Family Pictures by Jane Green

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Publish Date: March 19, 2013

Format: Audio

Discs: 8

ISBN: 978 1427229069

The gripping story of two women who live on opposite coasts whose lives are connected in ways they never could have imagined.  Both women are wives and mothers to children who are about to leave the nest for school.  They’re both in their forties and have husbands who travel more than either of them would like.  They are both feeling an emptiness neither had expected.  But when a shocking secret is exposed, their lives are blown apart.  As dark truths from the past reveal themselves, will these women be able to learn to forgive, for the sake of their children, of not for themselves?

My Thoughts

I absolutely loved the concept of this story because although it seems it could be far fetched this is something that actually happens in real life!  And that's a scary thought.  I really loved both Sylvie and Maggie and how their completely different lives get intertwined in ways they never thought possible.  I listened to this on audio and it was on of these that I never wanted to get out of the vehicle - I sat and listened long after I had no where to go.  It's one of those stories that captivated me right from the beginning and has stayed with me of the past week after I finished.

There are so many attributes that make this such a great novel: family drama, illness, betrayal, love and most of all self discovery.  Although the story is pretty predictable right from the beginning I still found the woven story line very intriguing.  In the beginning it was Sylvie's story that  captivated me but in the end it was Maggie's path to finding herself that left me wanting more.

The only thing I wasn't a fan of was that I felt like there wasn't much closure with Mark and his "situation."  He just kind of fell out of the story and the author just washed her hands of him.  I realize he wasn't the focal point of the outcome but I would have been interested in a chapter from Mark's perspective.  Also I didn't like where the story was going with Eve and Chris...I just found it...weird.

This is my first Jane Green novel and will certainly not be my last!

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.