Samantha—the fashionable wife of a successful businessman and doting mother of one—struggles to negotiate the spheres of intimacy between her husband and her family of origin. Samantha loves her husband, Richard, and she loves her sister, Elizabeth. But the two of them can barely exist in the same room, which has caused the entire family years of emotional distress. Yet it’s not until Samantha’s … Samantha’s sister is diagnosed at age forty-three with lung cancer that her family and her marriage are tipped into full-blown crisis.
A story of love, loss, forgiveness, learning to live with grief, and healing, Appearances will resonate with anyone who has ever experienced tension in their familial relationships—even as it serves as a poignant reminder that no amount of privilege can protect us from family conflicts, marital difficulty, or mortality.
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This was an interesting read, Believable characters, as well as a plot that was a bit different. The love between sisters as well as their extended families really pulled it together. It was very visual and I could really see what these families went through every day.
This book beautifully describes the little frictions that do occur in most families. We try to keep our relationships on the same level within our circle of in-laws, cousins, etc., but sometimes the chemistry is there; sometimes not. We find we have more in common with a particular aunt, while just having a conversation with another is always difficult. This does happen,…. and it was interesting to read about it in a fictional family. I very much enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. NOMY MARGALIT
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Great book would recommend
Realistic story about the bond between two sisters and the crack in one marriage.
Learned a lot about Jewish ways. Disappointed in the parents lack of support and attention to the sister that was doing everything. Like the way they worked at keeping their marriage together.
Absolutely wonderful book. And definitely my favorite read ever on BookBub. Cannot wait to read her second book! What a talent.
Such a great read!
I enjoyed most of the book, cried and cheered. Learned A lot about Judaism but maybe too much detail.
Loved this book. Would recommend.
What a beautiful bond between sisters.
I found, at the end, I wanted more. I felt like there was more to say about the family dynamics. Other than that I found you could smile, cry and curse.
One must learn to forgive and let bad stuff go. Jake seemed unable to do that and I feel, because of that, his daughters were missing a great deal of interaction with Elizabeth’s family.
I couldn’t put this book down. It seemed so true to life. At times I wanted to shake Samantha and tell her to pay attention to her hurting husband. The characters were all so strong willed that it seemed sad to me, yet very real. They all had their own issues. I had a bit of trouble understanding that the bond of sisters preempted everything else and that even the daughter had to be involved everyday. Regardless, the author captured me!
Appearances appeared … and I could not put it down. Layered with the complexities of human relationships, this is a delicate book, a fine read. Appearances takes you by the hand and pulls you into the dynamic of an intimate family circle. You won’t want it to end.
Appearances gets to the heart of what happens when illness interrupts the good life of a seemingly close family: it strains the bonds of a fraying marriage and tests the love of two impossibly close sisters: one sick, the other trying to prepare for life without her. A tense and moving drama about loss and love and what matters most.
Sondra Helene captures the fragility of human relationships, in all their forms. How brief we are here, how complicated, and how little time there is to put on pretense.
Great study of people with severe relationship insecurities making everyone involved uncomfortable and uneasy. Samantha’s relationship with her sister Elizabeth makes things worse. After almost causing the breakup of their marriage, the Freeman’s both individually recognize that the don’t want the marriage to fail each works on themselves so they have a chance of saving their marriage.
Great story about Samantha and her sister, Elizabeth. It was so realistic it makes you think it’s a true story about this family. Must read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great story of traumatic brain injury and living with the results. She is an inspiring woman.
Insider view of a stereotypical dysfunctional Jewish family. The nuclear family takes precedence over spouses, and children. This book shows the anxiety and tension which results.
I was expecting more from this book. Having gone through chemo and radiation with a sister who is still battling cancer, I found the book to be too simplistic in dealing with this type of situation.