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Promises to Keep
A NY Times bestseller and "a poignantly written novel that powerfully celebrates the power of love and friendship" (Chicago Tribune).
Over the course of twelve novels, Jane Green has established herself as one of the preeminent names in women's fiction. In Promises to Keep she weaves a profoundly moving tale that will enthrall both new and old fans.
Callie Perry lights up every room she enters, and adores her settled family life in tony Bedford, New York. Steffi is Callie's younger sister. At thirty, she's still a free spirit bouncing between jobs and boyfriends in Manhattan. Their long-divorced parents, Walter and Honor, share little besides their grown daughters. But when Callie receives a difficult diagnosis, the family will come together for one unforgettable and ultimately life-changing year.
Over the course of twelve novels, Jane Green has established herself as one of the preeminent names in women's fiction. In Promises to Keep she weaves a profoundly moving tale that will enthrall both new and old fans.
Callie Perry lights up every room she enters, and adores her settled family life in tony Bedford, New York. Steffi is Callie's younger sister. At thirty, she's still a free spirit bouncing between jobs and boyfriends in Manhattan. Their long-divorced parents, Walter and Honor, share little besides their grown daughters. But when Callie receives a difficult diagnosis, the family will come together for one unforgettable and ultimately life-changing year.
342 pages, Hardcover
First published June 15, 2010
425 people are currently reading
11229 people want to read
About the author
Jane Green
88 books8,705 followersJane Green's twenty first novel, Sister Stardust, is out April 5th 2022.
She is the author of eighteen previous New York Times Bestselling novels, and known as one of the world's leading authors in women's fiction, with over ten million books in print, and translations in over 25 languages.
Previous novels have included The Beach House, Second Chance, Jemima J, and Tempting Fate.
She joined the ABC News team to write their first enhanced digital book— about the history of Royal marriages, then joined ABC News as a live correspondent covering Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton.
A former journalist in the UK, she has had her own radio show on BBC Radio London, and is a regular contributor on radio and TV, including as well as regularly appearing on television shows including Good Morning America, The Martha Stewart show, and The Today Show.
Together with writing books and blogs, she contributes to various publications, both online and print, including anthologies and novellas, and features for The Huffington Post, The Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan and Self. She has taught at writers conferences, and does regular keynote speaking, and has a weekly column in The Lady magazine, England’s longest running weekly magazine.
A graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York, Green is bringing out her first cookbook: Good Taste , with Berkley in October 2016.
She is a storyteller for The Moth radio hour on NPR,
and lives in Westport, Connecticut with her husband and their blended family. When she is not writing, cooking, gardening, filling her house with friends and herding chickens, she is usually thanking the Lord for caffeine-filled energy drinks.
Jane's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Gr...
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
She is the author of eighteen previous New York Times Bestselling novels, and known as one of the world's leading authors in women's fiction, with over ten million books in print, and translations in over 25 languages.
Previous novels have included The Beach House, Second Chance, Jemima J, and Tempting Fate.
She joined the ABC News team to write their first enhanced digital book— about the history of Royal marriages, then joined ABC News as a live correspondent covering Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton.
A former journalist in the UK, she has had her own radio show on BBC Radio London, and is a regular contributor on radio and TV, including as well as regularly appearing on television shows including Good Morning America, The Martha Stewart show, and The Today Show.
Together with writing books and blogs, she contributes to various publications, both online and print, including anthologies and novellas, and features for The Huffington Post, The Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan and Self. She has taught at writers conferences, and does regular keynote speaking, and has a weekly column in The Lady magazine, England’s longest running weekly magazine.
A graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York, Green is bringing out her first cookbook: Good Taste , with Berkley in October 2016.
She is a storyteller for The Moth radio hour on NPR,
and lives in Westport, Connecticut with her husband and their blended family. When she is not writing, cooking, gardening, filling her house with friends and herding chickens, she is usually thanking the Lord for caffeine-filled energy drinks.
Jane's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Gr...
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,243 reviews
April 18, 2023
UPDATE 12/8/22: Tried to read this book again because I'm way more anti-feminist than I used to be. Can't make it past the third chapter. This book is still a complete waste of time.
This book was a complete waste of time. I should have quit a long time ago, but I won't lie - I did want to know how it ended. I grew very tired of the anti-feminist, traditional gender roles agenda, though. Women who didn't want children ended up pregnant and being happy with babies because of a dying woman's wish. None of them was single by the end. They couldn't be happy unless their lives were on a specific (marriage and babies) track. It became very old. I thought this story was sad and unnecessary. It may have been a true story or based on one anyway, but the story seemed so fake and overdone. Of course they were sad, but who says "mustn't" anymore?? Seriously. There was no main focus, and the point of the story didn't become evident until the middle or so. Just ridiculous.
This book was a complete waste of time. I should have quit a long time ago, but I won't lie - I did want to know how it ended. I grew very tired of the anti-feminist, traditional gender roles agenda, though. Women who didn't want children ended up pregnant and being happy with babies because of a dying woman's wish. None of them was single by the end. They couldn't be happy unless their lives were on a specific (marriage and babies) track. It became very old. I thought this story was sad and unnecessary. It may have been a true story or based on one anyway, but the story seemed so fake and overdone. Of course they were sad, but who says "mustn't" anymore?? Seriously. There was no main focus, and the point of the story didn't become evident until the middle or so. Just ridiculous.
October 23, 2024
Fuck cancer and books about cancer
August 2, 2010
Wow, after reading this, I looked at the reviews on here and found so many raves. I am puzzled. I thought it was dreck, really mawkish and painful to get through (I have got to break myself of the habit of finishing any book I start to avoid slogs through treacle like this). The characters in this book are all women defined by their relationship to men (and to a lesser extent their children) and all living magical little lives where everything falls into place, well, with one major exception - which you can see coming a mile away (like every other plot development in this book). I suppose I will click the little spoiler button on the bottom of this and tell you that one of the main characters dies. Frankly, it was not soon enough for me and I only wished she had had a penultimate scene where she took out the rest of the phoney characters keeping a vigil at her bedside, thereby relieving me of the duty of reading one more word about them.
Apparently Jane Green had a friend who died from complications of breast cancer and I think what happened here is she was trying too hard to weave in facts and information about possible complications post remission into a book that had a lot of romance, baby making, and even recipes in it. For me, it ended up feeling rather bifurcated, even disjointed. I am sorry for her loss, but I cannot recommend this book.
Apparently Jane Green had a friend who died from complications of breast cancer and I think what happened here is she was trying too hard to weave in facts and information about possible complications post remission into a book that had a lot of romance, baby making, and even recipes in it. For me, it ended up feeling rather bifurcated, even disjointed. I am sorry for her loss, but I cannot recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2011
Jane Green could be one of my favorite contemporary authors. In fact, I am making that official as of this moment. Her writing embraces the issues and challenges (real and perceived) of relationships and family life, and her discussion of them, through her characters, is often spot on. The description of the self doubting, the aspirations, the juggling of the demands of family and career and self (even when I might not have a lot of empathy for some of the characters) is honest and true to present day. Green’s characters are not perfect, but they reveal the courage demanded by this world, and I really care about them.
Coincidentally, this novel also dealt with the illness and death of a much beloved sister as the last novel I read (not planned, believe me.) Green’s skill as a writer is reflected in sharing the necessity of learning how to live with the enormity of loss, a loss felt every second of every minute of every day. “But you bear it because you have to. What other choice do you have…Life… carries on around the pain, making room for it, absorbing it until it becomes part of the daily fabric, wrapping itself around you and lodging itself in your heart.” Those words capture the force behind the characters making the necessary choices for redemption toward the end of the novel, but more often, just going on and being better people.
Coincidentally, this novel also dealt with the illness and death of a much beloved sister as the last novel I read (not planned, believe me.) Green’s skill as a writer is reflected in sharing the necessity of learning how to live with the enormity of loss, a loss felt every second of every minute of every day. “But you bear it because you have to. What other choice do you have…Life… carries on around the pain, making room for it, absorbing it until it becomes part of the daily fabric, wrapping itself around you and lodging itself in your heart.” Those words capture the force behind the characters making the necessary choices for redemption toward the end of the novel, but more often, just going on and being better people.
August 12, 2024
This is a story of family, friendship , grief and loss. Readable but not a lot of depth to the characters or the story.
July 28, 2011
One: I really liked seeing a recipe at the end of every chapter.
Two: I've picked up this book at Borders, thinking that I should read something different for a change. I had my doubts, since I had always leaned more towards fantasy or action-packed novels. Then, I started reading this book two days ago, and I didn't regret it. It brought me through laughter and tears.
The book started with a look at various characters' lives; a peep into their past; an experience of their present. I have to be honest here: I thought I would be bored to death reading about someone's simple daily life. But yet I wasn't. I loved the author's writing as she had a way to make even the simplest of action interesting to read.
Three: It's really amazing to read about how different people, with their own lives to lead, can come together to care for this one person they love. I can safely say that this book has renewed my faith in love.
Two: I've picked up this book at Borders, thinking that I should read something different for a change. I had my doubts, since I had always leaned more towards fantasy or action-packed novels. Then, I started reading this book two days ago, and I didn't regret it. It brought me through laughter and tears.
The book started with a look at various characters' lives; a peep into their past; an experience of their present. I have to be honest here: I thought I would be bored to death reading about someone's simple daily life. But yet I wasn't. I loved the author's writing as she had a way to make even the simplest of action interesting to read.
Three: It's really amazing to read about how different people, with their own lives to lead, can come together to care for this one person they love. I can safely say that this book has renewed my faith in love.
October 23, 2016
Rather sad, yet beautiful story. The number of characters was a bit of a block for me, but all in all a worthwhile read.
April 19, 2018
4.5 stars
Oh gosh, what a story! How’s it possible I have not read a Jane Green book until now! I will hunt for her other books asap.
I expected this book to be a light and happy read but nope, it was a tearjerker and a half, thank goodness for the recipes at the end of each chapter which gave me a few moments to calm myself, although I did shake my head a few times at the huge amount of sugar that is used in most of these recipes. But still, I loved this book!
Steffi and Callie are amazing sisters, in fact the entire family are beautiful (I want one of those). Loved how they all pulled together when sorrow struck. I enjoyed reading every page and found it quite difficult to put down but a gal needs to eat and sleep, lol.
Book ‘g’ of the a-z author challenge 2018
Oh gosh, what a story! How’s it possible I have not read a Jane Green book until now! I will hunt for her other books asap.
I expected this book to be a light and happy read but nope, it was a tearjerker and a half, thank goodness for the recipes at the end of each chapter which gave me a few moments to calm myself, although I did shake my head a few times at the huge amount of sugar that is used in most of these recipes. But still, I loved this book!
Steffi and Callie are amazing sisters, in fact the entire family are beautiful (I want one of those). Loved how they all pulled together when sorrow struck. I enjoyed reading every page and found it quite difficult to put down but a gal needs to eat and sleep, lol.
Book ‘g’ of the a-z author challenge 2018
June 17, 2015
If I wanted a recipe at the end of every chapter I would read a cookbook
April 18, 2019
Callie and Steffi are sisters and they could not be more different. Callie is a mother of two, a wife and a photographer, living in the New York suburbs. Callie is a city girl through and through and is enjoying her life with her rock star boyfriend and cooking at a vegan restaurant. At some point in life, things change, and things for this family are about to change in a very big way. Will Steffi see the light at the end of the tunnel and finally decide to settle down her life, or will she continue to live by the seat of her pants? Will Callie continue to live her life with her husband always gone and bearing most of the responsibility of the children?
I love Jane Green's books, they always make me shed a tear or two and this one was no different.
This is a story about love and family. Not the just family that is related to you by blood, but the friends that become your family.
A few years back Callie was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought hard and she beat it. But now, she's having some weird pains and her biggest fear is that the cancer may come back. Dealing with this in my family right now, it's always hard to hear when someone you love is sick, especially when there is nothing you can do to help.
Steffi is a drifter, drifting from job to job and man to man never quite landing on the right spot. When an opportunity comes along for her to make a major change in her life, she has to decide whether or not to take the leap. I think we've all been in that situation, where you feel like you're on the hamster wheel of life and it's impossible to get off. Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new is not easy for most of us. But the satisfaction you get when it all works out is the best feeling in the world.
These sisters along with their family and friends embark on a part of their life that is completely unexpected and changes them both. Full of love and warmth, this is a great book for all to enjoy. Make sure you have your box of tissues handy while reading.
I love Jane Green's books, they always make me shed a tear or two and this one was no different.
This is a story about love and family. Not the just family that is related to you by blood, but the friends that become your family.
A few years back Callie was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought hard and she beat it. But now, she's having some weird pains and her biggest fear is that the cancer may come back. Dealing with this in my family right now, it's always hard to hear when someone you love is sick, especially when there is nothing you can do to help.
Steffi is a drifter, drifting from job to job and man to man never quite landing on the right spot. When an opportunity comes along for her to make a major change in her life, she has to decide whether or not to take the leap. I think we've all been in that situation, where you feel like you're on the hamster wheel of life and it's impossible to get off. Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new is not easy for most of us. But the satisfaction you get when it all works out is the best feeling in the world.
These sisters along with their family and friends embark on a part of their life that is completely unexpected and changes them both. Full of love and warmth, this is a great book for all to enjoy. Make sure you have your box of tissues handy while reading.
June 3, 2010
I've only read a couple books by Jane Green and was not impressed but this book was unbelievable. Granted I am 7 1/2 months pregnant and have a toddler of my own but this book had me bawling. I was so invested in the characters and what happened to each that I almost couldn't finish the book out of fear of what would happen. Steff is your typical chick lit, flighty character and you can pretty much predict what would happen to her in the end. Still the story was written in such a way that it will keep you engaged and hoping for a happy ending for all of the main characters. Callie's husband at first had me guessing if he was going to go the route of the busy working husband who would turn out to be a cheater or a loving husband that would be there no matter what. Really there wasn't anything I actively disliked about this story. The only slightly negative thing I can say is much of the story is predictable but I find that true of all chick lit books. This is definitely a must read book but have a few tissues on hand.
July 1, 2010
I haven't read a lot of Jane Green's books yet, but I've read a few and this one is the best one yet.
After getting halfway through, I just couldn't put it down and chose to stay up way too late to finish it. It was such an amazing story. I don't even have the words to describe it accurately.
Make sure you've got a box of tissues on hand.
After getting halfway through, I just couldn't put it down and chose to stay up way too late to finish it. It was such an amazing story. I don't even have the words to describe it accurately.
Make sure you've got a box of tissues on hand.
December 28, 2015
After I found out why this book was written, I almost felt pressured to rate it higher but I just can't do it. Granted after having read Dune Road today and directly following it with this novel, Promises to Keep was a much better book, but it is not without serious flaws.
Green has a habit of sharing details with the reader via dialogue and then, only a few pages later, that exact same tidbit is repeated. Either give the information to us through the character's thoughts or conversations...not both. I feel that this is a filler ploy that Green employs to pad her book. It gets tedious after awhile, reading something and knowing that you will be told AGAIN the same thing. Case in point: Steffi mentions that their dad had two marriages and a long-term relationship to Callie,. Just a few pages later, Steffi thinks to herself almost the exact same thing she had just told her sister AND later, the dad thinks about having been married twice, with one long-term relationship. This information was not valuable to the story line t all and barely was worth being brought up once, much less three times total.
Having read two back-to-back Green books in about the time span of 12 hours was a bit more than I should have forced on myself but it allowed to me to see the author's hang-ups and go-to plot points. She likes to have her women miserable to the point of divorce or so happy in marriage that someone has to die. Green doesn't even try to cover her tracks when sticking to basic plot twists, leaving you with the feel of the book dragging in pace because you have already figured out what was eventually going to happen. She also continues to use British terms instead of basic American ones.
Does Ms. Jane not use an editor? She is such a big deal in women's fiction that she can just hand in a book and they publish it as is? Such excess detailing that isn't needed as it doesn't enrich the plot, doesn't move the story along. It is just there because she thought it, I guess.
The book started strong to me and then dragged along for what seems like FOREVER before getting to the meat of the story but by then, the characters felt flat. Silted dialogue that felt scripted and unnatural made this a difficult read.
This was the last of Green's works that was taking up space on my bookcase and I think that I will take a break from her writing for quite awhile now.
Green has a habit of sharing details with the reader via dialogue and then, only a few pages later, that exact same tidbit is repeated. Either give the information to us through the character's thoughts or conversations...not both. I feel that this is a filler ploy that Green employs to pad her book. It gets tedious after awhile, reading something and knowing that you will be told AGAIN the same thing. Case in point: Steffi mentions that their dad had two marriages and a long-term relationship to Callie,. Just a few pages later, Steffi thinks to herself almost the exact same thing she had just told her sister AND later, the dad thinks about having been married twice, with one long-term relationship. This information was not valuable to the story line t all and barely was worth being brought up once, much less three times total.
Having read two back-to-back Green books in about the time span of 12 hours was a bit more than I should have forced on myself but it allowed to me to see the author's hang-ups and go-to plot points. She likes to have her women miserable to the point of divorce or so happy in marriage that someone has to die. Green doesn't even try to cover her tracks when sticking to basic plot twists, leaving you with the feel of the book dragging in pace because you have already figured out what was eventually going to happen. She also continues to use British terms instead of basic American ones.
Does Ms. Jane not use an editor? She is such a big deal in women's fiction that she can just hand in a book and they publish it as is? Such excess detailing that isn't needed as it doesn't enrich the plot, doesn't move the story along. It is just there because she thought it, I guess.
The book started strong to me and then dragged along for what seems like FOREVER before getting to the meat of the story but by then, the characters felt flat. Silted dialogue that felt scripted and unnatural made this a difficult read.
This was the last of Green's works that was taking up space on my bookcase and I think that I will take a break from her writing for quite awhile now.
November 6, 2010
I liked the characters but found the pace a bit off ... it seemed as though it took a long time to get there, to the heart of the book, and once it got there it all got tied up quickly and was over and done with. A bit of a roller coaster without the excitement, if you know what I mean -- anticipation and then you're in it, and then it's over and you're walking away.
I also got a bit confused, time-wise. I wasn't sure if the ending happened *rightaway* or if it was a year later. I think it happened *rightaway* but it wasn't explicitly stated, and by then I was so invested in wanting details that I was left wondering what had happened and why I had been suddenly "shut out" and just told what happened next.
The character of Steffi the cook was quite believable and I think Jane's love of cooking came through. The insertion of a recipe after each chapter was nice ... even if sometimes I was left wondering, "Did anyone mention that dish or eat that dish in that chapter? What did that recipe have to do with that chapter?"
I also got a bit confused, time-wise. I wasn't sure if the ending happened *rightaway* or if it was a year later. I think it happened *rightaway* but it wasn't explicitly stated, and by then I was so invested in wanting details that I was left wondering what had happened and why I had been suddenly "shut out" and just told what happened next.
The character of Steffi the cook was quite believable and I think Jane's love of cooking came through. The insertion of a recipe after each chapter was nice ... even if sometimes I was left wondering, "Did anyone mention that dish or eat that dish in that chapter? What did that recipe have to do with that chapter?"
October 23, 2014
Positive aspects
-The author can write very well
-The recipe at the end of every chapter
-There were sad parts and I managed to shed a tear or two
-Although cliche and almost predictable, the story seems really honest and true to life
Negative aspects
-Uninteresting cover
-It takes quite a while to get into the real story or plot
-I can't really get into the story at all
-I had to skim through about half of the book so that I know the ending
-Frankly, the most boring chick lit I've ever read
-The author can write very well
-The recipe at the end of every chapter
-There were sad parts and I managed to shed a tear or two
-Although cliche and almost predictable, the story seems really honest and true to life
Negative aspects
-Uninteresting cover
-It takes quite a while to get into the real story or plot
-I can't really get into the story at all
-I had to skim through about half of the book so that I know the ending
-Frankly, the most boring chick lit I've ever read
June 14, 2012
Actual Rating: **1/2
You know when a book starts out with a happy couple with two happy children living a happy life in the suburbs that there's probably only one direction in which the story will eventually go (clearly foreshadowed in the book's dedication). I was glad to see many characters find their way; others find what they didn't know they wanted. Recipes at the end of every chapter were intriguing; and Fingal, the Scottish deerhound, was endearing.
This could easily have ended up as a DNF, but I kept reading just to see if, just this once, maybe the inevitable end would be avoided.
And am I the only one confused by the book blurb above? The lives of these colorful characters intersect when they each receive a shocking note that summons them together for one extraordinary summer in Maine and changes their lives forever. The edition I read had the characters living and "intersecting" in New York and its suburbs with fall and the holidays figuring prominently in the story. Just wondering....
You know when a book starts out with a happy couple with two happy children living a happy life in the suburbs that there's probably only one direction in which the story will eventually go (clearly foreshadowed in the book's dedication). I was glad to see many characters find their way; others find what they didn't know they wanted. Recipes at the end of every chapter were intriguing; and Fingal, the Scottish deerhound, was endearing.
This could easily have ended up as a DNF, but I kept reading just to see if, just this once, maybe the inevitable end would be avoided.
And am I the only one confused by the book blurb above? The lives of these colorful characters intersect when they each receive a shocking note that summons them together for one extraordinary summer in Maine and changes their lives forever. The edition I read had the characters living and "intersecting" in New York and its suburbs with fall and the holidays figuring prominently in the story. Just wondering....
August 12, 2010
The queen of women’s fiction is back with her most emotional and powerful novel to date. Jane Green’s Promises to Keep is the story of Callie Perry, a successful family photographer in upstate New York. Callie’s younger sister Steff is a free-spirited city girl who has yet to land (in life, in love, or in work). And to complete the trio is Lila, Callie’s best friend who has finally found love (and unfortunately her love has a nightmare of an ex). The heart of the story comes when Callie is given a brutal diagnosis and must come to terms with the finality of life. This is a novel about surviving, about love and friendship and the enduring power of the human spirit. Promises to Keep is an emotional journey that is well worth the trip. It will give readers a renewed appreciation for the life we live, the friends we make, and the promises we keep. A truly wonderful story.
October 23, 2024
Now I normally love nothing more than curling up with a Jane Green and getting completely lost for an evening. However this one just really didn't click with me, and I couldn't even put my finger on exactly why - possibly the characterisation? No one felt very real and all their personalities seemed interchangeable. The ending was quite rushed and, to be honest, it just felt like Jane Green had bashed this book out to meet a deadline rather than pour her heart into it, like she usually does.
September 23, 2024
This is a good read. But bring your Kleenex. This is a story of a family,some related by blood by friendship. There is happiness and sorrow. I like how the author incorporated each character's back story into the plot. Also I like that she included recipes throughout the book
June 23, 2011
Promises to Keep was clearly a labor of love for Jane Green. Using the life of a dear friend as motivation, Green wrote a love story about friendship and loss.
Cancer has taken a lot from all of us, and Green does a tremendous job showing how cancer affects not just the victim but also everyone who loves him or her. Callie believed she was a survivor, but when cancer strikes her again everyone who loves her puts aside their differences and rallies to her side, as they should.
It is this positive spirit though that started some problems for me with Promises. Living through my own cancer years with my husband, I understand that it forces people to come together. I also know that in many ways it tears us all apart. Promises would have been better for me if it had gone deeper. Instead I felt like it skimmed the surface and left a lot of emotion still on the table.
Ironically it was the main character-Callie-that I found the most one dimensional. I understand that Green wrote Promises in memory of her own friend, and I also understand that loss clouds our memory. But should Callie always be so perfect. She never cared that her husband worked late. She was a tremendous sister. She was a giving and generous friend.
Now I know that it is possible for people to be this way. I even have a few friends who I would categorize this way, but they also have faults. I wanted to see more of Callie’s bad side. I wanted to see her get angry more. I wanted to know her more.
At this point you might be asking, why did this novel get a four rating if she saw so much wrong with it?? Well, the answer is because Promises is a solid book despite these downsides. Every character is likeable, and you root for them along the way. The “true aspects” of Green’s back story force you to see that Promises means more than meets the eye. And the readability of this novel is perfect for summer: easy and fluid.
True, I wanted Promises to give me more “meat” to deal with, but Jane Green still gave me plenty to tackle. I enjoyed Promises to Keep, and I will definitely read more of Green’s work in the future.
Cancer has taken a lot from all of us, and Green does a tremendous job showing how cancer affects not just the victim but also everyone who loves him or her. Callie believed she was a survivor, but when cancer strikes her again everyone who loves her puts aside their differences and rallies to her side, as they should.
It is this positive spirit though that started some problems for me with Promises. Living through my own cancer years with my husband, I understand that it forces people to come together. I also know that in many ways it tears us all apart. Promises would have been better for me if it had gone deeper. Instead I felt like it skimmed the surface and left a lot of emotion still on the table.
Ironically it was the main character-Callie-that I found the most one dimensional. I understand that Green wrote Promises in memory of her own friend, and I also understand that loss clouds our memory. But should Callie always be so perfect. She never cared that her husband worked late. She was a tremendous sister. She was a giving and generous friend.
Now I know that it is possible for people to be this way. I even have a few friends who I would categorize this way, but they also have faults. I wanted to see more of Callie’s bad side. I wanted to see her get angry more. I wanted to know her more.
At this point you might be asking, why did this novel get a four rating if she saw so much wrong with it?? Well, the answer is because Promises is a solid book despite these downsides. Every character is likeable, and you root for them along the way. The “true aspects” of Green’s back story force you to see that Promises means more than meets the eye. And the readability of this novel is perfect for summer: easy and fluid.
True, I wanted Promises to give me more “meat” to deal with, but Jane Green still gave me plenty to tackle. I enjoyed Promises to Keep, and I will definitely read more of Green’s work in the future.
September 18, 2011
I have read Jane Green's book, The Beach House and I enjoyed the twisty turning way it melted characters into a story. It was fun reading. However I started this book and by the time I got to the 8th disk, I spent half of the time sobbing. I had to literally force myself to go finish the last 2 disks. I needed to hear the end of the tale. I suppose for anyone who has had a journey with a loved one through cancer, it is a very gut-wrenching experience and this book was just the story of that magnitude.
Cassandra Campbell is a marvelous reader. her voice is beautiful and I could almost see the tears in her eyes and hear them in her voice as she narrated the scenes where there were tears of the characters.
Perhaps I am a wuss or a sissy or any other adjective that could be used but this will be the last of Jane Green's books for a while.
I enjoyed her making the characters come to life, but death and dying parts, were so real,they just plain hurt. I felt like an elephant has been on my chest for a week. I recommend the book with some hesitance. If you are in a sad place in your life, go find a Stephanie Plum book, so you can laugh. I am going to, ASAP.
Cassandra Campbell is a marvelous reader. her voice is beautiful and I could almost see the tears in her eyes and hear them in her voice as she narrated the scenes where there were tears of the characters.
Perhaps I am a wuss or a sissy or any other adjective that could be used but this will be the last of Jane Green's books for a while.
I enjoyed her making the characters come to life, but death and dying parts, were so real,they just plain hurt. I felt like an elephant has been on my chest for a week. I recommend the book with some hesitance. If you are in a sad place in your life, go find a Stephanie Plum book, so you can laugh. I am going to, ASAP.
February 19, 2021
- takes a very long time for the plot to develop, and once it does it just ends. There are a lot of different characters and I think it would have been better to separate them in to different books.
- One of the characters consistently talks about not wanting to have children, and she is pressured by her partner and friends to do so. She is 42, and enjoys being childless. Then randomly, she gets pregnant despite being on birth control and decides to keep it to make her boyfriend and her dying friend happy. No discussions of the possible complications of carrying a child at this age.
- Another of the characters seems to be happily falling for someone she has met in the neighbourhood. He is initially presented as kind, helpful, handsome, and just her type. Then, while on a date, she sees something white on his nose, assumes it is coke, and decides to move in with her landlord whom she previously stated was uninteresting and unattractive. They fall in love in approx. 2.5 pages.
-Unrealistic development overall, I don't need to go on.
- One of the characters consistently talks about not wanting to have children, and she is pressured by her partner and friends to do so. She is 42, and enjoys being childless. Then randomly, she gets pregnant despite being on birth control and decides to keep it to make her boyfriend and her dying friend happy. No discussions of the possible complications of carrying a child at this age.
- Another of the characters seems to be happily falling for someone she has met in the neighbourhood. He is initially presented as kind, helpful, handsome, and just her type. Then, while on a date, she sees something white on his nose, assumes it is coke, and decides to move in with her landlord whom she previously stated was uninteresting and unattractive. They fall in love in approx. 2.5 pages.
-Unrealistic development overall, I don't need to go on.
January 15, 2011
This is a touching and well-written novel. I would give it four stars except for the irritating fact that the author got cutesy and used an irritating gimmick. Every chapter has a reference to food in it, and at the end of that chapter there's a recipe for that culinary delight. I found it impossible to invest myself in the story when I was being jolted out of it over and over again by being hit in the face with a recipe.
It would have been one thing if this were a humorous, light-hearted read, but it's not. It's about a young woman dying of cancer. It's totally inappropriate to turn it into a cook book.
It would have been one thing if this were a humorous, light-hearted read, but it's not. It's about a young woman dying of cancer. It's totally inappropriate to turn it into a cook book.
April 10, 2011
This book completely took me by surprise. I didn't expect the twist of events that led me to basically bawl my eyes out during the last third of the book. I'm a sucker for happy endings...and though it didn't end like I thought it would, I found that Jane Green did a wonderful job interweaving lives of the characters in this novel. If there was a lesson to be learned it's this, "Make time to enjoy the ones you love. For time is fleeting, but love endures."
July 17, 2010
What a book! I won't lie and say that I'm trying to stop crying. Quite the tearjerker and what a wonderful story! I won't tell you why i'm crying but, you should read this book then go hold your family an tell them you love them. Love that every chapter ended with a recipie. Maybe I'll be domestic and make something.
June 8, 2016
OMG - such an amazing book! It is hard to read at times - I want to say why, but I don't want to ruin the story for people! I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more, and then I completely bawled my eyes out! Then, still, it managed to leave you hopeful at the end.... Jane Green is still in my mind the most amazing writer ever.
December 14, 2016
I loved this book. I laughed and cried numerous times. This is a simple story about family and close friends. It has a recipe at the end of each chapter which was kind of fun. The characters are great and I loved the sisters Callie and Steffie and their family story. If you like a sweet story with some real tear-jerker moments, you cannot go wrong with this read.
January 30, 2011
Started out as perfectly serviceable chick-lit, then lost its way in a mess of too-many points of view and verb tenses all over the place. By the end, I really just didn't care what happened to any of the characters - except Fingal; I liked him.
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April 29, 2015another great read by Jane Green
I enjoyed this story. Very well written but sad. Jane Greens books are quick easy reads and makes you think about how you would respond in those situations. I have yet to read a Jane Green book I didn't like.
I enjoyed this story. Very well written but sad. Jane Greens books are quick easy reads and makes you think about how you would respond in those situations. I have yet to read a Jane Green book I didn't like.
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