Remedies

This was a tremendously good read: I often thought about the characters and issues involved during and after the time I was reading it. I did not dislike any of the characters. They were plausible examples of imperfect human beings who were trying to cope with their messy, broken lives (are we not all like this to some degree?) Simon was a dedicated, albeit workaholic doctor who treated his patients with humanity and compassion. At the same time, he was neglecting his family and failing to confront increasing problems with his wife and daughter. The final scene in the synagogue reinforces the fact that we all fail, then we must repent and move on. But the reader is left with the thoughts, "But does Simon really get it?" and most of all, show more "What's next?" Hoping for a sequel, Ms. Ledger... show less

I won this book from a GoodReads giveaway. This book centers on Simon, a doctor with his private practice attached to his home, and his wife Emily, who is a partner at a big PR firm. This book is about their struggle to maintain their marriage because of what happened to them fifteen years ago, their newborn son Caleb died.

The book is separated into five parts. To me the first part went a little slowly because it was mostly medical stuff (following Simon around at his practice). But the book quickly picked up speed to me in the second part. I have to say that for most of the book I absolutely hated Simon. He is an egomaniac who it seems got into the medical field for the wrong reason. My hatred for Simon was so strong that at parts I show more really didn't want to continue on reading. But I stuck through it, and now I'm really glad I did.

The book also shows the strained relationship between Emily and her daughter Jamie, whom she had after Caleb's death. Jamie was another character that drove me insane. She was whiny, and rude, and if I were her mother I just wouldn't have stood for it. Once again though my feelings towards Jamie changed towards the end of the book.

In the end we find out that Simon is being investigated by the DEA for prescribing too many narcotics (being tipped off by a disgruntled former nurse from Simon's practice). In my eyes it seemed like he stopped being an egomaniac and started realizing how his actions were affecting people, and he just seemed more likeable to me. I actually started to feel bad for Simon.

I also felt bad for Jamie at the end. We find out that she was very unhappy at camp and considered self-harming herself. After finding out this information I began to realize why she was how she was before in the book. She and Emily begin seeing a therapist and to work on their relationship.

I really loved the transformation of the characters and I really loved the plot of the book. I would recommend that people read this book. (And don't give up when you think you can't take anymore of egomaniac Simon, he does get more likeable.) show less

This novel presents a couple that, from the outside, ostensibly lead a charmed life. Simon is a physician with a thriving practice and Emily is a successful businesswoman; however, their relationship was irrevocably damaged by a tragic incident early in their marriage. Their only child is lonely and unparented. When Simon seems to find a cure for chronic pain, he becomes obsessed with its promotion while Emily pursues a relationship with a former lover under the guise of business obligations.

What we see from the onset is that chronic pain is not merely a physical manifestation and takes many forms. Both Emily and Simon are deeply hurting individuals who never addressed the pain they shared either individually or together, and their self show more absorption is a result of avoiding the pain. Kate Ledger writes intelligently about the slow dissolution of marriage and also the meaning and significance of hope. show less

The novel, Remedies, by Kate Ledger, is a very in depth and intense read on the subject of chronic pain.

Chronic pain in all of its forms is explored within the pages and within the lives of Simon Bear, a much loved and respected physician; Emily Bear, Simon’s wife; and their daughter, Jamie. The Bears are suffering from deep scars over the loss of their infant son, Caleb, fifteen years earlier. That tragic loss has caused them to block out their emotional pain, chronic pain that lingers deep within the recesses of their hearts. That Simon, a doctor, was unable to diagnose and save his infant son, only enhances his grief, sense of loss and void from it, and enhances the continuing emotional pain. Emily’s pain, is also chronic, and show more she emotionally withdraws. Thus begins the story of a marriage conflicted with pain and lack of communication.

Kate Ledger is masterful in depicting characters trapped in the past, caught in time, characters unable to emotionally move forward due to the death of their infant son. She infuses the pages with their reactions and their actions to emotions they are unable to contend with. That those emotions caused dysfunction within their family is strongly emphasized. Remedies is a novel that deals with not only issues of chronic pain, but how it affects individuals within a family unit. Those who feel the pain are not the only ones affected, family members are also affected, as with any illness. That message is a strong point within the story line. show less

I received this book as an ARC from Penguin Books. This is Kate Ledger's first novel and the book hits stores today, August 20, 2009.
Although this was a little slow in the beginning, it did become hard to put down towards the end of the book. Rather than chapters, the author used 5 Parts to divide the story, jumping between Simon and Emily's character as the story was told. As a reader, I like to have little breaks in the story, where if I need to put it down, I know I can finish a chapter in a few pages. With the parts in this story that became hard to do. It also made it difficult to stay with the story when it was 50-100 pages before going back to the other character.
The story dealt with marriage, infidelity, parenting, medical show more issues, death, rejection, and love. All through the story, I kept telling myself that the character, Simon, just needed to feel loved. After the death of their infant, the relationship between Simon and Emily fell apart and neither one of them ever dealt with their child's death. Instead they threw themselves into their careers and eventually ignored their other child. No wonder they were all a mess in the story. It was quite heart-breaking to read, but also frustrating. I just wanted to shake the two of them and say "Grow up and talk to each other!". The story ended leaving you hopeful, but I still would have liked it to be a little more tidied up.
The author's descriptions of feelings in the story were right on and made the reader feel them right along with the story. I liked her description of Emily's face....noticing that her eyes had lost their stars, a wrinkle of consternation etched on her forehead, her lips turned downward...Emily wondering when that had happened. I also understood her part of the story where they got lost driving and the daughter says "we are off the map!" and how Emily realized it described them quite well. Their family was "off the map" and who can't admit at times to being "off the map" yourself...an accurate description. I was saddened by Simon visiting his parents and practically begging for love from them. I imagined the scene and just ached for Simon (one of the few parts of the story where I felt sorry for him). He was begging for acknowledgment and love from them so badly and he just couldn't get it. How that played out in the rest of his life was remarkable.
I learned about "life's goodies" from this story and will try to look for those in my life and not waste them. I also learned about relationships and "like nerves...they can get injured, but can regrow". How true.
I welcome Ledger to the literary world and look for further good reads from her in the future. show less

Simon and Emily Bear have it all. A mansion in Baltimore, Simon is a physician, Emily is a partner at a public relations firm. But there are unresolved issues in their past that continue to haun their relationship. Parts of the book are good, but there is a lot of unnecessary dry medical terminology, and I never really warmed up to Simon enough to care what happened to him. I do think this author shows promise and look forward to her future endeavors.

This book should have been a 5 star read for me. I have a chronic pain disease, my first child died as well, and in general, I like a story with a medical storyline. While I could sympathize with Emily, I couldn't stand Simon. I could not find one thing I liked about him, and unfortunately, it ruined the book for me.