Girls in Trouble: A Novel by Caroline Leavitt Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Girls in Trouble: A Novel
Book Review: A truly wonderful read
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved this book. I started it and immediatly got sucked in. The story is so raw and beautifully written. I could not stand putting the book down. Caroline Leavitt knows how to write about a touchy issue with great knowledge and care. The characters are so rich and full of depth. There are no winners or losers in the book. It is easy to identify and support each character in the choices that they make, even if the choices are not easy or what would be deemed by some as the right choices to make. "Girls in Trouble" is wonderful, and I wish the story never ended. It is a beautiful read. Flawless.Book Review: Read this book!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Girls in Trouble was one of the best, most engrossing novels I have read in a while. The pain felt by both Sara and Eva and George is so real I could feel a heavyness in my chest while I read this book (even sneaking a quick page or two at work). Several parts broke my heart, but it was a pretty real idea book. Not much sugar coating. The only think I sort of secretly wished was for Sara to have been able to gotten back together....call me a hopeless romantic fool. RBook Review: On par with...
Summary: 5 Stars
...Barbara Kingsolver! Girls in Trouble grabbed me the way the Bean Trees did. Only this isn't Caroline Leavitt's first novel, you've got 7 more to enjoy after she hooks you with the latest. I do not use the word "hooks" lightly. I read Girls in Trouble on a flight from Los Angeles to Denver, and for the first time in my over travelled life was disappointed that the flight was not longer, long enough at least to finish this gripping story. Most every one has asked themselves a question that begins with, "How would I feel if..." and most women have asked themselves the question, "How would I feel if I got pregnant?" "What would I do?" It is admittedly one of the most personally and politically charged questions of our time. In Girls in Trouble, Caroline Leavitt involves us in the both agonizing and joyful struggle of one girl's attempt to answer it. For immediate purchase and enjoyment only.Book Review: Leavitt has brought her "A" game
Summary: 5 Stars
It's 1987; and sixteen year old Sara is pregnant. Her boyfriend Danny is a bit of a rebel who her parents want no part of. Neither do they want a part of Sara and Danny's baby. Their main concern is that Sara will move on with her life after the birth so that she can follow her dream of attending college and living a good life. But since Sara wants to be a part of the child's life, she has opted for an open adoption. So finding Eva and George as adoptive parents was like a dream come true. The middle-aged couple welcomes Sara into their home with open arms, taking snapshots with her, teaching her to drive, and even keeping souvenirs of her for the baby's sake. She is allowed to come and go as she pleases. They even treat her better than her own parents. But sometimes dreams become nightmares. Once Sara gives birth, things take a dramatic turn for the worse. The adoptive parents no longer want to see her every day, telling her they need time to bond with the baby. Truth is: Sara's maternal instincts and natural bonding with the child prove to be a bit too much for the jealous parents to handle. Meanwhile, the naïve Sara continues to make her unwelcome presence felt by dropping by Eva and George's home on a daily basis, almost to the point of fanatical stalking. But she can't help it. She loves her newborn baby, Anne, even though she's not really her baby at all. When Eva and George express their true feelings about Sara's frequent visits, she takes matters into her own hands, which forces the couple to make a drastic decision of their own.
"Girls in Trouble" tells the story of a unique and original topic, an open adoption gone terribly wrong and how the lives of the people involved are affected. The story spans over a sixteen year period. The author does a splendid job at capturing the perspective of each person involved, including the birth parents, adoptive parents, birth grandparents, and the young girl who was adopted. Caroline Leavitt (author of Coming Back to Me) has definitely brought her "A" game to the table with her crisp and intriguing writing style that will make you smile.
Though the slow-paced beginning of the story contains a few clichés about childbirth and adoption, it gets a full head of steam and continues its pace for the remainder of the tale. By the story's end, you will surely crave more and more. "Girls in Trouble" is a captivating story that will surely find its way beneath the arms of a plethora of loving fans of all ages.
Book Review: Loved it! Just loved it!
Summary: 5 Stars
Just finished reading Girls in Trouble. Oh, my God, Caroline, you are so right on target with this story. If I had had a highlighter with me while on vacation, I would have marked all the excerpts of your story that completely coincided with my true adoption story, "THE SAME SMILE". Even your choice of words and phrases are the same. I was simply amazed!
When Danny told Sarah that he had wanted her back and loved her all along and, had he known, never would have let her give their baby away, I cried and cried and cried. If only Mark had wanted me and our baby, my life would have been oh, so very different.
Congratulations on a job well done.
Susan Mello Souza
Author of THE SAME SMILE
The Triumph of A Mother's Love After Losing Two Daughters
www.TheSameSmile.com