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A review by ragesandpages
Sweet Forgiveness by Lori Nelson Spielman
4.0
Hannah Farr has everything -- a handsome boyfriend who's mayor, a fabulous although sometimes cheesy talk show, and great friends who support her. But when she receives the latest fad -- a pair of stones from a childhood bully -- her life get thrown upside down and secrets are revealed... from everyone.
The topic of sexual abuse is never an easy one to tackle. But Spielman somehow managed to explore a detailed and heart-wrenching story while still telling it with authenticity. Hannah was young when her supposed encounter with Bob took place. She was filled with anger at her parents for their separation, and probably other various conflicting feelings. I understand how things escalated out of control. Hannah felt she was jusitifed -- and then she was filled with doubt over the encounter when Anne revealed her secret. It can be a confusing situation for anyone.
But Hannah thought about one of the main points in this novel: how do our actions influence others' lives? With Hannah, she regretted what happened with Bob but then from her point of view, it never would have happened if Fiona had never teased Hannah in school in the first place. But she realizes you can't change the past. She realizes that even though you have good intentions, not everything can be forgiven and forgotten -- sometimes you just have to accept it and move on.
One of the most difficult parts for me to read was how Hannah realized RJ's connection to the family and the scene that followed. It seemed that he knew something about what his father may/may not have done in the past. I would have thought that it would have taken RJ more time to heal from this situation, but I understand that Spielman probably wanted the story to end short and sweet. I also applaud her for letting Hannah hit rock bottom in order to heal. That's not always the easiest thing for happen to a character, but sometimes it is the catalyst needed for the character to finally take action. After losing her job, Hannah finally confronted Michael about his intentions. Not everyone is looking for marriage in a relationship but if that is something that was important to Hannah, she definitely should have discussed it at an earlier time.
Fans of women's fiction and chic lit will like this title for an accurate depiction regarding child abuse and consequences. While the supporting characters lack depth, the main character of Hannah steals the show with her journey of healing after a traumatic past and present.
The topic of sexual abuse is never an easy one to tackle. But Spielman somehow managed to explore a detailed and heart-wrenching story while still telling it with authenticity. Hannah was young when her supposed encounter with Bob took place. She was filled with anger at her parents for their separation, and probably other various conflicting feelings. I understand how things escalated out of control. Hannah felt she was jusitifed -- and then she was filled with doubt over the encounter when Anne revealed her secret. It can be a confusing situation for anyone.
But Hannah thought about one of the main points in this novel: how do our actions influence others' lives? With Hannah, she regretted what happened with Bob but then from her point of view, it never would have happened if Fiona had never teased Hannah in school in the first place. But she realizes you can't change the past. She realizes that even though you have good intentions, not everything can be forgiven and forgotten -- sometimes you just have to accept it and move on.
One of the most difficult parts for me to read was how Hannah realized RJ's connection to the family and the scene that followed. It seemed that he knew something about what his father may/may not have done in the past. I would have thought that it would have taken RJ more time to heal from this situation, but I understand that Spielman probably wanted the story to end short and sweet. I also applaud her for letting Hannah hit rock bottom in order to heal. That's not always the easiest thing for happen to a character, but sometimes it is the catalyst needed for the character to finally take action. After losing her job, Hannah finally confronted Michael about his intentions. Not everyone is looking for marriage in a relationship but if that is something that was important to Hannah, she definitely should have discussed it at an earlier time.
Fans of women's fiction and chic lit will like this title for an accurate depiction regarding child abuse and consequences. While the supporting characters lack depth, the main character of Hannah steals the show with her journey of healing after a traumatic past and present.