rabck from aberpeter; the first 3/4 was a page turner. 19 years ago a famous filmmaker disappeared with his two kids and raises them in a desolate location in New Mexico. Mom was never able to find them. Then after Grandma dies at "the sanctuary", Jimmy who remembers his Mom runs away to "missouri" the place that grandma reveals to him. Dorothea, his sister, without really knowing much about the outside world, and thankfully Stephen, ex-doc turned taxi driver picks her up at the bus station. He helps her find Jimmy, who has been committed to a mental hospital. The rest of the story about the family getting back together and sorting out memories, dreams and fiction seems a bit forced. But like that Dorothea will stay with Stephen, Dad finally getting the health care he needs and Mom happy reconnecting with her now grown kids. ( )

the idea behind this is interesting but there is quite a bit of trouble with this book. the characters aren't fully fleshed so either their motivation isn't there or their actions aren't believable, or they do things that make no sense. there are holes in the narrative and things that the characters shouldn't know that they do and the other way around. same for the reader. the writing isn't crisp and sometimes slows down the reading. it's never too clunky and doesn't make the reader stumble or stop to try to understand what's going on, but it doesn't serve the story well either. i have no idea what the point is here, what she was trying to say, and what purpose this story has. (maybe that you can't insulate yourself from the world in the hopes of avoiding getting hurt?) there was potential here but it's not realized. ( )

I got really into this book and read it one sitting. The story moves along pretty well and it WOULD'VE been a good one for book club because there are parts in it that would annoy each person:-)


Despite its faults, I still enjoyed it. There are a lot of miniscule things in it (quotations, things the mom does with the daughter, etc.) that are really cute.

Things that were funny: Why anyone would choose to name someone Dorothea in a book is beyond me; When people describe what women are wearing at the time the book was written or set (chunky heels lol); The whole Stephen/Dorothea story; How Jimmy's character changes in terms of sanity; so many more things.


I'd still be interested to know what the other MIADB members think of it. ( )

I would normally not have given this book a second thought, but when checking wishlists, I came across is and thought I'd buy this book for one of my BC-friends. I wanted to read it before sending it out, but did not get to it last year, so (after checking wishlist again) I read it now and will be sending it to her.

What I think of this book? Well, it is not a difficult read. From the blurp on the back cover I had my reservations if I'd like it, but what is written there is not what I read in the book.

What the story is about, is already told or can be read in the synopsis.
Why did I like it then? Because it is a book about human emotions, good and bad and how they influence life of the person itself, but also of those around him / her.
About the emotions of the children that are damaged by the way they are brought up, no matter how hard the father (in this case) tries to protect them from the world and its madness.
About the emotions of a mother who never stops looking for her two children, that her husband took away out of love(?), protective feelings for the children, egoism.
About the emotions of a man, who has completely withdrawn himself from life, because he lost his wife and daughter in a car accident.
And about the development of the two young adults who have been raised very protective / secluded and have to go into the outside world unprepared.

It is a very sad book in a way, but also a happy one. Sad because all of the above and happy, because it shows how resilient a human being is. Though damaged, badly hurt, he recovers and finds a way to live with the past. ( )

Charles was a famous movie director who seemed to have every thing he could want: a beautiful wife, 2 adorable children and a luxurious home in LA. But one day something happened that made him leave LA and sequester his children away in a remote location where nothing could hurt them. But he couldn't undo the hurt they had already received - a hurt that made Jimmy leave home in search of answers. And then Dorothea leaves too, to search for Jimmy and at last the truth begins to be revealed.
This book is told from a number of different viewpoints with each character having a distinctive voice and believable personality and life story. There are, ultimately, no villians in this story - just a group of people, scarred by events and trying to do the best they can. ( )