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(3.00) - 1,221 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In her debut novel, the bestselling author of Wild weaves a searing and luminous tale of a family's grief after unexpected loss. "Work hard. Do good. Be incredible!" is the advice Teresa Rae Wood shares with the listeners of her local radio show, Modern Pioneers, and the advice she strives to live by every day. She has fled a bad marriage and rebuilta life with her children, Claire and Joshua, and their caring stepfather, Bruce. Their love for each other binds them as a family through the daily struggles of making ends meet. But when they received unexpected news that Teresa, only 38, is dying of cancer, their lives all begin to unravel and drift apart. Strayed's intimate portraits of these fully human characters in a time of crisis show the varying truths of grief, forgiveness, and the beautiful terrors of learning how to keep living.
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"Absolutely beautifully written. So compelling that I didn't' want to put it down. But, MAN, what a hard read. I might have been better off beating myself with a stick for a few days - I felt that damaged when I was done."
— Nicole (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A deeply honest novel of life after catastrophe, of intimacy lost and found.”
— O Magazine -
“Beautifully written and authentic.”
— People -
“A steady stream of finely wrought portrayals of nuance, moments, and emotions.”
— Newsday -
“Strayed astounds—producing a literary balm for those who know what it means to lose a parent.”
— Oregonian
Torch Listener Reviews
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" An interesting, well-written description of what happens to a family after the mother dies. "
— Terrill, 2/18/2014 -
" could see why this might appeal to some auidences but was totally not my style. it dragged on so much numerous times I just wanted to give up reading! I finished hoping there was something that would come from of it but was disappointed from beginning to end. "
— Sarah, 2/13/2014 -
" A story of family dynamics . . . I found it to move along a little too slow. "
— Becky, 2/13/2014 -
" Cheryl's "Wild" was much better. Took me awhile to finish this one. Some reactions were typical of someone her age going through grief. It was slow reading - lacked the humor that "Wild" had. "
— Judy, 2/13/2014 -
" A story filled with Pain. More pain. Followed by pain. Set in Minnesota "
— Meg, 1/28/2014 -
" This was written before Wild. It is fiction but while reading you can feel the truth and emotion behind the words. this is based on her mothers death. it was well written. "
— Colleen, 1/27/2014 -
" Cheryl's story is painfully close to home, but she manages to make the telling a healing journey. She is, quite simply, my literary hero. "
— Melanie, 1/26/2014 -
" Excellent story by an excellent author. "
— Karen, 1/22/2014 -
" Loved it. Heartbreaking and Real. Love Cheryl Strayed's writing! "
— Cheryl, 1/19/2014 -
" I simply didn't care for this book. "
— Kendra, 1/15/2014 -
" Really liked this , maybe better than Wild "
— Amy, 12/27/2013 -
" A slow moving microscopic look at a dysfunctional family. "
— Darlene, 12/3/2013 -
" I liked some aspects of this book but I mostly found myself skipping pages. I found a lot of the scenes offensive and it was hard to concentrate on the storyline weeding throught the heavy handed use of the "f" word. Just not my cup of tea I guess. "
— Rachelle, 8/17/2013 -
" I'm a bit disappointed in Cheryl Strayed. Maybe I've just over saturated myself in her story. This "novel" is two hairs away from being a memoir. The names were changed, but most everything else was her personal story. I was hoping for something a bit more imaginative. "
— Lindsay, 8/12/2013 -
" Emotional, sad story of dealing with the loss of a loved one. Frustrating at times with the actions of the characters. "
— Penny, 6/16/2013 -
" So....dang...slow. Could have been so much better, but it just never got moving. "
— Sara, 5/9/2013 -
" It was DEPRESSING!! Not the quality writing I expected from Cheryl Strayed, maybe reading Wild gave me super high hopes for this book....disappointing!! It was OK, not something I would give as a gift or recommend! :-( "
— Loralee, 5/7/2013 -
" Well-written and heartfelt, but ultimately, I prefer Stayed's straight-up nonfiction thus far. I could swim miles in her nonfiction, and float along in it in between. "
— Colleen, 2/15/2013 -
" Much of this novel really resonated with me. An interesting, quirky family. I especially liked the way Strayed lets family situations be complex, difficult and even unresolved. Loved the characters. "
— Jane, 2/1/2013 -
" This novel is gripping. When you feel the pain and disappointment of the characters, it is raw and emotional. A great read! "
— Nina, 11/21/2012
About Cheryl Strayed
Cheryl Strayed is the author of Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail and Tiny Beautiful Things. Her stories and essays have been published in the New York Times Magazine, Washington Post Magazine, Rumpus, Missouri Review, Best American Essays, Vogue, and elsewhere.