While I Was Gone by Sue Miller Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of While I Was Gone
Book Review: She is gone, all right!
Summary: 3 Stars
I read "While I Was Gone" thinking Sue Miller would portray a woman as she reaches middle age....her family, her husband....but Miller more portrayed the dangers of what can happen to a family -- when one of the members is "gone." "Jo" was - emotionally - gone:"I felt suspended....waiting...between all of these worlds and part of none of them." Jo seems to be waiting for most of her life -- for something to happen. The waiting ends when a former housemate, Eli Mayhew, moves into Jo's town. She has not seen him for years. While Jo believs that his secretive behavior is a turn-on and brings the two of them closer together, it is actually his secretive behavior that brings the two of them together. It also makes Jo take another hard look at her life -- The message? I think, go NOWHERE -- it is true - there is NO place like home!!Book Review: The past stays with you. . .
Summary: 4 Stars
I found "While I was Gone" an emotional and again slow-paced book by Sue Miller. Jo makes a decision in the 60's to leave her marriage and live in a commune situation. The experiences and memories of the men and women she met during that time stays with her throughout her lifetime. Consequently, she lives with guilt and lies. Bringing her past and present together she justifies her decisions, lies, and deceits. Fortunately for Jo, she's married to a kind, compassionate man, Daniel, who gives her enough time to work through some present day decisions. I thought the story moved slow but picked up the pace towards the end. The novel is a story of betrayal and forgiveness. I enjoy the emotional level Sue Miller brings to her books. This is the second book I've read by this author.Book Review: A page-turner
Summary: 4 Stars
I have to admit, I read this book in two days. I couldn't put it down. The author weaves two time periods together into one amazing story. The main character's previous 1960's life, merges with today's middle-age life. The only thing that troubled me throughout the book, was the main character's relationship with her current husband. The way she described him, the adjectives she used, and her general tone, almost left me feeling like she was married to an up-tight, priss of a man. Then, when she almost destroys her marriage by getting cozy with a man from her past, she is suddenly dying to be near this cold, aloof man again. It drove me nuts - but it kept me turing the pages didn't it? I really enjoyed this book, and the only problem I had with it was some of the editing. There were descriptive segments that sometimes went on far too long, and I found myself skimming, or forcing myself to pay attention. But that was only in a few places. Overall, a good read.
Book Review: Good Read
Summary: 4 Stars
Sue Miller's book was realistic. It seemed more like a biography than non-fiction. When the murderer was revealed, I never saw it coming which delighted me to no end!Book Review: Wanting the unknown...
Summary: 4 Stars
In "While I Was Gone" Miller tells us the story of Jo and how her mistakes hurt her family...and herself. The underlying theme, to me, is not so much the story of what happens to women as we grow older, but instead the signifigance of not being happy with what we have. Jo mistakes unpredictability for boredom: "...I was...sharply aware of all the aspects of life surrounding me, and yet feeling neither part of it nor truly separated from it...an observer." The return of her daughters triggers memories of the world she was -- still -- very much a part of. We learn that Jo left a previous marriage out of boredom and moved into a house with people who, although she does not keep in touch with, left a lasting impression on her life. The incident that separated all of the housemates was in the past -- that is, until Eli - a former housemate- moves to her town. Meanwhile, as she watches her daughters become adults, she longs for the unpredictability of her youth and holds onto a lost friendship. The moral of the story? Be careful what you wish for and who you may hurt along the way!