A Time to Tell in Goodreads Authors/Readers

Oct 04, 2008 Julie Powell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A Time to Tell raises important issues surrounding what has been named ‘domestic violence’. It was interesting (and sad) to see how history repeated itself throughout the generations, echoing the tragic dilemma of humankind.

However, the switch between ‘times’ was cleverly done in this sophisticated story of Cara and her family, giving a good insight into the relationships to which we can all relate.

A Time to Tell has a great prologue that creates enough intrigue to pull in the reader and has a ...more

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Mar 18, 2009 Maria rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

This is my latest novel. 'A Time to Tell' is a romantic drama/family saga which spans 50 years and three generations of the same family. It is the tale of Cara, an elderly woman who has regrets about secrets she has kept from her family. As the novel progresses, we see how these secrets may have affected the lives of her loved ones, and she reaches a point in her life when she feels that she must reveal all, even though it is the last thing she wants to do. It is also a story about Cara's grandd ...more

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Jan 03, 2010 Stuart rated it it was amazing

Powerful & Emotional Insight Into Relationships & Forgiveness

Wow!‘A time To Tell’ is a potent story that packs a punch. From the very beginning, we are drawn in by Cara Hughes dramatic, failed suicide attempt. What follows is an emotionally charged page turner spanning over 50 years of Cara’s life. Maria Savva is an exceptional storyteller, bringing the many colorful characters to life as they face some of the darker issues, which trouble today’s society. Abusive relationships, secrets, betrayal ...more

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Mar 17, 2010 Laura rated it really liked it

I found A Time to Tell compelling and looked forward to reading it every day, (I very often found it difficult to put down! Always a good indication of a good read.) It is a solid, complex story that rolls along with a steady, and at times, breathless pace. It has a distinct, emotional voice that speaks from Cara’s point of view that is clearly from her generation. Cara is hobbled by the psychological second-guessing of her actions in the past, which is a chronic aspect of the human condition, w I found A Time to Tell compelling and looked forward to reading it every day, (I very often found it difficult to put down! Always a good indication of a good read.) It is a solid, complex story that rolls along with a steady, and at times, breathless pace. It has a distinct, emotional voice that speaks from Cara’s point of view that is clearly from her generation. Cara is hobbled by the psychological second-guessing of her actions in the past, which is a chronic aspect of the human condition, we’re all guilty of some bad decision that we regret, and it’s painful to fess up because we fear how others will react to such news. The occasional shift to a different character’s perspective to examine another side to the story is an element that I appreciate (because there’s always more than one side to a story), but it wasn’t consistently used enough throughout to be a natural rhythm of the narrative, therefore, it caused a few ‘wait a minute’ wobbles for me, mostly because Cara’s presence is so dominate. There were times I wished that the telling of the story could have slowed down a little, sometimes I felt a bit hungry for more “meat”, but that’s just me, I enjoy gnawing on well written details. I felt this way especially in places where it was rapid-fire dialogue as it careened toward the end; I found myself skittering along looking for a place to catch my mental breath. When I reached the end, I said “Whew!” And then proceeded to back-track to reread what I just went through, I saw that all the pieces to the puzzle were there, but they fit loosely. Looking back further, there is a distinct difference between the earlier chapters of the book and the last ten or so. I’m not saying that this is bad or good, as I’ve found this style in other books as well, the endings tend to be more streamlined to herd the reader toward the finish. The ending itself was cleanly broken off, leaving the reader with a sense that life (such as it is) goes on after the book is finished, even though it isn’t quite a pretty picture, but the implication is there that things will be all right (eventually)—the beauty of art imitating life, a timeless and contemporary novel. I say again, Well done, Maria Savva! (Rating: four stars out of five.) ...more

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