Teddy is a successful Los Angeles lawyer whose charm and formidable political skills have made him the leading candidate in the race to become the new U.S. senator from California. But behind the golden public persona lie some darker truths: his teenage daughter, Zoe, has barely spoken to him since his divorce from her mother and he has long been bitterly estranged from his own mother, a world-renowned painter. So when his sister asks Teddy to come back to Nantucket to spend some time with their ailing mother before Alzheimer’s steals her mind entirely, Teddy balks. But his campaign manager sees the perfect opportunity for a mother-son photo op that will jack up his weak family values poll numbers, and Teddy reluctantly agrees to the trip. Once on Nantucket, Teddy is forced to confront feelings he’d long repressed. As he struggles with his mother’s illness and his daughter’s disdain, he learns some stunning truths–about the father he once idolized and the shocking extent of his daughter’s pain. And when he meets a woman who challenges everything he thought he understood about relationships, he unexpectedly finds the life he never knew he wanted.
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"Loved it! His writing is so beautiful, almost lyrical. . He speaks to real issues, a teen having real probs w/ not having much connection w/ a father who is divorced from hr mother. The protagonist is the father who is forced by his sister to reconnect w/ a mother who he hasn't had a relationship w/ for decades. The mother is a renown artist living on Nantucket who hs alzheimer's, but hs lucid moments. It's a real story of how we make choices in our lives and often have md the choice of ambition and later in our lives begin to figure out that those roles are not necessarily what we want in the maturity of our lives. It also talks abt the reality of finding out as adults that what we tho't ws happening in our families in our youth was not the truth at all."
— Jean (4 out of 5 stars)
" This was another book I picked up as a summer beach read. Read it very quickly (small book). Not sure yet what I think of it. Enjoyable, but a National Bestseller? not sure. "
— Peggy, 2/20/2014" Three stars - this was a "beach Book" (read it in an afternoon and consider it a love story.) Teddy, an L.A. lawyer has to learn to re-love his estranged 13 year old daughter and his estranged mother who is fading away with Alzheimer's. I enjoyed a fast read after plowing through Susan Vreeland's Luncheon of the Boating Party. "
— Margery, 2/19/2014" Another good short read. I typically read books that are from a women's perceptive so it's good to read something from a guys perspective once in a while. "
— Emalia, 2/15/2014" Was heading out on the road and grabbed this from the library shelf. Way too many "issues" being tackled in one book so that none were explored well and was so very predictable. "
— Kristen, 2/9/2014" Easy, quick and fun "
— Jenny, 2/3/2014" A good summer read. Rather predictable. "
— Angela, 1/26/2014" very predictable and contrived. a politician returning to his childhood home to help his mother with alzheimers. not even good beach reading. "
— Liz, 1/17/2014" This was the story about a man (Ted) in a calif. politial race, that comes to visit his ailing mother on Nantucket. His sister is the primary caretaker, and she guilts Ted into helping while she goes on vacation. Ted brings his estranged teenage daughter along - a publicist thinks it will be a great story. "
— Andrea, 1/12/2014" Audio Book. Not a book I would recommend to anyone -very predictable- and there is not point rewriting what other reviewers have already said. "
— Deborah, 1/7/2014" Interesting, light read. "
— Joyce, 11/24/2013" I really liked this one. Another of the library's readers choice nominees. It was a good story. "
— Lisa, 11/17/2013" This book was not literary genius. If you like books like the "Notebook" then you will like this one. It is about a man who finds himself on a life path that turned him into something far from his childhood dreams. He does lot of soul searching. I found it to be a good "beach novel". "
— Meredith, 11/17/2013" This is a quick read. I read this book in one night. "
— Julie, 7/22/2013" A very easy summer read. "
— Jill, 7/8/2013" seems to run a vague parallel to the Kennedy's "
— Edie, 1/20/2013" A good quick read that has the main character, Teddy Mathison, regaining his focus on family over the climb up the social and political ladder. The character development is simple, the storyline easy to follow, making for a good read at the beach or travels to spring break. "
— Lee, 8/22/2012" this should be made into a movie!!!1 i vote richard gere play the leading male ted!!! "
— Noelle, 5/1/2012" Boring -- like a bad Danielle Steele novel! "
— Michelle, 2/6/2012" An easy, light read that can give you much to consider in your family relationships. Apart from the cheesy ocean romance scene... I enjoyed it. "
— Triscia, 11/3/2011" It was an easy and quick "beach read". I enjoyed reading it but it wasn't a book with much depth or suspence. Pretty predictable. But overall worth the read. "
— Tina, 11/2/2011" Perfect, quick read with the ideal made-for-tv-movie plot. "
— Melissa, 10/20/2011" I can't tell you how close I came to not continuing with the book. In the end, I'm glad I didn't as it made for a touching story. During the first third of the book, the protagonist's attitude and that of his daughter's, made me just plain angry. "
— Nikki, 8/15/2011" This book for me was about letting go of the past in order to move forward in your life. I loved the characters and the twisted family relationships and I even got a little romance which I love. "
— Aubrey, 7/16/2011" Great book. Easy read but nice story to it! "
— Megan, 5/22/2011" Quick read, nice story about a man reconciling with his mother before she dies. Along the way he tries to connect with his teenage daughter. "
— Jennifer, 5/19/2011" An easy, light read that can give you much to consider in your family relationships. Apart from the cheesy ocean romance scene... I enjoyed it. "
— Triscia, 5/6/2011" seems to run a vague parallel to the Kennedy's "
— Edie, 7/30/2010" A good quick read that has the main character, Teddy Mathison, regaining his focus on family over the climb up the social and political ladder. The character development is simple, the storyline easy to follow, making for a good read at the beach or travels to spring break. "
— Lee, 3/22/2010" Another good short read. I typically read books that are from a women's perceptive so it's good to read something from a guys perspective once in a while. "
— Emalia, 3/4/2010" This book for me was about letting go of the past in order to move forward in your life. I loved the characters and the twisted family relationships and I even got a little romance which I love. <br/> "
— Aubrey, 9/10/2009" Somewhat predictable. But a beautiful, tear-jerker in the line of "The Notebook". <br/> <br/>California Senate-hopeful reluctantly spends a week in Nantucket with his mother, a brilliant artist disappearing into the haze of Alzheimer's, and his troubled teenage daughter. "
— Lacie, 8/19/2009" A good summer read. Rather predictable. "
— Angela, 7/29/2009" Audio Book. Not a book I would recommend to anyone -very predictable- and there is not point rewriting what other reviewers have already said. "
— Deborah, 4/8/2009" Quick read, nice story about a man reconciling with his mother before she dies. Along the way he tries to connect with his teenage daughter. "
— Jennifer, 3/28/2009" very predictable and contrived. a politician returning to his childhood home to help his mother with alzheimers. not even good beach reading. "
— Liz, 3/9/2009" Great book. Easy read but nice story to it! "
— Megan, 8/20/2008" This was another book I picked up as a summer beach read. Read it very quickly (small book). Not sure yet what I think of it. Enjoyable, but a National Bestseller? not sure. "
— Peggy, 7/30/2008" This is a quick read. I read this book in one night. "
— Julie, 7/20/2008Paul Boehmer is an American actor best known for his numerous appearances in the Star Trek universe, in addition to Frasier, Judging Amy, Guiding Light, and All My Children. He is a 1992 Masters of Fine Arts graduate of the Professional Theater Training Program at the University of Delaware. As a narrator, Paul has won several AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as an Audie Award.
Paul Boehmer is an American actor best known for his numerous appearances in the Star Trek universe, in addition to Frasier, Judging Amy, Guiding Light, and All My Children. He is a 1992 Masters of Fine Arts graduate of the Professional Theater Training Program at the University of Delaware. As a narrator, Paul has won several AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as an Audie Award.