Customer Reviews

A Time To Tell

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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How long can secrets and lies stay buried, and what damage can they do to innocent lives? A Time To Tell explores fifty years in the life of Cara Hughes. Cara's doomed love affair and suicide attempt are a riveting start to the book, and author Maria Savva launches us into the family's problems fifty years later. Widowed and disabled, Cara is shunted from her granddaughter Penelope's home when Penelope's husband escalates his abusive behavior. Two of Cara's children are embroiled in their own family problems, and her son Benjamin has been missing since he assaulted his own wife years before. Cara's only choice is to return to the small English town where she grew up, to stay with her sister from whom she is long estranged after a betrayal in their younger years.

The tightly tangled strands of this family's past are teased apart in response to the turmoil of the present. As long-hidden truths are revealed, denial and confrontation explode and redemption is by no means assured. But even when the story is at its darkest, the family holds its course to find the truth at the origin.

Savva's narrative style is simple and low-key with much of the complex back-story revealed in dialogue. There is a great deal of high-drama action, and though the events of the story create their own dramatic tension, the tone does not vary with the emotional content quite as much as I would have preferred. Yet this makes for a fast, story-centered read that I could not put down.

In real life we may or may not get a second grab at the brass ring, but A Time To Tell had me believing in the possibility. Cara and her family peel back the layers until they find a core of truth and love. Like the characters in the book, the reader is rewarded. I congratulate Maria Savva on this absorbing family saga.

Linda Bulger, 2008

Maria Savva writes beautifully. What is most outstanding in this book is how the author so compassionately and sensitively weaves some dark secrets into the plot about family and human relationships. With depth and complexity, she tells about the life story of Cara from her teenage years, well into adulthood and into her old age. The story captures the reader's attention from the first. It starts with a suicide attempt by Cara when she was around 18 years old, fortunately she was rescued. She awakens and a young man named Billy is hovering over her. She believes he rescued her. Later, their friendship turns into love and they marry ... and have several children, all of whom have ginger colored hair, like their parents *except* for Benjamin,the oldest, who has piercing eyes and jet black hair. Billy is certain Benjamin resembles his own grandmother who had the same black colored hair. Benjamin suffers terribly for "being different" as bullies in the schoolyard pick on him and he buries his anger ever more deeply, unable or unwilling to tell his parents. He becomes a difficult angry young man ...with behavior problems.

What Billy never knew is why Cara attempted suicide. The fact is, the rescuers may all have interpreted the event as an accidental fall over a cliff. Not long before the suicide attempt, Cara had met a handsome young man named Frederick. They saw each other secretly for several months, it turned into a physical love affair. And then a bomb was dropped, Frederick told Cara he was already married and had a family. She was devasted, not just because she fell in love with him but because she discovered she was pregnant with his child. He never had a chance to find out ...

Next, Cara is in her 70s and reminiscing about her life. She has multiple sclerosis and is wheelchair bound, living with her granddaughter Penelope. Unfortunately, she often hears yelling between Penny and her husband Dave. Often, it is so loud, she turned the sound up on the television to drown out their words. Cara asked Penny about this but Penny dismissed it as nothing ... until one day, Penny packed up the children, told Cara also to pack her things, that they were moving to Huddlesea (where Cara had lived as a child and grew up). Penny tearfully admitted her *true* problems with Dave.

In Huddlesea, Penny dropped Cara off to live with her sister Gloria ... to whom she had not spoken in about 50 years. No one in the family knew why they had a falling out. Cara felt abandoned and hoped she cold tolerate the arrangement, otherwise she would call her daughter to get her (despite there not being enough room to live at her daughter's house). As a teenager, Cara had shared personal information about her best friend Bea (Beatrice) with Gloria, hoping for some good advice to help her best friend. Instead, Gloria spread some awful news about Bea. It is very sad how Bea died ... Cara blamed Gloria. The author brings together these two elderly sisters after about 50 years and helps each one understand the problems they were grappling with emotionally which were not shared at the time. After fifty years, they learn about each other's thoughts and feelings and why each did what they did.

Most fascinating and astonishing is how the author pulls Benjamin back into the family's life. Benjamin had in anger pushed his wife down the stairs and stormed out of the house, never to return. After fifteen years, Cara discovers her long lost son Benjamin and learns about his new life. Most surprising of all, is how Cara's first true love, Frederick returns into her life. It is through an astonishing coincidence related to Penny's life that he meets Cara again. Initially Cara opposed meeting Frederick after so many long, lost and painful years of separation. Yet, after she listens to him, she views past events from an altogether different perspective. Time may not heal all wounds but a loving sensitive person who reenters one's life ... just might. This is a most highly recommended book. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

Family secrets abound in this saga, which spans more than fifty years of the life of Cara Hughes. Beginning with the trauma of her first romantic relationship and her subsequent attempted suicide, the story traces the circuitous journey through marriage, motherhood, illness, old age and the interaction that occurs along the way.

Her relationship with her sister is strained due to an incident that occurred while Cara was a teenager, and she suddenly finds herself having to face the past when the two are thrown together after years of animosity. As the layers are peeled away, dark secrets start revealing themselves until the truth is finally out there.

Cara's children and grandchildren also have tumultuous lives, into which not only rain shall fall, but also abuse, illness and even more secrets hidden from each other and the rest of the dysfunctional family circle.

A bit long-winded in places, and with some uneven dialogue, this novel has so many characters that you may need to make notes to keep them straight. However, it succeeds in reinforcing the concept of the strength of the family unit even in times of adversity, and that first love, never, ever, ever dies.

Rated: 3.5 stars

Amanda Richards, March 29, 2008

Set in the UK between the early 1950s and the present date, the story follows young Cara Hughes and the events which unfolded due to choices she made early in her life. Cara grew up in the small town of Huddlesea. Everyone knew everyone else. But Cara fell in love with Freddie, a stranger to the area, and a brief love affair began. It ended in tragedy and Cara jumped off Stoneleigh Cliffs, an attempt at suicide. Needless to say, Cara lived; a few months later she married Billy Edwards. Cara and Billy raise three children. Ben is the first. Cara was never sure if Ben's father were Freddie or Billy and she never told another her suspicions. It did not matter. Catherine and James were the names of their other two children. All is quiet, until Billy died due to wrecking his car. (Here I must skip quite a bit for fear of giving away spoilers.)

Ben married a lady named Margaret and had two daughters, Penny and Jemima. Ben was often in a rage and abused his wife. Before the girls were ten-years-old, Ben pushed his wife down the stairs. Believing Margaret dead, he ran, leaving his family behind. (Now I must skip again for the fear of giving possible spoilers away.)

Penny married David, who was abusive to her verbally, mentally, and physically. By now Cara had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis for about thirty years. Cara had lived with Penny and David, in an upstairs room, for five years. When David hit one of their kids for the first time, Penny decides to take the children and go into hiding. Cara's estranged sister, Gloria, took over her care. Secrets began coming from all sides. Everyone seemed to have dark secrets, hidden away, never to see the light of day. But Fate brings everyone slowly together. The full truth from each person will be told, no matter how ugly. Finally they all must face the fact that it was time to tell.

**** There are many characters to keep track of in this story. I resorted to writing down names, relations, and notes. It was the only way I could keep everyone straight. My synopsis only touches the main names; however, there are about to twenty people for readers to meet and comprehend. It can be overwhelming at times. The story does not simply follow the lives of the key players. The story jumps to the past very often, giving flashbacks so readers may fully understand what is happening in the current date. My main problem with the story is that the character of Cara seemed a coward through the entire book. She is fast to give advice, insisting it be taken, but when faced with very similar circumstances, Cara is unwilling to take her own advice.

All-in-all, this story shows how important family can be, even when the worst happens. It shows that even though some lies are told and truths are hidden in the name of protecting loved ones, those same lies and omissions can come back with devastating effects. It story also shows that it is never too late to find love. Maria Savva writes tales that will remain in her readers' minds for a long time after they finish the story. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

An exploration of how being a victim once can cascade throughout generations within the same family, each generation sure that theirs is the only one with the problem. Maria Savva explores the depth of both the abuser and the abused without the great dramatics of Oprah. Instead, she steps into the issues softly and gently as if your grandmother's hand led you to discover the deepest secrets that no one ever really should have kept.

A Time to Tell flows perfectly between the time lines of all three generations. Through the eyes of the crippled and gentle matriarch of the family, we are led into the very depths of each individual. This is not a matriarch that complains loudly, but instead watches in a confused helplessness as her children and her children's children work through issues that take lifetimes to accumulate and heartache to unravel.

Beautifully written. Wonderfully understanding of the real issues of abuse from so many perspectives. While it doesn't rage with Oprah's talk show melodramatics, it should be on Oprah's to be read list.

What a family! Everyone has his or her own dysfunctional way of dealing with a situation whether it is suicide, alcoholism or abuse. Each person's inability to cope is fascinating, while at the same time, mundane. Assumingly set in an average class of people, the seemingly extraordinary behavior becomes ordinary. What happens within the family and behind closed doors is swept away and neatly hidden, or expressed as a private matter that will be dealt with, but never really is. The people presumably in control are actually out of control. Finger pointing, guilt and denial add to the cyclic, repetitious story that plagues the family for generations. This disconnect is well portrayed and leaves the reader questioning who is to blame and wondering who is truly responsible?

The only drawback is the repetition does become a little redundant, but this is a matter of style and personal taste. I interpret it as a creative liberty and can appreciate the approach rather than be critical of the sentence structure. The content is there and upon further examination I think the style could be an interesting topic for discussion. How does it add or distract from the telling of the story?

I found Maria Savva's novel, "A Time to Tell" compelling and looked forward to reading it every day, (I very often found it difficult to put down! Always a good indication of a good read.) It is a solid, complex story that rolls along with a steady, and at times, breathless pace. It has a distinct, emotional voice that speaks from Cara's point of view that is clearly from her generation. Cara is hobbled by the psychological second-guessing of her actions in the past, which is a chronic aspect of the human condition, we're all guilty of some bad decision that we regret, and it's painful to fess up because we fear how others will react to such news. The occasional shift to a different character's perspective to examine another side to the story is an element that I appreciate (because there's always more than one side to a story), but it wasn't consistently used enough throughout to be a natural rhythm of the narrative, therefore, it caused a few `wait a minute' wobbles for me, mostly because Cara's presence is so dominate. There were times I wished that the telling of the story could have slowed down a little, sometimes I felt a bit hungry for more "meat", but that's just me, I enjoy gnawing on well written details. I felt this way especially in places where it was rapid-fire dialogue as it careened toward the end; I found myself skittering along looking for a place to catch my mental breath. When I reached the end, I said "Whew!" And then proceeded to back-track to reread what I just went through, I saw that all the pieces to the puzzle were there, but they fit loosely. Looking back further, there is a distinct difference between the earlier chapters of the book and the last ten or so. I'm not saying that this is bad or good, as I've found this style in other books as well, the endings tend to be more streamlined to herd the reader toward the finish. The ending itself was cleanly broken off, leaving the reader with a sense that life (such as it is) goes on after the book is finished, even though it isn't quite a pretty picture, but the implication is there that things will be all right (eventually)--the beauty of art imitating life, a timeless and contemporary novel. I say, Well done, Maria Savva!

Wow! `A time To Tell' is a potent story that packs a punch. From the very beginning, we are drawn in by Cara Hughes dramatic, failed suicide attempt. What follows is an emotionally charged page turner spanning over 50 years of Cara's life. Maria Savva is an exceptional storyteller, bringing the many colorful characters to life as they face some of the darker issues, which trouble today's society. Abusive relationships, secrets, betrayal and ultimately forgiveness is wrapped up this wondrous tale of family life.

I recommend this highly entertaining book to lovers of great stories.

Maria Savva's A Time To Tell was beautifully written. It's a story that follows an aging old woman who travels through all her memories in present tense. It's about losing love- making sacrifices- learning to love again- caring for people who make mistakes- forgiveness- and learning to accept others, including all of their falicies.

A Time To Tell was also about miscommunication. In the story, we witness Cara, the aging storyteller, being neglected. She is old and has mulitple sclerosis, so cannot take care of herself. However, her mind is in full capacity and is reeling from memories that have shaken up her life and resurfaced over a short period of a few months. It seems that all comes crashing down at the same time. Loss of a family member, divorces within her children's lives, abuse, neglect and recovery. It seems that no one is really listening to her, or to her needs. Most of the story takes place in her thoughts- she hardly ever speaks her mind.

This is frustrating for me to read because I like to say what I think. I'm just that kind of person. I wanted to scream at her: "Tell them! Tell them what you really think and how they are making you feel!" No one deserves to be ignored.

Many of the characters are so caught up in their own lives that they simply don't see what is all around them.

Forgiveness is a very difficult trait to learn... and then to take use of.

A Time To Tell, I feel, is completely about forgiveness. Many things take place in a person's life. The decisions are made at the time, with what information is held on hand, and with the resources that are available.

It leads to my personal motto: "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Live and let live. Forgive and move on. You cannot stew forever on what "could have been." It is, and you can't change it. You can only learn to live with the situation and cope with its consequences.

Savva writes to open your heart, open your mind, and allows you to see inside the lives of her main character, Cara.

Lovely.

Thank you Maria Savva for reminding us all that the novel is still alive and well!

'A Time to Tell' begins with the attempted suicide of Cara Hughes; In love with, and carrying the child of a man she's just learned is already married. Spanning some 50 years and weaving a complex, multi-generational saga of love, family, relationships, abuse and healing, Maria Savva's tale can trace its roots back to the classic novels of the Bronte sisters -- though as compelling and thoroughly entertaining as a runaway bestseller such as 'The Thorn Birds.'

A great novel rich in theme and scope; brought to life by a masterful storyteller. Maria Savva is a rising star on the horizon by whose light we can all chart our literary course.