I like the way this was writen - no problems staying with it. But I think this book could have really gone somewhere had the author not been so obsessed with afairs. It was just one afair after another - i felt like the auther was trying to work something out here. And, I found the Halifax story quite interesting, but wonder why the need to work another story in?

I would highly recommend this audiobook for anyone looking for a charming (although predictable) listen.

Not one of Shreve's best. She is such an excellant author but this was not very satifiying.

This was my first experience with this author. As much as I agree with some of the other reviewer's about some of the deficits of this story, I found it enjoyable to listen to.

The characters were interesting. I did not see their connection easily. It almost seemed like they would each have made good separate short stories but there wasn't enough reason or information to bring them all together.

The issue of Josh's homosexuality was dealt with nicely enough, but the real issues would have been too much to have been covered in this book. Agnes had two issues going on: the other book weaving in and out (that was really overdone and distracting although very interesting) and her "secret." She got much attention where Josh got so little.

Jerry was loud and brash, while I couldn't tell whether we were to be sympathetic about his wife or not. And then their ending just left me hanging.

Harrison and Nora were wonderful as a central theme as were Bill and Bridgette. But what was the need or sense of bringing Judy into the story line? And for Nora to have made her a partner seems a bit far stretched for me.

All in all, I did enjoy the listen. And even though it was not perfect, it has whetted my appetite to hear more of her work.

This was entertaining but not the best of Anita Shreve. read Sea Glass to get a better perspective of this author's talent!