Brenda Lockhart’s family has been living well beyond their means for too long when Brenda’s husband leaves them—for an older and less attractive woman than Brenda, no less. Brenda’s never worked outside the home, and the family’s economic situation quickly declines. Oldest daughter Peggy is certain she’s heading off to a university, until her father offers her a job sorting mail while she attends … attends community college instead. Younger daughter Allison, a high school senior, can’t believe her luck that California golden boy Kevin has fallen in love with her. Meanwhile, the chatter about the O. J. Simpson murder investigations is always on in the background, a media frenzy that underscores domestic violence against women and race and class divisions in Southern California. Brenda, increasingly obsessed with the case, is convinced O. J. is innocent and has been framed by the LAPD. Both daughters are more interested in their own lives—that is, until Peggy starts noticing bruises Allison can’t explain. For a while, it feels to everyone as if the family is falling apart; but in the end, they all come together again in unexpected ways.
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The Lockhart Women is a debut novel by author Mary Camarillo. This novel follows the Lockhart family as they navigate some pretty intense life events. From divorce to undiagnosed mental illness to organized crime, this story just about covers it all. Each chapter is told from the perspective of the three girls of the Lockhart family: Brenda (mom), Peggy (daughter), and Allison (daughter) as they try to reconfigure their lives after their husband and father left.
As the story progresses, we learn more about the personal lives of the three Lockharts and the secrets they keep from each other. Drawing on real life events, the story takes place at the same time the infamous O.J. Simpson trial occurred. Using this memorable event in history gives readers a period reference and they can draw some parallels between those involved in the case and the characters in the story.
Camarillo’s writing was intriguing and fast paced, each chapter adds to to the adrenalin rushing plot build. This standalone novel was written in a way that doesn’t leave you with lingering questions. The author did an excellent job tying up loose ends and concluding certain character storylines. She also created each character in a way that you could vividly imagine them right in front of you. In many cases, I found myself relating to all three of the Lockhart women in some way.
The characters are very relatable and will appeal to a wide selection of readers. The Lockhart women are written in a way readers can put themselves in their shoes and experience their development beyond the page. There were only a few characters that I felt could have been developed further but they were not pivotal to the storyline.
The Lockhart Women, by Mary Camarillo, is a well developed story, has characters that are memorable, and enough action to keep the plot exciting and readers constantly guessing what could happen next.
This debut novel is one you will not want to miss. Mary Camarillo has a unique style that instantly enveloped me and kept me hooked for the entire story. Her characters were beautifully chiseled and came to life for me as I turned the pages of their story. Each page brought me something new and I loved that!
With a beautifully penned plot line and intricately woven details, I felt like I was watching a movie play out before me. I love when a book can do that for me! I loved how Camarillo added the O.J. Simpson trial into the story and gave it a pop!
If you are looking for a roller coaster of a read, a novel that will make you think, and make you chuckle a time or two, then you need to pick this one up. You’ll settle in with this book, turn page after page and before you know, you’ll be saying goodbye to these characters that have become family. Four stars and high recs for this one!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Author/Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.* Mary Camarillo
I enjoyed this book offset with the OJ Simpson car chase and trial. The three women are very different, and all three have heart-tugging lives. As you learn about each woman, you appreciate the depth of their connection as sisters with their mother and empathize with the changes going on in their lives. As a reader, you know things about the characters that the person they are talking to does not. It gives a deeper empathy to the story as a whole. Highly recommended if you want a good mother/daughter story.
A clever and intricate portrait of a mother and her daughters whose lives twist and turn against the backdrop of the OJ Simpson trial in 1995. Fantastically well-drawn characters – all the women are deeply flawed but likeable. I found myself rooting for them all. Highly recommended.
I couldn’t put this book down! “The Lockhart Women” beautifully explores the relationship between a mother and her two daughters and the evolution of them getting stronger within themselves. Mary Camarillo weaves a story that keeps you turning pages and wondering what will happen next. The book deals with issues about teen angst, divorce, relationships, abuse, and family love, amongst the backdrop of the O.J. Simpson trial which was very clever. The characters in “The Lockhart Women” will stay with me for a long time.
I LOVED this book. I can’t put my finger on it because it isn’t my typical read, but I was completely invested in these women. The author did a fantastic job with the writing and I was so intrigued with their lives being centered around the OJ trial. Told from 3 POVs-Brenda, Peggy, & Allison give us a glimpse into each of their lives as they navigate hardships that come their way. Despite being family and living together, they are so so different but all of them struggling to find their way. It will have you captivated in no time.
Thank you for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
This wonderful story delves into the complexity of families, and I just loved every moment of it. I found the three Lockhart women—Brenda, soon to be divorced, and her two teenage daughters—utterly compelling as they overcame their personal crisis’s and discovered how to love themselves and each other. The author has also cleverly interwoven the plot into a past time frame of the OJ Simpson murder trials, and this imbues the novel with a strong perspective on race, as the characters discuss the outcome with shifting viewpoints, as well as violence against women. A smart, funny engaging read.
This engaging novel is set in 1990s Southern California, a perfect backdrop for a middle-class family’s struggle to overcome divorce, quashed aspirations, alcohol and drugs, financial problems, and toxic relationships. That may sound daunting, but it’s riveting entertainment. The writing is spot-on realistic with a cinematic quality that keeps you turning the pages.
In the opening scene, the family encounters O.J. Simpson during his white Bronco post-murder flight down the San Diego Freeway. The O.J. thread, weaving throughout, provides a clever metaphor for the cultural angst of the time. In many ways, he’s also a perfect stand-in for some of the male characters in the novel.
The female characters—primarily a mom and her two teenage daughters—are lovable, flawed, and fully realized. I found myself routing for them like you do for beloved friends who never quite grasp the happiness they’re reaching for. And what a pleasure to cheer in the novel’s final, unexpected moments. As you close the book, you’ll wish you could visit these women again to see how they fare over their next ten years. Recommended as an enjoyable, satisfying read!
Camarillo does a really great job of writing a book about the lives of three women; one dealing with divorce, one with big dreams that come crashing down, and one who can never be anything but “perfect” but is a long way away from it.
I felt that this book was a realistic portrayal of the struggle hidden behind the perfect veneer of a middle-class suburban household. Secrets, betrayal, and overall mistrust run heavy throughout the story.
It also shows how women are pressured into being a certain way or doing certain things in order to feel worthy of love. Sometimes becoming someone else to feel special, to feel noticed, or important.
Living up to what you think others want of you or see in you, can be an unachievable goal. And just being honest, and finding yourself in a world that is always asking something of you, can make all the difference in the world.
Excellent debut novel with fully realized characters, fine attention to detail of time and place, and a plot line that skillfully follows three women—mother, Brenda, and her two daughters, Peggy and Allison—through the twists and turns of a family in crisis. All of this is set within the time frame of the O.J. Simpson car chase and the subsequent murder trial that captivated the nation. Brenda, who is struggling to come to terms with a divorce that is forcing her to make a life for herself, initially prefers drinking and losing herself in the daily trial coverage. Her daughters are making poor choices, while her ex-husband has found happiness elsewhere. Ultimately, the novel’s ending is much more satisfying than the jury’s verdict. The personal growth is believable, moments of love and connection are genuine, and the sense of hope for the future is tempered by the unpredictability of a flawed and fragile world.
The Lockhart Women is the best novel I have read in a long, long while. This is a story so engaging and so well-written that at times I forgot I was actually reading. I lost myself in this book during the two days it took me to read it (I blew off my entire to-do list because I could not put it down, and I do not have even a smidge of regret), but these characters have still stayed with me for weeks after turning the last page. This story has so much beauty, humanity, darkness, and honesty, and the characters could not feel more true to life. The southern California setting is described so fully and skillfully that it feels like its own prominent character. This narrative is such an important reminder of a very specific place in time in American history, but it also while explores relevant class issues, and the inner workings of flawed, authentic characters, and reminds us of the way humans respond to love and overcome loss. I highly recommend this amazing book.
This book seemed like it had an interesting premise. A little bit soap opera-ish, but it had possibilities. Frank leaves Brenda for another woman. The story is based on Brenda and her two teenage daughters trying to get their life in order after the breakup.
None of the characters are endearing. Daughter Allison is stuck up and lives in her own fantasy world. She has a boyfriend who treats her like crap and is a druggie. Daughter Peggy is the smartest of the daughters but she spends her time being a people pleaser and letting people use her. Brenda is obsessed with the OJ Simpson events and cannot believe that Frank left her for a woman less attractive than she is. She also has a drinking problem. And Frank is a manipulator, and a cheater. Great ex-husband material
I was not crazy about the writing in this book. It was quite jumpy….one minute they were talking about going to an upcoming wedding, the next sentence has them looking for their place cards at the reception. This happens throughout the book…..there is no transition or flow between scenes. It just happens.
In the back ground of the story, the events of OJ Simpson were happening. The murder, the trial and the verdict. It was an interesting distraction. Perhaps there was some hidden symbolism in this fact but I have no idea what it is.
The last 10% of the story finally redeemed itself. It was a long way to go before the characters seemed to turn their lives around. But, I guess it promotes the fact that there is always hope.
There are a lot of 5 star reviews for this book. I really wish I could have liked it more. It did keep me reading…..I guess I wanted to find out how it would turn out for this totally dysfunctional and unlikeable family.
The ending was satisfying.