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Thought-provoking and beautifully written, February 23, 2015
By Deb M This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Kindle Edition) This book reads like a non-fiction memoir and that’s one of the reasons I became so attached to the main character. Sometimes I wanted to hug her and others tell her to get a grip and move on. Annie’s daughter meets the man her mother spent a summer with in Spain, some twenty years earlier, which leads to the rekindling of their relationship albeit via long-distance. Annie’s husband gives his blessing for her to be in touch with her ex-lover; acknowledging the fact that he can’t give her the emotional support she needs and craves. She adores her husband but wonders what life would have been like had she taken a different path in her youth. Our thoughts and feelings at age twenty are completely different to those in our middle age. 'This Nearly Was Mine' does an excellent job of highlighting these differences and showing how events and decisions made during youth can have a major impact on later life. The descriptions in this thought-provoking novel are long, varied and beautiful, so much so that I could imagine walking in Annie’s footsteps and taking in her surroundings. This was a great read and I look forward to more from this talented author. Highly recommended.
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I really enjoyed reading this book, February 19, 2015
By Beverly Clark Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Kindle Edition) I came across this book while browsing as the cover caught my attention. The positive reviews made me decide this book was a must read and indeed it was. I liked the depth of this story. It is rich with details and also has a good mix of character interaction. While bittersweet at times, it also delivers the feelings that many of us feel as we age and look back upon our earlier years and life lessons. Sometimes things don't turn out as planned, and many times we later find out why and are glad. This book was a lovely stroll down Memory Lane. It was the perfect winter read for me but I would recommend it no matter what the season. If you are looking for a book that draws you in to the story and leaves you thinking about it after you finish reading - this is the book for you. Reminded me of "Love in the Time of Cholera"...., February 17, 2015
By Ranger - See all my reviews This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Kindle Edition) I am a BIG Gabriel Garcia Marquez fan, and I've read "Love in the Time of Cholera" several times. This book, "This Nearly Was Mine," while being very different - it is written from the perspective of an American middle aged woman - was still very much similar in a lot of ways. A beautiful young woman who falls for a handsome stranger. They have a brief fling, but it doesn't work out, and she comes back home to marry a solid, reliable, hard working man and goes on to have a lovely family. She is much older now, cares deeply for her husband, while never letting go of her fascination for the handsome stranger and what might have been... I loved the literary allusions used in this beautifully crafted, well thought out book. The writing flows so well, and you really do empathize with Annie and really do understand her feelings for both Francisco and her husband Matthew. I'm just so glad that she makes the right decision in the end. And Spain - WoW, what can I say about Spain - it's a character in its own right and I really would like to visit Spain now. A Inspiring Story that Reminds you to "Seize the Day!", February 16, 2015
By Cayce Hrivnak - See all my reviews This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Paperback) "This Nearly Was Mine" brought tears to my eyes. I felt like I was really there experiencing anything, as if I was an interviewer in order to create the movie version of the main character, Annie's, wonderful story. I enjoyed the memoir feel to it. Not many books can do that and still feel like you are listening to an actual person tell their tale. And like an interviewer, I grew emotional as Annie's story unfolded. We begin during an ending where Annie is older and her along with her daughter reconnect with an old Spanish flame of hers. From then on, we listen and see her tale of dreams, choices, new opportunities, and the lingering question of "What if?". Much like Annie, there are times in all our lives where we wonder what could have been ours if we went down a certain path. The possibilities that could have been, the opportunities, or even the people that could have been important in our lives forever who shrank into the background of our lives. Annie's also teaches us that even when our lives seems to be going down in flames, there is new opportunities and possibilities right around the corner. We just need to search and find them ourselves. This is a novel that will bring tears to your eyes and make you want to go out and "Seize the day." Read this novel, take it to heart, and pass it on! Thought provoking and nostalgic, February 16, 2015
By Chelsy - See all my reviews This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Kindle Edition) This novel is the nostalgic and intriguing memoirs of Annie, now middle aged but reminiscing of a the time in her early twenties when she spent a life changing summer out to stay at her parent’s villa in Spain and the lifelong ramifications. This novel beautifully demonstrates the importance and difficulty of decisions made when young, the memories, regrets and connections made, the constant second guessing over if you made the right choices and the dreaded question of ‘what if’ which can sometimes hang in the air for a lifetime. Even after all the years spent apart, the emotions between Francisco and Annie are strong and speak volumes. As they re-establish contact and eventually reunite it is fascinating to watch the effects this has in Annie’s wider life and on those herself and those she loves. All in all the cast of this book are well written, complex individuals with Annie in the centre as quite the character of contrasts- at times relatable and endearing and at others infuriatingly naive. It speaks credit to the complexity of her character that I spent a great deal of time musing on and analysing her, even after finishing the book I’m still not sure what I would have done in her place or what would have been right for her to do. I recommend you to read this if you like some challenging emotional and psychological questions to ponder, it is a deeply thought provoking and touching novel. An unforgettable, emotional, riveting journey., February 16, 2015
By Rachelle This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Kindle Edition) Wow! I was hooked from page one. This book made me feel so emotional I was sick to my stomach. But in a good way. It moves you so deeply. It has so many appeals. It is a great romance/chick lit story. But there is the theme of travel, which is interesting. Then characters and their conflicts, major life changing decisions. And how the main character grows as a person. I couldn't read it fast enough, but I was very sad when I finished the book. This novel shows just how hard life can be, the decisions we make can have dire consequences on the rest of our lives. I highly recommend this! A tear-jerker. Intelligently, passionately and remarkably written. Great story, great characters, great prose, just great., February 15, 2015
By HeftyBanks - See all my reviews This review is from: This Nearly Was Mine: A Novel (Paperback) This novel has so much low key realness within its pages I felt like I was reading a diary more than a story at times. Most of the relationship dynamics within the pages are relationship dynamics we've all experienced at one time or another to one degree or another, but seldom with the depth that is brought forth here. The dialogue between characters is some of the most intimate dialogue I've read and again it made me feel like I was reading a diary about a relationship more than a novel. Great story, great characters, great prose, just great. |
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