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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Hate when they end book Leaving you wondering. So many are doing this.
I really couldn’t get into this book. The plot is ok, characters are ok. I made it half way through and decided it wasn’t for me. That’s just my opinion.
Not my favorite. I found myself unable to really get into the story; it seemed plodding and I couldn’t see anything interesting developing, alas. So I did not finish it. Maybe it gets better…
Ok book. Too much history.
Silly piece of fluff,but some interesting medical details not all of which is accurate.
Never have I read a book with such a ending. I just knew it had to get better with the reviews I read, but I was mistaken. I have never given a one star before and I don’t take this lightly.
This book is about a marriage that has almost disintegrated due to misunderstandings, inattention, and the inability of each partner to try or WANT to understand the other on a meaningful level. That said, there’s probably a lot that’s typical of many marriages in this story. What’s unique: it takes place in suburban Boston, there is a poignant subplot about dealing with the pain of cancer in a loved one, and the story is replete with the family’s Judaic culture and traditions. I finished it, despite zooming through several sections at hyper-speed (my feeling is the book could easily stand to lose at least 50 pages), but it’s not likely I’ll return for a second read.
Too much emphasis on describing the wealth these people enjoy. Not enough character development. Main character got on my nerves as unrealistic about a great husband.
Did not enjoy it.
Thank you to BookSparks for sending me a copy!
In all honesty, I was bored with this story till about chapter 15. By that point, I WAS SUCKED IN!
From the synopsis alone, I knew it was going to be sad. After really getting invested in the characters and complicated relationships it’s both sad, real and endearing.
When I just started reading this, my feelings for the husband, Richard, was anger and confusion. As the book progressed, I understood why and I, along with Samantha discovered that their marriage breakdown wasn’t Richard’s fault.
Short review: this was an endearing look at the complexities within a family.