Customer Reviews

The Three Mrs. Parkers

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

 

 

This newest novel by Joan Medlicott is superb. The Three Mrs. Parkers follows the lives of three women as they come together to live with each other in the foothills of the mountains near the border of North Carolina and South Carolina. There are many controlling factors that bring each of them to this joining of their lives, and this is a place and circumstance that neither of them would have thought possible.

Winifred, at age 75, is the oldest of the Parker women and she has traveled the longest distance to reach what she hopes will be a refuge for her in Salem, South Carolina. There she plans to live out her days with her widowed daughter-in-law, fifty-two-year-old Zoe Parker, at Zoe's invitation. However, what Zoe doesn't realize is that Winifred's health is rapidly declining.

Zoe's telephone call asking Winifred to come was quite an unexpected opportunity for Winifred. Unexpected because she and Zoe had never liked each other and hadn't been in contact for years. Winifred had never accepted Zoe as her son's wife and had cut all ties with both of them shortly after the wedding. However, just as Winifred has an agenda so does Zoe. Zoe badly needs money to keep her from losing the beautiful mountain home that was left to her by her own parents; Winifred could provide the needed finances for that.

The third Parker woman is Katie, Zoe's daughter. Winifred, by her own choice, has never met Katie, although she is her only grandchild. Katie is a young divorcée and has come to Salem following the death of her 9-year-old brain damaged daughter, Laurie Ann. She needs her mother's help to heal and a quiet place to grieve.

***** Joan Medlicott has a knack for getting inside the feelings and dreams of her characters in a way that allows the reader to completely understand and empathize with each of them, and I especially liked the paring of these three remarkable women. As they learn to live together and help each other, these three women redefine the meaning of struggle, compromise, forgiveness, and love.

This story is not "another gentle read," as some like to say. It is HIGH DRAMA as it tells the stories of these women's lives. I have to confess that I was not prepared for the obstacles these women had to overcome, and I certainly didn't expect to be sitting on the edge of my seat wishing I could bite my nails - but I was! Bring it on, Joan! *****

A wonderful story about a middle-aged widow in danger of losing her family's home, who must swallow her pride and turn to her snobbish mother-in-law, a woman who turned her back on her own son when he "married beneath him", for financial assistance. In return, the ailing mother-in-law must face coming down off her high horse and recognizing her late son's wife for the wonderful person she is. Mediating the reconciliation is a woman grieving the death of her handicapped daughter, who helps both her mother and grandmother forgive past hurts and move forward together, all while healing her own pain.

This is my first experience with this author, and it surely won't be my last. This is a very well-written story, told from the heart, of love, life and forgiveness. I felt a strong emotional connection to the characters as they worked through their differences and come to a greater understanding of the other.

When Zoe Parker is in danger of losing the house and land bequeathed to her by her parents, she asks her mother in law for financial assistance. Widowed Zoe and her mother in law Winifred, have always been at loggerheads, with Winifred insisting that her late son married beneath him, and, because of her stubborness and pride, has cut off contact with Zoe and her daughter, Katie. Saying that she would need to see the property before investing her money and, not mentioning the fact that she has a serious illness looming, she comes for a visit and immediately puts everyone's back up with her domineering ways and arrogance. Katy has also moved in with her mother after the death of her severely handicapped daughter, but without knowing any of the details of Winifred's hurtful attitude to Zoe and her refusal to help in the years following the death of Zoe's husband, cuts through the barrier of years to become very attached to her grandmother. This is the story of three generations of women of the same family, trying to bond, trying to forgive and trying to make sense of their lives at this point. I don't know that I'd be quite as forgiving to such a hurtful person, even if I did know her background and some of the reasons for her behaviour, but then, perhaps I'm not of such a generous spirit as these women!

In the Covington series, there are three ladies who live together. In "The Three Mrs. Parkers" there are 3 generations of ladies living together. They both take place in the Carolinas and the women all begin with problems from their past which seem to quickly disappear as the books progress. The women in both books like to entertain their neighbors who are close and supportive. This book has a theme of forgiveness, but at times it seems that forgiveness comes too easily after being held onto for many years. There is also an overly-dramatic scene of violence which doesn't seem to have a logical motive. The oldest Mrs. Parker seems to have a change of personality that is sudden and unexplained. Diehard Joan Medlicott fans will still probably enjoy this book.

As usual, Joan Medlicott, has given us another of her "gentle reads" with her newest book, "The Three Mrs. Parkers". The main characters are of varying ages but within the same family. They all have their demons but circumstances bring them together and they each begin to realize that their futures are filled with wonderful possibilities. A theme that threads through all of Joan Medlicott's novels is that of the friendships between women and how these friendships sustain them in good times and bad.

Joan Medlicott's writing style appeals to me, so after enjoying many of the Covington series books by this author, I decided to read the Three Mrs. Parkers. I would have given it five stars if not for a couple of contradictions I noticed early on.
Example:
Page 58, near the end of the fifth paragraph, it reads,
"Remembering that event comforted Katie, and she had not wept when the marble urn was placed into the grave".
As soon as I read that sentence, I thought wait a minute, that doesn't seem right. So I looked back at the page covering the graveside service, and found this on the third paragraph of page 23: "When the urn was placed into the earth and covered with soil, Katie sobbed".
Little contradictions like that affect the flow of the book for me, as I can't stop myself from going back through the pages to try and verify facts. Then when things don't match up it's distracting. There was another contradiction also, but I'm sure you get the picture without me typing that one out too.
Now to address the violent scene that put some of the other reviewers off, I guess it didn't bother me like it did them. To me, it was a classic case of 'bad guy gets what's coming to him'. I thought that part added a quick juicy tidbit to a story that was otherwise a very easy un-stressful read.
I won't waste words on what the story is actually about, as that is well covered in other reader and editorial reviews.
Suffice it to say, I would not hesitate to read more about these characters if the author decides to write any sequels. All in all, I'm glad I read it. If it weren't for the couple of distracting contradictions, I would have given this book five stars!

While the novel was just 'ok'; I have to ask: Who was the author? This book was not Joan Medlicott's style of writing. I was disappointed and glad I hadn't paid for the book but instead found it at the library.

This was a fast read book. It was the fourth Joan Medliclott book that I have read. I enjoyed the detail she gave of the countryside and the people in the book. I plan to buy more of her books.

Ingredients:
1 aging widow with hidden illness and secrets aplenty
1 middle-aged widow (daughter-in-law to the aging widow) with plenty of secrets of her own
1 young widow (daughter and granddaughter of the first two widows)with a tragic background

Mix together until a lumpy dough forms. Add a token male hero, a few well-intentioned neighbors, a heinous villain, an I-could-see-it-coming climactic moment. Place in a rural southern US setting, and voila!

This generational story tells of three women, each a product of her upbringing, and what they bring to the lives of each other. Secrets aplenty abound but they aren't given depth. For three women to overcome their stubborness and meld as one family it takes a lot more than these three give to the plot.

I thought Maudie was the best character in the book and she's just a nurse. We learn more about her, her Irish upbringing, and her mam than should be needed for a secondary character.

I think this story has possibilities that needed to be fleshed out and broadened. The writing was okay, the story okay (easy to read but leaving one with a 'so what?' attitude), and that's why I've given it three stars. Okay?

Joan does it again, she is absolutley a fabulous story teller. I recommend any and all of her books , she has become my favorite author and I look forward to Dec 08 for her newest to come out.