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mysteriesandhistories's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I usually like Alice Hoffman but this one wasn’t for me. All the main characters are awful apart from the long-suffering Richard. Glad to get it over with.
amibunk's review
3.0
This is an early work of Alice Hoffman. While it is not as polished or as lyrical as her later novels, "Fortune's Daughter" is amazingly full of emotion. I also find it to be without the darkness that haunts Hoffman's more recent books, which is refreshing.
ardaigle's review
2.0
Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors, so I was eager to tackle this one, and yet, meh. Two mothers, one who put her daughter up for adoption and has carried the secret with her (Lila), and one who is facing an unplanned pregnancy (Rae) have their lives interwoven through serendipitous means. This is a tale of tragedy, hope, and forgiveness, and how small missteps can irrevocably change the lives of our protagonists, and those around them.
Magical realism is usually my jam, but I found these elements this time around to be forced and, well, kind of annoying. I was unable to suspend my disbelief enough for some of the more far-fetched devices, and instead of relating to the characters and pulling for them I found myself rolling my eyes and speed reading.
Also, I have a real issue when people in relationships ice out their partner, it's just a button with me, so as Lila tries to face her demons alone, I just wanted to shake her. Tell your super nice and understanding husband!!! Also, watching Rae wallow in a bad relationship made me very tired, another button with me.
Similar to my recent read of Rebecca Wells I have found that maybe my tastes have changed. I have taken over the past few years to reading three books at once: I have grown to like the variety, and it lights a proverbial fire under me to keep going. That being said, I fear that maybe that fire has grown too bright, so I have turned reading into more of a chore than a leisure activity so I'm going to downgrade it a little and see if it changes how I feel about the books I have read.
Magical realism is usually my jam, but I found these elements this time around to be forced and, well, kind of annoying. I was unable to suspend my disbelief enough for some of the more far-fetched devices, and instead of relating to the characters and pulling for them I found myself rolling my eyes and speed reading.
Also, I have a real issue when people in relationships ice out their partner, it's just a button with me, so as Lila tries to face her demons alone, I just wanted to shake her. Tell your super nice and understanding husband!!! Also, watching Rae wallow in a bad relationship made me very tired, another button with me.
Similar to my recent read of Rebecca Wells I have found that maybe my tastes have changed. I have taken over the past few years to reading three books at once: I have grown to like the variety, and it lights a proverbial fire under me to keep going. That being said, I fear that maybe that fire has grown too bright, so I have turned reading into more of a chore than a leisure activity so I'm going to downgrade it a little and see if it changes how I feel about the books I have read.
keppyboone's review
2.0
I love Alice Hoffman, and I really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't seem to care about any of the characters. The whole story seemed almost boring. I'm not giving up on Alice, though :)
kaylapearl's review
2.0
“Everyone said it was the earthquake; it disrupted atoms in the air, bringing out the worst you had hidden inside.”
1.5 / 5
My briefest summary of this book: it's about people who really, seriously need some good ol' therapy. But it's the 1980's so instead they just act very irrationally, are rude to each other, have vivid hallucinations, and so on and so forth.
I really need to stop reading Hoffman, I go with the review averages that state they are decent books, and I just never like them. Time's have changed a lot since Hoffman wrote these stories, so it's nothing personal.
pixelorchid's review
4.0
A compelling story of broken people who find their lives intertwined in unexpected ways. It may not be her best book, but it's still an interesting story with characters who you sometimes want to hate, but over the course of the book, you really start to care about them. In particular if you have ever had to deal with anxiety, this book will really strike a chord. It's also refreshingly realistic and candid about the difficulties that go with pregnancy and birth. Writing-wise, the perspective meanders, but never too far off course. Hoffman's later work is much more honed in this respect, but this book has an emotional rawness that some of her later books are missing.