Picture of author.

Barbara Delinsky

Author of Family Tree

193+ Works 22,700 Members 513 Reviews 32 Favorited

About the Author

Barbara Delinsky was born on August 9, 1945 in suburban Boston. She received a B.A. in psychology from Tufts University and an M.A. in sociology from Boston College. After graduate school, she worked as a researcher with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. After her show more first child was born, she worked as a photographer and reporter for the Belmont Herald. She has written more than 60 novels including Shades of Grace, Coast Road, While My Sister Sleeps and Not My Daughter. Some of her novels have been made into television movies including Three Wishes starring Valerie Bertinelli and A Woman's Place starring Lorraine Bracco. She wrote the nonfiction book Uplift: Secrets from the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors. She has also written under the pen names Bonnie Drake and Billie Douglass. Barbara's novels, Blueprints and Sweet Salt Air, made the New York Times bestseller list in 2015. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Credit: Tsar Fedorsky

Series

Works by Barbara Delinsky

Family Tree (2007) 1,263 copies, 39 reviews
The Secret Between Us (2008) 982 copies, 33 reviews
While My Sister Sleeps (2009) 898 copies, 41 reviews
Lake News (1999) 885 copies, 11 reviews
The Summer I Dared (2005) 857 copies, 15 reviews
Not My Daughter (2010) 845 copies, 50 reviews
Coast Road (1998) 803 copies, 9 reviews
The Vineyard (2000) 781 copies, 5 reviews
Flirting with Pete (2003) 753 copies, 9 reviews
An Accidental Woman (2002) 728 copies, 11 reviews
The Woman Next Door (2001) 721 copies, 4 reviews
Sweet Salt Air (2013) 681 copies, 34 reviews
Looking for Peyton Place (2005) 673 copies, 7 reviews
Three Wishes (1997) 611 copies, 9 reviews
Escape (2011) 568 copies, 19 reviews
A Woman Betrayed (1991) 497 copies, 13 reviews
More Than Friends (1993) 454 copies, 7 reviews
Before and Again (2018) 453 copies, 25 reviews
A Woman's Place (1997) 449 copies, 6 reviews
Blueprints (2015) 439 copies, 18 reviews
Suddenly (1994) 419 copies, 8 reviews
Together Alone (1995) 382 copies, 7 reviews
The Passions of Chelsea Kane (1992) 370 copies, 4 reviews
For My Daughters (1994) 363 copies, 4 reviews
Heart of the Night (1989) 333 copies, 6 reviews
Commitments (1988) 326 copies, 5 reviews
Shades of Grace (1996) 301 copies, 3 reviews
The Carpenter's Lady (1983) 298 copies, 2 reviews
Twilight Whispers (1987) 290 copies, 4 reviews
A Week at the Shore (2020) 265 copies, 14 reviews
Facets (1990) 218 copies, 10 reviews
First, Best and Only (1986) 182 copies, 2 reviews
Twelve Across (1987) 166 copies, 4 reviews
Moment to Moment (1984) 153 copies, 1 review
Finger Prints (1984) 152 copies, 4 reviews
Rekindled (2-in-1) (1998) 147 copies, 3 reviews
T.L.C. (1988) 137 copies, 2 reviews
Within Reach (1986) 132 copies
The Right Wrong Number (2013) 130 copies, 9 reviews
Through My Eyes (1989) 126 copies
Cardinal Rules (1987) 122 copies, 2 reviews
Fulfillment (1988) 110 copies, 2 reviews
Montana Man (1989) 102 copies, 4 reviews
Gemstone (1983) 99 copies, 1 review
Fast Courting (1983) 99 copies
The Outsider (1992) 98 copies, 3 reviews
The Dream Comes True (1990) 97 copies, 1 review
Secret of the Stone (1985) 92 copies, 2 reviews
The Dream Unfolds (1990) 88 copies, 2 reviews
Bronze Mystique (1984) 86 copies, 1 review
The Real Thing (1986) 83 copies
Chances Are (1986) 77 copies, 2 reviews
Having Faith (1995) 75 copies, 2 reviews
The Stud (1991) 73 copies, 2 reviews
A Time to Love (1982) 70 copies
Dreams (3-in-1) (1990) 69 copies
Threats and Promises (1986) 68 copies, 1 review
Variation on a Theme (1994) 67 copies, 2 reviews
Passion and Illusion (1983) 67 copies, 2 reviews
A Single Rose (1987) 67 copies
An Irresistible Impulse (1983) 66 copies, 2 reviews
Sensuous Burgundy (1981) 63 copies
The Dream (1990) 59 copies, 2 reviews
Week at the Shore (2021) 59 copies, 1 review
Sweet Ember (1981) 59 copies
Trust (2-in-1) (2008) 56 copies
Straight from the Heart (1986) 55 copies
Search for a New Dawn (1982) 52 copies
First Things First (1985) 51 copies, 2 reviews
Heat Wave (1987) 45 copies, 1 review
Warm Hearts: A Novel (2012) 44 copies
Father of the Bride [and] Handsome as Sin (2001) 43 copies, 1 review
What She Really Wants: A Story (2015) 39 copies, 3 reviews
A Special Something (1984) 35 copies, 1 review
Jasmine Sorcery (1986) 30 copies, 1 review
Love Songs (2013) 29 copies
The Forever Instinct (1984) 27 copies, 1 review
The Stud (Signature Select) (2005) 27 copies
Heatwave (3-in-1) (1998) — Contributor — 21 copies
The Summer I Dared [Abridged Audiobook] (2004) 19 copies, 1 review
Lover from the Sea (1983) 18 copies
Knightly Love (1982) 17 copies
Perfect Timing (2001) 17 copies
Amber's Embrace (1982) 15 copies, 1 review
The Passionate Touch (1981) 14 copies
Flip Side of Yesterday (1983) 14 copies, 1 review
Lilac Awakening (1982) 11 copies, 1 review
Sunlight and Joy (2011) 11 copies, 1 review
The Ardent Protector (1982) 11 copies
Surrender by Moonlight (1981) 10 copies
Sweet Serenity (1983) 9 copies
Beyond Fantasy (1983) 8 copies
Heart and Soul (3-in-1) (1998) — Contributor — 8 copies
Call My Name (2012) 8 copies
Silken Sands (2012) 8 copies
Memories Past (2007) 7 copies
Take 5, Volume 6 (Anthology 5-in-1) (2002) — Contributor — 7 copies
Whispered Promise (1982) 7 copies
Hold My Heart (2012) 7 copies
The Silver Fox (1983) 7 copies
Home Fires (2012) 6 copies
Don't Tempt Me (2012) 5 copies
Father Figure (1997) 5 copies
Pictures of You (2012) 4 copies, 1 review
The Scent of Jasmine (2012) 3 copies
Independent Passions (2007) 3 copies
Nie moja córka (2011) 2 copies
Unistus (2011) 1 copy
The Secret Between Us (2008) 1 copy
Vineyard 1 copy
Cette nuit-la... (1984) 1 copy
The Silver Fox (2024) 1 copy, 1 review
Up all night 1 copy
Mégiscsak veled (1993) 1 copy
Coast Road [abridged] (1998) 1 copy

Associated Works

Reader's Digest Condensed Books 1997 v03 (1997) — Author — 34 copies
RDSELP 2000 (Lake News and Hunting Badger) (2000) — Author — 1 copy
Kryptonim Kawki (2003) — Contributor — 1 copy
Bestseller Selectie 3 — Contributor — 1 copy

Tagged

adult (50) Adult Fiction (51) AF (51) audiobook (48) barbara delinsky (98) chick lit (111) contemporary (80) contemporary fiction (85) contemporary romance (203) D (51) Delinsky (70) ebook (126) family (121) fiction (1,362) friendship (47) hardcover (77) Kindle (62) Large Print (136) Maine (52) mystery (65) novel (105) own (79) paperback (62) R (72) read (187) relationships (74) romance (1,180) to-read (883) unread (94) women's fiction (85)

Common Knowledge

Legal name
Delinsky, Barbara Ruth Greenberg
Other names
Drake, Bonnie
Douglass, Billie
Birthdate
1945-08-09
Gender
female
Education
Tufts University (BA | psychology)
Boston College (MA | sociology)
Occupations
writer
novelist
photographer
reporter
author
Organizations
Belmont Herald
Awards and honors
Romantic Times Career Achievement Award (Women's Fiction, 2006)
Short biography
Barbara Ruth Greenberg was born on August 9, 1945, in Newton, Massachusetts. In 1967, she earned a B.A. in psychology at Tufts University and an M.A. in sociology at Boston College in 1969. Following graduate school, she was a researcher for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. After the birth of her first child, Andrew, she took a job as a photographer and reporter for the Belmont Herald newspaper, and later for the Boston Herald. Since 1980, she has written well over 80 novels.
Nationality
USA (birth)
Birthplace
Newton, Massachusetts, USA
Places of residence
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Newton, Massachusetts, USA
Needham, Massachusetts, USA
Associated Place (for map)
Massachusetts, USA

Members

Discussions

Reviews

555 reviews
Before and Again is one of those rare books that once you start, you just cannot put down, and as soon as you turn the last page you want to start all over again. Yes, it’s that good. Once again author Barbara Delinsky has written a book that will catch your heart and soul and stay with you for a long time.

On the surface, Before and Again is about the terrible, terrible mistake Mackenzie Cooper made. Five seconds of carelessness that cost her not only her daughter but her marriage, family, show more friends, job, privacy, even her name ―and the ability to look at herself in the mirror without seeing a monster. A monster that deserves to remain unforgiven for the rest of her life. No one could be harder on Mackenzie, now Maggie, than she is on herself. She is only at peace with her cats and dog. But as we get to know Maggie, we see that she is much stronger than she believes, and she has a good heart. She has made new friends, although she has not revealed much of herself to them, and her work as a makeup artist has meaning and helps others.

Before and Again has so many twists and turns and is so full of suspense that it is almost a mystery. Maggie may be the main character, but all the characters are so well developed and have such compelling stories of their own that you become immersed in all their lives. Circumstances and events challenge Maggie: she is not the only one to experience family tragedy or need forgiveness or a fresh start. She is forced to make choices, and some of those choices may compromise the layers she has built to hide her past.

This is not a short book or a fast read, but the writing is so fluid it’s an amazingly smooth read. I read it nearly straight through because the world outside of Maggie’s life just disappeared. I hate spoilers and don’t want to reveal too much about the choices Maggie and others must make because I was on edge until the very end wondering how – or if – things would be resolved.

Before and Again will introduce you to characters that are flawed but so engaging you must know the end of their stories, and take you through their heartache, loss, grief, guilt, hope, friendships, family drama, romance, and most of all - love. Barbara Delinsky is always one of my go-to authors, but she has outdone herself this time. Before and Again is a riveting, completely satisfying story that I recommend without hesitation. Thanks so much to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this amazing book.
show less
I had pretty much given up on Barbara Delinsky. She had moved so far away from her romance novel roots and into Jodi Picoult "issue" novels that I was no longer interested. But Sweet Salt Air, her first with a new publisher, is a return to classic Delinsky. Lots of melodrama and a spicy romance, along with illness, infidelity, secrets, and of course sex. I admit that I skimmed over the foodie parts (the main characters are writing a cookbook together) but all in all I enjoyed this more than show more any of her books from the past 10 years. show less
This is my second book, and I realized that they are a 'slow burn'. Things all come together about two-thirds of the way through, and I think it's worth the slog. The female characters are intense humans, often driven, and complicated women who are sometimes not easy to love. The male characters are equally intense, with flaws that they overcome in the book. The settings are in the extreme northeast and are so good. Lake News was a jewel about local communities and the value of local show more newspapers. The Vineyard concerns the complications of growing wine grapes in Maine and the complexities of modern viticulture.

Good books for me.
show less
Mi segundo libro de esta escritora y ya puedo decir que soy fan, tiene una manera de contar sus historias que realmente te atrapan, te llevan de la mano hacia sentimientos reales y reconocibles, nada ostensible, nada exagerado, no se trata de dramas para ponerte a llorar o de relaciones fraternales perfectas o terriblemente malas, simplemente plasma lo que es, la vida misma.

Ligero, fácil de leer, digerible y por supuesto hermoso, Delinsky nos plantea en esta historia la vida de Lily, una show more mujer dedicada a la música que se ve envuelta en un escándalo en los medios de comunicación, eso la hace perder todo, su trabajo y su vida tranquila y va a refugiarse a su pueblo natal.

Si bien este es el argumento, lo cierto es que solo es utilizado para poner sobre la mesa los sentimientos de una familia que para nada es perfecta, pero ¿qué familia en la vida real lo es?, lo cierto es que todas las familias son disfuncionales y cada miembro de la misma tiene su propia historia que los hace ser y actuar de cierta manera, por supuesto tiene una historia romántica por ahí pero en absoluto es el protagonista y tampoco resulta en una historia romántica empalagosa.

Este es el viaje de Lily para reencontrarse con ella misma, con su fuerza interna, reconocer a su madre, replantearse su relación con ella y también aprender a perdonar a través del conocimiento de la vida de su madre y que como hijos, decidimos pensar en nuestros padres como seres que ya estaban ahí cuando nacimos y no pensamos en que tienen una historia que también los marca y los hacer ser como son.

He disfrutado mucho con este libro y con esta escritora, por supuesto seguiré leyéndola, recomiendo ampliamente este libro, lo he leído literalmente en una sentada y les aseguro que deja un sentimiento de buen rollo al terminarlo.
show less

Lists

Awards

You May Also Like

Associated Authors

Statistics

Works
193
Also by
46
Members
22,700
Popularity
#933
Rating
½ 3.5
Reviews
513
ISBNs
1,452
Languages
18
Favorited
32

Charts & Graphs