A Good Distance (Hardcover)

by Sarah Willis (Author) "When my mother moved in with us two months ago, she pounded on my arms with her fists like a little kid..." (more)
Key Phrases: San Francisco, Uncle Peter, Grandmother Francine (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
An artfully defiant work of fiction, A Good Distance stubbornly hews to the unruliness of life... -- The New York Times Book Review, June 13, 2004

Product Description
Jennifer has walked away from her ailing mother too many times. So instead of putting her in a home, she welcomes Rose into her house.

But her daughter and husband are less than pleased with Jennifer's decision: Rose often throws tantrums. But they all must be patient-because Rose's memories are delicate. They drift in and out of her reach, sometimes comforting her, sometimes tormenting her. Jennifer wants to know about these memories, to find out what went wrong between them-and whether it can still be made right...

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Hardcover (April 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425194264
• ISBN-13: 978-0425194263
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,007,690 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very moving, May 17, 2004

By A Customer

I found this book gripping, always both believable and surprising. Sarah Willis probes the way relationships can fracture and seem to crumble-- then come together again through some magical combination of time and will. I highly recommend A Good Distance for anyone interested in fine writing AND in the ways that families make their way through the most difficult of times.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dramatic , February 3, 2006

By	Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: A Good Distance (Paperback)

I was browsing through the bookstore after a doctor's visit recently and happened to see this book was next to one of my favorite author's books, and it sounded intriguing enough for me to buy it. It is.

It is beautifully written as it flips back and forth between two characters ~~ a daughter and her mother. Everyone thinks Rose, the mother, should be in a nursing home but Jennifer, her daughter didn't want her there. She wanted to try and rebuild her relationship with her mother before it was too late. So she takes Rose into her home against her husband and daughter's wishes. And over the course of a few months, Jennifer and Rose began a slow process of healing and letting the other know of her love. And Willis included the back history of the two starting from when Rose was a child to the present.

I love these kinds of books where the characters are both developed fully and where their histories are drawn out ... it makes me, as a reader, know the characters well and feel familiar with them. The author also explored the intricate relationship between mothers and daughters and why sometimes, it just seems too hard to get along. And why love hurts. And how love can set one free.

If you like mother/daughter relationship type books, you will love this one. It explores the dimensions of two different personalities who suddenly realized that they're very much alike too. It is also a book on life. Everyday life. It's realistic enough for you to feel that you are experiencing it. I wasn't expecting that at all though I was hoping for it! It is definitely a good read for all women.

2-2-06

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A touching, moving and beautifully written story, June 6, 2006

By	J. Green "nose4news" (Lawrenceville, Ga United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Good Distance (Paperback)

I finished this book last night and got to work this morning telling anyone who'd listen how wonderful it is.
I enjoy books written from different perspectives. The reader sees how memories can be molded to fit the needs of the person doing the remembering. When Alzheimer's plays a role in those memories, there is added even another layer.
Jennifer's mother, Rose, comes to live with Jennifer, her daughter and Jennifer's husband of 3 years. Jennifer has been a disappointment to Rose and wants to make amends, seek and give forgiveness. The toll it takes on her marriage and the impact Rose's presence has on her own daughter, and how Jennifer views her responsibility as a mother is another interesting part of the story.
The book is told from first person, when Jennifer is narrating, and third person when told from Rose's perspective. We also get a piece of Rose's childhood and learn she faced similar problems as Jennifer when she was young and we know Rose when she was newly married, having babies and, later, widowed young with three young children and starting to date again.
The author brilliantly works memories into Rose's Alzheimer's-suffering mind that the reader soons learns will be addressed in later chapters.
I can't speak highly enough of this book.