This book is hard for me to rate and review (maybe a 3?). I liked the story of Laura meeting Maurice and how they built a lasting friendship. And Maurice's letter was so sweet when he says he was looking for a mother and Laura was looking for a son. But...I thought there was too much repeating of information already covered that kept showing up again; like Maurice's letter, which was sincere and well-written, but read like a summary since the first part had been used numerous times earlier in the book (I would have liked it better as a prologue). I have to say, while I appreciated the parallels of chaos and childhood challenges experienced by both Maurice and Laura, I was frustrated with Laura's story, her choice of husbands, her abusive father, and I am trying really hard to put myself in her place, and not find her totally unlikable, when Michael told her Maurice couldn't come to his house or join them for holidays. She was smart to keep his mother involved and not try to take her place, show rather than tell, and build a loving friendship. I'm glad they all lived happily ever after. Really. I read this book based on a HPB customer recommendation. I found the story both compelling and frustratingly written. While I understand Laura feeling the need to tell us about her life, I was hoping to hear most about the interaction between herself & Maurice. It seems like the autobiographical parts about her family are not necessary when I read this, but perhaps they were added to give the reader a sense of equal footing between the two main characters. Maurice had it bad, but so did Laura: see we aren't that different.I'd be curious to know if they still keep in touch. And I'm glad Laura stopped & went back to Maurice that first day.Who we say yes to makes a difference.
This book was... Eh. I liked the story, the characters were interesting, but I had a lot of different issues with it. First of all, I couldn't stand the writing. It was simplistic, but not in a nice way at all. I didn't feel anything for the characters despite the sad nature of the story and the fact that it's a memoir (which should mean the opposite). Another big issue I had was that I felt like the author spent the whole time comparing her "terrible" life to that of Maurice and that was why she "connected with him". It also felt a little too covert-y, as too many memoirs too, the whole "God's destiny" thing. Overall, not anything fantastic or life changing:
—Motoko
This book was... Eh. I liked the story, the characters were interesting, but I had a lot of different issues with it. First of all, I couldn't stand the writing. It was simplistic, but not in a nice way at all. I didn't feel anything for the characters despite the sad nature of the story and the fact that it's a memoir (which should mean the opposite). Another big issue I had was that I felt like the author spent the whole time comparing her "terrible" life to that of Maurice and that was why she "connected with him". It also felt a little too covert-y, as too many memoirs too, the whole "God's destiny" thing. Overall, not anything fantastic or life changing:
—Ani
So heart felt! Thank you for being soooo human.. It's not your fault, it's the Tread!
—Alvin
