Table for Five

Lily Robinson is a third grade teacher. She’s a young woman that believes she has the best of all possible worlds. She particularly loves the safe world she has created for herself because relationship are scary and could become an emotional roller-coaster ride especially with children and no possibility of a break like her summer vacations. Lily loves every aspect of teaching children. Her students give her a reason for living, an opportunity to have a very satisfying career and refreshing summers of freedom. The best part of summer vacation is the time to pursue her travel dreams independently with no one to answer to and simply making her own way. For about half of this school year she has been planning her upcoming travel to show more Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula but first a parent-teacher conference with her best friend Crystal and Crystal’s ex-husband Derek about their middle child and daughter, Charlie.

Sean Maguire is the half-brother of golf pro Derek Charles Hollaway and uncle to Derek and Crystal’s three (3) children, Cameron, Charlie and Ashley. Sean has recently returned state-side from Malaysia surrounded by headlines of cheating in the professional world of golf. He has another chance to return to the sport he’s always loved and to requalify for the return of his PGA card. He has a smart and sexy girlfriend Maura Riley who is studying to become a MD and almost ready for her internship year. Sean’s life seems to be getting back on track but first a phone call from his nephew who needs a ride home because his mother Crystal has seemingly forgotten to pick him up and she’s not answering her cell phone.

The school year is about to end, a late Friday afternoon parent-teacher conference is over, and everyone is ready to finish their late-afternoon activities and enjoy their weekend plans. Will this be a typical weekend or is something going to happen that will change the dynamics of everyone’s lives?

I loved this novel. It’s a story about relationships – and the different roles that each character has to one another (e.g. Parent(s)/Child(ren), Uncle/Child(ren), Teacher/Student, Teacher/Parent, School Principal/Teacher, Teacher/Co-worker). These relationships are all unfolded in a story of basically ordinary days. Days that may be taken for granted but days that sometimes constitute the best days of our lives. Sometimes a novel comes along that reminds us nothing about life should ever be taken for granted. Everything we hold most dear to our hearts can change and then there are so many questions. Are their only endings of all that we once knew? Is any new beginning possible? And if a new beginning, where does one even start? How does one start from this moment on when the ones we hold most precious to are hearts are gone and we didn’t have a chance to say “I love you” or even a chance to say good-bye?

Susan Wiggs gives a true-to-life portrayal of each character and provides the details that each reader yearns to learn about the characters as they become absorbed in the novel. It’s a depth of characterization that is unmatched in many novels but is presented with such ease and at such a pace that the novel is simply an almost indescribable joy to read. At the same time that Susan Wiggs provides a story based in contemporary reality, she also brings an extraordinary insight about life. She reminds us of the simple joys of living and loving, that as we have little control over some events- even life-altering events, we do have more choices than we sometimes realize. It is a story to give us encouragement, to give us hope, and shares the beauty of choosing a path ahead that is filled with love. It is a story that gives us the inspiration to understand and appreciate that a different life course than one expected may not be the ‘safe’ life or the life one always anticipated but it might be the richest life-not in financial wealth-but rich in spontaneous moments of fun and laughter and rich with love. show less

Wonderful ....: The only reason why I picked this book up at my hairdresser's is because I wanted to see why readers love Susan Wiggs' books so much. Well, after finishing this book in five hours, I can see why. It's such a wonderful book .... it made me laugh and cry. It made me sigh and it was just wonderful. I couldn't put it down for one minute.

This book focuses on Lily, a school teacher who is content with the way her life is. She is planning to go to Italy for the summer after school's out. Suddenly, her best friend and ex-husband is killed in a car accident, and she finds herself taking care of Crystal's three kids along with Crystal's former brother-in-law, Sean. Sean is a former pro golfer who was kicked out of golf for show more cheating. Now teaching other people how to golf and bartender at the local golf course, Sean all of a sudden finds himself guardian with three kids, Cameron, a teenager, Charlie, a third-grader and Ashley, the two-year-old. Both Lily and Sean's lives were disrupted by the tragedy and together, they pull the kids through the darkest moments of grief.

It is a wonderful humane story about loss and love, friendship, dreams and hopes. It is a story that takes you to another world where things are still possible ~~ and yes, it is very predictable, but Wiggs make the trip fun anyways. This is a perfect reading for those times when you have a few hours to yourself ~~ and want to relax. She's a good storyteller and one that I plan to keep an eye out for.

9-3-06 show less

Susan Wiggs writes novels that do not need to have shocking events or edge of the seat suspense to keep the reader interested. She writes stories that are very believeable, common to many of us, and avoid the twisted and perverted villans or grusome murders of 'suspense' novels, or the overly mushy, feel-good, sappy stories that are at the other end of the spectrum.
Reading this book, I could pretty much predict what was to come by the end of the first 75 pages, but I read through happily because the author writes a good and iteresting story. She develops characters deeply enough to make them very believable and patiently tells the story which may not be full the great highs and lows that many resort to, but doesnt need to use tactics show more to keep readers reading.
I have noticed that Ms. Wiggs has a real talent for knowing when to dig in and give a detailed account of a person or an event and when to neatly skim over and on to another day in the life. She is a master at this, in my estimation. I never feel tempted to skip ahead to avoid unneeded details and neither do I feel cheated by reading thru an important event that wasnt set up fully.
Ms. Wiggs does not offend, but neither does she create unrealistically saint-like characters. She tells a great story and keeps it out of the gutter on one side and out of the sappy, feel-good bog on the other side.
This is a great and satisfying story of redemption, second chances, and facing lifes painful realities and finding a way to overcome.
This is the 2nd novel I have read by Ms. Wiggs, but not, by far, the last. I gave 5 stars to help bring up those who gave less than she deserves. In reality, I would only give 5 stars to a very few books, but her overall rating deserves a solid 4.5... show less

Sweet story of a schoolteacher and a golfer who are wildly unsuited but drawn together in the care of three orphaned children - mothered by her best friend and his brother. Not deep, but a sweet, warm tale which I enjoyed.

Good descriptions of the stress for a teacher as well as when there are friendship issues. Realistic events and feelings displayed as a result of divorce / death for both the children as well as relatives and friends. Lack of formal paperwork for when death occurs truly stressed. Glamour of being part of the golf championships told giving both the good and bad of it. Both Lily and Sean displayed good adult behaviors for the sake of the children. Lily overplayed her past as an excuse for her behaviors. At least Sean willing to accept his faults.

I enjoyed this story of two very different people thrust together by the uncertainty of life. I thought this was a powerful story of loss and grief, but also of two people finding that life is easier when they look to others. Totally impressed with Susan Wiggs - now one of my favorite authors.

One of my favorite authors right now. If you've read Danielle Steele, you will enjoy these heartwarming stories. Stories about love, family, finding love, finding family. Every one I've read by this author has been at least a two tissue story.