Looking Back - More Than You Know

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

More Than You Know by Beth Gutcheon

Fiction

2000 William Morrow

Finished on March 15, 2001

Rating: 2/5 (Fair)

Publisher's Blurb:

In a small town called Dundee on the coast of Maine, an old woman named Hannah Gray begins her story: "Somebody said 'true love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen.' I've seen both and I don't know how to tell you which is worse." Hannah has decided, finally, to leave a record of the passionate and anguished long-ago summer in Dundee when she met Conary Crocker, the town bad boy and love of her life. This spare, piercing, and unforgettable novel bridges two centuries and two intense love stories as Hannah and Conary's fate is interwoven with the tale of a marriage that took place in Dundee a hundred years earlier.

My Original Thoughts (2001):

Written by the same author of Five Fortunes. Story about love and ghosts. Alternating chapters, different time periods. Somewhat confusing during the first half of the book. Slightly suspenseful (enough to keep me reading), but not a great book. Too many unanswered questions. I think this author may be a "one hit wonder." So far, I've only enjoyed Five Fortunes. More Than You Know is not one that I can recommend.

My Current Thoughts:

I don't remember much about this novel, but I do remember that I was surprised that it was such a departure from Five Fortunes. 

Looking Back - Saying Grace

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

Saying Grace by Beth Gutcheon
Fiction
1995 HarperCollins
Read in September 1999
Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Rue Shaw has everything--a much loved child, a solid marriage, and a job she loves. Saying Grace takes place in Rue's mid-life, when her daughter is leaving home, her parents are failing, her husband is restless and the school she has built is being buffeted by changes in society that affect us all. Funny, rich in detail and finally stunning, this novel presents a portrait of a tight-knit community in jeopardy, and of a charming woman whose most human failing is that she wants things to stay the same.

Saying Grace is about the fragility of human happiness and the strength of convictions, about keeping faith as a couple whether it keeps one safe or not. Beth Gutcheon has a gift for creating a world in microcosm and capturing the grace in the rhythms of everyday life.

My Original Thoughts (1999):

I liked this book, but didn't love it. There were far too many characters to keep track of and only one that I felt connected to. And, it was sad. Death, affair, separation, child abuse, etc. Not a very upbeat story and a lot of loose ends. 

My Current Thoughts:

This was the second book of Gutcheon's that I read in 1999. I don't remember anything about it and no longer own a copy, so it's definitely not one I'm likely to read again. Quite frankly, it sounds dreadful!

Looking Back - Five Fortunes

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

Five Fortunes by Beth Gutcheon
Fiction
1998 Cliff Street Books
Read in June 1999
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Witty, wise, and hope-filled, Five Fortunes is a large-hearted tale of five vivid and unforgettable women who know where they've been but have no idea where they're going. A lively octogenarian, a private investigator, a mother and daughter with an unresolved past, and a recently widowed politician's wife share little else except a thirst for new dreams, but after a week at the luxurious health spa known as "Fat Chance" their lives will be intertwined in ways they couldn't have imagined. At a place where doctors, lawyers, spoiled housewives, movie stars, and captains of industry are stripped of the social markers that keep them from really seeing one another, unexpected friendships emerge, reminding us of the close links between the rich and the poor, fortune and misfortune, and the magic of chance.

My Original Notes (1999):

Wonderful book. Reminded me a little bit of The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I was disappointed with the ending, which fell flat with lots of loose ends. Overall a very good "fluff" read. Not great literature, but fun.

My Current Thoughts:

I read this back when books that centered around women's friendships were very popular. I remember how much I loved this one, but I wonder if it would still appeal to me now. I own a copy, so it may wind up on my re-read stack this summer.