because of his disabilities Caddie sees him as joking and brushed off his idea that they should get married so the baby would have a father.
The goodbyes continue to happen as the summer goes on. Thea passes away unexpectedly. Caddie, Magill, and Cornel decide to take a trip to Cape May where Thea wanted to go bird watching. But plans change when Caddie’s car breaks down. While it’s getting fixed, and the three of them have to stay overnight in the town, Caddie looks up and calls the phone number of who may be her birth father. She discovered a letter he wrote to her mother at the time her mother was pregnant. Since her mother died and she never knew who her father was, it seemed like the right time to call and find out. Unfortunately her father passed away, but she finds out she has an aunt, uncle, and grandmother who welcome her with open arms. Magill and Cornel enjoy the adventure.
The trip takes another unexpected turn when Caddie has a miscarriage. It has nothing to do with the night before spent with Magill, but it puts a strain on any relationship that started. Caddie is very distraught, and a sad time in her life is accompanied by having to bring her grandmother home from Wake House to live with her again since her forgetfulness is getting worse. Caddie pushes Magill away one too many times it seems, but thank goodness Caddie realizes on New Year’s Eve that she loves Magill too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2018
Someone gave me this book in 2004 (when it first published) and it's been sitting on my bookshelf ever since. Now that I'm retired, I'm finally getting around to all those books I said I'd read "someday." For about the first 140 pages, I found it to be OK -- a mildly interesting story without a whole lot of stuff happening. And then it suddenly took off. Not into an exciting adventure or anything, but rather a deep dive into many of the characters. I found myself invested in their stories and rooting for some of them to find happiness, to achieve success, to get better. There are a couple of deaths and Gaffney writes those scenes with an abundance of compassion and warmth. I confess that she had me in tears.
Gaffney's style never overpowers the story, but runs straight and clear and beautifully tells this simple and sweet tale. By the end I felt as if the characters were my friends and that my time with them was well spent.
Gaffney's style never overpowers the story, but runs straight and clear and beautifully tells this simple and sweet tale. By the end I felt as if the characters were my friends and that my time with them was well spent.
May 16, 2020
What a shame. This book had such promise. I’m sure a lot of readers could relate to the author’s main character, Caddie, in many ways. However, it was very hard to not become frustrated with her.
The author also went into such unnecessary detail when describing the residents of the Wake House’s past. The four page typed history of each person was boring.
What was really disappointing was that while so much detail and attention were given to the elders of the Wake House, so little attention was given to the actual storyline, especially Caddie’s relationship with Magill.
It’s been awhile since I actually skipped pages of a book and dropped that book in disgust when finished.
I did give two stars because I enjoyed Thea, Magill, Cornell, Nana and the other residents of The Wake House.
The author also went into such unnecessary detail when describing the residents of the Wake House’s past. The four page typed history of each person was boring.
What was really disappointing was that while so much detail and attention were given to the elders of the Wake House, so little attention was given to the actual storyline, especially Caddie’s relationship with Magill.
It’s been awhile since I actually skipped pages of a book and dropped that book in disgust when finished.
I did give two stars because I enjoyed Thea, Magill, Cornell, Nana and the other residents of The Wake House.
January 27, 2019
This book was really great. It's the first that I've read from Patricia Gaffney. I find that I'm very picky and critical of books, authors' writing styles, plots, etc., so I was super excited to have found a new author that I adore. I don't really have any major criticisms about this book--I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had an emotional connection to the characters and the plot moved fluidly and seamlessly, so much so that I flew through the novel in two days. I have added all three of Gaffney's remaining novels to my "To-Read" list. She's wonderful.
July 12, 2020
Difficult book to review; really enjoyed it, up to the middle. Then it fell apart. Too many long descriptions of unimportant characters, too many same described situations.
I did enjoy the setting...Wake House... elder care/assisted living-like sorta convalescent home.
I found most characters funny/sad, but cared about them. Main character Caddie was a sad woman, very naive for her age. I felt bad for her until I lost patience around the middle. But all in all, it was a light likable story which could have been much better.
I did enjoy the setting...Wake House... elder care/assisted living-like sorta convalescent home.
I found most characters funny/sad, but cared about them. Main character Caddie was a sad woman, very naive for her age. I felt bad for her until I lost patience around the middle. But all in all, it was a light likable story which could have been much better.
February 7, 2025
I loved the first half of the book as Caddie developed relationships with seniors in the convalescent home. It was genuine and refreshing as she met each individual where they were and appreciated them and loved them, seeing what they had to offer rather than their limitations. The second half became too predictable and felt tedious as the author attempted to wrap up all loose ends and put a big bow on it. It would have been a better novel if she had stopped midway and allowed the reader to contemplate what came next.
May 28, 2024
I would almost give this one a 4. I really enjoyed the characters at the assisted living place.. but Caddie.. ugh.. Caddie.. She was just insufferable to me. Maybe the author wanted to make her character the most unlikeable even though she was the main character. Who knows. I found myself wanting to learn more about ANY character BUT her. She just wasn't the most enjoyable or likable main character. The book had some sweet lessons about growing older, and those characters were likable.
April 18, 2018
This book is really hard to rate. In the beginning I was in love with this book. By the middle I was fed up with Caddie and her resistance to trying ANYTHING new. And by the end I felt terrible for Magill and just angry at Caddie.
But, I really loved getting to know the old people in the home, and loved her cooky grandma.
Sigh... 3 stars.
But, I really loved getting to know the old people in the home, and loved her cooky grandma.
Sigh... 3 stars.
December 4, 2021
A funny love story that tugged at my heart!
I laughed out loud in parts, and I cried at parts too!! Got to love all the characters at Wake House and the descriptions of them made that possible! Thea, wish we all had one of her; Cornel the gumpy oldman with a tender heart; Magill & Caddie, wounded souls who finally discover what love is really all about!!
I laughed out loud in parts, and I cried at parts too!! Got to love all the characters at Wake House and the descriptions of them made that possible! Thea, wish we all had one of her; Cornel the gumpy oldman with a tender heart; Magill & Caddie, wounded souls who finally discover what love is really all about!!
September 9, 2017
I was in the mood for reading something light, which was how this book started but soon turned into a chore.
i hate not finishing a book but i just couldn't do it. i tried and tried but less than half way through it became so predictable it was almost painful.
i hate not finishing a book but i just couldn't do it. i tried and tried but less than half way through it became so predictable it was almost painful.
March 10, 2019
A great book about getting older, set in a convalescent home, that is an old Victorian mansion. The story is filled with zany characters, young and old, a terrifically silly dog and music. I loved Gaffney's The Saving Graces; this is equally as good.
August 11, 2020
The residents at Wake House are delightful, Caddie...not so much. I was prepared from my past experiences with Gaffney's historical romances to expect tragedy and angst, but this had such an abrupt ending, as though Gaffney ran out of steam at the end.
August 25, 2021
Wisdom abounds!
I truly enjoyed this book. When I like something I highlight it on my Kindle App and share it on Instagram & Facebook. I posted plenty of wisdom that this author’s characters voiced throughout the story. A 100% delightful book.
I truly enjoyed this book. When I like something I highlight it on my Kindle App and share it on Instagram & Facebook. I posted plenty of wisdom that this author’s characters voiced throughout the story. A 100% delightful book.
February 25, 2022
Old people would love Wake house
A romance with nuance and lovely old people. The book had music, surprises some happy and some sad making it a fun read. I loved Caddie but it was the elderly that tug at your heart. However, the story was less predictable than expected.
A romance with nuance and lovely old people. The book had music, surprises some happy and some sad making it a fun read. I loved Caddie but it was the elderly that tug at your heart. However, the story was less predictable than expected.
July 17, 2023
Books I've read and provided detailed reviews over the years but all data is lost after accidental deletion and GD refuse to restore it back.
Adding books back to my library for my own reference and tracking purposes
Adding books back to my library for my own reference and tracking purposes
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