What do readers think of The Lovers by Vendela Vida? Write your own review.

There's a certain genre in fiction; the 'woman traveling alone in foreign country when things start to go wrong' story. Though it's been done many times before, (we've all read one), not every writer can capture that feeling of isolation, that sense of impending doom and suspense that is almost Graham Greenish.
Vendela Vida has nailed it with her 50 something, widowed protagonist Yvonne. From the moment her plane touches down in a small airport in Turkey, she immediately suspects she's been 'duped' with the vacation house she's leased.
From there the novel takes off, pulling you along by a thread, not knowing which direction you're going. With sparkling prose, and just the right amount of suspense, Vida takes you not at all where you may have thought, but gives a satisfying resolution all the same.

After reading some splendid reviews, I found The Lovers very disappointing. While the settings were interesting and some of the supporting characters memorable, the main character, Yvonne, seemed overdrawn and analyzed to the point of boring. If there were some plot, some deep understanding of her life, I didn’t find it. While completion seemed a total waste of time, I kept hoping it would all come together somehow, Didn’t happen for me.

A middle aged widow who is still trying to find her place in her new reality, travels to Turkey to recapture the splendid memories of her honeymoon and marriage. Although I did not love this book as much as her previous book, Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name, the author is a wonderful writer who brought Turkey to life- the magic of Cappadocia and the seediness of a tourist town which has seen better days. I would recommend it to book clubs- the widow's decisions will generate high spirited discussions.

Vendela Vida's book about a widow traveling to find herself is sure to speak to many people about love and loss. In Yvonne's escape to Turkey, the location of her honeymoon, she desperately seeks to form connections with random strangers, and one feels her sense of loneliness. What seems like a simple story ultimately has unexpected twists and turns, and the ending is utterly satisfying.

The Lovers by Vendela Vida

This “coming of adult” awareness novel starts off strong as we meet Yvonne who has returned to Turkey where she honeymooned with her recently deceased husband. The story spirals down as Yvonne seeks answers about her life, her family and her future. What she finds did not really ring true for me and I thought the pivotal event was not really believable. What saved the novel was the author’s easy to read writing style coupled with her astute descriptions and realistic dialogue. Friends tell me that her first novel is far better so I’ve placed it in my shopping cart.

I really enjoyed reading this book and couldn't, in fact, put it down. The author vividly captures the subtle images of Turkey, and the bond that exists between husband and wife, and mother and daughter. I would recommend it to all women, mothers, and daughters alike who have at one time, questioned their role as parents and wives and believe that hope can be redeemed.

This book is very short - almost a novella. The plot is very intriguing ,the characters are interesting and I admired the author's writing style, but I wanted to see more happen between the characters before the ending arrived. As it was the ending felt abrupt and not wholly believable because it seemed to come too fast. I wanted to spend more time alone in the main characters head to see how she came to the feelings she had at the end of the book.

The Lovers is a moving tale of a widow's self discovery while on a trip to Turkey, where she honeymooned with her deceased husband. From the first paragraph, I was instantly transported into Yvonne's world--the heat, dust, and the unfamiliar, sometimes bizarre, landscape of Turkey, and the strange and interesting cast of characters she meets during her travels. The book is, at times, odd and almost uncomfortable to read, but in the end I was moved to tears with empathy for Yvonne. As the parent of an adult daughter I felt her pain at missing her child and her sense of being alone in the world.

I enjoyed Vida's previous novel, Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name, more, but I know that The Lovers will haunt me for days to come, with its intense strangeness and the connection of Yvonne's story to aspects of my own life. I enjoy how Vida spins tales set in unfamiliar locations. Reading her books opens our eyes to other cultures--with their different customs, attitudes and behavior--but also reminds us how our struggles as human beings are, indeed, universal.