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A review by jacki_f
Family Pictures by Jane Green
3.0
I was torn between giving this book 3 stars and 4 stars. On the one hand, it's fairly predictable, the characters are not terribly compelling, it hinges on an enormous and very unlikely coincidence and the ending is saccarine sweet. On the other hand, it's immensely readable - I devoured it in one sitting - and despite its flaws, it has a genuine charm.
The story is about two women living on opposite sides of the US (Sylvie and Maggie) who lead quite different lives but will get to know one another over the course of the book. The connection between them is pretty easy to guess from the outset, although it is meant to come as a surprise. Sylvie is the more likeable character initially although she's a little...wet. Maggie is highly status conscious and pretty shallow, although she develops depth as the novel proceeds. They both have teenage daughters who have struggles of their own and husbands who travel a lot for work and may or may not be unfaithful to them. The theme of the book is really about picking yourself up after your world falls apart and finding yourself in the second act of your life.
Look, it's not a great book, but as I say it's very readable and I liked it more than I would have expected. The sub-plot which deals with a teenager's eating disorder is well done and I liked the way that both women developed friendships to sustain them. If you're after something light and easy to read, you could do far worse.
The story is about two women living on opposite sides of the US (Sylvie and Maggie) who lead quite different lives but will get to know one another over the course of the book. The connection between them is pretty easy to guess from the outset, although it is meant to come as a surprise. Sylvie is the more likeable character initially although she's a little...wet. Maggie is highly status conscious and pretty shallow, although she develops depth as the novel proceeds. They both have teenage daughters who have struggles of their own and husbands who travel a lot for work and may or may not be unfaithful to them. The theme of the book is really about picking yourself up after your world falls apart and finding yourself in the second act of your life.
Look, it's not a great book, but as I say it's very readable and I liked it more than I would have expected. The sub-plot which deals with a teenager's eating disorder is well done and I liked the way that both women developed friendships to sustain them. If you're after something light and easy to read, you could do far worse.