Customer Reviews

The Children of the Roses: A Novel

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Mr. Adler's novel described an experience where my ex-husband and I decided to use the "nesting" process which meant keeping our children living in the family house while we took turns taking care of the children on alternate weeks. It didn't work for us since we found ourselves competing for our children's love and not following our joint child rearing rules.
"The Children of the Roses" dealt with this situation with deep honesty which made the process chosen by the divorcing parents all too real and harrowing. Mr. Adler's incite into the trauma of divorce is awesome. Every divorcing parent should read this book and learn how good intentions can backfire. I found the novel compelling and while the humor is dark, I caught myself laughing through my tears.

Adler takes the reader on a ride that keeps them on the edge of their seat. This book picks up where War of the Roses left off. The children of the Roses have their idiosyncrasies as a result of their parents' horrible death. They take this with them in life and relationships. One never married and one did to a truth junkie. Living their lives as they wish and living their lives in reality don't match. This creates tension that has the reader turning the pages to find out what will eventually win: their dreams or life's seedier side.

This book made me laugh and cry. Mr. Adler has a bizarre sense of humor that enriches this story and makes it quite believable, despite the qualms I had regarding certain incidents. There is a part of the novel that troubles me and that is the question of how far a parent will go to protect and advance her child if faced with a sexual predator who has power over that child. This issue is a central theme of this wonderful novel. And yet I am still conflicted about that one incident. As with The War of the Roses, despite my misgivings, I thought it was a great read.

The thing about this novel is how through humor and deep characterization we find ourselves entranced by the various and surprising plot turns that move this story forward. I found myself rooting for the children to find ways to bring their battling parents together and restore the family. While I wouldn't want to spoil the reading experience by giving away the ending, I must say it was certainly worth the trip. This book is must reading for anyone contemplating the breakup of a family with children.