Journal Entry 1 by bookworm2525 from Puyallup, Washington USA on Sunday, December 18, 2005

A very good book. I got this copy to start a ring. The order is:
honey1982
WormyOne
Sternschnuppe28
bookworm2525

 

Journal Entry 2 by bookworm2525 at USPS in through the mail, to another bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Released 6 yrs ago (12/27/2005 UTC) at USPS in through the mail, to another bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases

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sent this off to honey1982 the first in the ring. 

Journal Entry 3 by honey1982 from Ottawa, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Got this today. I am in the middle of reading "A Prayer for Owen Meany". I just can't put it down. I promise to send this off in a week or two. Thanks for starting the bookring :) 

Journal Entry 4 by honey1982 from Ottawa, Ontario Canada on Friday, January 20, 2006

Anna Quindlen is a wonderful writer. I loved every page. The critics reviews were 100% true. "Heartbreaking" and "Impossible to Put Down". I loved Francis for being real. She's not a superhero, but just a woman doing the best she can. Will ship this out tomorrow. Thanks for sharing. 

Journal Entry 5 by WormyOne from Brighton & Hove, East Sussex United Kingdom on Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Arrived safely.

The blurb reads:

"For eighteen years, Fran Benedetto kept her secret. And hid her bruises. And stayed with Bobby because she wanted her son to have a father. And because, in spite of everything, she loved him. Then one night, when she saw the look on her ten-year-old son's face, Fran finally made a choice - and ran for both of their lives...

Now she is starting over in a city far from home, far from Bobby. And in this place she uses a name that isn't hers, and cradles her son in her amrs and tries to forget. For the woman who now calls herself Beth, every day is a chance to heal, to put together the pieces of her shattered self. And every day she waits for Bobby to catch up to her. Because Bobby always said he would never let her go. And despite the flawlessness of her escape, Fran Benedetto is certain of one thing: It is only a matter of time..."

Boy, this doesn't sound like an easy read!

Thanks for sending it Honey1982 and for the ring Bookworm2525. 

Journal Entry 6 by WormyOne from Brighton & Hove, East Sussex United Kingdom on Sunday, February 19, 2006

I feel on dodgy ground criticising this book because I don’t profess to be an expert on domestic violence (and I don’t know to what extent Anna Quindlen is) but I wasn’t convinced by it. I think Anna Quindlen’s intentions were to write a serious consideration of some of the implications of domestic violence but I think she’s missed the mark. It came across to me as a Sleeping with the Enemy type treatment – concentrating more on thrilleresque “will the bad guy turn up again?” tension than the, admittedly less storytastic, reality of trying to recover mentally and emotionally from such a destructive situation.

I think it was a mistake to write the book in the first person. I found Fran/Beth’s level of self-awareness unconvincing. I think it’s unlikely that a woman escaping her situation would have that depth of introspective and retrospective self-awareness. I think it’s more likely that it would take someone years to gain the insight on her story that she demonstrates, if they ever did. Sadly, I think it would also be likely that someone who’d endured that level of violence from her partner for that length of time would go on to form other relationships with violent men. I would think that staying in a situation like that for eighteen years both indicates and contributes to low self-esteem, self-delusion and an inability to take control of one’s life. Taking the decision to get out of the situation would be the first step away from that downward spiral but, to my mind, only the first step. I would think there would be lots of setbacks as she tried to move forward and that a woman in that situation would need a lot of help if they weren’t to slide back into situations that mirrored the one they’d left.

Are there really organisations such as the one that helped Fran/Beth (i.e. ones that operate outside the law, providing false documentation etc)? Maybe there are but I doubt it.

The book is also littered with typos. A few I can live with but, particularly at the beginning of the book, there were so many, they actually interrupted the narrative for me.

Having said all that, it’s a page-turning read! 

Journal Entry 7 by WormyOne from Brighton & Hove, East Sussex United Kingdom on Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Posting on today.

I did a bit of internet research just now and found this site (which I don't recommend you read until you've finished the book since it's a bit of a spoiler but) which contains an interview with Anna Quindlen in which she says that neither she nor anyone else she knows has direct experience of an abusive relationship, she did no research for the book and she has no idea whether organisations such as the one that helped Fran/Beth exist. Says it all methinks! Apparently she also "predicts that some readers will assume the story is somehow true". I think she overestimates her writing! 

Journal Entry 8 by Sternschnuppe28 from Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz Germany on Friday, February 24, 2006

Thanks! The book just arrived here today & will be read soon. 

Journal Entry 9 by Sternschnuppe28 from Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz Germany on Tuesday, February 28, 2006

I actually stopped the book at page 123. Usually I seldomly don´t finish a started book, but now I do out of two reasons: time pressure and the text itself, that did not meet my expectations. I just read througgh WormyOne´s comments and (so far I have come) I agree with her.
In real life I once in a while have to do with kids, that face domestic violence, and had a very heavy case recently, so probably that adds to my reluctance not wanting to carry on.
By the way I dont know of any organization similar to that one that took care of Fran here in Germany. The state runs pretty good "Frauenhäuser" (women´s refugees), that give you a very good hiding and start into a new life. Police will help, too, to organize a new identity. There are also anonymious hotlines to call in and other women´s organization that give psychological support, but no one would go that far (accept the police, but that means speaking up there, prosecuting the husband, getting a witness and facing a trial).

Bookworm2525, please be so kind and PM me your address, so that I may return you the book soon. 

Journal Entry 10 by cloggy from London , Greater London United Kingdom on Thursday, March 09, 2006

The bookring fairy has been good to me while I was on holiday and delivered 4 bookring books in a week. This book was in the last envelope I opened, but it might just have to be read before some of the others :-)

Thanks Sternschuppe28 and bookworm2525 for sharing 

Journal Entry 11 by cloggy from London , Greater London United Kingdom on Monday, March 20, 2006

Easy, quick read. Easy in terms of page turner, not the subject matter.

I do agree with WormyOne on the typos. Surely somebody must have spotted these earlier on? They distract from the story. Luckily it seemed that they were only in the beginning and disappeared later on - or maybe I was concentration on finding out what was going to happen next and no longer on the spelling mistakes.

Thanks, bookworm2525 for bringing this book to my attention. I had never read anything by Anna Quindlen before, but I'll definitely pick up another of her book in the future.

I've got MonkeCatcher's addy, and will post it tomorrow 

Journal Entry 12 by MonkeCatcher from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Sunday, April 02, 2006

Received today in the mail. Will get onto it after my current read :) 

Journal Entry 13 by MonkeCatcher from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Friday, April 07, 2006

I finished the book yesterday, and find that I agree with WormyOne's comments. Although it was a page turner and an enjoyable read, I didn't find it to be overly convincing. The ending could be seen from a mile away as well.
Although it did have a few glitches, I did enjoy reading this book, and it was hard to put down. I may pick up another Quindlen in the future, because all things considered, it wasn't a bad read. 

Journal Entry 14 by MonkeCatcher at New Zealand Post in Rangiora, Canterbury New Zealand on Monday, April 17, 2006

Released 6 yrs ago (4/14/2006 UTC) at New Zealand Post in Rangiora, Canterbury New Zealand

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Posted last Saturday - I hope it makes its way home ok :)

Thanks for letting me join the ring :D 

Journal Entry 15 by bookworm2525 from Puyallup, Washington USA on Monday, May 01, 2006

Wow got this back quickly!! I expected it to take longer from New Zealand. Thanks to all in the ring for moving it along and joining. Happy Reading all 

Journal Entry 16 by bookworm2525 at Post Office in postoffice, Another bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, June 24, 2006

Released 5 yrs ago (6/24/2006 UTC) at Post Office in postoffice, Another bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases

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Gave this to a friend of my moms. Hope she joins. Has promised to pass book on to others so we may get some more members yeah!!