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Book Summary and Reviews of Accidents of Marriage by Randy Susan Meyers

Accidents of Marriage by Randy Susan Meyers

Accidents of Marriage

by Randy Susan Meyers

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  • Sep 2014, 368 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

From the bestselling author of The Comfort of Lies, an engrossing look at the darker side of a marriage - and at how an ordinary family responds to an extraordinary crisis.

Maddy is a social worker trying to balance her career and three children. Years ago, she fell in love with Ben, a public defender, drawn to his fiery passion, but now he's lashing out at her during his periodic verbal furies. She vacillates between tiptoeing around him and asserting herself for the sake of their kids - which works to keep a fragile peace - until the rainy day when they're together in the car and Ben's volatile temper gets the best of him, leaving Maddy in the hospital fighting for her life.

Randy Susan Meyers takes us inside the hearts and minds of her characters, alternating among the perspectives of Maddy, Ben, and their fourteen-year-old daughter. Accidents of Marriage is a provocative and stunning novel that will resonate deeply with women from all walks of life, ultimately revealing the challenges of family, faith, and forgiveness.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. Beautifully written, poignant and thought-provoking, this novel refuses to succumb to stereotypical reader expectations, making it even more memorable." " - Kirkus

"Randy Susan Meyers's second novel is sharp and biting, and sometimes wickedly funny...but it has a lot of heart, too." - The Boston Globe

"Randy Susan Meyers traces how the repercussions of a car accident expose fissures and long-held resentments from the past that force these characters to question everything. This is a wise and penetrating book." - Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train

"An incredibly accomplished and satisfying read, with an important message." - Jane Green, New York Times bestselling author

"With the heart of a novelist and the tenacity of an investigative journalist, Meyers flawlessly depicts the evolution and consequences of emotional abuse." - Brunonia Barry, New York Times bestselling author

"It's amazing how warm Meyers' writing is even as her stories grip you by the hand and don't let go." - Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us

"Randy Susan Meyers is a genius of the human heart, and Accidents of Marriage is a profound education on the complexities of love, imperfection, damage, and responsibility." - Robin Black, author of If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This

"Every marriage has its secret deals and compromises. In Accidents of Marriage, Randy Susan Meyers explores the vast complexity of this bond and lays out how passion, allegiance and love can go terribly wrong. A story you won't soon forget" - Ann Bauer, author of The Forever Marriage

"Meyers deftly pulled me in to this story from the first page, tying me to its tender and fearless heartbeat, and didn't let me go until the extremely satisfying end." - Amy Hatvany, author of Safe With Me

"The intertwined traumas of emotional abuse and brain injury careen through every family member in this disturbing and deeply insightful story. Meyers captures the necessity and complexity of excavating the truth as the foundation of life moving forward." - Janet Cromer, author of Professor Cromer Learns to Read: A Couple's New Life after Brain Injury

This information about Accidents of Marriage was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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Liz D. (Northbrook, IL)

Relationships: The Good, The Bad, and ...
Although this novel is about Maddy, wife, mother and social worker, and what happens to her following an accident, Randy Susan Meyers tells the story through three different lenses. The reader is tipped off to the changing point-of-view by naming each title chapter for one of three characters- Maddy; Ben, husband and public defender; and fourteen-year-old daughter, Emma who provides most of the care for younger seven year-old, Caleb and nine year-old, Gracie.

It was a pleasure to read this fast paced, well written novel. The compelling plot kept the reader turning the pages, but it had a far deeper focus on family relationships - some good, some bad, and some not very functional. The book left this reader with much to think about after reading the last page, one of my personal hallmarks of an excellent novel.

Kristen H. (Hagerstown, MD)

Are there accidents?
To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to reading this book and I am guilty of judging by a title. I am glad to say that I am glad to have gone against my first thoughts. This book was a very good read, Randy Susan Meyers has a very similar style of writing to Jodi Piccoult. It drew me in and held my attention and I didn't want it to end. This would be a great book to read for a book club review. The depth at which the characters were described in the book, made it a very good read. I would definitely recommend it

Eileen L. (Danvers, MA)

Great summer read
I absolutely loved this book. It so eloquently tell the story of a family and its secrets, and what happens when the unthinkable exposes them. Maddy's struggle to strike a balance in her life and her marriage is so genuine you feel as though you know her. Many times I hate the disconnect of multiple narrators, but in Meyer's hands the flow of the story is actually enhanced by the treatment. This one is a page turner and I read it in a couple of days. The development of the characters, the details of the family, and the ultimate outcome all make for a great read for anyone who knows life is not always as it seems and no matter how carefully we plan fate has a mind of its own.

Melissa P. (Greenville, NY)

Accidents of Marriage
I enjoyed the author's book The Comfort of Lies and the book was just as good. In this novel, Maddy and Ben have a marriage that is struggling due to Ben's anger issues. Those reach a high point when his angry driving plays a role in causing a car accident, which leaves Maddy in a coma with a traumatic brain injury. Maddy eventually comes out of the coma but her road to recovery--of her words and emotions, of her marriage, of her life--is one that is not easy.

I enjoyed Meyer's writing. She told this story in alternating viewpoints of Maddy, Ben and their oldest daughter Emma. This fleshed out these three important characters more to readers and made them even more engaging. Meyer is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

I received a copy of this book from BookBrowse, in exchange for a honest review.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

Barbara G. (Lisle, IL)

A Marriage Often Is Not What It Seems
We try to live our lives to the best of our abilities, but our relationships with others can be at times and simultaneously helpful, distracting and destructive. How one family adjusts to those changes is explored in depth in Accidents of Marriage. Two intelligent headstrong people who mean well find their actions running at cross-purposes to their goals. Maddy thinks she has a handle on helping others but can't manage her own life without secret chemical support. Ben, tries to be a good husband and father, but his legal career is taking its toll and he is subject to terrifyingly angry outbursts at random moments that even his wife can't seem to handle. When that anger results in a horrible car crash that leaves Maddy hospitalized and with brain damage, both of them adjust to the changes in their life and marriage differently. Even their teenaged daughter and young son must take on new roles due to these changes. Author Randy Susan Meyers takes an unsparing look at this family and its situation with the understanding eye that allows the reader to feel the pain and struggle as if it were personal.

Diane D. (Blairstown, NJ)

Surprisingly good
If I'd known more about how this book was going to play out, I might not have read it. For some reason, I expected it to be more upbeat than it was, but it kept me reading...to the point I didn't want to put it down, needing to find out how it would end.

Accidents of Marriage would be a good read for a book club, because there are lots of things to discuss, and I'm sure there would be a lot of different opinions expressed at a meeting. I definitely recommend it!

...58 more reader reviews

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Author Information

Randy Susan Meyers Author Biography

Randy Susan Meyers spent eight years as assistant director of Common Purpose, a batterer intervention program where she worked with both batterers and domestic violence victims. Previously, she was director for the Mission Hill Community Centers where she worked with at-risk youth. She is the co-author of the nonfiction book Couples with Children. Her short fiction has been published in Perigee, Fog City Review, and Grub Street Free Press. She currently teaches fiction-writing seminars at the Grub Street Writers' Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Link to Randy Susan Meyers's Website

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