Rated of 5
by Deanna W. (Port Jefferson, NY) What happens to us when we have children?
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.
Rated of 5
by Rebecca C. (Opelika, AL) Another incredible read!
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.
Rated of 5
by Ann L. (Arnold, MD) The Hand That First Held Nine
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.
Rated of 5
by Erica L. (Plaistow, New Hampshire) Hooked From The Start
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!
Rated of 5
by Joan P. (Owego, NY) The Hand That First Held Mine
This is one of the most engaging books that I have read in a long time. It weaves together two stories. One is from the past and one is in the present. The first tells of a country girl that leaves home to make her life in London. We follow her through love, motherhood and death. The other thread starts at the birth of a child and tells of the trials of parenthood. As you read there are clues that hint at the relationship between the two stories and the conclusion ties the tales together. I am going to recommend this book to my book club.
Rated of 5
by Marnie C. (Baltimore, MD) The Hand That First Held MIne
The tempestuous nature of memory, coupled with the joys and terrors of motherhood, animates this sharp-edged novel that deserves comparison with the fine yet often marginalized British female writers of the early- to late-twentieth century. Virago Books, a publisher of women's writings, has resurrected many of these authors, such as Nina Bawden, Molly Keane, and Daphne Du Maurier; while Maggie O'Farrell's dry wit and keen observations owe a debt to these predecessors, she connects the past (London in the 1950s, '60, and '70s) to the present in startling and evocative ways. After describing the bustling office of a Soho art magazine so vividly that we can almost hear the typewriters clicking, O'Farrell then shows us what the office has become in the new millennium: a café, quiet in the early morning, where the staff have forgotten to pick up a piece of foccaccia under the table. Objects and memories recur in different times and places, in the homes and heads of characters who are often connected in ways that they are not yet aware of, a technique which grants a kind of fossilized texture to the intertwining narratives. At one key point in the book, a man picks up an ammonite, the shell of an ancient mollusk, and marvels at its weight in comparison with the dress pocket he has pulled it from; at another, a young mother stumbles upon a valuable painting hidden behind a dressing table. These imaginistic clues ultimately help unlock a decades-old mystery, one as devastating as it is intriguing, and perfectly suit a book devoted to exploring the lives of artists and writers.
Fearless, gripping, at once darkly funny and tender, spanning three continents and numerous lives, Americanah is a richly told story set in today's globalized world.
The story of an American family, middle class in middle America, ordinary in every way but one. But that exception is the beating heart of this extraordinary novel.
First time novelist Vaddey Ratner captured my heart and senses in this novel based on her childhood in Cambodia. Her story transcends any news story...
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From the first page, I was drawn in by the lyrical writing of the author and mesmerized as the narrator, eight year old Raami, remembered the years...
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Trite but true, all good things must come to an end. I so wanted to keep reading the wonderful prose, the settings that let one think they are part...
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Amazon cuts off 5200 affiliates in Minnesota(Jun 19 2013) With Minnesota's online sales tax law due to take effect July 1, Amazon has played a familiar card by cutting ties with 5,200 members of its Associates...
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of 5
by Deanna W. (Port Jefferson, NY) 
of 5
by Rebecca C. (Opelika, AL) 
