What do readers think of The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler? Write your own review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first third or so of "The Imposter Bride". It had a bit of mystery and lots of family drama. After that, it got incredibly boring. I only finished it because I have to write a review.

Additionally, while I usually enjoy when authors switch between the past and the present, the technique is usually done with something to distinguish between the time periods (a heading or italics). Nancy Richler did nothing to indicate the time period, and with the same characters both in the present and the past, it became convoluted. It's a technique that other authors have employed with much better success.

The Imposter Bride in the beginning was intriguing and nicely humorous with an interesting storyline. I like more adventure and twsting plots in a novel, but I think many will find this book enjoyable.

I began reading The Imposter Bride skeptical the story would be rich enough to keep my interest. Having just finished it, I can say I was wrong. I was engaged with the characters and the complexities of their lives from the opening pages. Richler has given us a story of caring but troubled people. Then she reveals why they are troubled and why this still have hope. It reminds me of Sarah's Key. The Imposter Bride would be a good selection for a book group.

The mystery of Lily/Yanna caught me in the first chapter and held my interest. It reminded me of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier in that the main focus of the book is a character who isn't there most of the time. It also reminded me of The forgotten Garden because of the mystery and going back and forth in time from past to present. The characters were very well developed. I did think Richler dropped the ball at the end of the book. I'm not sure what she should have done differently but I was left wanting more to wrap things up. The ending felt rushed to me and was the main reason I didn't give the book a 5.

A mother's instinct is to protect their child, not abandon them abruptly without a reason. The mystery behind this disappearance is the heart of the story and the driver in reading the book. You feel compelled to learn as much as possible about this mother from other characters in the storyline. The daughter, mother-in-law and adult friend provide tidbits of information throughout the story until near the end when a hidden identity situation is revealed and explained. Didn't know whether I would particularly enjoy this book at the outset, but it held my attention and I would recommend it, especially to book clubs.

This thought provoking novel is about identity and what defines it. Themes include how disaster, emotional upheaval, aging and even geographic relocation strongly impact our identities. Largely told through a young girl's search for her mother with clues along the way from an old diary written in Yiddish and the fragments of memories and perceptions of her relatives concerning her mother the "imposter". It is about our universal need "to know where we come from, to connect it to who we are and where we are going". I think there is much for book clubs to discuss from this story and the personal connection most readers are likely to feel.

I wanted to love this book but in the end I just liked it. I have read quite a few books lately about WWII and the aftermath and the premis of the book interested me. The book is from the view of Lily, the imposter, and her daughter, Ruth. I felt like the husband and daughter did not really want to find out about Lily or what happened to her and that part was slow for me. Like I said, the book was OK but I have read much more compelling novels about this time period so it would be difficult for me to recommend this one over others.

Who is Lily? Is she who she says she is? She came to Canada as a "mail order bride" for Sol Kramer. Why does Sol reject her before he has even spoken to her? Why does his brother Nathan marry her?
The entire story of Lily Kramer is like filling a basket of unanswered question and you ask yourself: "when is the author going to fill in the blanks?" This novel offers much insight into the aftermath of WWII - how people from European countries relocated to a new continent, missing and lost relatives, starting over and becoming a part of the "brave new world" they were forced to adopt. Somewhere is all of this you find Lilly Kramer and her role in a "brave" new family. Through it all the reader is trying to answer provocative questions and make sense of Lily's actions. This is a story you must burrow into to find the answers to questions of how people transition in life and their resiliency in facing everyday life. Ironically, I discovered this story isn't really about Lilly at all, but about the people whose lives she affected.