Mary Beth Keane

I read this book on a13 hour flight. from Paris to San Francisco and it help the time go quickly. I just finished reading another Keane novel which I enjoyed. This book deals with. marriage and all the ups and downs that make it both wonderful and not. It takes place in the same New York suburban town of Gillam as did ( Ask Again, Yes) her previous novel. Malcolm and Jess are married and the story is told through both of her their narratives and contains shifting time lines so it requires. attention on the part of the reader. It deals with different work. levels coming together(lawyer, bar owner) and the problems of living in your hometown where everybody knows everybody. I felt for Malcolm and Jess as they both tried to support the other's dream. The book threw in a side plot involving one of the bar's characters which worked for me and helped in tying up the novel. The book showed how having children, your own business, and living in. your childhood town are not black and white decisions and the grayness makes for interesting choices along with positive and negative outcomes. The book worked for me. Having read 2 Keane novels in a month, I strongly recommend her and will try to read everything she has written.… (més)

I read this book after hearing good reviews of her new book "The Full Moon". As it turns out I really enjoyed this book and got "The Full Moon" shortly afterward and finished that one so 2 books by the same author within a month. As to the book, this was an excellent "family saga". It surrounds 2 families of Irish Catholic policeman and covers a large span of time. Keane does an excellent job of flushing out all the key characters by shifting the narrator from chapter to chapter. This book touches on a lot of social issues that have taken prominence over the last 40-50 years. Although the book was almost 400 pages, it kept my interest. Keane is an excellent writer and I do intend to read all her other books. A worthwhile read.… (més)

Malcolm and Jess fell in love and Jess became pregnant. They married quickly, but sadly, Jess miscarried. Now, Jess is on a mission to have a baby. Malcolm has always loved the bar, The Half Moon, and agreed to purchase it from the owner. But, he didn't carefully consider the purchase, and he made the decision without telling Jess. The financial problems of the bar, the pressure that Jess feels to have a child, the temptation of people wanting both Malcolm and Jess continues to build until it becomes impossible to ignore.
Jess and Malcolm's story is one of navigating through the pressures of life, and trying to decide if it is worth being with the one you married. Emotional story from the first page.… (més)