Judith Works

A riveting tale of a marriage, a life, and the complexities of both.

The Measure of Life by Judith Works was an emotional and compelling story of one woman's life, marriage, complex family relationships, and living as an expat in Rome before returning to the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. Nicole Carlisle is relatable; she makes mistakes, has unfulfilled dreams, disappointments, and is completely human in her hopes and desires. Her story is mesmerizing and one I won't soon forget.

Nicole married show more Martin Carlisle, a handsome widower 18 years her senior, just after completing her first year in college, abandoning her still unformed plans and undecided future. She fell in love, perhaps, with the idea of love and a ready-made life as a wife and mother. He may have been looking for a housekeeper/babysitter and someone young and inexperienced enough to blithely accept his complete control and guidance. A baby soon followed, and there was an opportunity for him to advance in his career with a defense contractor by being promoted to a job in their Rome office. Ignored and left to her own devices, caring for the home and children, Nicole falls into an affair and has a child with her Italian language tutor. She and Martin stay together, her for the children and support, and he for the convenience and the status quo until those children grow up and leave home, and she decides it's time for her to build a new life of her own.

The author's writing is wonderful, and the story is compelling to read. I was quickly and completely wrapped up in Nicole's life. There is romance, heartbreak, mystery, and the complicated emotions that come when life encounters tough situations and hard choices. She is very relatable as she deals with real-life issues such as her loveless marriage, aging parents, and complex relationships with her now-adult children. I did not want to put the book down!

I recommend THE MEASURE OF LIFE to readers of women's fiction and family dramas.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours. show less

Having visited Rome last year, I was looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately I was disappointed.

I have read books with unsympathetic or disagreeable characters before, but if the plot was interesting, the setting enticing or the writing captivating, I could honestly say I enjoyed the book. But I found this book to be lacking in emotional tone or connection, both between the characters and with the reader. Way too much 'telling' and almost no 'showing', and uneven pacing. I found show more I just did not care about the characters, believe their relationship (even the disaster that it was) or have any feelings about their situations or experiences (except in some cases, revulsion) and continued reading solely because of the setting: Rome.

I was surprised to find that the author has spent years working in Rome, and in her bio professes a love for it, and there her words make me believe it. But none of that comes through in the book. I don't expect characters whose marriage is falling apart to be bright rays of sunshine, but the narrative was full of complaints and dissolution at every turn. The setting really didn't matter to their story - very little sense of appreciation expressed about the city they found themselves in. And even when they found themselves in remarkable locales, interacting with the people and culture, the descriptions were brief and bland or shallow and stereotypical. (Though the cuisine descriptions were much improved in the very last section of the book.) But ultimately a sprinkling of Italian terms and words is no substitute for tone, atmosphere or descriptive resonance; take those out, along with a few historical-location vignettes, and this story could have been set anywhere.

I think I would have much preferred an honest memoir style of story. show less

Reviewed in exchange for an early copy from LibraryThing.

Laura and Jake have a marriage that doesn't seem to be working. Jake is made out to be a lazy, selfish guy, while Laura seems to be presented as the heroine who thinks a job offer in Italy will revive her marriage and make her husband want a baby. Now, most of us see the fallacy in that right away, but not Laura, who I think is just as selfish as her husband. I really couldn't like either of them. I kept reading mostly to see how show more they'd end up and also to continue to be immersed in the culture of modern day Rome. The author weaves the beauty and the ugliness of the city into the rather mundane plot like and that's what kept my interest. show less

“City of Illusions” by Judith Works (3 stars)

Have you ever considered taking a job in a foreign country where you don’t know the language? Are you adventurous enough for it? Brave enough? Laura is restless and wants a change in her life. Her marriage is shaky so she wants to try something new. She applies for a job with the United Nations in Rome. Her husband reluctantly agrees to go along for the one-year commitment.

I enjoyed reading of their attempts to make Italy their new home – show more the culture, the food, trying to make new friends. However, I had some difficulty with the writing itself. The transitions within the chapters tended to be abrupt. I frequently had to stop and re-read portions to determine where I was supposed to be after the transition. And the story was a bit too contrived for me. Shaky marriage, only going to get worse in these conditions. Two fairly self-centered individuals turned lose in a foreign country – they do exactly as would be expected – affairs, gullibility. Then the story had to quickly wrap up with a “they lived happily ever after”.

You can tell that Ms. Works loves Rome. She paints a beautiful picture of it. Too bad it is spoiled by such immature characters. show less