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3.25 AVERAGE
3.25 AVERAGE
Good story I feel like I've read it before but didn't recall the ending I'm wondering if it's similar to another book I've read in the past. Just can't put my finger on it. Great read though.
There are dual plot twists in this book that relieve and then immediately re-establish some of the major flaws. Through the first half of the book we see Joy build a relationship with Bobby - an idealized, over-simplified, and utterly unrealistic 8-year old and his dreamy father Daniel. As things begin to feel too perfect to be real, we are treated to the first plot twist - it's not real. Everything that had happened up to this point was in Joy's mind - the result of a concussion, coma, and heavy amount of drugs she was administered following the plane crash.
This explains the idealized world of the novel's first half - it's an escape that Joy's mind fabricated to get her out of the despair of her real life. She's alone on Christmas, her husband cheated on her with her sister, who is now pregnant, engaged, and beginning a life that Joy always imagined for herself. As she works through her recovery and attempts to reconcile with her sister (who doesn't deserve it, imo) Joy can't shake the feeling that her experience with Bobby and Daniel was too real to be imagined (was it, though?). After finding a memento in her pocket from her imagined experience, she decides it must be real and so she embarks to Washington to visit the place that only existed in her mind where we are treated to our second plot twist - it is real. Bobby and Daniel exist and they've been waiting for Joy. Christmas magic!
There are moments in this book that do work pretty well and I appreciate the quick pace of the action - by the end of the second chapter a lot has already happened narratively. This is not a bad read for something quick, romantic, and Christmasy, but it wasn't for me.
This explains the idealized world of the novel's first half - it's an escape that Joy's mind fabricated to get her out of the despair of her real life. She's alone on Christmas, her husband cheated on her with her sister, who is now pregnant, engaged, and beginning a life that Joy always imagined for herself. As she works through her recovery and attempts to reconcile with her sister (who doesn't deserve it, imo) Joy can't shake the feeling that her experience with Bobby and Daniel was too real to be imagined (was it, though?). After finding a memento in her pocket from her imagined experience, she decides it must be real and so she embarks to Washington to visit the place that only existed in her mind where we are treated to our second plot twist - it is real. Bobby and Daniel exist and they've been waiting for Joy. Christmas magic!
There are moments in this book that do work pretty well and I appreciate the quick pace of the action - by the end of the second chapter a lot has already happened narratively. This is not a bad read for something quick, romantic, and Christmasy, but it wasn't for me.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Joy is a divorced high school librarian who is disappointed in her life. She had found her husband in her bed with her sister. She wants to travel and so she on the spur of the moment flies on a chartered plane to Washington. On the way the plane crashes. She wakes up and walks away from the crash without telling anyone. She stumbles into an old bed and breakfast and a small boy checks her in. The next day joy learns that the boy, Bobby recently lost his mother and his father has moved back to care for him. Daniel wants to move Bobby to Boston. Joy helps Bobby learn to read and to feel better about his mother's death. Then joy wakes up in a hospital and realizes it was all a dream. She had been in a coma since the crash. She is so upset she continues to try to find Bobby and Daniel. She mends her relationship with her sister. Then she does find Daniel and Bobby. They welcome her because she was the imaginary friend of Bobby.
This story seemed great although I found it unbelievable that she walked away from the plane crash unharmed. Then when I realized it was a dream I thought the story would show her that she needed changes in her life. Then Daniel and Bobby turned out to be real people. That was a little too far for me. Also she might have forgiven her sister but their relationship shouldn't ever be the same. She was sleeping with her husband in her bed. A good friend doesn't do that.
This story seemed great although I found it unbelievable that she walked away from the plane crash unharmed. Then when I realized it was a dream I thought the story would show her that she needed changes in her life. Then Daniel and Bobby turned out to be real people. That was a little too far for me. Also she might have forgiven her sister but their relationship shouldn't ever be the same. She was sleeping with her husband in her bed. A good friend doesn't do that.
I need to remember to write a review after my book club meeting, but I have a real love/hate relationship with this book and some strong feelings about a certain character. (STACEY)
This was my first Christmas book and it was a quick read. It’s a sad and tragic story with a beautiful magical ending. It makes you long for the magic of Christmas.
Classic Kristin Hannah. Only…it wasn’t. Overall, it was great. A sweet Christmas story that I didn’t need to rush to read around Christmas, because ultimately it wasn’t a huge theme. A quick read I would have gone through faster had I had more time the last few days. Lovable characters, sincere storyline, and a classic Hannah ending.
This book is easily separated into its two parts - more on that later. In the first part, Joy takes her very first adventure. She is recently divorced, selling her house, and generally unhappy. She takes a last-minute detour to the airport and boards a flight to, of all places, a town called Hope. Unfortunately, the place crashes before it makes it there. Instead, they’ve come down in a forest somewhere in Washington state. None of the passengers or rescue teams can see Joy where she has landed after the fuselage exploded, and though her head hurts, Joy decides to walk away from the accident. She manages to make it through town and to a rundown and closed fishing lodge, where she meets Daniel and his son, Bobby.
Daniel and Bobby have had a hard year themselves. Bobby’s mother (Daniel’s ex-wife) died and Daniel moved to be with Bobby. He is in the process of fixing up the lodge so they can sell it and move to Boston. Bobby has grown up at the lodge and doesn’t want to leave. Bobby also sometimes sees his mother, and talks to her. Daniel is obviously worried about his son. Enter Joy. Daniel allows her to stay as long as she isn’t much trouble. She fends for herself when it comes to food, and spends most of her time walking around the property and playing with Bobby. She tries to get close to Daniel, too, but he is closed off. Bobby, meanwhile, accepts Joy as part of his family and doesn’t want her to leave. Ultimately, Joy realizes she must return home, because her sister is missing her and she owes her forgiveness.
This first part of the book seems to be fresh copy in need of editing. Bobby’s mother’s name appears suddenly, as though the reader always knew it. There are contradictions, like when Joy looks at photos on the mantle, and then in the next paragraph there is only one photo on the mantle. While the story is great, some of these things were distracting.
Stop here for spoilers!! ***
In the second half of the book, Joy wakes up in a hospital bed. As it turns out, she did indeed board the plane bound for Hope, and it crashed, but only 150 miles north of Bakersfield, CA. She never made it to Washington state. Instead, she spent 10 days in a coma. She never met Bobby or Daniel. She spends the next few months recovering and researching Washington, trying to get back. Finally, she hops on a plane bound for Seattle and drives around through small towns looking for the one she remembers. She finds Bobby, who remembers her. She realizes that she was only ever Bobby’s imaginary friend and was never really there, like his mom after she died. Daniel never saw her, because she was never there, but he knows her regardless, because of Bobby. The book ends with an air of “they lived happily ever after.”
This book drove me a little crazy. It used exactly the same tactic as Jodi Picoult’s “Wish You Were Here,” which was just published on 11/30/21, and I just read earlier this month. “Comfort and Joy” was published more than 10 years ago, so I know Hannah didn’t steal the plot twist - but it was almost exactly the same. It really bothered me.
Additionally, the book is called a fable, and it is definitely Hannah’s shortest book. It felt like this book was waiting to be fleshed out and edited, and then it could have been a full novel. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy it, because I certainly did. It was not what I expected.
This book is easily separated into its two parts - more on that later. In the first part, Joy takes her very first adventure. She is recently divorced, selling her house, and generally unhappy. She takes a last-minute detour to the airport and boards a flight to, of all places, a town called Hope. Unfortunately, the place crashes before it makes it there. Instead, they’ve come down in a forest somewhere in Washington state. None of the passengers or rescue teams can see Joy where she has landed after the fuselage exploded, and though her head hurts, Joy decides to walk away from the accident. She manages to make it through town and to a rundown and closed fishing lodge, where she meets Daniel and his son, Bobby.
Daniel and Bobby have had a hard year themselves. Bobby’s mother (Daniel’s ex-wife) died and Daniel moved to be with Bobby. He is in the process of fixing up the lodge so they can sell it and move to Boston. Bobby has grown up at the lodge and doesn’t want to leave. Bobby also sometimes sees his mother, and talks to her. Daniel is obviously worried about his son. Enter Joy. Daniel allows her to stay as long as she isn’t much trouble. She fends for herself when it comes to food, and spends most of her time walking around the property and playing with Bobby. She tries to get close to Daniel, too, but he is closed off. Bobby, meanwhile, accepts Joy as part of his family and doesn’t want her to leave. Ultimately, Joy realizes she must return home, because her sister is missing her and she owes her forgiveness.
This first part of the book seems to be fresh copy in need of editing. Bobby’s mother’s name appears suddenly, as though the reader always knew it. There are contradictions, like when Joy looks at photos on the mantle, and then in the next paragraph there is only one photo on the mantle. While the story is great, some of these things were distracting.
Stop here for spoilers!! ***
In the second half of the book, Joy wakes up in a hospital bed. As it turns out, she did indeed board the plane bound for Hope, and it crashed, but only 150 miles north of Bakersfield, CA. She never made it to Washington state. Instead, she spent 10 days in a coma. She never met Bobby or Daniel. She spends the next few months recovering and researching Washington, trying to get back. Finally, she hops on a plane bound for Seattle and drives around through small towns looking for the one she remembers. She finds Bobby, who remembers her. She realizes that she was only ever Bobby’s imaginary friend and was never really there, like his mom after she died. Daniel never saw her, because she was never there, but he knows her regardless, because of Bobby. The book ends with an air of “they lived happily ever after.”
This book drove me a little crazy. It used exactly the same tactic as Jodi Picoult’s “Wish You Were Here,” which was just published on 11/30/21, and I just read earlier this month. “Comfort and Joy” was published more than 10 years ago, so I know Hannah didn’t steal the plot twist - but it was almost exactly the same. It really bothered me.
Additionally, the book is called a fable, and it is definitely Hannah’s shortest book. It felt like this book was waiting to be fleshed out and edited, and then it could have been a full novel. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy it, because I certainly did. It was not what I expected.
Kind of a strange story and not really Kristin Hannah like. There were parts I liked and other parts where I was questioning what was going on. Not a super Christmas book and a darker plot. This was a fast read and I would classify it as ok.
emotional
medium-paced
Wow, this book was not at all what I was expecting. I expected a Hallmark movie that was actually well-written because Hannah is an excellent writer. I won't give spoilers, but this isn't your typical Hannah historical fiction book, that's for sure.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes