Mad Dash [Paperback]

Patricia Gaffney (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Areheart (2007)
• ASIN: B000Y1DLJC
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,186,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Patricia Gaffney began her writing career with the publication of Sweet Treason, a historical romance set in revolutionary Scotland. Eleven romance novels later, she tried something different--The Saving Graces, a story of women's friendships, that ended up spending 17 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers List.

Circle of Three, Flight Lessons, and The Goodbye Summer followed, all bestsellers that established Gaffney as a premier mainstream fiction writer.

Her new book is Mad Dash, the story of a happy marriage in trouble. It's due out in Spring 2008.

Gaffney, who lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, is currently at work on a novel about a man who changes his life when he finds out he's dying--then finds out he isn't. Working title: On Second Thought.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Patricia Gaffney, August 25, 2007

By 

Patricia Kay "author and avid reader" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mad Dash: A Novel (Hardcover)

I said it before, I'll say it again -- Patricia Gaffney could write a grocery list and I'd be enthralled. MAD DASH is a gem of a novel and Dash and Andrew are wonderful characters -- three dimensional, charming, fascinating, quirky, funny, and oh, so human. As other reviewers have pointed out, Gaffney tells the story from two points of view, but make no mistake, this is a woman's story. In fact, for any woman who has been married more than ten years, this is a must read. So many truths are contained in this book, one wonders if Gaffney has been spying in your house, or worse, reading your mind, for how else could she know these things? I kept laughing (quietly, I didn't want my husband to ask what was so funny) as I read, and I didn't want the book to be over. Sadly, it was. Now the wait begins for another Gaffney book. Hurry up, Pat. Some of us are not very patient! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A SUPPLE, SMOOTH VOICE PERFORMANCE, August 19, 2007

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mad Dash (Audio CD)

Decisions, decisions, decisions....life's full of them, isn't it? Sometimes we live to regret them; at other times we're thankful for powers that help us choose which is best.

Dash Bateman finds herself in a quandary, an unhappy one. Married for two decades to Andrew she now finds him bothersome. In fact, almost everything he does bothers her. Isn't it ridiculous that he needs a glass of warm milk at bedtime or that he forces her to go to faculty parties that he obviously doesn't enjoy?

Their daughter has recently gone to college, and she lost her mother a short while ago. Now, it seems that's all that's left for her is Andrew and she doesn't believe that's near enough. Dash is convinced there must be more in life for her than what she has, but where is it or who is it? She leaves, retreats to their summer cabin.

It comes as no surprise that recently Andrew hasn't found much joy in their relationship either. He's a college professor who likes quiet, and order in his life. He certainly didn't want the abandoned puppy they found on their doorstep! He thinks with Dash gone he can concentrate on his work and enjoy a peaceful existence.....for a change.

Gaffney tells her story in alternate points of view as we learn more about both Dash and Andrew and, as it evolves, they learn more about themselves and each other. How strong are love's ties? What brought them together 20 years ago?

It would seem almost logical that in an almost two character story an audio version would have a male and a female voice. This is not the case, and actress Laural Merlington does a splendid job of reflecting both personalities, their hopes and their dreams. Many will remember her for vivid narrations of Acts of Malice, Back On Blossom Street, Beautiful Dreamer, etc. Merlington is an experienced performer who always delivers her best in a voice both supple and smooth.

- Gail Cooke

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warm, witty, wise, and wonderful, June 15, 2008

By 

D. K. Stokes - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mad Dash: A Novel (Hardcover)

Patricia Gaffney's women's fiction books are a real challenge for me. I can't resist them, because she's such a fabulous writer, and because she's witty and wise and, well, I don't think it's exaggerating much to call her a goddess. On the other hand, it's women's fiction. In general, it's the one genre I loathe. At best, it's serious. At worst, it's whiny women who blame men for all their problems. It's a good thing I love Gaffney, because otherwise I'd hate her. Not only does she make me read women's fiction... she makes me love it.

Dash and Andrew have been married nearly 20 years. He's a stuffy history professor, she's a free-spirited photographer. Dash's mother died recently, and now their only child is going off to college. Then a puppy shows up on their doorstep. Dash wants to keep it; Andrew's allergic. Dash and the puppy move out, going to their cottage.

Andrew: She's leaving me? Over a puppy?
Dash: How can he not see that it's not about the puppy?

I'd venture to say that most long-married couples will recognize the spirit behind their confusion--Pat has human nature down so well that these characters feel utterly real.

Like many couples in their situation, they've taken each other for granted, focused on their careers, their children, their aging parents, and when that outside focus is taken away, they find themselves married to someone they don't know, and maybe don't even like all that much. And the women (though this could apply to men, too, but in this case, it's Dash) discover that after years of devoting themselves to other people--husband, parents, children--there's nothing left of themselves.

How Dash and Andrew cope with the separation and learn and grow and find themselves and each other again is a story full of warmth and humor and pain and love and realism. It's truly a wonderful book.

All the moreso because it brought me to an odd realization about myself, which was both uncomfortable and inspiring.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.