Falling Bodies [Hardcover]

Andrew Mark (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 5, 1999

A moving, compelling novel--of love, loss, renewal, and the laws of physics.

Jackson Tate's wife and two children are gone--taken away in the blink of an eye by a brutal car accident.

A professor of physics, Jackson can mathematically prove that the universe is governed by specific laws, can explain why planes fly and how matter interacts. But he can't fathom the consequences of loss, or reaffirm his former belief in the unity of love.

Haunted by memories of happiness, as well as the dread following an act of despair, he heads out for the open road--and finds a woman whose pain is almost as great as his. Now Jackson must discover if she can help him to heal his past, and his heart . . .

"In his eloquent first novel, Andrew Mark offers a lyric and powerful exploration of one man's grief, offset by the transforming power of love. It's a novel that rings true in our hearts, one that begs the question of whether love must be at the cost of memory." --Nicholas Sparks, author of The Notebook

"A story that inspires awe as surely as a comet streaking across the sky, Falling Bodies is a tale of human emotion and its sheer instoppable force in our lives." --Richard Paul Evans, author of The Christmas Box

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Einsteinian physics and mathematical principles make an intriguing background for a love story, but they tend to keep the reader emotionally removed from first-time novelist Mark's tale of regenerated love. Physics professor Jackson Tate's equal and opposite reaction to the tragic deaths of his wife and childrenA victims of a drunk driverAis to hit the open road in an Econoline van. He ends up on the coast of Maine, where he meets kindred spirit Livvy, an innkeeper whose suffering seems to match his own. Mark spins suspense into his story of loss and second chances by keeping the reader guessing on two counts: What has Jackson done that may have put his name on an FBI wanted poster? And what is the mystery behind Livvy's invisible husband? But his techniqueAto intellectualize the psycho-emotional with theoremsAcomes off as a touch pedantic, despite the intelligent light it casts on the story. The scientific metaphors bring a cool, restrained poetry to the language of human relationships, however, and sometimes bloom into lyric passages that chart Tate's growing feelings for Livvy and his gradual recovery from the trauma that still defines his life. Drawn together by their neediness, the unlikely couple elicits sympathy and prompts the reader to hope that they can minimize the square of the distance between them. Major ad/promo; BOMC featured alternate; foreign rights sold in Germany, Italy and Spain. (Apr.) FYI: Andrew Mark is a pseudonym for freelance writer Mark Rosenstein; he is married to the writer Kelli Pryor.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Mark's powerful and expressive debut novel is a classic tale of love, tragedy, and recovery. Physicist Jackson Tate lost all that made life dear when his wife and two children were killed in a car accident, and no amount of insight into mathematical explanations of the workings of the universe can comfort him or control the ungovernable forces of grief and despair. Jackson attempts to flee from his demons by taking his customized van named Quark on the road, and once again an accidental occurrence alters his fate. When Quark's radiator hose cracks in Rockpoint, Maine, Jackson seeks shelter and finds much more in a cozy coastal inn run by fellow sufferer Livvy Faraday. Jackson and Livvy fall in love, and the healing begins. Mark's sensitivity to the traumas of loss, whether loved ones are the victims of drunk drivers or terminal disease, makes this an extremely moving tale, and his introspective and hopeful tone deepens the story's emotional value. A featured alternate selection of the Book-of-the-Month club, Mark's novel will achieve rapid visibility. Deborah Rysso

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 259 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First edition (April 5, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399144471
• ISBN-13: 978-0399144479
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 8.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,633,794 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Just Awful, February 13, 2001

By 

A. ricci "jricci" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Falling Bodies (Paperback)

I tried to like this book. It had a great little quip on the cover by Nicholas Sparks stating it was "lyrical and powerful" but I found no power and nothing lyrical. Jackson, a professor of physics, is mourning the death of his wife and 2 children, killed by a drunk driver. He meets an innkeeper and starts to fall for her. I was ok with the story until Jackson described the accident to his new friend using PHYSICS terms. He described the car accident by saying "What can I say? Matter impacts with antimatter all around us in billions and billions of atomic collisions every second." If that weren't bad enough, his new friend responds, "Some matter matters more, though, doesn't it?" That was enough for me. Physics and grief don't mix for me. Skip this one!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Odd Man Out, July 16, 2002

By 

"wawa522" (Oklahoma City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Falling Bodies (Paperback)

I guess I'm the odd (wo)man out here, because I believed Mr. Mark's book to be quite intriguing. Having always had an acute interest in the sciences (an avocation rather than occupation, lending to the fact that I'm not keen on all the technical facts..), I found the author's use of scientific quotes, theories, and terminology relatable, interesting, and magical. Yes, maybe the plot is lacking in originality, but considering the odd-numbered "basic" plots rumored to be the only thing is use, a writer has to make up for the "used" plot in an appealing story. I think this was done. This is the only book I have read of Andrew Mark's (and the only he's written, to my knowledge) but I wonder if he wrote again that it might be better than the Nicholas Sparks' used used used plot I keep seeing? I'm probably the odd man out there, too.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Mark must have stock in the tissue industry, April 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Falling Bodies (Hardcover)

In Illinois, Physics professor Jackson Tate fully comprehends the modern theories on the workings of the universe. He understands the systematic natural laws that govern everything. However, he can not grasp the random act of a drunken driver killing his spouse and children.

Unable to cope with the trauma, Jackson tries to run away from his grief by hitting the highways. He eventually ends up in Maine where he meets a fellow sufferer, Olivia Faraday, whose husband has been lost to Alzheimer's. Jackson accepts a job as her handyman and soon they fall in love with one another. However, with all the grief, guilt, and rage this couple carries around, chances of a happy ending seem remote.

FALLING BODIES is overwritten, extremely melancholy, and at times very depressing. However, anyone who enjoys an old fashioned tear jerker (like LOVE STORY) will take great pleasure from this novel. The lead protagonists' struggles with their losses are real and the audience will grieve along with them. Has Andrew Mark pulled all the strings of a major cry? Absolutely! That is what makes the novel so poignant and worth reading by the soap crowd.

Harriet Klausner