TANGLED - IS SHE DEAD YET? (Taylor Books Book 9)
For Cory, travel was not the compulsion it had been for Gordon who was attempting to placate his demons with it but an opportunity to take in the richness and variety the world offered. Written by a vital, observant woman, the book tells us something meaningful indeed—just as its author intended. But life is also simultaneous, all of our experience existing in time together in the flesh. It is all, according to T. Eliot, the same thing. I am a girl and I am a dying woman. My body is my journey, the truest record of all I have done and seen, the site of all my joys and heartbreaks, of all my misapprehensions and blinding.
In my beginning is my end. View all 10 comments. May 17, Michael rated it it was amazing Shelves: Cory Taylor is one of Australia's most famed authors. With two books that have won and been shortlisted for awards, she has made her own niche in our literary landscape. Know though Cory, who has been battling melanoma-related brain cancer for the last decade, is facing the reality that she will soon die.
It is with this knowledge that Cory explains to us how she went from one fear and disbelief to find peace and accepting of her fate. The book itself is divided into two section with first on he Cory Taylor is one of Australia's most famed authors. The book itself is divided into two section with first on her own thoughts on death that has been greatly influenced by her years spent in Japan.
Cory's thought process is also greatly influenced by the loss of her mother and the regret of not being with her when she died and her own realization that she is now living on borrowed time. Secondly, she explains a fractured family life full of non-stop travel, the disintegration of her parent's love and the disconnect with her brothers that remains to this day. Cory Taylor is someone who has strong views about dying with dignity in this country. She is an advocate of euthanasia and is not afraid to talk about it. Her question of why someone who wishes to take their own life when terminally ill has to do so alone is one that hits right at the heart of a debate that rages on.
While we all have our on personal view on the subject of death, It is not hard to admire someone who knows her battle is coming to an end and has taken it in good faith along with her family. With joy, sorrow, and understanding, this book is both a celebration of life and an acknowledgment of its uncertainty.
View all 6 comments. Jun 17, Emma Sea rated it really liked it Shelves: I cried, and then I cried some more when I learned she died in hospice right after it was published. I wonder what happened to her stockpile of powdered Chinese insurance plan. It's so entirely immoral so many humans are denied the right to choose a safe and peaceful end. I almost feel like I'm being disrespectful rating this so low, but this is NOT what I expected at all.
Considering the title of this book is "Dying", I had apparently mistaken that to mean it would be about her dying. In particular, her love and admiration for her mother, general disdain for her father and indifference about her siblings. While I can understand how it would make sense to throw in some ba Again While I can understand how it would make sense to throw in some back story about her life-- and I would've gladly accepted that-- it wasn't about her entire life, just about her childhood.
So, I feel like, if she included her childhood, she should have also included the time when her childhood ended up until the time of her death. There were only rare tidbits of her middle ages, and her failure to include that part of her life doesn't make a lot of sense to me, especially considering how fervently she prattled on about her childhood.
Part One was about dying. The rest was not. It sounds cold and heartless to sit here and complain about how she didn't discuss dying for most of the novel, but it's implied in the title that it's about DYING. In my life, as I assume in many peoples, death is a difficult subject to discuss.
It's uncomfortable, to say the very least. So my curiosity was piqued by a novel written by someone who is actively dying, and could discuss it in an open enough way to discourage the idea that it's too taboo to talk about. I am very frustrated with this book because I was excited about the premise, I was excited after reading part one, and then the flame of my excitement swiftly fizzled out. I think I might have felt more satisfied had she only written part one and just ended it there.
I don't see any real reason for the rest of the book to exist Aug 31, Nigel rated it it was amazing Shelves: In brief - There is - for me - a real beauty and simplicity in this brief but powerful book. In full Can a book about Dying be considered beautiful? If I had any doubts on that Cory Taylor has removed them. The memoir starts with the simple facts that in her fifties she is diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer.
There are three chapters in this short book and the first was powerful for me. There is rational contemplation of suicide together with the possible consequences as well as comments on org In brief - There is - for me - a real beauty and simplicity in this brief but powerful book. There is rational contemplation of suicide together with the possible consequences as well as comments on organisations dealing with assisted dying. She has thoughts on religion and dying and psychologists and dying.
Her life before her diagnosis is contemplated particularly writing and travel and food! I found this thoughtful intelligent discussion on her situation - dying - thought provoking. The second chapter looks at her close family's life and background. There are ups and downs and probably things that all our imperfect lives are affected by. The third part starts with reflections on Cory's childhood particularly in Fiji. Her growing awareness of various aspects of life are exposed. Issues with her parents and particularly her father are looked at surprisingly calmly I think.
That said the whole of this book exudes calmness for me. Beauty, love, fear, dreams are in all our lives in some ways however her writing on these was both simple and moving - it is about a life progressing to its end. I really wish my writing could do justice to this last chapter - sadly I am not the writer Cory was however I loved it. This reliving her life, considering the circularity of life "in my beginning is my end", was powerful and beautiful. It ends with a "script for an ending". If you are someone who one day may die … then you may find this book a thoughtful and emotional read - I would recommend it.
Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review http: Sep 28, Eric rated it really liked it. It gives nothing away to write that Dying: Cory Taylor was sixty years of age when she passed and from the description in her memoir she led an interesting life and had an interesting family. Taylor's memoir has nuggets of inspirational thoughts throughout the book, as well as insightful observations learned from the experiences in her life.
One passage I especially felt poignant was, "How it ends I'm only now discovering. I It gives nothing away to write that Dying: I can only speak for me, of course, and everyone is different, but dying slowly, as I'm doing, feels like a retreat from consciousness back to the oblivion that precedes it. This memoir possibly will have the largest impact upon those that have had fewer experiences with the process of dying and death of loved ones in their lives.
Unfortunately, to others, like myself, many passages will be familiar. To me, this memoir was not depressing, but was instead a reaffirmation of my own beliefs when it comes to the process of death and dying. Cory Taylor was born in , and she died of cancer in Sixty-one seems awfully young to die, especially from my vantage point of fifty-two, and Taylor certainly thought it was premature. She had books she still hoped to write, children she wanted to see established in their adult lives, … plans. And yet, she considers her approaching death with grace and gratitude, refusing, much as Christopher Hitchens did in his death memoir, "Mortality," to snatch up at the last minute religious belief Cory Taylor was born in , and she died of cancer in I had lived a full life.
Taylor was close to her mother, and watching this beloved parent die horribly of dementia encouraged her to investigate assisted suicide and then less abrupt methods of dying with the greatest possible measure of dignity and comfort. About her mother's death Taylor writes, "She was in a nursing home when she died, a place of such unremitting despair it was a test of my willpower just to walk through the front door. The last time I saw her, I stood helplessly by while she had her arse wiped clean by a young Japanese nurse.
My mother was clinging on to a bathroom basin with all of her meagre strength, while the nurse applied a fresh nappy to her withered behind. The look in my mother's eyes as she turned and saw me watching reminded me of an animal in unspeakable torment. At that moment I wished for death to take her quickly, to stop the torture that had become her daily life. But still it went on, for a dozen more months, her body persisting while her mind had long since vacated the premises.
TANGLED - IS SHE DEAD YET? (Taylor Books) by Amanda Glenn
I could not think of anything more cruel and unnecessary. I knew I had cancer by then, and a part of me was grateful. At least I would be spared a death like my mother's, I reasoned.
That was something to celebrate. Her view, that the cancer is preferable, matches my own suspicions as I've watched my mother's long decline into increasingly helpless silence from Progressive Nonfluent Aphasia, a form of FTD, and now her rapidly increasing weakness and pain with the cancer. The slow, dehumanizing darkness of dementia or the suffocating pain of the cancer. Lest my comments make this sound unremittingly dark, I should say again that Taylor really is not morbid, and her love for her husband, children, and other family, and her gratitude for the life she has lived shine through her book.
Her admiration for her mother is a constant, and one of my favorite images in the book, which is filled with memorable images, is from an evening in Taylor's childhood, when she and her mother were taking a trip around the main island of Fiji, visiting beaches. The surf out there was pounding, the wind was blustery, and I wanted us to turn around and go home.
But my mother stood firm, a wild grin on her face, her hair whipping around her head, her arms outstretched. I realized then how far we had walked, how tiny we must look from the land, two dots against the horizon. And I felt a surge of love for my mother, as if at that moment I might lose her to a rogue wave or a shallow swimming shark, for I knew they were out there cruising in the black water, just metres away.
That really stood out for me in this. Taylor has no moral or religious qualms about suicide, but she is deterred by the thought of what that act might do to the people she cares for. As I'm sure most people do, I think about the narrative shape I imagine for my life, and in connection to this I was rather taken by a service that Taylor tells about her palliative care service providing. Taylor's biographer died unexpectedly, but, of course, her memoir accomplishes something of the same purpose, and the process, as well as the thought of the finished product, are therapeutic.
And that is what I'm doing now, in this, my final book: And I am making dying bearable for myself. I don't know where I would be if I couldn't do this strange work. It has saved my life many times over the years, and it continues to do so now. For while my body is careering towards catastrophe, my mind is elsewhere, concentrated on this other, vital task, which is to tell you something meaningful before I go..
View all 4 comments. Aug 31, Gill rated it liked it Shelves: Cory Taylor spent her latter years in Queensland, Australia. The first section of the book is primarily about her experiences and treatment after diagnosis with cancer. Perhaps because such experiences vary between countries, what Taylor described did not resonate with me. I found the middle section concerning Taylor's life and family much more interesting, although I did feel that I was intruding on the lives of several of the family members.
The final section looked back to Taylor's childhood, and was very reflective on her situation as she approached her final days. I found the book quite interesting, but there are other books on a similar theme that I have found more thought provoking and moving than this one. Apr 12, Kkneen rated it it was amazing. Perfectly structured, perfectly told. An unsentimental meditation on family, life and death. This is how I want to go out, having written one perfect book. May 30, Amalia Kidd rated it it was amazing.
I couldn't put this book down and read it from start to finish in one sitting. I was joined by a glass of wine for the final leg. Cory's prose is so honest and resonants with me on a deep level. She tackles those thoughts we'd rather not discuss. Her brutal honesty and most of all her humour keep this memoir real. Since reading it I have had many occasions to recommend it to others, who for a variety of reasons, are grappling with the questions that dying raises. The honesty, humour and deeply p I couldn't put this book down and read it from start to finish in one sitting.
The honesty, humour and deeply personal story make this a compelling read. Don't balk at the title- this is not s self help manual, rather it is a starkly honest and unshrinking staring down of death. My love and thoughts are with you Cory. Jan 09, Glitterbomb rated it really liked it Shelves: Its brave and forthcoming, and asks all the hard questions.
Cory Taylor wrote this in the final weeks of her life. She has let us, the reader, see into her inner self as she struggles to understand what it means to die.
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Taylor muses about her life, how it was a good one. She says "The fact "That is what I am doing now, in this, my final book: She says "The fact that I am dying now was sad, but not tragic. I have lived a full life". She says she can look back at her life, and not yearn for what she didn't do, but instead find contentment in what she has.
She explores the hard topics of the right to die, assisted dying, dying with dignity, and the right to choose. She relates her experiences with doctors, palliative care agencies, psychologists, religion and support groups - how the act of dying is somehow a taboo subject, even among services who's purpose is to ease and support the act of dying. This was a glimpse into to mind of someone who is preparing for their own death. A quietly dignified account of her journey to the end.
May 17, Michael Livingston rated it really liked it. A short, clear-eyed memoir, written in the face of inoperable cancer. Sad, but not sentimental, and somehow hopeful in spite of everything. Sep 06, Kirsty rated it really liked it Shelves: Illness narratives are fast becoming my go-to books. I find reading about the process of dying both fascinating and humbling. From the outset, Taylor's memoir is incredibly well written. At no point is it self-pitying; rather, her tone is measured and hopeful, startling and truthful.
Dying is both easy and difficult to read; the former because of its fluent prose style and the latter obviously because of its subject matter. Taylor is courageous, thorough and thoughtful, and has created an incred Illness narratives are fast becoming my go-to books. Taylor is courageous, thorough and thoughtful, and has created an incredibly important book. I shall leave you with one of my favourite quotes from Dying: It's become ordinary and unremarkable, something everybody, without exception, does at one time or another.
If I'm afraid of anything it's of dying badly, of getting caught up in some process that prolongs my life unnecessarily. Jun 06, Ellen rated it liked it. I will not miss dying. It is by far the hardest thing I have ever done, and I will be glad when it's over. There is a kind of reverence that comes with reading passages like this and knowing they were written in the final weeks of a life. This book is extremely personal — and, at times, profound. Apr 12, Text Publishing rated it it was amazing Shelves: Her readers will find that she has. We should all hope for as vivid a looking-back, and as cogent a looking-forward, when we reach the end ourselves.
It does what all great writing does: A Memoir is a gift to us all, a book that is not afraid to navigate darkness and that sees us through to the end…We need books like this, a guide to dying, but also, and especially, a guide to living.
Dying: A Memoir
It should be required reading for all of us. In part, this is because the narrative voice is so gentle, and tightly controlled. Every scene has a radiant quality; it glows. Mit dem Thema Tod kann ich nicht besonders gut umgehen. Ich hatte gehofft, dass mir dieses Buch mehr hilft, die Sicht der Sterbenden zu begreifen. Die ersten Kapitel fand ich auch sehr gut. Dec 10, M. The accident of birth is just that. And so is everything that happens afterwards, or so it seems to me… Cory Taylor died at age sixty in July of , but not before finishing this important book that details her life beginning to end.
The fact that new treatments and medicines now extend our dying to degrees unmanageable by some and put to good use by others serves the writer well. Cory Taylor deftly, and honestly, presents the history of herself as a chil https: Cory Taylor deftly, and honestly, presents the history of herself as a child growing up, opening and expanding to the world around her, and then on to her contracting and retreat from it, resorting to living her final days contained within two small rooms. As we are enabled to live longer, we are also condemned to die longer… Early in her life, consciousness, and its opposite state of unconsciousness, made an indelible impression on her.
From that moment on it was what Cory Taylor believed in, resisting all attempts by others to persuade her otherwise. Subjected as we all are to compounding religions and their accompanying faiths in eternal life she would, for a lifetime, remain indifferent. Learning and the sensual life, her love for words and her mother, two sons and a good husband, would sustain her. All would play an important role in her dying, and terrifying, finality.
But Cory Taylor, in the face of it all, gracefully and gratefully composes a work bereft of pity, sentimentality, and remorse. Hers is a love story, pure and simple. And a complete joy to read. The moments that stand out for me are the ones when I felt most alive. Jun 25, Kirsty Dummin rated it it was amazing. This is a quick, straight forward read that shares a snippet of Cory's life, her family and her history in the face of her own death. It's not depressing or tragic, just matter of fact. Cory touches on many poignant points about life and death, and while I'm sure writing this book was somewhat of a meditation for her, it's also something that any person can relate to.
After all, death finds us all, eventually. May 29, Tempo de Ler rated it liked it. Jun 08, Andrew McMillen rated it it was amazing. The title is also absolutely spot-on for the plot of the story, because in all fairness, that is what the story delves into. Hilary begins Tangled Lives by taking you back in time to Kent, The prologue is short, and instantly catches your attention due to the emotional depth of what's happening.
This is where we are first introduced to the main character in the story, Annie. It is the moment where Annie last lays her eyes on her beautiful baby boy, Tom, before being driven away in her mother's car. Hilary's prologue was bitter-sweet. Annie's love for her son was evident, but it was clear that she didn't have a choice in the matter. Chapter One begins in North London, bringing you back to the present day in Annie is now completely settled into her life.
She is married to Richard, they have three grown children and she works in a cake-shop creating luxury masterpieces for tasteful events. Hilary re-creates the perfect family breakfast. Annie and Richard, as well as their three children and their eldest son's girlfriend, are all sitting around the kitchen table, digging into breakfast. And that's when it happens. Slap bang in the middle of all the normalcy, Annie picks up the letter that changes everything.
The baby boy that she had never forgotten appears back in her life as if he'd never left. Suddenly, Annie's ordered life is thrown up into the air, and she's left to watch as the pieces scatter all around her and her beloved family. I knew from the moment that Annie had held that letter in her hand at the kitchen table, that this was her son contacting her.
My heart was in my mouth and I did actually hold my breath as she opened it up and read it. I think that is one of the most important moments in Tangled Lives, and it's definitely made to appear so with how Hilary writes. Annie gets up from the table, leaving her family downstairs, and reads it on her own in the bedroom. What I loved was the fact that she instantly knew that she was going to meet him, even though she appeared to dither and uhhm and ahhh about it. She knew deep down that not a thing in the world was about to stop her.
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What ensues is a crazy, non-stop battle. That's how it felt to me anyway. Annie trying to bring her son into the family, and certain family members trying to lock him out. It seemed as though, as soon as Daniel Tom's new given name appeared, everything just went mental.
Annie's eldest son, Ed, fires off and becomes distant for reasons of his own, Annie's husband, Richard, suddenly begins to work later nights, coming home drunk and collapsing on the sofa. It was an absolute scene of madness, carelessness and confusion. None of them are quite sure of whether they're coming or going.
As Annie watches, her homelife begins to tremble and fall to the ground right in front of her, and she doesn't have a clue of how to fix it. As well as the subject of adoption, there were so many other issues happening just underneath the surface too. I found Tangled Lives to be a very complex, but easy to read book, that intrigued and enchanted me with it's many bumps in the road.
Hilary's characters were all fantastically built-up and each seemed incredibly real to me, which is something that I just love to find in a book. I loved reading it and I was completely engrossed in the plot. It was constantly moving and definitely kept me engaged. Aug 14, Ivyd rated it liked it. A successful business she built from the ground up doing something she loves, a supportive and loving husband, and three children navigating young adulthood. Annie told her husband, Richard, about Daniel 3. Annie told her husband, Richard, about Daniel prior to their marriage but the time had never seemed right to tell her children, Ed, Marsha, and Lucy.
Now Daniel wants to connect with his birth mother leaving Annie no choice but to reveal her past to her children. Now she can meet the man the baby grew to be, discover the answer to all her questions, and ease her mind. You have to meet Eleanor to understand why. While others question if Daniel is who he says he is, Annie never does, especially after meeting him. Some family members question her decision. Why is she taking his side?
Does she have any doubts about his version of events? How can she trust Daniel when she actually knows so little about him? Marjory is the grounded voice of reason and wisdom throughout. Her willingness to speak the truth, no matter what, made her a favorite character. Will they survive intact or will Daniel and the chaos he brings tear their family apart? It was incredibly boring and very very cheesy.
I got so angry with the book, that at one point I just started screaming at it. Sep 04, Katherine Jones rated it really liked it. As well as whatever comes next. This writer is gifted. Her prose is uncomplicated yet lovely, her character real, her pacing absolutely spot-on. Except Aunt Best—her, you can only love. I was also completely drawn into this story and relished the way it unfolded so believably. So easy to imagine something similar happening to any one of us, where we look back and question how we got into such a pickle. I was a bit bummed at the nature of one of the bigger reveals about Daniel, the son given away at birth.
And there is a bit of language I could have done without. That said, I still found this to be a relatively light and easy read. I dashed through it in just a few days—and all this while packing for our trip to Africa. So that says something. Thanks to Querus for providing me a free copy to review. All opinions are mine. Dec 22, John Champneys rated it liked it. I was thoroughly hooked in by this story, at least to begin with. When out of the blue Annie Delancey received a letter from Kent Social Services regarding the son she gave up for adoption 35 years ago, I felt the scene was set for a thoroughly absorbing, gripping read.
Not far into the tale, a nervous Annie teams up with her best mate and confidante Jamie, who goes to take a peek first and runs back exclaiming "He's absolutely gorgeous! It's a moment I always enjoy, and my enjoyment is complete when I get it completely wrong. That's what gets me on the edge of my seat, expectant and panting for more. Now the title of this story is "Tangled Lives" and so I expected that I was going to get very tangled up when I tried to follow the tale; yet truly, there wasn't very much to get tangled up in.
It really wasn't that hard to follow and there weren't any major surprises. There was one death you saw it coming a long way off; and there again it was of a character whom nobody really liked, so it didn't hold much interest. It certainly kept me reading, but I think that was more out of gay solidarity in general and sympathy for the homeless in particular. The story gripped me quite well, but it wasn't a satisfying grip. It was more like snorting another line of coke, even though I knew before, during and after that the habit was no good.
Or watching the cliffhanger line in the Channel 4 'teen drama Hollyoaks. The story and its characters were as evanescent as steam, and I'm sure that by tomorrow they will have been well and truly forgotten. Tangled Lives touches upon the difficult subject of giving a child away for adoption and the implications it has both on the parents as well as on the child itself. They may not have been in each other's lives for 35 years but that doesn't mean they're not in each other's thoughts, or their blood band doesn't influence them one way or another.
When Daniel's beloved adoptive mother passes away he feels the need to connect to someone else and he contacts his birth mother in the hope that they can Tangled Lives touches upon the difficult subject of giving a child away for adoption and the implications it has both on the parents as well as on the child itself.
When Daniel's beloved adoptive mother passes away he feels the need to connect to someone else and he contacts his birth mother in the hope that they can meet. When he does meet Annie the two get along well and as he quite quickly takes a prominent part in her life this change ripples in unexpected ways through her family. There's jealousy and misplaced anger, but there's also the undeniable connection between half-siblings who despite not growing up together simply click.
Part of the novel reminiscences real life stories like The Imposter as the reader starts to doubt whether everything Daniel claims really is in fact the truth. Just because he has a blood band to Annie, what is to say he is to be trusted? Particularly when someone who's been a part of the family for far more years claims that Daniel is not who he seems to be. The novel doesn't always develop as the reader would want it to, with imperfect characters making selfish choices blinded by love and jealousy, but then that only makes the story more realistic.
Tangled Lives was an engrossing read from start to finish and it definitely makes me keen to check out author Hilary Boyd's first novel Thursdays in the Park. Many thanks to Quercus for a review copy of the novel! Mar 21, Nicola rated it liked it Shelves: It would have been nice to learn a bit more about Daniel and what his life was like before he made contact with Annie and there were certain parts in the book which I found rather predictable, yet, all in all I really enjoyed the book. It was an easy read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Jun 30, Mary Gramlich rated it it was amazing. How difficult is it to hold a secret you want to tell? Annie Delancey has a wonderful husband, her children have grown into amazing people, relations with her mother are stable, but Annie has a terrible secret that is about to be revealed to mixed reviews. Annie had a one night relationship that led to a son she gave up for adoption which only her mother and husband are aware of until her son; Daniel wants to be a part of her life.
When the confession comes forth the reaction is mixed and the mor How difficult is it to hold a secret you want to tell? Everyone sees Daniel as an interloper into what they considered the perfect family life, but facing the fact that no one is leading a golden life comes with consequences. To reconcile that the life and love she has for the family she adores who are now jealous of a son from the past makes no sense.
Annie is a mother to all of her children and will not have Daniel pushed out regardless of how much it takes out of her to keep him in. For me it was a more enjoyable story and it had fewer mistakes as well, which made reading it more of a pleasure. I didn't keep Thursdays in the Park on my device but will save this one.
There were some laugh-out-loud lines in this as well I did wonder why it was set so far back in I expected the epilogue to jump forward a decade to update us but it didn't which was a shame. I wondered at times about Annie's thoughts regarding Daniel. One minute she seemed overjoyed but she also wanted to keep him a secret from many people which I couldn't reconcile. Rayburn isn't spelt Raeburn and I spotted some apostrophe mistakes.
Also, when she first spoke with Charles he called her by her married name which he wouldn't have known. There were odd words dropped from sentences as well here and there. The biggest "ouch" for me was fawn spelt as faun! I looked up Portrait of a Lady out of interest and the "lady" reminded me of Anna Massey! I'd recommend this, though. I just watched Long Lost Family this week and it is like an episode of that but with the whole follow-up story included.
May 16, Carol rated it liked it Shelves: I received this as a free Advanced Reader's Copy from the Publisher. I originally picked out this book because I had seen Hilary Boyd's first novel, Thursdays in the Park, on the library shelf of new books where I worked, and liked the cover. The premise looked interesting: For Annie Delancey, who has kept the secret about her son from everyone but her husband and mother, and t I received this as a free Advanced Reader's Copy from the Publisher. For Annie Delancey, who has kept the secret about her son from everyone but her husband and mother, and the identity of the child's father from everyone, it wrecks havoc on her personal life and her relationship with everyone.
It also deals with issues of adoption and its repercussions. I don't tend to read too many books about marital trouble and family drama, but this one was unexpectedly showed up at my door and was enjoyable. Enjoyable book exploring the dynamics of a family coming to terms with the mother's revelation that she gave up a baby for adoption before her marriage. But Lizzie guards a dark secret. On one Enjoyable book exploring the dynamics of a family coming to terms with the mother's revelation that she gave up a baby for adoption before her marriage. Dec 04, Julia Ibbotson rated it it was amazing.
It didn't; it was again a thought provoking story of family life and complicated relationships basically the stuff of human life, then! Annie lives a seemingly charmed middle class life in a well-to-do area of London, when a thunder bolt arrives in the person of Daniel, the son she was forced to give up for adoption thirty five years ago. The conflicts this produces for the family and for herself are well sho Having loved Thursdays in the Park, I hoped that Tangled Lives would not disappoint.
The conflicts this produces for the family and for herself are well shown and the book held my interest throughout. Some incidents are a little predictable and there is not the mystery of Thursdays in the Park, but nevertheless it is again a novel that makes the reader think - and that is something I really enjoy.
Nov 14, Julie scott rated it really liked it. As for Annie's overbearing mother Eleanor well she was just a annoying snob. Dec 14, Ali rated it liked it. So this looks to be my last audio book of the year have you read my latest post on thesundayfeeling. I did enjoy this book, but there were a few parts that seemed a little dragged out, and some characters that were frankly just rather irritating.
I also think you can judge a book slightly easier when its an audio book, but in a sense your also judging the narrator as well as the story line. I think the narrator did a brilliant job in portraying each character. I think I guessed t So this looks to be my last audio book of the year have you read my latest post on thesundayfeeling. I think I guessed the main "secret" a little while before it was revealed but it didn't ruin it for me at all.
May 07, Georgina rated it really liked it.
Really enjoyed this book. I think the characters were okay but some were under developed and could have done with a bit more work, you only really saw Daniel every now and then it was like the book is about adoption but was centered around Annie and everything going on in her life not really about re-connecting with Daniel.
Also didn't get why a previously 'perfect' husband turned out to be jealous of a lost son and started drinking and cheated as soon as the going gets tough. Ed as a character w Really enjoyed this book. Ed as a character was under developed aswell. As a inbetween book this was good and I did really enjoy it as it is light easy reading. Will now read Thursdays in the Park. Sep 11, Vickie Taylor rated it really liked it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
This book wasn't what I expected but I still found it enjoyable. The characters were well rounded and likeable although human in the way they reacted. Not everyone welcomes a new family member with open arms so it was nice that it wasn't too 'long lost family'. Would have liked more to be made of the Ed, Emma, Daniel triangle but still enjoyable none the less.
Jan 07, Sharon rated it did not like it. Didn't like it at all