Customer Reviews

The Edge of Heaven (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I really enjoyed The Edge of Heaven. I could not put it down. I am a big Marita Golden fan - I've read all of her novels. This book presents very intense human pain and suffering in a manner that is full of elegance and grace. Ms. Golden is able to deliver this subject matter, which is dead serious and quite harsh, as pleasurable reading. Quite a skill. Having recently read quite a few contemporary authors who seem to be only able to present characters in terms of detailed physical descriptions - complexion, hairdo, clothes, it was striking that there was no mention of what these people looked like, yet I felt like I knew them. I highly reccommend this book.

I really enjoyed reading The Edge of Heaven.It is a wonderfully told story basically in the first person as Theresa expresses her emotions once her mother has been released rom prision.Its a good read about how an incident can destroy a family and yet how the same incident can bring them back together. Theresa has to lea learn some hard lessons but the story ends in a beautiful and realistic manner. The author's description of even the prision is reala dn provides dignity to the characters.It was good reading a book about financially succesful African Americans. The book is also integenerational and a salute to African American females. I have read the authors Migrations of the Heart and A Woman's Place-both of which i enjoyed and look forward to reading Long Distance Life.Marita Golden is a gifted writer.

This story was so good, I hated to see it come to an end. The language was so evocative and the characters so vividly drawn with plotting that was wonderfully paced ... I felt under a spell until the very last page.

This book was recommended to me and I had never heard of Marita Golden. I thought the book was really good and really real. She didn't glorify the tale of every character and I respect her as an author for NOT doing that. I think the only thing that could have been emphasized a little more for me was the grief of Lena for the loss of her child. It was evident that Ryland grieved for the loss of Kenya and realized that he is just as much responsible, but I didn't really see the grief process of Lena or Ma Adele. Is this to say that women hide their emotions better than me or that we deal with it better? I don't think so, but that may be the case with these characters. Hats off to Marita Golden, and Ms. Golden if you read this we would love to have you come discuss your novel at our book club in Alexandria, VA! Thanks.

This was one of the most thought provoking books I have ever read. I felt so deeply for all of the characters because they were all going through so much. I could relate to the struggles of all of the characters. I had never read any of Ms. Golden's work but I am certainly a die hard fan after reading "The Edge of Heaven." I highly recommend this book. It was so deep.

This book is Marita Golden's best yet. The story telling is so captivating that I found myself engrossed from the first to the last page, and deeply impressed with her poetic and profound prose. I highly recommend it, and enjoyed it much more than the critically acclaimed Snow Falling on Cedars, with which it was compared on the back cover.

At first I could not finish this book, it probably took me six months to read it. Initially it was slow, but by the mid way point, it became increasingly interesting. The characters were real, flawed, and likeable.

I absolutely loved The Edge of Heaven.From the first paragraph, I was so drawn into the world of characters, I was compelled to continue as quickly as I could to see how the story unfolded. I usually think it's insulting to compare one writer to the next(if they are as unique as Marita Golden is), but simply to give an idea of the type of poignant and profound work she produces(and I don't think she'd mind being put in their company!), Ms. Golden's writing brings to mind that of Gloria Naylor(with regards to her complete painting of characters and also the lessons we learn and the depth of everyday life) and also Alice Walker(with regards to poignancy and strength of characters), although she is not as prolific in terms of actual production(YET! ).

I was first introducted to Marita Golden with this book, and was so blown away by it, I bought her entire backlist(and loved all of those books as well). The only reason I gave her 4 stars instead of five(which this book truly is), is because I believe she has work yet to come which will be truly astounding.

I absolutely loved The Edge of Heaven.From the first paragraph, I was so drawn into the world of characters, I was compelled to continue as quickly as I could to see how the story unfolded. I usually think it's insulting to compare one writer to the next(if they are as unique as Marita Golden is), but simply to give an idea of the type of poignant and profound work she produces(and I don't think she'd mind being put in their company!), Ms. Golden's writing brings to mind that of Gloria Naylor(with regards to her complete painting of characters and also the lessons we learn and the depth of everyday life) and also Alice Walker(with regards to poignancy and strength of characters), although she is not as prolific in terms of actual production(YET! ).

I was first introducted to Marita Golden with this book, and was so blown away by it, I bought her entire backlist(and loved all of those books as well). The only reason I gave her 4 stars instead of five(which this book truly is), is because I believe she has work yet to come which will be truly astounding.

I have been a follower of Marita Golden's work. While this novel does not hold the reader on the edge as her previous works, it is enjoyable. I truly enjoyed how she held my attention surrounding the child's death. Many times the reader will believe they have figured out all of the details to only find their conclusion was false. However, it depends on what character is describing the events. I read this book in three days and enjoyed every moment; especially the conclusion. It was realistic. In fact, the tone of the entire novel is "believable" . One can readily identify the characters.