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afreen7's reviews
1201 reviews
A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan
4.0
received an eARC of this via netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Rating: 3.5/5
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." - John F. Kennedy
When Alice’s husband decides to make a radical career change, she suddenly becomes the breadwinner of the family, taking up a Job at a high profile Publishing Company. It seems to be her dream job, albeit demanding, but it doesn't prepare her for the slew of troubles that follow as a result. Her father gets sick, her marriage hits troubled waters after she finds her husband drinking, her three rapidly growing children are in dire need of her as a parental figure, her relationship with her best friend becomes strenuous and she starts to realize her “dream job” may not be all that it seems.
Writing wise I felt Egan has wonderful talent of giving rich, flowy prose which was very easy to read. I just felt it was a little dragging at times and some of the random inserts of memories and situations felt too long and unnecessary. I liked that she has given Alice a voice that is warm, mature yet young-at-heart which was very suitable for her age.
Alice’s story is simple true to life account of any mother struggling with managing her children’s lives whilst balancing the career she wants. All the problems seem challenging but eventually, with the right kind of people and circumstances and decisions anything can be solved. If it doesn't then it’s not meant to be part of your life. I admired this message that the book gives.
I loved the portrayal of the myriad of female characters from all walks of life-the suburban mom with aspirations, the punk rock nanny with her love for children, the high functioning businesswoman etc. the book also gave a look into life in a publishing company which is probably a parody but whose aspects could be compared to the real thing.
The book is also filled with quotes and book references which I think was brilliant and I loved it. And an interesting aspect was the inserts of conversations through social media. Unlike other books which depict people above 40 floundering with online interactions, in this book even Alice’s father is an avid user of this form of communication which was refreshing to see and a more accurate representation.
Overall it’s a moving, realistic and inspiring look at the struggles of a working mom and a great debut novel by Egan.
Rating: 3.5/5
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." - John F. Kennedy
When Alice’s husband decides to make a radical career change, she suddenly becomes the breadwinner of the family, taking up a Job at a high profile Publishing Company. It seems to be her dream job, albeit demanding, but it doesn't prepare her for the slew of troubles that follow as a result. Her father gets sick, her marriage hits troubled waters after she finds her husband drinking, her three rapidly growing children are in dire need of her as a parental figure, her relationship with her best friend becomes strenuous and she starts to realize her “dream job” may not be all that it seems.
Writing wise I felt Egan has wonderful talent of giving rich, flowy prose which was very easy to read. I just felt it was a little dragging at times and some of the random inserts of memories and situations felt too long and unnecessary. I liked that she has given Alice a voice that is warm, mature yet young-at-heart which was very suitable for her age.
Alice’s story is simple true to life account of any mother struggling with managing her children’s lives whilst balancing the career she wants. All the problems seem challenging but eventually, with the right kind of people and circumstances and decisions anything can be solved. If it doesn't then it’s not meant to be part of your life. I admired this message that the book gives.
I loved the portrayal of the myriad of female characters from all walks of life-the suburban mom with aspirations, the punk rock nanny with her love for children, the high functioning businesswoman etc. the book also gave a look into life in a publishing company which is probably a parody but whose aspects could be compared to the real thing.
The book is also filled with quotes and book references which I think was brilliant and I loved it. And an interesting aspect was the inserts of conversations through social media. Unlike other books which depict people above 40 floundering with online interactions, in this book even Alice’s father is an avid user of this form of communication which was refreshing to see and a more accurate representation.
Overall it’s a moving, realistic and inspiring look at the struggles of a working mom and a great debut novel by Egan.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
2.0
Okay maybe am missing some life affirming moral values other people saw in this book, but for me its was basically meh.
The book was filled with really corny life lessons which I usually get very annoyed when I come across them.
Although the story of Eddie was kinda sad and heartbreaking I was glad this book got over so quickly
The book was filled with really corny life lessons which I usually get very annoyed when I come across them.
Although the story of Eddie was kinda sad and heartbreaking I was glad this book got over so quickly