What readers think of The Hand that First Held Mine, plus links to write your own review.

I was deeply intrigued with the first paragraph -- rereading it more than once just to be sure -- and by the end of the first page I was totally smitten with this book. At first I found the interweaving of Lexie’s and Elina’s stories a bit jarring and disjointed, but then I settled into the author’s rhythm and enjoyed the episodic intertwining. In the midst I always took the time to step back to appreciate her incredible, poetic descriptive prose. I am not a mother myself and it’s no longer a possibility for me, yet the author’s description of a new mother’s fears, confusion, fatigue, and yet fiercely intense bonding with her baby seemed so very authentic to me in a way that I have never before seen presented. By the end of the book I didn’t want it to end, but the ending was so very perfect I felt at peace. The author did an incredibly masterful job in weaving all the threads of the two women’s stories together into a cohesive, beautiful multicolored tapestry. I continued to ponder the book after I finished, making the connections that were not apparent except in hindsight. I consider this one of the finest books I’ve read in a long time and think it will make an excellent selection for book clubs.

I thought that the book started slowly and I had a hard time getting involved in the characters. After about 50 pages, I started to really enjoy it. Once I got to that point, the characters became very real to me and I enjoyed getting to know them. I laughed and I cried while reading this book. The part of the story when Lexie knows that she is leaving her son forever and how much she fights to stay brought tears to my eyes. Overall I would say that this is one my top five books read in 2010 and I will highly recommend it to others. I am going to go back and read other books by this author.

Irish author Maggie O'Farrell writes stories about love in all its permutations, and I am a big fan.

As in her previous novels, this one takes a little time to get into the story and then, suddenly, it becomes a page turner. Told in alternating voices, decades apart, it is the story of two women and the men in their lives. Their stories are connected, but we don't immediately know how.

There is much to like and discuss in this wonderful exploration of love, motherhood and loss. Would recommend for book clubs.

It was very hard for me to get into this book and it was difficult to stay focused on what I was reading. Some of the scenes were too descriptive for me. The characters were interesting and would bring lots of discussion for book clubs.

This story deals with two women,Lexie a writer and Elina a painter separated in time 50 years living in non-traditional families in London. I enjoyed the beautiful descriptive language, but could not connect to the characters. The story contains flashbacks and family secrets but just not compelling enough to hold my interest.

It took me about 90 pages of reading to get involved in this book, then I was very interested in the story line. However, I thought the writing was inconsistent. Sometimes it was too wordy and dragged on. The parts describing how hard it was for both main characters, Lexie and Elina,to care for their babies was way too lengthy. The manner in which the two separate stories in different time periods were finally connected created an intriguing ending.

I was very happy to receive an ARC of this book since I had just finished reading O’Farrell’s first book. The mood of this book starts out dreamy and slow and almost made me feel drugged and slow as I met the two couples, one in the past and one in the future. I knew that they are somehow connected but had no idea how. The book slowly drew me in and started moving faster until the action was at breakneck speed. And at the end, I immediately wanted to start again to find all the hints that I missed, all the connections that were so skillfully hidden. Maggie O’Farrell once again has merged past and present with her uncommon skills of pacing and movement.

This book had me hooked right from the first page. The characters were well developed and I couldn't wait to find out what their stories were. Maggie O'Farrell is a great story writer that lulls the reader in and then gives them something totally unexpected. A book about two women whose stories unfold to a dramatic end. Book Clubs will enjoy delving into the different relationships and situations that occur in this book. A great read!