Customer Reviews

On the Divinity of Second Chances: A Novel

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Written from the wildly different perspectives of six members of a family spanning three generations, this is a beautifully told fable of family, individuality, and fate.

Where else will you find a novel encompassing rattlesnakes and sunflowers, power drills and bagpipes, childbirth and house construction, painting and tangoing, manslaughter, wild fire, and living in treehouses, a superhero cape wearing massage therapist with spirit guides and a gun-wielding, tap-dancing grandmother?

McLaren is brilliant. She masterfully weaves together the individual stories of her vividly drawn characters. At times laugh-out-loud funny, others times tear-jerking, always thought provoking, this is a compulsively readable book with depth and substance.

Love comes disguised in many forms throughout our lives, and this lovely book celebrates its many guises ~ parental love, married love, love between siblings, between parents and children, between lovers, between races, between genders; love of the land, love of children, and most of all, love of Life, with all its mysteries and mayhem, mud puddles and magic. Truly wonderful.

This wonderful book by Kaya McLaren really keeps you on your toes !!!
Because the different chapters are each written from the perspective of a different character in the story, the reader has to keep changing "shoes" and it creates a very fresh approach to the fictional reality encountered.
The story is weaved like a masterful tapestry of human relationships and we are swept off our feet by this magical carpet into a much richer world.

I couldn't put the book down until I read the very last page!

Delightful read! Insighful and touching. Laugh, cry, reflect. Masterful intertwining of perspectives of various characters. Characters are entertainingly quirky, yet endearingly human. Portrays the triumph of love, in all its many and sometimes surprising guises, throughout the changes and challenges of life. Hard to put down. Give "Chances" a chance; you'll love it as I did! Can't wait to read more of Kaya McLaren.

The story rotates point of view so you get a chance to get inside each person's head--I loved and could relate to each well-developed character. (I am not a dog lover, but Kaya made me fully appreciate and respect the bond between man (woman!) and beast). Though I finished the book a week ago, I am still thinking about the beautifully crafted story and reflecting on the second chances in my life. Thank you, Kaya, for a thought-provoking, unconventional, and hilarious read! Can't wait to see what you come up with next...

Kaya McLaren, with her poignant insights on many things & thoughts of life that we all experience & have, can never over-produce as, i.e. James Patterson that I used to love to read. This is the second book I've read by Kaya; the first was "Church of the Dog" that I intend to read again for I kept the book rather than donate it to our library. This time I'll underline the words of wisdom this author has for her readers.

Two great reads. Kaya, keep up your A+ work but don't let the Dragon of Success pull you under to mediocrity.

I love this book and recommend it for everyone. It is full of inspiration,
humor, pathos and a certain kind of insight that rings true. I felt changed by reading it and plan to purchase it as a gift for friends and family.

Kaya McLaren has magnificently written a captivating story of a family's poignant quest for the miracle of second chances. Jade's family is slowly falling apart. She is keeping complex secrets, while her parent's marriage is collapsing, brother Forrest is living in self-inflicted exile and pregnant sister Olive walks away from her life to live with their grandmother. Brilliantly told in alternating narratives, each family member tells his/her own perspective, enriching our understanding of this broken, suffering family. Ultimately, they learn the potent act of forgiveness can create the healing power that second chances provide. Ms. McLaren is a superior storyteller. She has exquisitely created a marvelous, endearing cast of characters who enthralled me from start to finish. Amusing antics provide many laugh-out-loud moments. This uplifting story serves as a wonderful inspiration for those of us searching for our second chance. I really loved this insightful book as there were many valuable lessons within. I was left reflecting on the importance of forgiveness, especially when offered freely. You must read this engrossing book!

Kaya McLaren has captured the essence of what I think so many hope for, and what I am happy to discover is true - that second chances in life exist, and often calling them any less than Divine would be circumspect.

I didn't expect the novel to capture me so soundly with its opening lines but McLaren's prose rolled out with an intoxicating touch. The moon is watching as the inhabitants of On The Divinity of Second Chances struggle with their lives, with exactly where time has found them. The moon is still watching as each character discovers that maybe, just maybe, second chances in this old life are not only possible but probable. I recommend the novel for those who have lost hope that things may ever change for the better, that this complicated, sticky, messy existence can take on new shape and meaning, and simply for the pleasure of wrapping yourself in a good story that illuminates the love and the laughter that life has to offer.

In life, all of us need a second chance at some point. This book wonderfully depicts the lives of six family members who all need a second chance in their own way. Kaya weaves her own quirky observations into the everyday moments of her characters. An engaging read, one that will make you chuckle, and a book that leaves you hoping that each of the characters find their second chance in life.

I love Kaya McKlaren's writing. Her writing draws us into her characters while weaving in the natural magic of life, love, conflict and relationships. I just cannot wait for her new book this year 7/2012!