Her Father's House
by Belva Plain
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Fiction. Literature. HTML:Beloved storyteller Belva Plain understands the rich tapestry of the human heart like no other. Her many dazzling New York Times bestsellers probe the shifting bonds of marriage and family with insight, compassion, and uncommon grace. And her new novel is no exception. A tale of fathers and daughters, lovers and families, acts of love and acts of betrayal, Her Father’s House is Belva Plain’s most powerful and unforgettable novel yet.It is the spring of 1968 show more when Donald Wolfe, a young graduate of a midwestern law school, arrives in New York. Filled with ambition and idealism, he is dazzled not only by the big city but by the vivacious, restless Lillian, whom he marries in the heat of infatuation.
Surely theirs is no marriage made in heaven, but they have a child, Tina, and she is the love of Donald’s heart. For her he would give up everything—his home, his distinguished career, and his freedom. When his flawed marriage begins to fail, a choice must be made. Shall he consider a step that would force him into flight and a life of hiding?
From her earliest years, Tina is exceptional, a brilliant student and a joyous, loving spirit. At the university she falls in love with Gilbert, who graduates from law school just as she is about to enter medical school. Together they go to New York, where she learns the truth about her family’s past, a truth that must change her regard for the father who has protected and cherished her. When a terrible lie has been told out of love, can it be forgiven?
With courage and compassion, Belva Plain paints a moving portrait of the choices that shape the course of our lives, the secrets that haunt us, and the love that helps us heal and move on. It is a work of riveting storytelling and rare emotional power by one of the most gifted novelists of our time. show less
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Member Reviews
Interesting reading, an exciting tale about love gone wrong. An aspiring lawyer meets an attractive young woman, falls in love, and they marry. Then they learn that they are not suited for one another; she likes the fast life whereas he longs for a quieter, more conventional way of living. At her suggestion, they divorce, but not before she learns that she is pregnant.
The rest of the book tells of his decision to kidnap his daughter after a near disaster, and of his efforts to hide away in the country under an assumed name, with a new identity and a new life. However, he is eventually discovered, as we knew he must be.
I found it ironic that the things he most despised in his former wife, her lies and deception, became the way he lived show more for many years, hiding in the country.
I had some problems with this book. What did she see in him, why did she pursue him? Why was she so eager to marry him? His philosophy of life was no secret to her. Also, it seems to me that he could have proven that the child was endangered, having been taken to an adult party with excessive drinking and drug use, and put into a car with a drunken, speeding driver. Oh, well, it did make for an exciting tale. show less
The rest of the book tells of his decision to kidnap his daughter after a near disaster, and of his efforts to hide away in the country under an assumed name, with a new identity and a new life. However, he is eventually discovered, as we knew he must be.
I found it ironic that the things he most despised in his former wife, her lies and deception, became the way he lived show more for many years, hiding in the country.
I had some problems with this book. What did she see in him, why did she pursue him? Why was she so eager to marry him? His philosophy of life was no secret to her. Also, it seems to me that he could have proven that the child was endangered, having been taken to an adult party with excessive drinking and drug use, and put into a car with a drunken, speeding driver. Oh, well, it did make for an exciting tale. show less
3.5 stars. This is not my usual genre, but somewhere I acquired a copy of this so I brought it on a trip. The first several chapters did not make the book sound promising, but it got better as it went on. A pretty enjoyable, light read.
Good reading
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Author Information
67+ Works 9,456 Members
Belva Plain lives in northern New Jersey. She is the author of the bestselling novels "Evergreen", "Random Winds", "Eden Burning", "Crescent City", "The Golden Cup", "Tapestry", "Blessings", "Harvest", "Treasures", "Whispers", "Daybreak", "The Carousel", "Promises", "Secrecy", "Homecoming", "Legacy of Silence", "Fortune's Hand", and "After the show more Fire". (Publisher Provided) Belva Plain was born in New York City on October 9, 1915. She received a degree in history from Barnard College in 1939. Her first short story was published in Cosmopolitan when she was 25 years old, and she continued to write for the publication for years. Her first novel, Evergreen (1978), was on the New York Times bestseller list for 41 weeks and was made into a television miniseries. Her other works include Crescent City, Promises, Blessings, The Carousel, Daybreak, and After the Fire. She died on October 12, 2010 at the age of 95. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Distinctions
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2002
- First words
- One day when I was four years old, a girl in school told me that my mother was not my real mother.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Looking down at the house from here, I can imagine it's alive. The windows are eyes, the front door smiles, and the wings are like open arms that are asking me to come in.
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
- DDC/MDS
- 813.54 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PS3566 .L254 .H47 — Language and Literature American literature American literature Individual authors 1961-
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 450
- Popularity
- 67,675
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.35)
- Languages
- English, Finnish, French, Norwegian (Bokmål)
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 32
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 5
