The first section of this book was one of the best opening sections to any book I’ve ever read. It happens sometimes, when I pick up a book by someone I haven’t previously heard of, and think “wow, this is amazing”, and immediately know I want to read everything else they have ever written. It happened with this one – such great writing, hopping from subject to subject with ease, ignoring what is boring and concentrating on what is interesting, imagery that helped rather than hindered. I loved that it fooled me, too – having read the synopsis and then the first section I was thinking: “OK, so what’s the big problem?” and then I got to the end of the chapter and immediately went back and read through it again and sure enough, the clues were there.

The next couple of chapters continued this powerful writing, but it was once the book reached the halfway mark that I began unexpectedly to fall out of love with it. It was as though all its messages had been conveyed in that first half and all that was left was to go over and over old ground. I found I had less and less interest in Joan’s life in the 1970s; having been told “I was very very beautiful” and “I was very very clever” so many times it was like a mantra, now we were being told “I was very promiscuous”, and it was a bit like being beaten around the head with a blunt instrument.

So, a book of two halves. So much promise, humour and interest at the start but a bit of an anti-climax to finish, and one I was ultimately glad to put down. Was it worth it? On balance, I think yes ( )

Sometimes the book gods mean well. I picked this up because it was on sale and sounded somewhat interesting. I had never heard of either the book or the author and had no idea I was in for such an engrossing read. Descriptions hardly do it justice -- it's a book about love and longing; about what we want in life and about the handicaps we all have, particularly those not visible to others. Do buy this book, even if it's not on sale -- it will be worth every penny.

Ms. Hardy does an excellent job of setting her reader up for a number of surprises right at the beginning. She plays a variety of short 'scenes' to introduce the main character - some of which happen at the end of the chronological tale and some at the first - and it takes most of the novel before the reader can sort them all out. Although this is just the barest taste, it does give a bit of a feel to the experience of John - how his life is turned upside down. I so enjoyed watching John, and his mother, Joan, make some sense of the tragedy that befell them and to watch the alchemy of time do what healing it can do. Lots to think about with this book. ( )

An affecting novel about choices and how one's life can be altered in a moment. Joan is a single mother, beautiful, talented and desired. For her son's birthday they decide on a shopping trip to the city but unfamiliar with the locale a wrong turn sets in place a turn of events that reverberate with devestating results.

What I loved about this novel is the relationship between a mother and son after a tragic event and how they try to overcome both physical and emotional damage. Joan's diary entries that form a journal for John is heartfelt and it might be wise to have a box of tissues handy! ( )

I absolutely adored this book and couldn't put it down. Unusual, thought provoking and beautifully told. ( )