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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Moving and Wonderful Read,
By
This review is from: The First Time (Hardcover)
I have only read one other of Joy Fielding's works. This novel has convinced me I must try all of them. I read a lot of books, and this one was the best I've read all year. There are moments of stunning and surprising pure beauty. Many times, I had to stop reading, put the book down and take a breather. Other times I had to go back and re-read a scene several times, unable to absorb it all the first time, or maybe just reluctant to let the moment pass. This book is "that" good. The story revolves around the family of Mattie, Jake and Kim; their laughter, tears and fear. You fall in love with them, follow all of their daily actions and thoughts, never becoming bored or uninterested in a single detail. Mattie is in a seemingly unhappy and trapped marriage, her husband seeks comfort in other women, and their daughter Kim is struggling with being 15 and growing up. When Mattie finds she is stricken with ALS, a fatal disease, it changes everyone's perspective and lives. Somehow, they must figure out all their feelings for one another while time is running out. I must say this is the best book I've read in a long time, and I don't imagine another one to take its place for awhile. This book is powerful, graceful, touching and real. I can't give it high enough marks. It is a novel that must be read. I couldn't put it down until I reached the last page, late into the evening. Read it now, and you won't be disappointed.
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fielding's Bittersweet Story of Life and Love Is Awesome,
By
This review is from: The First Time (Hardcover)
Having enjoyed Joy Fielding's GRAND AVENUE so much, I was anxious to read another by this author. I secretly doubted she could duplicate the magic of the aforementioned book, but she did! The story is completely different, but the same compelling style of writing reels you in and makes you never want to put the book down.You will be completely involved in Mattie Hart's life from the opening line when she is thinking of ways to kill her philandering husband to the unthinkable request she makes of her mother. You will be struck by the inner strength this woman brings to her life as well as to that of her family and deeply touched by the graphic description of a terminal illness. Jake Hart, her husband, is an interesting creation. He doesn't love his wife, never has. He only married her because she was pregnant and Jake always likes to do the right thing. He constantly cheats on Mattie throughout their sixteen years of marriage and has never said "I love you" to her. So what's to like about a man like this? Amazingly, Fielding is able to present a side of Jake that touches every emotional note and leaves you rooting for this multi-faceted character. From a comical steak-throwing spree in a Chicago grocery store to a wildly romantic chase through a Paris airport, Mattie and Jake's story will leave you breathless. Add to the mix their daughter Kim who is experiencing her first sexual misadventure and Mattie's mother who could never love her daughter like she needed to be loved. THE FIRST TIME explores the ties that bind and the power of love to overcome the deepest wounds people can inflict upon one another. Inspiring and highly emotional, this book is one that touches the heart with its realism and poignant moments.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Love and Marriage,
By Diane "dianemax" (Newfoundland, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The First Time (Mass Market Paperback)
One would assume that these two things go together, unfortunately for the characters in this novel, Mattie and Jake, the two do not go hand in hand. Mattie and Jake married young due to an unexpected pregnancy. Jake always felt that he was pressured to do the right thing. He never truly gave himself to Mattie or their teenage daughter Kim.When Mattie discovers Jake's most recent infidelity she realizes that things have to change. Jake also wants a change in his life, he has decided to leave his wife and daughter and move in with his girlfriend. Mattie is ready to move on with her life when she receives the devastating news that she has ALS - Lou Gehrig's disease. Upon hearing this Jake decides to move back in with Mattie and Kim. It is then that he discovers that the only true way to find one another and fall in love is to communicate. Jake has had an abusive upbringing, something of which he has told Mattie very little about. Mattie herself has had to deal with a broken home and a father who walked away. It is during their time together now that Jake realizes his true feelings for Mattie. He falls in love with her for the first time. Ironically for Mattie, it becomes the best of times and the worst of times. Joy Fielding does a great job of delving into the relationships in this book. Everyone has their own demons to confront and the family does manage to draw together in their time of crisis. Unfortunately I was all too aware of the horrible effects of ALS, as a family member has recently passed away with this. Fielding deals with its consequences realistically. Since reading this book I am anxious to start her newest release. She has proven herself a wonderful storyteller.
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