Next To Love
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast read and I think it is a good choice for a book club. The issues of marriage and how it is affected by war are investigated well by the author. The characters are well-defined and have a realistic feel to them. The issue of marriage and why people enter that union is always an interesting discussion. I enjoyed the book.
Rated of 5
by Angelina A. (New York, NY)
War from a woman's perspective
The story of three friends who all have to live through and after the war. Some of the descriptions made me feel like I was going through exactly what they were experiencing. I couldn't put it down.
Rated of 5
by Cynthia C. (Peekskill, NY)
Love & loss in WWII
This novel is a moving tribute to the GI's who fought World War II and the wives & parents who waited for them. It also shows the profound changes WWII brought to America Women, for the 1st time, went to work outside the home. The GI's returned, changed forever, and their wives & girlfriends were not the women they left behind. You feel the love, loss & scars the war left.
Good story - I couldn't put it down.
Rated of 5
by Betsy R. (Gig Harbor, WA)
Next to Love
Next to Love weaves the story of three women, childhood friends from a small town, who loved and then married men who were going off to fight in World War II. One of the aspects that I found fascinating was the way in which the author illustrated the fact that soldiers from this war experienced PTSD also, made even more difficult by the code that made it impossible to talk about or get help for. All three women dealt with their situations in different ways but stayed friends, sometimes in spite of great odds. I enjoyed the book very much; I found the ending to be a bit rushed - this book could easily have had a sequel with the storyline extending into the next generation.
Rated of 5
by Shirin M. (Beverly Hills, CA)
Next to Love
Set in a small town on the East Coast, “Next to Love,” follows the lives and loves of three young women as they struggle to find themselves and meaning to their lives during an era when the world was fast changing. Their lives, bookended by World War II and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, provide a strong sense of place and time. The book will find an audience with those who enjoy realistic stories about friendships and relationships. Fans of Elizabeth Berg and Nancy Thayer can now add Ellen Feldman to their list.
Rated of 5
by Debbie L. (Houston, TX)
a new look at the Greatest Generation
Of the many books about WWII, this is the first I have read that addresses the lasting pyschological effects on the families. Ms. Feldman has shown me a part of my parents' life that was not discussed. For baby boomers, the continuing impact of the war on the lives of their parents will lead to new and insightful discussions.
Rated of 5
by Molly K. (San Jose, CA)
What is Next to Love
Next to Love came with promise, excitement, nostalgia, and expectations that were well beyond what I found. Ellen Feldman created a tableau of interesting players. In the mix were whites, blacks, Jews, a rich banker, and a woman from the “wrong side of the tracks”. The story is told through chapter sets, each chapter covering several years with a sub-section devoted to each of three women. I liked watching the characters change over time as the country changed with them.
But, in the end, the story was boring and somewhat predicable. The dialog is often stilted and the characters unsympathetic. Only twice did I find myself wanting to know more about how they were dealing with the issues at hand.
Told in the present tense, the writer often seemed to be an invisible wall between me and her characters. I suppose present tense is intended to make the narrative more intense, perhaps create a sense of urgency. For me, though, it is overused, intrusive, and annoying. Feldman dots her story with historical snippets to let us know she did her homework and to put a framework about the women’s lives.
Okay, okay, so I expected the distaff version of The Best Years of our Lives. The book did not deliver.
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of 5
by Malinda N. (Westhampton, NY)
of 5
by Molly K. (San Jose, CA)
