Rated of 5
by Cathy This is a MUST READ!
Did you ever make a mistake and think "Oh no! What the hell am I going to do now?" A mistake that affects not only your life but all the lives around you? If you have ever said the words "What if..." or "If only I had..." then this book is for you, young or old, male or female, child or adult. Susannah, a very young surrogate mother realizes that she has done something irrevocable and panics. The rest of the book is an extremely insightful and poignant look at relationships and choices made by Susannah and by all those around her and the consequences of those choices. A deep look into the human spirit, feelings, emotions, regrets, promises, and the unknown future.
This is an excellent book for discussion by book clubs and even if you don't belong to a book club you will want to go find someone to discuss this book with. Any one who reads this book will think of their own past, their own mistakes, their own choices, and will certainly relate to one of the interesting characters who are so well developed by the author that they seem alive. An amazing read, I couldn't put it down and I was sorry when it ended. Thank you Amy Shearn for giving us a book that is so intuitive and that touched my heart.
Rated of 5
by Michelle Quirky cast....
Amy Shearn has a knack for description. As I read How Far is the Ocean from Here, I could feel the heat coming off the desert pavement and could easily visualize the quirky cast. However, as much as I wanted to embrace the characters, I couldn’t find any reason to particularly like them. Susannah’s choices seemed selfish, and I never really found it in me to root for her. Despite my neutral opinion of the characters, the faster pace of the latter half of the book compelled me to continue reading.
Even though Shearn's way with words is engaging, I never felt the emotional connection to the characters that I crave in books. Therefore, I can only give the novel 3 stars.
Rated of 5
by Joan A fun read
This was a fun read. The book included the humor of the movie Little Miss Sunshine. I could really picture the desert and the people on the big screen. Then there was the pathos of a collection of dysfunctional but likable characters. I could commiserate with Susannah's conflicted feelings about surrogateship and the people she could effect with her behavior. The most interesting part was the relationships developed between this divergent group of strangers.
I hope that my book club will choose this book. We are a collection of teachers, counselors, and parents of special needs children. We might need sleeping bags before we can finish relating all of our thoughts and opinions. I just could not give that fifth star because it was not one of the BEST books I have ever read.
Rated of 5
by Barbara How Far is the Ocean from Here
I thought the book was good. A little hard to follow at times. The ending was disappointing. The Author seemed to be in a hurry to finish the book.
Rated of 5
by Susan Perception vs. Reality
I loved this book! This is a tale of ambivalence. What makes one a mother? What is "normal"? Who am I? Susannah, Julian, Frankie, Kim, Dicey, and Tim all deal with how they are perceived with others and how they experience themselves. The setting is remarkably described; I felt I was truly in the desert with them. This will make a great film.
Rated of 5
by Debi How Far is the Ocean from Here by Amy Shearn
I very much enjoyed reading this book. Not only did it introduce me to eight uniquely, different people, but it also made me realize how our decisions, thoughts and actions can impact the lives of the people around us. I liked the way Ms. Shearn was able to make me feel like I was right there, with everyone, instead of reading a book about them. I also agree that this book would make an excellent book club selection.
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