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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Skillfully imagined, bittersweet portrait of marriage and sacrifice., July 24, 2006
This review is from: Sweet Ruin: A Novel (Hardcover)
`SWEET RUIN,' is a great read that is definitely meant for every woman. In this book exist 'real' women who experience normal feelings, temptations, failings, and successes. But, there are a few shockers thrown in to keep the story passed quickly.
As you read throughout this story you found that our heroine, Elayna, has an interesting past with her Mom, Dad and sister that continues to affect her presently. She finds herself and her daughter greatly enjoying their times of watching her young nephew. Elayna's sister is a real 'space case' herself. Elayna's best friend is feisty, funny and intensely loyal. She is also single, sexual, and loving her life. Then we have thrown in a much too typical overly protective, extremely organized and intensely opinionated day care provider, Pansy. And finally, we add in the cute young man across the street who gets Elayna's juices flowing. Nothing simple or commonplace follows the interactions of all these people.
The story flies along with emotion, humor, fearful moments, and testing trials. The book is amazingly great and innovative for what may seem, at first, like a typical 'chick lit'. It is a must read for women of all ages and stages of life. If nothing else you will fall in love with Elayna and her daughter. There are multiple issues that would be great for book group discussions and story telling amongst friends, especially on how she resolves her relationships with her husband, daughter, father, and deceased son will leave some readers nodding their heads in empathy and feeling empowered and others shaking their heads in skepticism and relieved she's not a real-life friend.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Falling into ruin, June 21, 2006
This review is from: Sweet Ruin: A Novel (Hardcover)
In New York Times best-selling author Cathi Hanauer's latest novel she takes readers into the mind of a thrity-something, wife and stay at home Mom, just coming back from a devastating tragedy. It has been two years since the death of Elayna Leopold-Slade's infant son Oliver, and only now is the fog of deep depression starting to lift. As winter turns to spring Elayna feels herself start to come alive again and is enjoying this newfound sense of freedom. As she begins to take focus on her work as a poetry editor, her 6 year old daughter Hazel is finding more independence and her loving but sometimes distant husband is working long hours, Elayna begins to use her time to refocus on herself. However, she soon finds this new Zen for life taking her down a road she never imagined, when she meets her young, handsome and very intriguing neighbor, Kevin. As she and Kevin form a friendship, she finds herself feeling things she thought died along with Oliver and finds him hard to resist.
'SWEET RUIN' is well written, thought-provoking and gives us great insight into the mind of a wife and mother trying to reconnect with pieces of herself that were pushed aside to take care of her family. As a wife and mother myself, I could completely relate to much of Elayna's thoughts about motherhood and marriage and how one can loose themselves in the chaos of it all. Hanauer has provided a very honest look at life and does not sugar coat the effects Elayna's actions have on her or her family. This book should be on everyone's must read list for this summer!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Having read all of the other reviews...., February 8, 2007
This review is from: Sweet Ruin: A Novel (Hardcover)
I was a bit saddened and then a bit defensive. As a suburban SAHM in her 30's with a young daugher and an overworked husband - I got this story. It spoke to me of the frustrations, temptations and feelings often buried so deeply that they are even hard to acknowledge yourself. I thought it was beautifully written and even though she didn't spell out all of Elayna's pain you could see it there under the surface and how she chose more often than not to push it down and plod on rather than wallow in it like her sister.
I'm not meaning to undermine everyone else's opinions because they are all valid - but merely point out a different viewpoint. I didn't find Elayna a spoiled brat of a wife or mother. I found her a very real woman with faults just like everyone else. She did have a wonderful life - a great husband - a wonderful kid - but something was missing. Some 'vitality' that she needed to regain. She chose a path that was destructive to do so - but it only makes her that much more human. Instead of burying herself in selfless acts of motherhood and a martyrdom of a marriage - she allowed herself to 'feel' again. Yes, her selfish choices did almost ruin her marriage and harm her daughter, but they were mistakes that people make. She regretted them and she worked to fix them.
I felt that Cathi Hanauer DOES understand how a woman thinks and feels. It might not be the thoughts and feelings of ALL women - but I think there are a lot of us out there that get where she is coming from and that she is spot on.
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