Scan barcode
marynolanpleckham's review against another edition
3.0
A slow starter for me and went on a bit too long. The main character was more exasperating than sympathetic.
synne's review against another edition
2.0
I found this such a slog to get through. Each time I thought I would DNF, I'd read another "don't give up, it's worth it" review. If you're not feeling it, it's not worth it.
booksuperpower's review against another edition
4.0
The Widow of Wall Street by Randy Susan Meyers is a 2017 Atria Books publication.
With Wall Street and finance, loop holes can go undetected for long periods of times, especially if everyone is doing well. But, sooner or later, the piper demands payment, something Jake Pierce finds out the hard way, which elicits very little sympathy from me, but it’s the innocent victims, like his wife and children, who will pay the ultimate price for his sins.
This story examines the lives of Phoebe and Jake Pierce, how they began dating as teens, got married, started a family, and experienced immense financial success, only to have it all come crashing down around them in spectacular fashion.
The story is told from the dual perspectives of Phoebe and Jake, alternatively, going all the way back to the beginning of their relationship in the 1960’s, and is told chronologically, ending with the fallout of Jake’s actions as he sits in prison.
This is a familiar tale, ala Madoff, one that is still very fresh in the minds of many people following the economic crisis of 2008. However, this is more of a character study and analysis of a marriage, of family life, as well as greed, and the many ways people may cover up lies or sins and even rope their spouse into helping them do something that isn’t exactly proper. Phoebe works just as hard as Jake to reel in investors, working alongside him in a social capacity as they wine and dine and romance potential clients. But, does that make her complicit in his misdeeds?
In the meantime, Phoebe raises two children, embarks on her own enterprises without the slightest support from Jake, who occasionally scoffs or put down her business ventures or humanitarian efforts. But, Phoebe had no problem enjoying the spoils of their success, living a life of luxury, seemingly without the slightest clue that Jake was skimming off the top, or doing something illegal. Her only concern is a suspicion he may have been unfaithful to her.
What I learned about Phoebe is that she is not stupid, is actually a ‘good’ person, and is not as culpable as people are convinced she is.
Jake’s perspective shows us the ‘real’ Jake, and he is not the Jake Phoebe or her children believe him to be. Naturally, the reader can easily see through him, which made it very frustrating for me because I couldn’t understand why Phoebe couldn’t or wouldn’t see Jake’s true nature.
While everyone in the family becomes accustomed to living a pampered lifestyle, Phoebe, and by extension, her children, seem to remain grounded, while Jake’s greed took over and became his ultimate downfall. This was an interesting juxtaposition, and a book club topic, which gave me something to chew on.
Once the pyramid crumbles and Phoebe loses everything she had gained, becoming a pariah, she finds herself at odds with her children who do not understand why she continues to write and visit Jake in prison. Phoebe finds difficult to explain her loyalty because of one big secret she’s harbored all these years and because of the longevity of the marriage. But, personally, I wondered if she was looking for some kind of redeemable quality in her husband that she could point to that would make all her years with him seem less of a lie.
She endures many indignities because of Jake and while she bravely confronts her situation, it’s obvious Jake is still Jake and will never change. The question is what will it take to pull the wool from Phoebe's eyes?
When Phoebe finally does have that epiphany, it's fairly late in the game and after much suffering and tragedy. But, once it happens I felt a huge sense of relief, despite the lingering sadness and grief, because I felt Phoebe was finally free for the first time in her life.
This is an absorbing story which gives the reader an inside look at how it could be possible to remain ignorant of the crimes committed right under your nose and how easy it would be to look the other way if you did suspect anything was amiss, especially if you are insulated by money. It also examines the selfishness of such acts, not only against the obvious victims, but against those closest to you, who will perhaps suffer the most.
Overall, this book gave me a lot to think about. The family drama and the push/pull from all angles as Phoebe struggles to maintain her own place in life, not just as a wife or mother, while Jake plots and plans and sins and rationalizes and justifies his actions makes for some riveting scenes. The characterizations are very well drawn and believable, and enabled me to see all points of view, pass my judgements without qualms, and made me hope that others would come around to my way of thinking, eventually.
But, ultimately the question the story is begging me to answer is, “What would I do in this situation?’
The answer is not as easy, or black and white, as you might think.
With Wall Street and finance, loop holes can go undetected for long periods of times, especially if everyone is doing well. But, sooner or later, the piper demands payment, something Jake Pierce finds out the hard way, which elicits very little sympathy from me, but it’s the innocent victims, like his wife and children, who will pay the ultimate price for his sins.
This story examines the lives of Phoebe and Jake Pierce, how they began dating as teens, got married, started a family, and experienced immense financial success, only to have it all come crashing down around them in spectacular fashion.
The story is told from the dual perspectives of Phoebe and Jake, alternatively, going all the way back to the beginning of their relationship in the 1960’s, and is told chronologically, ending with the fallout of Jake’s actions as he sits in prison.
This is a familiar tale, ala Madoff, one that is still very fresh in the minds of many people following the economic crisis of 2008. However, this is more of a character study and analysis of a marriage, of family life, as well as greed, and the many ways people may cover up lies or sins and even rope their spouse into helping them do something that isn’t exactly proper. Phoebe works just as hard as Jake to reel in investors, working alongside him in a social capacity as they wine and dine and romance potential clients. But, does that make her complicit in his misdeeds?
In the meantime, Phoebe raises two children, embarks on her own enterprises without the slightest support from Jake, who occasionally scoffs or put down her business ventures or humanitarian efforts. But, Phoebe had no problem enjoying the spoils of their success, living a life of luxury, seemingly without the slightest clue that Jake was skimming off the top, or doing something illegal. Her only concern is a suspicion he may have been unfaithful to her.
What I learned about Phoebe is that she is not stupid, is actually a ‘good’ person, and is not as culpable as people are convinced she is.
Jake’s perspective shows us the ‘real’ Jake, and he is not the Jake Phoebe or her children believe him to be. Naturally, the reader can easily see through him, which made it very frustrating for me because I couldn’t understand why Phoebe couldn’t or wouldn’t see Jake’s true nature.
While everyone in the family becomes accustomed to living a pampered lifestyle, Phoebe, and by extension, her children, seem to remain grounded, while Jake’s greed took over and became his ultimate downfall. This was an interesting juxtaposition, and a book club topic, which gave me something to chew on.
Once the pyramid crumbles and Phoebe loses everything she had gained, becoming a pariah, she finds herself at odds with her children who do not understand why she continues to write and visit Jake in prison. Phoebe finds difficult to explain her loyalty because of one big secret she’s harbored all these years and because of the longevity of the marriage. But, personally, I wondered if she was looking for some kind of redeemable quality in her husband that she could point to that would make all her years with him seem less of a lie.
She endures many indignities because of Jake and while she bravely confronts her situation, it’s obvious Jake is still Jake and will never change. The question is what will it take to pull the wool from Phoebe's eyes?
When Phoebe finally does have that epiphany, it's fairly late in the game and after much suffering and tragedy. But, once it happens I felt a huge sense of relief, despite the lingering sadness and grief, because I felt Phoebe was finally free for the first time in her life.
This is an absorbing story which gives the reader an inside look at how it could be possible to remain ignorant of the crimes committed right under your nose and how easy it would be to look the other way if you did suspect anything was amiss, especially if you are insulated by money. It also examines the selfishness of such acts, not only against the obvious victims, but against those closest to you, who will perhaps suffer the most.
Overall, this book gave me a lot to think about. The family drama and the push/pull from all angles as Phoebe struggles to maintain her own place in life, not just as a wife or mother, while Jake plots and plans and sins and rationalizes and justifies his actions makes for some riveting scenes. The characterizations are very well drawn and believable, and enabled me to see all points of view, pass my judgements without qualms, and made me hope that others would come around to my way of thinking, eventually.
But, ultimately the question the story is begging me to answer is, “What would I do in this situation?’
The answer is not as easy, or black and white, as you might think.
sh3's review against another edition
2.0
2/5 stars
The blurb sounded so promising... I was ready to read about this but everything you need to know about the plot is in the blurb. And it was so contemporary and board line romance. I just assumed and expected more of a mystery.
The blurb sounded so promising... I was ready to read about this but everything you need to know about the plot is in the blurb. And it was so contemporary and board line romance. I just assumed and expected more of a mystery.
jess_reads_books's review
3.0
Phoebe meets Jake when she is fifteen years old. Her parents wildly disapprove of the relationship because Jake is older than Phoebe, they want Phoebe to make a life of her own before marrying, and at the end of the day her mother just doesn't like Jake. Nothing will stop the two from being together and soon they are married. Jake wants to prove to the world that he is better than his parents failures and aims high in the brokerage arena. He starts out small with Phoebe's uncle, but his dreams will not be shoved aside. Jake will stop at nothing to have fame and an endless supply of money.
The Pierce's have everything. Phoebe is the doting wife, willing to stand by Jake's side and do whatever it takes to help him achieve his dreams. She has attended endless evenings out, solicited for clients to join Jake's side business known as The Club, raised two perfect children, and kept a physique any woman would be jealous of, all to ensure Jakes happiness. Jake has created a financial dynasty and Phoebe trusts him endlessly. That trust is rock solid until the market starts to crash and suddenly Jake's web of lies and deceit is coming undone. It comes out that for years Jake has been running a Ponzi scheme, taking money from those who have invested with him and ultimately losing everything. The world begins to obsess over The Pierce family and suddenly their lives are centerstage in the media. How did Phoebe's life come to this and now that Jake is locked away in Prison, what will she do?
THE WIDOW OF WALL STREET is a glance into the lives of the Pierce family, who stood by the patriarch, Jake, as he took the world by storm with his financial success by running a Ponzi scheme unbeknownst to those around him. I absolutely loved the beginning of this book. I loved getting to know fifteen year old Phoebe and watching her grow up, be surprised by the world, and then create her own plan to get what she wanted. The story started to get a bit boring for me in the middle as the Pierce's lives played out. I enjoyed the parts where Jake reminded me a bit of Don Draper in his wily ways, but the story of Phoebe's life and Jake's ambition didn't hold my attention. Of course, I was immediately sucked back in when things went south for the Pierce's. I don't think that my feelings of boredom are any reflection on the book itself, but stem solely from the fact that I typically read thrillers, so my mind is always looking for that high when reading. What Meyers' has created in THE WIDOW OF WALL STREET is a fascinating look in to a family come undone and how they face the dark truths of their past and present to create a life that feels whole again. This book certainly packs the drama and I wouldn't hesitate recommending it to fans of literary fiction.
A special thank you to GetRedPR and Atria Books for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The Pierce's have everything. Phoebe is the doting wife, willing to stand by Jake's side and do whatever it takes to help him achieve his dreams. She has attended endless evenings out, solicited for clients to join Jake's side business known as The Club, raised two perfect children, and kept a physique any woman would be jealous of, all to ensure Jakes happiness. Jake has created a financial dynasty and Phoebe trusts him endlessly. That trust is rock solid until the market starts to crash and suddenly Jake's web of lies and deceit is coming undone. It comes out that for years Jake has been running a Ponzi scheme, taking money from those who have invested with him and ultimately losing everything. The world begins to obsess over The Pierce family and suddenly their lives are centerstage in the media. How did Phoebe's life come to this and now that Jake is locked away in Prison, what will she do?
THE WIDOW OF WALL STREET is a glance into the lives of the Pierce family, who stood by the patriarch, Jake, as he took the world by storm with his financial success by running a Ponzi scheme unbeknownst to those around him. I absolutely loved the beginning of this book. I loved getting to know fifteen year old Phoebe and watching her grow up, be surprised by the world, and then create her own plan to get what she wanted. The story started to get a bit boring for me in the middle as the Pierce's lives played out. I enjoyed the parts where Jake reminded me a bit of Don Draper in his wily ways, but the story of Phoebe's life and Jake's ambition didn't hold my attention. Of course, I was immediately sucked back in when things went south for the Pierce's. I don't think that my feelings of boredom are any reflection on the book itself, but stem solely from the fact that I typically read thrillers, so my mind is always looking for that high when reading. What Meyers' has created in THE WIDOW OF WALL STREET is a fascinating look in to a family come undone and how they face the dark truths of their past and present to create a life that feels whole again. This book certainly packs the drama and I wouldn't hesitate recommending it to fans of literary fiction.
A special thank you to GetRedPR and Atria Books for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
More...