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There are currently 62 member reviews
for Accidents of Marriage
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Susan H. (Chappaqua, NY)
You don't have to see the scars to be a victim of abuse!
I gave up food, TV and conversation once I started this book and now that I am finished Iam sorry it is over. Accidents of Marriage talks about the complex nature of marriage and family. emotional abuse by a family member can be just as destructive as physical abuse . This family deals with the repercussions of a car accident where the husband/dad has a case of road rage which leaves his wife, mother of 3 kids with a severe brain injury.
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Diane W. (Lake Villa, IL)
Accidents of Marriage
Compelling, disturbing, real (from personal experience and anguish), and impossible to put down - even though it brought up painful, tearful memories - in a way it was healing and affirmative. Emotional and verbal abuse takes a long suffering toll and everyone involved in a family where such occurs. I agree with several others who have reviewed - this is would be a great book club selection and lead to much discussion of the complexities of families and how anger, rage, depression, and personal experiences/perceptions can cause a never ending journey of pain - and yet growth and a levels of commitment - to all those involved. Very well-written and portrayed.
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Leah L. (Lawrence, NY)
Are there really accidents of marriage?
Ben's boundless rage careens with Maddy's brain injury so that the top of the Illica marriage is blown off and the foundation of the family is compromised. Clearly, Meyers knows the world of emotional abuse and battered families and brings it into 20-20 vision. While ACCIDENTS OF MARRIAGE moves slowly in some moments and its editing could be tweaked slightly, the reader becomes invested in the characters. One wonders what happens to adolescent Emma who, underneath it all, is just a kid. It makes one realize that a functional, growing and thriving marriage is essential to raising emotionally healthy children.
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Barbara O. (Maryland Heights, MO)
Could not stop reading!
Book clubs will love this book and it's characters. Randy Susan Meyers creates people you react to strongly, invoking strong feelings of empathy, anger and compassion. Every family has a story and the Illica Family story is at times painful and thought provoking and real. I cared deeply about all of them but in particular, Emma. I hated to see this book end and I cared deeply about what happened to them. Bravo!
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Bonnie B. (Port St. Lucie, FL)
A Well-Crafted Novel of Family and Self
Maddy is a social worker who runs groups for battered women. Her husband Ben is a public defender who has a serious anger problem. Everyone in the house is prisoner to Ben's moods. He has broken dishes, punched holes in the wall, and has verged on physical abuse of their three children - Emma is 14, Caleb is 7 and Gracie is 9. Mostly, he screams but his voice is often threatening and bullying.
Ben is driving Maddy in his car when he succumbs to road rage. The car crashes into a tree and Maddy suffers a severe traumatic brain injury and lies in a coma for weeks on end. As Maddy fights for her life, Emma becomes a parental child, Caleb regresses, and Gracie is the silent child who watches carefully to see what is happening now and what the future will bring.
This is a harrowing and well-crafted book about family and personal identity. Told from the differing vantage points of Ben, Maddy and Emma, the reader is taken on a roller coaster of emotions. It is a definite page-turner and difficult to put down.
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Portia A. (Mount Laurel, NJ)
A very good book club book
I enjoyed reading this book, although it made me want to cry.
The story is not a happy one, but the book is well written and the story is one that could happen to real people. Ms Meyers knows how to reach ito her character's hearts and makes you care for them.
I will recommend it to my book club, because the discussion should be very interesting.
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WDH (New Port Richey, FL)
Family Dynamics
A good read overall - the storyline felt real, even though it was hard to 'like' some of the characters. Makes you want to pay more attention to relationships and be more aware of what could be going on around you. I also thought about how people start to compensate for and/or excuse behaviors that would set off alarm bells if you weren't so emotionally involved. While walking away isn't always a solution to solving relationship issues, confronting the situation could have made a difference. Not always easy to do, but ... maybe a better choice in the long run.
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