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Pam of Babylon #1
Pam of Babylon
When Jack has a heart attack on the train from Manhattan, his wife and his two lovers discover secrets and lies, and each other.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2011
1138 people are currently reading
2245 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Jenkins
259 books363 followersSuzanne Jenkins lives at the west Michigan lakeshore. She is the author of Pam of Babylon and the series; Don’t You Forget About Me,Dream Lover, Prayers for the Dying, Family Dynamics and The Tao of Pam. The Greeks of Beaubien Street,and The Princess of Greektown from the Greektown Stories, Alice's Summertime Adventure, The Savant of Chelsea and Someone Like You.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews
January 12, 2013
I think this book had potential but by the end of Chapter 4, it was just unreadable. The reaction of the main character to her husband's betrayal was so unrealistic, I could not take this book seriously.
{in the hospital room after viewing his body and seeing another strange woman with an intense reaction to his death}
"Oh, you had an affair with my husband and he's dead? The hospital called you before they called me? Oh... there there... I'm sorry. Here, let me give you a hug and comfort you..."
Uh... hell to the NO.
{in the hospital room after viewing his body and seeing another strange woman with an intense reaction to his death}
"Oh, you had an affair with my husband and he's dead? The hospital called you before they called me? Oh... there there... I'm sorry. Here, let me give you a hug and comfort you..."
Uh... hell to the NO.
August 30, 2011
I feel really horrible giving a negative review to this book. I won this book as a Goodreads giveaway. The author seems like a really sweet person who even sent my copy with a hand-written note. That being said, I didn't understand the motives of the characters in this book at all. Major twists and turns would be revealed, only to be followed by lukewarm or inexplicable reactions to said actions or events. There were also a lot of details included in the day to day lives that seemed to be a bit frivolous and more like filler than plot driven. In the last 50 pages, the plot picked up, albeit a bit too much, in my opinion. I see that it has been getting positive reviews thus far, so maybe it just wasn't for me. Please read and judge for yourself.
August 8, 2011
I loved this book. And, disclaimer, I'm really good friends with the author. That didn't stop me from noticing grammatical errors and wishing her editor had done a better job and it also didn't stop me from losing myself in the pages and the story and just going along for the ride. This is a great beach book, or bathtub book, or just lose yourself for a night or two book.[return][return]You would think that the worst news Pam Smith will ever hear is that her husband has dropped dead on the train ride home from the city - and you would be absolutely wrong. Because it gets totally worse from there. In a way that seemed totally believable to me, Suzie Jenkins unravels Pam's life on an almost daily basis. She's trying to adjust to widowhood at the same time that she's trying to come to grips with what her marriage may or may not have been - what she thought her marriage was turns out to be one lie after another. As the situation worsens, as the unreal shadows deepen, more people rely on her and she must find inner reserves just to make it through the next five minutes, let alone the rest of her life. It's not your typical mystery, it is filled with the mysteries of daily life: the private lives of people and how little they actually know about those they are most intimate with for year after year and how little they know about themselves.
January 22, 2012
There are many things that I did not like about this book and it overtook the few good things.
The good things...well the writing style was pretty good and everything flowed really well.
The bad...
The characters were BEYOND annoying. The story was beyond realistic.
Why were the characters annoying?
The only thing that really got me to finish the book was that toward the end of the book it got a little more action. It didn't mean the characters were any less annoying just that the book had fairly good writing and more things started happening all close together.
The good things...well the writing style was pretty good and everything flowed really well.
The bad...
The characters were BEYOND annoying. The story was beyond realistic.
Why were the characters annoying?
The only thing that really got me to finish the book was that toward the end of the book it got a little more action. It didn't mean the characters were any less annoying just that the book had fairly good writing and more things started happening all close together.
March 30, 2018
Unfortunately I really did not care much for this book. Pam Smith finds out that her husband has died on a train while returning home. She goes to identify his body and encounters a young woman who also was called upon his death. This is just the beginning of many family secrets and many twists in the plot of the story. To me the storyline was way too simplified, the characters boring and unemotional and then at times way over the top, and too many small details that had nothing to do with the story. The novel seemed to drag until the author threw in another unexpected twist that made me say "oh no, here we go again!"
April 25, 2017
What a strange book!
I couldn't get my head around it, I couldn't get into it, and I certainly couldn't understand any of the characters actions and emotions. All rather bizarre but not in a page turning kind of way, just not believable that anyone would act like that after losing their husband. And then, just as it picks up a bit, it just ends. Abruptly. As to say : " now download the second book in the series"
Which I absolutely won't.
I couldn't get my head around it, I couldn't get into it, and I certainly couldn't understand any of the characters actions and emotions. All rather bizarre but not in a page turning kind of way, just not believable that anyone would act like that after losing their husband. And then, just as it picks up a bit, it just ends. Abruptly. As to say : " now download the second book in the series"
Which I absolutely won't.
April 24, 2015
Did you ever keep reading a book just because you couldn't believe it could get any more ridiculous? Yup, I just did.
September 14, 2011
I really quite liked Pam of Babylon. She seemed to lead such a perfect life. Happy in her marriage, settled into the routine that was her life. But with the death of her husband she begins to unravel the mystery that he was and discovered that she really never allowed herself to know him much at all. The storyline seems like it is all laid out simply enough at first. I felt like I had already figured out the ending in the first few chapters, but I was very very wrong! There are several hidden and intriguing story lines woven throughout this book. I was at times pleasantly surprised and other times, horrified by the dramatic twists this book takes. It was a very interesting book and I felt like I could not put this book down! I read it all within a couple of days while we were on a family vacation that was packed full of day trips to attractions like Sea World, Legoland, San Diego Zoo and yet each day I was clamoring to book up this book and find out what would happen to Pam next! I enjoyed it enough that am interested in the next book in the series, which thank fully is set for release later this year! So, if you read this Suzanne, I would love a copy!! :-)
I would give this a "movie rating" of strong PG-13 or mild R, because much of the drama is adult and I found some of it quite upsetting. I would not allow my teen to read this book yet. I would however recommend this book to another adult. It was easy to read and the story flowed very well, but it was certainly not easy to untangle the mess that Pam's husband had created of his seemingly perfect life. Wow.
I would give this a "movie rating" of strong PG-13 or mild R, because much of the drama is adult and I found some of it quite upsetting. I would not allow my teen to read this book yet. I would however recommend this book to another adult. It was easy to read and the story flowed very well, but it was certainly not easy to untangle the mess that Pam's husband had created of his seemingly perfect life. Wow.
August 29, 2011
I won a copy of Pam of Babylon in a first-reads giveaway. I just finished reading it a few minutes ago. The story was interesting, and I found myself having a hard time putting it down. It was, for the most part, an enjoyable read. However, I felt like the last 50 pages held a few too many twists. There were plenty of surprises throughout the book, but they were more evenly spaced out. When I finished this book, it took me a few minutes to comprehend everything that had just occurred in my last 45 minutes of reading. It was just one thing after another, all crammed into the ending. I think the story could have been just as entertaining with a few less shocking turn of events, or perhaps if they were spread out just a little bit more.
Also, The misuse of the word "stepbrother" kind of bugged me. When two children have one parent that is shared, and a different mother/father, the proper term is "half-brother." It happened a few times in the book, and for some reason it really bugged me. That being said, it really didn't effect my overall opinion or rating of the book. I look forward to reading the sequel!
Also, The misuse of the word "stepbrother" kind of bugged me. When two children have one parent that is shared, and a different mother/father, the proper term is "half-brother." It happened a few times in the book, and for some reason it really bugged me. That being said, it really didn't effect my overall opinion or rating of the book. I look forward to reading the sequel!
July 25, 2012
When I read the blurb for this book, I thought it was going to be an interesting read into how a family deals with the aftermath of death and infidelity. Instead, what I found were three women who were affected by Jack's indiscretions and none of them acted the way I would have thought they would given the circumstances.
Pam Smith lives the idyllic life out in Long Island. She has her fabulous beach house, two wonderful children and her husband of 20+ years. She lives for her husband and her children while being sequestered away from all of them. But her somewhat naive life starts to crumble when her husband, Jack, has a heart attack on the train to Long Island. With Jack gone, Pam soon discovers that she really didn't know the man she was married to or the depth of his betrayal.
So Pam spent all her time in Long Island. She read books on her veranda, walked the beach, worked out in the gym and was ran errands for whoever in her family needed them run. She only spent the weekends with her husband and even then, she would sit off by herself while he was active with her little sister, their kids or his friends. So it's not surprising to find that Pam has no clue as to what Jack was really up to when he was in New York all week. What was surprising was the fact that Pam hardly showed any emotion to Jack's death or the revelation that he's been cheating on her (with a woman slightly older than their kids who works in his office and her little sister). Given everything, I would have expect some kind of outburst from Pam, but she never did it. Instead she embraced her husband's mistress and wanted to be friends with her. WHAT?!?!?
And let's talk about the mistress. Sandra admits that she's not sure she was ever really in love with Jack, which was evident by the fact that she wouldn't allow him in her house or vice versa, so that her living area wasn't tainted by Jack should they break up. But what I'm still trying to wrap my head around is the fact that she would be willing to be friendly with the wife of the man she was sleeping with. Why would she want that? Would she feel horrible each time she saw her? Was she looking for a mother figure and figured she was as good as any? And why was she not a little more upset about finding out that Jack had a previous long term relationship with someone else? I'm not sure, but even if you're the current mistress, don't you get a little upset when you find out he was less than truthful about his past discretions?
And then there was Maria. She was the only one of the three woman who reacted like I would expect someone to grieve Jack. She flipped out, she snapped on people, and was just downright messy. Maria had some severe emotional scars when it came to Jack, but it she doesn't seem to have the capacity to deal with them herself or the foundation within her family to support her. Even after Pam found out about the long term affair, she sent Maria off to her room like a misbehaving child and went about being self-absorbed.
I get that people handle a situation in a different way, but all three of these women seemed so one dimensional that it was hard to feel sorry for any of them for what they were going through. While they all were supposed to have cared for Jack in some way shape or form, their reaction to his death and lies should have illicit some kind of strong reaction. Get pissed, scream, yell...throw something (hell, when I spill something on the kitchen floor my reaction is stronger than these women's).
We get some idea of the type of person Jack was by the reminiscing of the woman or the discovery of more of his secrets. The only thing I can say is I wish Jack had stuck around in the story because those were the only points in the story where I felt we had an actual character that I wanted to follow. He had a horrible childhood and endured unspeakable acts against him, yet it appeared (through some of the items discovered and his mother's musings) that he was willing to stand up for himself and what he believed in. So that would lead me to question why he went down the path that he did with the three woman. Unfortunately, that is a question we don't get answered in this installment of the series.
I wish I could really like this book, but the way the three women were portrayed makes them unlikable to me. I tend to not be sympathetic to anyone who doesn't stand up for themselves and that's the way these women seemed to me. However, this is my opinion and someone else may love these woman. It's for that reason that I'm giving this a three Cocktails rating.
Pam Smith lives the idyllic life out in Long Island. She has her fabulous beach house, two wonderful children and her husband of 20+ years. She lives for her husband and her children while being sequestered away from all of them. But her somewhat naive life starts to crumble when her husband, Jack, has a heart attack on the train to Long Island. With Jack gone, Pam soon discovers that she really didn't know the man she was married to or the depth of his betrayal.
So Pam spent all her time in Long Island. She read books on her veranda, walked the beach, worked out in the gym and was ran errands for whoever in her family needed them run. She only spent the weekends with her husband and even then, she would sit off by herself while he was active with her little sister, their kids or his friends. So it's not surprising to find that Pam has no clue as to what Jack was really up to when he was in New York all week. What was surprising was the fact that Pam hardly showed any emotion to Jack's death or the revelation that he's been cheating on her (with a woman slightly older than their kids who works in his office and her little sister). Given everything, I would have expect some kind of outburst from Pam, but she never did it. Instead she embraced her husband's mistress and wanted to be friends with her. WHAT?!?!?
And let's talk about the mistress. Sandra admits that she's not sure she was ever really in love with Jack, which was evident by the fact that she wouldn't allow him in her house or vice versa, so that her living area wasn't tainted by Jack should they break up. But what I'm still trying to wrap my head around is the fact that she would be willing to be friendly with the wife of the man she was sleeping with. Why would she want that? Would she feel horrible each time she saw her? Was she looking for a mother figure and figured she was as good as any? And why was she not a little more upset about finding out that Jack had a previous long term relationship with someone else? I'm not sure, but even if you're the current mistress, don't you get a little upset when you find out he was less than truthful about his past discretions?
And then there was Maria. She was the only one of the three woman who reacted like I would expect someone to grieve Jack. She flipped out, she snapped on people, and was just downright messy. Maria had some severe emotional scars when it came to Jack, but it she doesn't seem to have the capacity to deal with them herself or the foundation within her family to support her. Even after Pam found out about the long term affair, she sent Maria off to her room like a misbehaving child and went about being self-absorbed.
I get that people handle a situation in a different way, but all three of these women seemed so one dimensional that it was hard to feel sorry for any of them for what they were going through. While they all were supposed to have cared for Jack in some way shape or form, their reaction to his death and lies should have illicit some kind of strong reaction. Get pissed, scream, yell...throw something (hell, when I spill something on the kitchen floor my reaction is stronger than these women's).
We get some idea of the type of person Jack was by the reminiscing of the woman or the discovery of more of his secrets. The only thing I can say is I wish Jack had stuck around in the story because those were the only points in the story where I felt we had an actual character that I wanted to follow. He had a horrible childhood and endured unspeakable acts against him, yet it appeared (through some of the items discovered and his mother's musings) that he was willing to stand up for himself and what he believed in. So that would lead me to question why he went down the path that he did with the three woman. Unfortunately, that is a question we don't get answered in this installment of the series.
I wish I could really like this book, but the way the three women were portrayed makes them unlikable to me. I tend to not be sympathetic to anyone who doesn't stand up for themselves and that's the way these women seemed to me. However, this is my opinion and someone else may love these woman. It's for that reason that I'm giving this a three Cocktails rating.
January 29, 2019
I kept asking myself why I was wasting my time reading this book. The characters were terrible; the story was awful; the grammar was atrocious! When I finally reached the end I discovered that it's a continuing saga that goes on for at least 10 more volumes!! I will not be reading them.
March 22, 2012
There's a reason why it took me nearly three and a half months to read something that would normally take 4-5 days. So let's start with the only positive thing I have to say. Ms. Jenkins can write. The story was easy to follow and there was nothing wrong or awkward with her language usage.
As for the story itself, the three central characters were a bunch of doormats. As all the dirty laundry aired (and there were some whoppers!), no one had a meltdown or breakdown. No one screamed, raged or carried on. They all just took it in their stride, as if it were perfectly normal. There was absolutely nothing normal about these circumstances, and while some people might be able to cope as was depicted in Pam of Babylon, it just didn't seem believable.
A woman, Pam, rushes to the hospital when she finds out her husband has had a fatal heartattack, only to find that his body has already been identified by his mistress, Sandra. So Pam decides they should be friends. And Sandra goes along with it. Throw into the mix Pam's selfish, clingy, jealous and whiny younger sister Marie, and I was left wondering how hard it would have been for the deceased, Jack, to convince these three to be sister-wives and all live under the same roof.
Sadly, the most interesting character, in my opinion, was the dead one. The glimpses into his youth were fascinating and helped explain (not excuse) his behavior. I know a sequel has been written, and I would like to learn more about Jack, but I just can't bring myself to read more about these simpering females. I really had to force myself to finish reading it, and even as I did so, I kept asking myself why. I guess I kept hoping something spectacular would come at the end that would make it all worth it. Although the sudden turn of events that occurred with only about 10% of the book to go did make it better, it wasn't enough to overcome the feeling that I wasted my time reading Pam of Babylon.
As for the story itself, the three central characters were a bunch of doormats. As all the dirty laundry aired (and there were some whoppers!), no one had a meltdown or breakdown. No one screamed, raged or carried on. They all just took it in their stride, as if it were perfectly normal. There was absolutely nothing normal about these circumstances, and while some people might be able to cope as was depicted in Pam of Babylon, it just didn't seem believable.
A woman, Pam, rushes to the hospital when she finds out her husband has had a fatal heartattack, only to find that his body has already been identified by his mistress, Sandra. So Pam decides they should be friends. And Sandra goes along with it. Throw into the mix Pam's selfish, clingy, jealous and whiny younger sister Marie, and I was left wondering how hard it would have been for the deceased, Jack, to convince these three to be sister-wives and all live under the same roof.
Sadly, the most interesting character, in my opinion, was the dead one. The glimpses into his youth were fascinating and helped explain (not excuse) his behavior. I know a sequel has been written, and I would like to learn more about Jack, but I just can't bring myself to read more about these simpering females. I really had to force myself to finish reading it, and even as I did so, I kept asking myself why. I guess I kept hoping something spectacular would come at the end that would make it all worth it. Although the sudden turn of events that occurred with only about 10% of the book to go did make it better, it wasn't enough to overcome the feeling that I wasted my time reading Pam of Babylon.
January 18, 2016
It's not the storyline that bothers me. It's the awful characters. Every last one of them disgust me with their selfish characteristics. I connected with no one and felt they all got what they deserved.
Marie: Resents her sister and crushes over her brother in law.
Pam: Self centered and only cares about her own comfort. Who cares that her husband died? She thought his business was going to go to their son, not his mistress!
Sandra: Skanky mistress. Sleeps with the husband but is annoyed when his family discovers her and wants to interfere in her life.
Jack: Where to start? He likes to parade his hard-on in front of his teenage sister-in-law's face, when his wife's not looking and bone his barely legal co-worker. Douchebag.
Bernice: Jack's mother, who is ecstatic to learn her sons mistress is pregnant by her deceased son. She's giddy with excitement for her daughter-in-law to learn of the ultimate betrayal her son bestowed upon her before his death.
Nelda: Pam's mother. Regrets giving birth to her needy daughter Marie and wishes she wasn't born at all.
What the fuck is wrong with these people???
2.5 stars. Plot was unoriginal with highly unlikeable characters.
Marie: Resents her sister and crushes over her brother in law.
Pam: Self centered and only cares about her own comfort. Who cares that her husband died? She thought his business was going to go to their son, not his mistress!
Sandra: Skanky mistress. Sleeps with the husband but is annoyed when his family discovers her and wants to interfere in her life.
Jack: Where to start? He likes to parade his hard-on in front of his teenage sister-in-law's face, when his wife's not looking and bone his barely legal co-worker. Douchebag.
Bernice: Jack's mother, who is ecstatic to learn her sons mistress is pregnant by her deceased son. She's giddy with excitement for her daughter-in-law to learn of the ultimate betrayal her son bestowed upon her before his death.
Nelda: Pam's mother. Regrets giving birth to her needy daughter Marie and wishes she wasn't born at all.
What the fuck is wrong with these people???
2.5 stars. Plot was unoriginal with highly unlikeable characters.
June 9, 2020
To be honest I bought this because I'd downloaded Don't You Forget About Me the second book free and I was intrigued I don't honestly think it's a book I would normally have gone for since I read for pleasure and like happy endings and romantic tales and this didn't give a guarantee of either but I found the book amazing. While Pam awaits her husbands return from work he has a heart attack and dies, what follows is the incredible story of his life, through this and the following books we learn about Jacks past, we discover the kind of person he really was and the destruction he's left behind and anyone who knew him is left wondering if they really knew him at all.
The only warning I'll give is that before buying this book be prepared to buy the series because once you start on this journey you'll have to see it through to the end.
The only warning I'll give is that before buying this book be prepared to buy the series because once you start on this journey you'll have to see it through to the end.
January 4, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. I read it in one day. Suzanne Jenkins allows the story of a middle aged business man and his wife and lover unfold swiftly, but it wasn't predictable. There were a lot of unexpected turn of events which kept the plot moving along. I'm not sure how many women would handle the turn of events the way Pam did. I'm looking forward to reading the second book.
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May 23, 2012
Pam Smith is a Long Island housewife who spends her weekdays preparing for her husband Jack to return every weekend from the city. Their life is a perfect picture of Americana, a modern Norman Rockwell painting of success, comfort, and the love of family and friends. Then, on a Saturday that seems no different than any other, tragedy strikes and Pam faces the greatest challenge of her previously charmed life. A riveting plot, shocking twists, and almost unbearable tension mark Suzanne Jenkins’ debut, a heart-wrenching examination of lives suddenly and irrevocably torn apart. On his routine weekend trip home, Jack has a heart attack on the train and Pam soon finds herself on a trip to identify his body. Theoretically, this should give her some form of closure, but instead it is the moment her life takes an unexpected trip down the rabbit hole of intrigue and past sins come shockingly to life. Pam must confront a series of revelations that unmask a life she realizes she only thought she knew, and the losses and disappointments she discovers give color and understanding to a man markedly different than he appeared. Uncovering secrets and betrayals far worse than her most vivid nightmare, Pam retreats to their meticulous Babylon beach house, the one refuge she has to put the pieces of her life together and move toward ultimate forgiveness. A fascinating, multiple point of view character study about confronting mistakes and omissions in life, Jenkins’ novel demonstrates the devastating consequences of our actions and how they can reverberate through generations. But it is through forgiveness that Pam finds redemption and strength, eschewing the option of victimization for one of power and, ultimately, personal peace. Affecting in its fast pacing and spare, evocative prose, Pam of Babylon is a powerful reminder for us all to strive to be better people.
See all Editorial Reviews
See all Editorial Reviews
August 16, 2014
When a book starts from a seemingly perfect place for the character, you know he is not going to stay there long… So when Jack Smith is looking at the face of Sandra, his mistress, thinking “I am the luckiest man alive,” his luck is at its end. Not only would Marie, his wife’s sister, find out about his affair, but he would to live long enough to try to handle the scandal with Pam, his meek, trusting wife.
While he is cheating on her, Pam waits excitedly for his return. “She had the week to prepare for his homecoming… she tried to make it an oasis for him.” Despite her trust in Jack, she knows intuitively that things between them are not quite right. “There was a tiny, itsy bit of doubt, a niggling worry, an insecurity in the back of her mind. He was disconnected from her.”
When she gets a call from the hospital that Jack has died from a heart attack, Pam goes to pieces and then, gradually, reassembles them, finding a new strength in herself. She now learns the truth about him and a few of the women with whom he betrayed her. Sandra, too, goes through grief: “Her life had changed overnight.”
This book is about looking forward to restart life already, even in the presence of death. It is about healing, part of which comes from forgiveness. I know this sounds strange to some readers, who find Pam’s behavior ’too unreal.” Apparently it is easier and perhaps more natural for many of us to succumb to vengefulness. At the same time, this is exactly why this book is so fascinating. It offers a different possibility, a more hopeful one. “There was something about cleaning up, washing everything, that spoke of new beginnings.”
The author, Suzanne Jenkins, stated that she wrote the character as the opposite of herself. “I am at the opposite end of the spectrum of reactions....I wouldn't be forgiving and embracing.” Yet I feel that by the end of the story Pam inhabits her to such a degree that her words come straight from the heart, gut, and mind.
Five stars.
While he is cheating on her, Pam waits excitedly for his return. “She had the week to prepare for his homecoming… she tried to make it an oasis for him.” Despite her trust in Jack, she knows intuitively that things between them are not quite right. “There was a tiny, itsy bit of doubt, a niggling worry, an insecurity in the back of her mind. He was disconnected from her.”
When she gets a call from the hospital that Jack has died from a heart attack, Pam goes to pieces and then, gradually, reassembles them, finding a new strength in herself. She now learns the truth about him and a few of the women with whom he betrayed her. Sandra, too, goes through grief: “Her life had changed overnight.”
This book is about looking forward to restart life already, even in the presence of death. It is about healing, part of which comes from forgiveness. I know this sounds strange to some readers, who find Pam’s behavior ’too unreal.” Apparently it is easier and perhaps more natural for many of us to succumb to vengefulness. At the same time, this is exactly why this book is so fascinating. It offers a different possibility, a more hopeful one. “There was something about cleaning up, washing everything, that spoke of new beginnings.”
The author, Suzanne Jenkins, stated that she wrote the character as the opposite of herself. “I am at the opposite end of the spectrum of reactions....I wouldn't be forgiving and embracing.” Yet I feel that by the end of the story Pam inhabits her to such a degree that her words come straight from the heart, gut, and mind.
Five stars.
July 6, 2012
What can I say, But OMG!!!!!
This book has so many things going on that by the time you're at the end.... you're left wanting, DESIRING MORE!
I loved Pam, I could never have gone through all that crap and made it look as though I was put together.
I mean really your husband is dead, a cheater, and lord know has a bunch more secrets hiding.... I'm sure someone would have got shot...oh wait someone did...LOL
Sandra, and Marie are by far very interesting. Both kinda in the same boat, but one on the sinking end....it was really crazy how all three woman came together.
For some reason I don't think we have heard the last of Bill
Suzanne Jenkins truly wrote an amazing book here. You find yourself not wanting to put it down as you in gross yourself in the life of the Smith's family. When what meets the the eye isn't always what seems to be as pretty on the outside.
This book actually reminds me of Hair band Cinderella's song-Don't Know What You Got (Til It's Gone)
Because Pam sure didn't know what she had until Jack was GONE!
Awesome Beach Read...Pool Read...What The Heck
ANYTIME READ!!!!!
This book has so many things going on that by the time you're at the end.... you're left wanting, DESIRING MORE!
I loved Pam, I could never have gone through all that crap and made it look as though I was put together.
I mean really your husband is dead, a cheater, and lord know has a bunch more secrets hiding.... I'm sure someone would have got shot...oh wait someone did...LOL
Sandra, and Marie are by far very interesting. Both kinda in the same boat, but one on the sinking end....it was really crazy how all three woman came together.
For some reason I don't think we have heard the last of Bill
Suzanne Jenkins truly wrote an amazing book here. You find yourself not wanting to put it down as you in gross yourself in the life of the Smith's family. When what meets the the eye isn't always what seems to be as pretty on the outside.
This book actually reminds me of Hair band Cinderella's song-Don't Know What You Got (Til It's Gone)
Because Pam sure didn't know what she had until Jack was GONE!
Awesome Beach Read...Pool Read...What The Heck
ANYTIME READ!!!!!
September 25, 2012
I won the second book in the series from a giveaway, so the Author generously gave me the kindle edition of this book to read so I would be up to date. Thank you Suzanne Jenkins!! She is now one of my favorite authors, this book was so wonderful! It had me angry, sad, and then happy. Just what a good book does for you, it was a wonderful escape to another world. The lives of these women, so effected by this one man. The characters were so clear and detailed, the world around them was described so beautifully that I wanted to live at the beach with Pam myself. I am so excited to start the second book today! There are also parts of this book that were so surprising and gritty and touched me personally. This book had twists and turns that kept coming at you, keeping your attention and making it so hard to pit it down. It was unexpected, and great. I may have to re-read it to make sure I got it all! It's that good to me. I received this book as a gift.
February 16, 2012
I actually won a copy of "Don't You Forget About Me," the sequal to "Pam of Babylon" from Good Reads, and Ms. Jenkins was kind enough to send me a PDF copy of "Pam..." so as to keep me up to date before I began reading the second book.
I have to say, I really did enjoy the story. I agree with some in that it, at times, was hard to follow with the quick switch of POV, but all in all I thought it was an interesting, thought provoking read, making one consider just what you would be leaving behind should you drop dead today. What would your family find, and would you be proud of the legacy you created?
Looking forward to reading the next installment.
I have to say, I really did enjoy the story. I agree with some in that it, at times, was hard to follow with the quick switch of POV, but all in all I thought it was an interesting, thought provoking read, making one consider just what you would be leaving behind should you drop dead today. What would your family find, and would you be proud of the legacy you created?
Looking forward to reading the next installment.
May 26, 2013
I've had this book in my TBR list for awhile. I believe I picked this one up in the kindle store for free. The story of a woman that loses her husband suddenly, then finds out he was leading a secret life is always compelling . This one was not like anything I would have expected though. This was one messed up family. It's all still a mess at the end of the book, but we see that each of the ladies the story centers around will get a new chance to make something of a really bad situation.
I would rate this more of a 3.5. The writing is good and the story is absorbing, but very disturbing. Overall a B-
I would rate this more of a 3.5. The writing is good and the story is absorbing, but very disturbing. Overall a B-
November 15, 2013
I feel that the author did a nice job adding some plot twists to her story. Imagine finding out all kinds of things about your husband in the hours, days, and weeks after his sudden death. It was written in a way that did keep your interest but I think that Pam's reaction to finding out that her husband had a mistress is pretty far fetched. It just rings as so unbelievable. Putting that aside, since maybe a St. Pam exists somewhere, Jenkins did a decent job in developing her story. I do have book two so I will move on to the next book in the series but that book will determine whether I will go any further in Pam's life.
May 2, 2015
I didn't enjoy this book about a man having a heart attack and his wife and mistress being informed, both going to the hospital to see him. The man dies and the wife finds out about the mistress. She is OK with the mistress and wants to be friends! The wife, Pam, is completely insane! Then we find out that Pam's sister, Marie, was also in love with the dead guy.
Unfortunately, this book was boring and the characters were ridiculous. Nobody would act the way Pam did when she learned about all her husband's issues! I know I should have stopped reading it at some point but I just can't seem to leave a task unfinished so I read the whole book.
Unfortunately, this book was boring and the characters were ridiculous. Nobody would act the way Pam did when she learned about all her husband's issues! I know I should have stopped reading it at some point but I just can't seem to leave a task unfinished so I read the whole book.
September 5, 2011
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely read the sequel when it comes out. It was a very easy read, and once I started, I wasn't able to put the book down. I did think that there was a little too many twists and turns to the point that it seemed a little unreal that all of those things would happen to one family. But nevertheless, I thought it was a really good book that I would definitely recommend to others.
*I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
*I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
September 25, 2011
I received a copy of this book free from Goodreads. This story had a really interesting story line, but it was a little hard to follow. It was told from the perspective of so many different characters that I sometimes forgot whose head I was in and there was a little too much detail. I'm not sure I quite understood the motivation of the characters either. They were all very fickle. I wish Suzanne the best in writing the follow up. I think with some editing the next book could be very good.
April 25, 2012
Fun and easy read about a woman who loses her husband to a sudden heart attack and finds out (very early in the book - so no spoilers here) that he had a mistress whom she befriends and even invites to the funeral. As Pam grieves, she grows out of her doormat-persona and takes on her mother-in-law, the lawyers, the mistress and her little sister. She learns more about her husband through his death than she knew while he was alive.
August 11, 2014
I found this book to be ridiculous. Not only was it unrealistic and depressing but it contained too many life tragedies all revealed within a short timespan. I also didn't enjoy how the author spoke about one character in one paragraph using the word "she" and then used that same word to describe an entirely different person in the next paragraph. I will not be reading any more books in this series and would not recommend this one to any of my friends.
June 25, 2018
So many things. The biggest reason for the 2 star rating is the handling of the abuse story-line. Blaming the victim. NO! Pam believes her sister, then doesn't. She's oh, I'm so sorry, and then, "You did this".
The writing is okay, but the characters are awful. Not a one of them I feel any empathy for. Not even the younger sister.
I won't be reading the myriad of books that come after this one.
The writing is okay, but the characters are awful. Not a one of them I feel any empathy for. Not even the younger sister.
I won't be reading the myriad of books that come after this one.
August 26, 2011
Glad I won this book from First Reads here on Goodreads.......This book started out with surprises and continued on from one surprise to the next! Makes a person wonder what will be left for others to find out someday. Loved Pam and even Sandra. So happy to see book 2 is coming out soon too.
Thanks Suzanne Jenkins great writing!
Thanks Suzanne Jenkins great writing!
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