Without a Backward Glance [Mass Market Paperback]

Kate Veitch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 24, 2008

A new voice in the tradition of Anne Tyler and Anita Shreve

Christmas Eve 1967: the night the lives of the McDonald children, Deborah, Robert, James, and Meredith, changed forever. Th eir mother, Rosemarie, told them she was running out to buy more lights for the tree. Instead, she boarded a plane bound for London, leaving the children with their father and the gnawing question: Why did their mother abandon them?

Over the years the siblings have become practiced in concealing their pain, remaining close into adulthood and forming their own families. But long-closed wounds are reopened and secrets that each sibling has locked away come to light, as their father progresses into dementia and James encounters Rosemarie after nearly forty years of her absence. Veitch’s family portrait reveals the joys and sorrows, the complexity and ambiguity of family life, and poignantly probes what it means to love and what it means to leave.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

On Christmas Eve 1967, Rosemarie McDonald walks out the door of her suburban Melbourne home, leaving her husband behind to raise their four children: Deborah, the eldest at almost 13 and default mother; Robert, the compulsive worrier; James the peacemaker even at eight; and Meredith, the perpetual baby. Decades later, the children have forged their own families, but remain trapped in their original roles and are still somehow waiting for word from Rosemarie. When James rediscovers her on a trip to London, they are all faced with confronting their betrayer, and themselves, and possible forgiveness. Published under the title Listen in Veitch's native Australia, the novel's omniscient narration eavesdrops on the inner lives of each family member and their different ways of coping with abandonment—not all of them healthy. What emerges is a heartfelt yet unsentimental portrait of a family undone by a mother's desire, and its struggle to find ways to keep going and keep together. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Similar to Anne Tyler in her wry affection for her characters and to Anita Shreve in her aptitude for crafting compulsively readable plotlines, first-novelist Veitch delivers a remarkably assured debut that is sure to find a ready audience. The McDonald children have never really recovered from their mother’s abandonment—she walked out on Christmas Eve in 1967. The Australian siblings continue to carry into adulthood the emotional scars of betrayal, which are only exacerbated now that their father is exhibiting the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The eldest, Deborah, has become a cold perfectionist, while the youngest, Meredith, drinks away her sorrows. Steady Robert, a happily married family man, suffers from a severe case of OCD, while James, a wealthy painter, fails to ever fully engage in his life and his relationship with his supportive wife. When James unexpectedly finds their mother, now a successful clothing designer living in England, the siblings must work through their issues in preparation for a family reunion. With its brisk pacing and compassionate take on human failing, this absorbing novel is sure to win many fans. --Joanne Wilkinson

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 371 pages
• Publisher: Plume (June 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452289475
• ISBN-13: 978-0452289475
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,188,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quick read, good family drama, but frustrating, August 30, 2008

By 

S. Schaub "StephSHB" (Hermosa Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Without a Backward Glance (Mass Market Paperback)

*SPOILER ALERT* I couldn't put this book down, having found the dialogue and plot so intriguing. While I didn't like most of the characters, I still felt obliged to look deeper. Deborah was particularly fascinating for her bitterness, her own clear lack of a mothering instinct (seems she had had enough mothering by default in her younger years), her attraction to feminism, and perhaps the most shocking outcome in my opinion - that *she* ended up the family villian for a time when Rose re-entered the picture. In fact, that's the key point that I found most frustrating - the kids' ultimate acceptance of Rose and Alex's complete lack of recall of his wife's abandonment meant Rose essentially "got away with it," despite the wreckage she left behind over the decades. But I still find myself wondering, what baggage would the kids be holding had their depressed, outward-looking, dissatisfied mother stuck around? How much better or worse would it have been for each family member?

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SUPERB!, August 11, 2008

By 

Mary M. Wanser (Bradenton, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Without a Backward Glance (Mass Market Paperback)

A page-turner! Looking forward to a sequel! Complex characters we can all relate to. Impressive for a first-time novelist.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Book Club Discussion Book!, July 16, 2008

By 

Julie Peterson "Booking Mama" (Central PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Without a Backward Glance (Mass Market Paperback)

This book deals with a very compelling (and sometimes difficult) storyline -- a mother who abandons her four children and her husband on Christmas Eve. I hesitate to admit this, but at the beginning of the novel when the mother was sharing her feelings, I could almost relate to some of what she was saying. I have to say that I would never leave my husband and children; in fact, I don't even have those thoughts -- but this book definitely made me think about what makes some people act in these extreme ways. Is there something that pushes certain people over the edge; what separates them from "normal" people, are they really that different from the rest of us?

I really enjoyed how the author allowed the reader to see into the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the book. I felt as if I could understand each of them (notice I did not say like or even relate!) Each of the children were definitely affected in their own way by their mother's abandonment; and I found it fascinating to see how each one handled it -- especially since most of them were not healthy, constructive ways. I appreciated how this book dealt with the ultimate of family crises with a great deal of compassion and also with so much honesty.

I found myself very intrigued with this book. Despite not really liking most of the characters, I still felt sorry for them and wanted them to find some peace in their life (except for the mother, I positively hated her!) I enjoyed watching each of the characters "reconcile" with their mother and ultimately come to terms with her departure. I also liked seeing the dynamics between the children and their father as well as their interaction with each other! What was even more interesting to me was the relationships these children ended up having with their spouses and their children. It's incredible how one event (albeit a huge one) can have such long lasting effects on so many people!

I was thoroughly impressed with Ms. Veitch's writing -- it's hard to believe that she is a first time novelist! I found it very interesting that WITHOUT A BACKWARD GLANCE was published in Australia with a totally different cover (partial shot of a woman) and the title LISTEN. (I think I prefer the U.S. title, so I guess they did a good job with the U.S. marketing of this book.) Not only did I think that Ms. Veitch's told a wonderful story, but I also found that she wrote with so much honesty. I look forward to reading more from Kate Veitch in the future.