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Deep Down True
From the author of Shelter Me --a funny and poignant novel about having your heart in the right place.
Newly divorced Dana Stellgarten has always been unfailingly nice- even to telemarketers-but now her temper is wearing thin. Money is tight, her kids are reeling from their dad's departure, and her Goth teenage niece has just landed on her doorstep. As she enters the slipstream of post-divorce romance and is befriended by the town queen bee, Dana finds that the tension between being true to yourself and being liked doesn't end in middle school... and that sometimes it takes a real friend to help you embrace adulthood in all its flawed complexity.
Newly divorced Dana Stellgarten has always been unfailingly nice- even to telemarketers-but now her temper is wearing thin. Money is tight, her kids are reeling from their dad's departure, and her Goth teenage niece has just landed on her doorstep. As she enters the slipstream of post-divorce romance and is befriended by the town queen bee, Dana finds that the tension between being true to yourself and being liked doesn't end in middle school... and that sometimes it takes a real friend to help you embrace adulthood in all its flawed complexity.
399 pages, Paperback
Published January 25, 2011
95 people are currently reading
2570 people want to read
About the author
Juliette Fay
9 books896 followersJuliette Fay is the bestselling author of eight novels, including THE HARVEY GIRLS, THE HALF OF IT, CATCH US WHEN WE FALL, CITY OF FLICKERING LIGHT and THE TUMBLING TURNER SISTERS, a USA Today bestseller and Costco Pennie’s Book Club Pick. Previous novels include THE SHORTEST WAY HOME, one of Library Journal’s Top 5 Best Books of 2012: Women’s Fiction; DEEP DOWN TRUE, short-listed for the 2011Women’s Fiction award by the American Library Association; and SHELTER ME, a 2009 Massachusetts Book Award “Must-Read Book” and an Indie Next pick.
Juliette is a graduate of Boston College and Harvard University, and lives in Massachusetts with her family. Follow her on Facebook: Juliette Fay author, Instagram: Juliette_Fay, and BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/julie...
Juliette is a graduate of Boston College and Harvard University, and lives in Massachusetts with her family. Follow her on Facebook: Juliette Fay author, Instagram: Juliette_Fay, and BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/julie...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 376 reviews
May 21, 2012
This is the story of Dana, the recently divorced mother of two children, who is struggling to come to terms with her newly single status. Over the course of the book she goes from being hurt and raw to finding a way for her and her children to move forward. She has to assume responsibility for herself financially, find a way to accept her husband's new relationship and to help her children to move on - as well as learning to move forward romantically.
I didn't particularly enjoy this book. Most of the storyline felt as cliched as the book's generic title. Dana was just too bland and perfect to hold my interest. Almost everything that came out of her mouth felt like how magazine articles recommend that you behave. Plus, the idea that she was this recently divorced woman who thought that it was entirely reasonable that her ex-husband should support her as a full time mother because she was just too busy looking after a 12 year old and 6 year old, didn't sit well with me. Nor did her inability to spot what a loser her boyfriend was or how passive aggressive her supposed best friend was. I kept waiting for some dramatic twist but it all unfolds pretty much as you expect it to.
I can see the way that the author tried to integrate lots of real life issues - eating disorders, teenage sexual pressures, suicide - but they all felt like they'd been deep fried in vanilla. The fact that it took me two weeks to read this book is indicative of its inability to hold my interest. It's not that it's particularly terrible, it's just...bland.
I didn't particularly enjoy this book. Most of the storyline felt as cliched as the book's generic title. Dana was just too bland and perfect to hold my interest. Almost everything that came out of her mouth felt like how magazine articles recommend that you behave. Plus, the idea that she was this recently divorced woman who thought that it was entirely reasonable that her ex-husband should support her as a full time mother because she was just too busy looking after a 12 year old and 6 year old, didn't sit well with me. Nor did her inability to spot what a loser her boyfriend was or how passive aggressive her supposed best friend was. I kept waiting for some dramatic twist but it all unfolds pretty much as you expect it to.
I can see the way that the author tried to integrate lots of real life issues - eating disorders, teenage sexual pressures, suicide - but they all felt like they'd been deep fried in vanilla. The fact that it took me two weeks to read this book is indicative of its inability to hold my interest. It's not that it's particularly terrible, it's just...bland.
July 15, 2011
I loved reading Deep Down True by Juliette Fay! I have not read "Shelter Me," yet, but I am planning to go back and read it at some point. I think that most women, no matter what stage they are in their lives, will find something to identify with in this book. Fay does an excellent job of illustrating those passages of life that we all go through, first as daughters, then as friends, wives, mothers and even grandmothers, to some extent. There are certain aspects of life that are intrinsic to being a woman, and I really felt drawn to Fay's descriptions, identifying with parts of my life that I have experienced.
The main character, Dana Stellgarten is a recent divorcee, with two children - Morgan and Grady. Struggling to find her post-divorce identity, she struggles with a number of family issues (I won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil the plot), while trying to figure out who she wants to become. Fay describes Dana's relationships with her kids, her sister, her niece, her ex-husband and also her friends and neighbors with such great detail, in such a way that I felt I was practically living in the same town, and could have been friends with her. Through all of her struggles, Dana learns some hard, but valuable lessons about relationships and the true meaning of love and friendship.
I highly recommend this book to people who like Kristin Hannah and Anita Shreve.
The main character, Dana Stellgarten is a recent divorcee, with two children - Morgan and Grady. Struggling to find her post-divorce identity, she struggles with a number of family issues (I won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil the plot), while trying to figure out who she wants to become. Fay describes Dana's relationships with her kids, her sister, her niece, her ex-husband and also her friends and neighbors with such great detail, in such a way that I felt I was practically living in the same town, and could have been friends with her. Through all of her struggles, Dana learns some hard, but valuable lessons about relationships and the true meaning of love and friendship.
I highly recommend this book to people who like Kristin Hannah and Anita Shreve.
October 9, 2021
5 Stars
I love this author so much. I can always relate to the characters in her stories. They’re real with relevant issues, families, and lives. They can have me laughing one moment, cheering the next, and then crying a little in between. Deep Down True was simply about a subsection of Dana’s life, but I could have kept reading about her family, friends, and romantic woes forever.
January 18, 2011
In Deep Down True feels like your reading your own inner diary. Not so much the events as much as the feelings. We are all still sorta like a awkward 13 year old inside. Praying to be accepted by others. Wanting to show our independence and being fearful of not achieving just that. Even as grown women with our own kids and life experiences, things get knotted up inside at times. And then just when we have had enough it seems something else is piled on top. Finally we blow and pieces of life go flying about, scattering about. Yes we sweep up the mess and put things back together. But most often we find that it is best to see that not everything lines right back up. And here in Deep Down True, that is just the way it falls. Like real life. Like it is us there. Like we can touch those feelings, wants and fears.
May 4, 2011
Dana Stellgarten, is a newly divorced mom trying to balance all the things in her life her kids, her ex-husband, her daughter’s eating disorder, dating, friendships, working, and family. This is simply no easy task. Dana has this very sweet personality and wants to be nice to everyone. She even makes sure to volunteer to prepare meals to families who are dealing with catastrophic illness. The problems seem to grow and she can no longer be sweet Dana. Her ex-husband seems surprised when he isn’t always met by nice Dana, as if he doesn’t understand his actions have caused her an insurmountable amount of stress and being on her own to deal with it all. Once she stops being so nice and becomes more real it gives those around her the chance to see the real Dana. It is only when she is Deep down true to herself does Dana begin to find herself and happiness.
I enjoyed Deep Down True from the first to the last page. Even though I’m not a divorced mom, I found I connected to Dana Stellgarten just as a mom. The story, the characters, and most importantly the subject matter is simply relatable! I felt the characters were more than just relatable but believable. They could be the family that lives just down the street. I laughed, I cried-- this was a really good book.
I enjoyed Deep Down True from the first to the last page. Even though I’m not a divorced mom, I found I connected to Dana Stellgarten just as a mom. The story, the characters, and most importantly the subject matter is simply relatable! I felt the characters were more than just relatable but believable. They could be the family that lives just down the street. I laughed, I cried-- this was a really good book.
July 3, 2011
While the writing was fairly good, I found it pocked by cliché. The edges were too smooth in a story where there was so much opportunity to make Dana a little less even. I would have enjoyed seeing the ragged become flattened by reason instead of seeing a well-rounded woman become minorly unhinged; but never enough to curl my gut with empathy. So sorry to say that the bubble wrap anaolgy (where the title was apparently dervived)left me flat. And I knew the ending from the second she walked into the dentist's office.
February 28, 2011
Within a year of her divorce, Dana is offered two jobs (without ever looking/applying for one), has two men fall in love with her (one a handsome, but immature oaf, the other a handsome, kind, widowed, dentist - guess which one she chooses), makes peace with her ex, and solves her daughter's bulimia problem. If divorce were this easy, everyone would be divorcing. This story was too unbelievable to be enjoyable.
February 4, 2021
4.5 stars
I loved this story of a woman trying to figure things out for herself and her kids after a divorce. The characters are so well drawn, they felt real to me and I could relate to them. I ached for them and rejoiced for them. The story felt real and the dialogue is terrific.
I loved this story of a woman trying to figure things out for herself and her kids after a divorce. The characters are so well drawn, they felt real to me and I could relate to them. I ached for them and rejoiced for them. The story felt real and the dialogue is terrific.
January 14, 2014
Ok, há bastante tempo que não lia um romance destes. Há uns anos atrás eu era uma viciada nos romances, li até à exaustão tudo aquilo a que consegui deitar a mão durante uns anos. Até que dei por mim a ver clichés em todo o lado, enredos quase sempre com o mesmo esquema. Enfim, pensei que estava na hora de pôr uma pausa na minha leitura puramente romanceada durante uns tempos. E depois os que fui lendo aqui e ali só me davam vontade de revirar os olhos e pensar que este género de leitura já não era para mim.
Posto isto, este livro veio parar-me às mãos por acaso. Como prenda de Natal mais propriamente. E já se sabe que tudo o que vem à rede é peixe e resolvi dar uma oportunidade.
Não podia estar mais bem surpreendida! Claro que há sempre um cliché aqui ou ali, é impossível um livro deste género não os ter. Mas o seu todo é muito muito bom. A escrita, sendo um livro ainda grande, é muito boa. Possibilitou-me ler este livro num ápice como se nada fosse. E o enredo… ahahahah só de me lembrar de certas situações que a autora criou já me dá vontade de rir. Dei por mim um dia no comboio a tapar a boca para não me desmanchar. E normalmente com livros de humor fico-me por um sorriso enviesado.
Dana é uma mãe recém-divorciada. Com Morgan e Grady para cuidar, surge ainda Alder, a sua sobrinha adolescente, para ficar com eles. Os problemas surgem em catadupa, como se já não bastasse a Dana ter de lidar com o ex-marido e a sua namorada, os seus filhos e sobrinha surgem com problemas nada fáceis de lidar, sejam eles sobre a sua sexualidade, o consumo de drogas, distúrbios alimentares e a pressão da sociedade sempre latente no meio deles. E no meio de tudo isto, Dana ainda tem de tomar conta da sua agenda amorosa e social que parece ter crescido nos últimos tempos.
Há situações verdadeiramente hilariantes, e ao mesmo tempo problemas sérios que nos fazem pensar o que faríamos se algum dia nos víssemos na mesma situação que Dana. Um livro sobre a amizade e o amor, que nos confronta com problemas reais e com personagens também tão reais que nos possibilita criar ligações facilmente.
Só me resta dizer que se algum dia me voltar a deparar com outro romance de Juliette Fay, o mais provável será tirá-lo da prateleira e levá-lo para casa comigo. Já tinha saudades…
Posto isto, este livro veio parar-me às mãos por acaso. Como prenda de Natal mais propriamente. E já se sabe que tudo o que vem à rede é peixe e resolvi dar uma oportunidade.
Não podia estar mais bem surpreendida! Claro que há sempre um cliché aqui ou ali, é impossível um livro deste género não os ter. Mas o seu todo é muito muito bom. A escrita, sendo um livro ainda grande, é muito boa. Possibilitou-me ler este livro num ápice como se nada fosse. E o enredo… ahahahah só de me lembrar de certas situações que a autora criou já me dá vontade de rir. Dei por mim um dia no comboio a tapar a boca para não me desmanchar. E normalmente com livros de humor fico-me por um sorriso enviesado.
Dana é uma mãe recém-divorciada. Com Morgan e Grady para cuidar, surge ainda Alder, a sua sobrinha adolescente, para ficar com eles. Os problemas surgem em catadupa, como se já não bastasse a Dana ter de lidar com o ex-marido e a sua namorada, os seus filhos e sobrinha surgem com problemas nada fáceis de lidar, sejam eles sobre a sua sexualidade, o consumo de drogas, distúrbios alimentares e a pressão da sociedade sempre latente no meio deles. E no meio de tudo isto, Dana ainda tem de tomar conta da sua agenda amorosa e social que parece ter crescido nos últimos tempos.
Há situações verdadeiramente hilariantes, e ao mesmo tempo problemas sérios que nos fazem pensar o que faríamos se algum dia nos víssemos na mesma situação que Dana. Um livro sobre a amizade e o amor, que nos confronta com problemas reais e com personagens também tão reais que nos possibilita criar ligações facilmente.
Só me resta dizer que se algum dia me voltar a deparar com outro romance de Juliette Fay, o mais provável será tirá-lo da prateleira e levá-lo para casa comigo. Já tinha saudades…
February 9, 2012
I so loved "Shelter Me," Juliette Fay's first book, that I had high expectations of her second. Her writing is superb, the characters multi-dimensional, and the conflicts believable. In particular, I like her male characters. I had to root for Tony Sakimoto, his humor,generosity and patience are characteristics we'd like to see in every potential love interest.
It is obvious that the author is a mother because her portrayal of the children in her books are true to nature. She displays both the joys and the difficulties of parenting.
In "Shelter Me," I felt completely involved with Janie, the main character, and the challenges she encountered following her husband's death. In this story, I felt that Dana's story was somewhat diluted by the number of trajectories for the conflict. Dana deals with her daughter's bulimia, her ex-husband's betrayal and his building a new family, her niece's boyfriend issues and the niece's estrangement from her mother, a stranger's terminal illness, resolving her father's death, a tenuous relationship with her sister, financial issues and dating following her divorce.
A good book. A great author. Looking forward to more of her work.
It is obvious that the author is a mother because her portrayal of the children in her books are true to nature. She displays both the joys and the difficulties of parenting.
In "Shelter Me," I felt completely involved with Janie, the main character, and the challenges she encountered following her husband's death. In this story, I felt that Dana's story was somewhat diluted by the number of trajectories for the conflict. Dana deals with her daughter's bulimia, her ex-husband's betrayal and his building a new family, her niece's boyfriend issues and the niece's estrangement from her mother, a stranger's terminal illness, resolving her father's death, a tenuous relationship with her sister, financial issues and dating following her divorce.
A good book. A great author. Looking forward to more of her work.
January 26, 2011
Excellent writing and an engrossing story... and best of all, a richly satisfying ending. View my full review: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
October 24, 2015
Review pending.
April 16, 2023
People left....Sometimes they left even though they continued to sit there in the same room. Which was worse, in a way because you had to watch them leaving you over and over every day. p183
We all hide what we're ashamed of. p117
Dana has been left, and for the sake of her two kids she attempts to regain her eqilibrium after a divorce that prompts her to reevaluate everything she held true.
She wondered if she knew anything anymore, or whether anything she'd previously believed had merely been lies she'd told herself so she could feel normal. p252
Empathic warmth and organic dialogue bring this family drama to life as with wit and intelligent restraint Juliette Fay confronts the modern condition with its fractures and disappointments.
There's no such thing as perfect, she could hear her mother saying, and if there were, it wouldn't stay that way for long. p266
She'd always been more comfortable dealing in surface realities, she realized, a strategy that had served to protect her from the bleaker aspects of her life. It was time to dig down to deeper truth. p252
What is revealed here are the underground connections between bulimia, bullying and betrayal. What happens to the needs we ignore when we are habitually more generous with others than we are with ourselves? For Dana, it's men like her son's football coach with his romantic fantasies who mindlessly provides a hilarious opportunity to break free of the doormat syndrome.
Where is the line? she wondered. How much is enough but not too much? p106
The spotlight is on the complex dynamics of care and the role of self-care in navigating the emotional minefields that we might prefer to bypass. And of course, the supreme value of being deep down true.
The memory of a book....Wouldn't life be so easy if that's all we needed to be comforted. p209
We all hide what we're ashamed of. p117
Dana has been left, and for the sake of her two kids she attempts to regain her eqilibrium after a divorce that prompts her to reevaluate everything she held true.
She wondered if she knew anything anymore, or whether anything she'd previously believed had merely been lies she'd told herself so she could feel normal. p252
Empathic warmth and organic dialogue bring this family drama to life as with wit and intelligent restraint Juliette Fay confronts the modern condition with its fractures and disappointments.
There's no such thing as perfect, she could hear her mother saying, and if there were, it wouldn't stay that way for long. p266
She'd always been more comfortable dealing in surface realities, she realized, a strategy that had served to protect her from the bleaker aspects of her life. It was time to dig down to deeper truth. p252
What is revealed here are the underground connections between bulimia, bullying and betrayal. What happens to the needs we ignore when we are habitually more generous with others than we are with ourselves? For Dana, it's men like her son's football coach with his romantic fantasies who mindlessly provides a hilarious opportunity to break free of the doormat syndrome.
Where is the line? she wondered. How much is enough but not too much? p106
The spotlight is on the complex dynamics of care and the role of self-care in navigating the emotional minefields that we might prefer to bypass. And of course, the supreme value of being deep down true.
The memory of a book....Wouldn't life be so easy if that's all we needed to be comforted. p209
November 10, 2014
There were two signs very early on that this book was going to be a problem. The story is about Dana, a 45-year-old woman who is still reeling from her divorce from a year ago. She's has two kids, 12-year-old Morgan and 7-year-old Grady, while her former husband, Kenneth, has moved on with Tina, a 29-year-old bimbo. I had more issues with this book than the newsstand at the local airport. Sign #1 was when Dana complains to Coach Ro, the screaming Neanderthal who coaches Grady's kiddie football team, that she mistakenly thinks Grady wants to be called by his name and not "Stelly" -- a take on their last name, Stellgarten. Let that sink in a bit. A third-grader who DOESN'T want a cool nickname? And mom complaining to the coach about it? Am I right? Yeah, FAIL. I understand the author was trying to create a way for the coach and Dana to meet-cute but I just couldn't see that happening.
No. 2, and I hope I don't offend anyone with this, but a key part of the plot is when Kenneth tells Dana that sales at his company are lagging due to a recent scandal so he's going to have to reduce the amount of child support she receives and could she get a job to help make up the difference. And what does she do? She gets mad. MAD. I'm not divorced and therefore have not received child support but is there an expectation that the divorced spouse never has to work again when you get these monthly payments, even when the kids are in school and daytime childcare is not an issue? This change in finances does get Dana out of the house -- for a part-time job at her kids' dentist office -- and is all part of the narrative of how this character starts to take control of her life again but for someone to get MAD that they have to work stopped me in my tracks.
The rest of the book has an ensemble of characters like Adler, Dana's niece, who is struggling to get along with her acidic, blowhard of a mom Connie (Dana's sister) and Coach Ro, who is briefly a romantic interest but one of the oafish, mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging variety. Kenneth the ex-husband comes around really wanting to boss Dana around as if he still lives at the house. As an aside, I always imagine him looking like Thelma's husband from Thelma & Louise, sort of aggressively stupid and all. There's the dentist that gives Dana a job, the kindly Dr. Anthony Sakimoto who becomes her friend and confidante, the various staff at the dentist office that support him, Polly, her BFF, who it turns out isn't that much of of a friend and the various other people Dana meets as she tries on this newly-divorced-woman thing on for size.
Lastly there are the issues with Morgan who is struggling with an eating disorder that originally Dana ignores (way to go, mom) and also trying to navigate middle school in which all the girls sound like they're auditioning for a role on "Dynasty: The Tween Years."
I'm all for books about a woman finding herself after many years caring for others but it's hard to believe that someone would make so many mistakes in character assessment all because they were once married and suffer from Nice To A Fault Syndrome. I felt the writing was a little weighty and the dialogue could have been snappier. There were no extraneous plotlines but it felt like a slog just to get through them all. Maybe it's because I'm not a suburban white woman rocked by divorce and managing children but this was a book I would have a hard time recommending to anyone because so little of it I could connect with or the women I know.
No. 2, and I hope I don't offend anyone with this, but a key part of the plot is when Kenneth tells Dana that sales at his company are lagging due to a recent scandal so he's going to have to reduce the amount of child support she receives and could she get a job to help make up the difference. And what does she do? She gets mad. MAD. I'm not divorced and therefore have not received child support but is there an expectation that the divorced spouse never has to work again when you get these monthly payments, even when the kids are in school and daytime childcare is not an issue? This change in finances does get Dana out of the house -- for a part-time job at her kids' dentist office -- and is all part of the narrative of how this character starts to take control of her life again but for someone to get MAD that they have to work stopped me in my tracks.
The rest of the book has an ensemble of characters like Adler, Dana's niece, who is struggling to get along with her acidic, blowhard of a mom Connie (Dana's sister) and Coach Ro, who is briefly a romantic interest but one of the oafish, mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging variety. Kenneth the ex-husband comes around really wanting to boss Dana around as if he still lives at the house. As an aside, I always imagine him looking like Thelma's husband from Thelma & Louise, sort of aggressively stupid and all. There's the dentist that gives Dana a job, the kindly Dr. Anthony Sakimoto who becomes her friend and confidante, the various staff at the dentist office that support him, Polly, her BFF, who it turns out isn't that much of of a friend and the various other people Dana meets as she tries on this newly-divorced-woman thing on for size.
Lastly there are the issues with Morgan who is struggling with an eating disorder that originally Dana ignores (way to go, mom) and also trying to navigate middle school in which all the girls sound like they're auditioning for a role on "Dynasty: The Tween Years."
I'm all for books about a woman finding herself after many years caring for others but it's hard to believe that someone would make so many mistakes in character assessment all because they were once married and suffer from Nice To A Fault Syndrome. I felt the writing was a little weighty and the dialogue could have been snappier. There were no extraneous plotlines but it felt like a slog just to get through them all. Maybe it's because I'm not a suburban white woman rocked by divorce and managing children but this was a book I would have a hard time recommending to anyone because so little of it I could connect with or the women I know.
September 27, 2017
I loved Deep Down True just as much as Shelter Me. It was another page turner for me. The writing is clear and poignant. Dana Stellgarten was the main character. She is described by her sister as a cupcaker, she volunteered to help people. She made delicious dinners and delivered them to homes of families who had a people dying of terminal cancer. A lot of people thought that she was a pushover. She had just been divorced and had a daughter, Morgan and son, Grady. Her kids were struggling with just getting used to the divorce.
Morgan wants to be popular and look like the TV ads. Garth really wants some time with his Dad. Alder, her teenage niece, leaves home. She wants to be away from her controlling mother and work out her feelings for her past best friend. Along comes Jet, Alder's new friend who really needs a mother bad but her mother is addict.
To add to stress, Dana is unemployed,she thought that she would be at home for the kids but her ex-husband is dealing with a financial set back. Also her ex-husband is now living with his girl friend.
How is this going to work out? Will Dana be the same as she was before the divorce? What is the most important in life?
I highly recommend this book to all readers interested in family drama.
Morgan wants to be popular and look like the TV ads. Garth really wants some time with his Dad. Alder, her teenage niece, leaves home. She wants to be away from her controlling mother and work out her feelings for her past best friend. Along comes Jet, Alder's new friend who really needs a mother bad but her mother is addict.
To add to stress, Dana is unemployed,she thought that she would be at home for the kids but her ex-husband is dealing with a financial set back. Also her ex-husband is now living with his girl friend.
How is this going to work out? Will Dana be the same as she was before the divorce? What is the most important in life?
I highly recommend this book to all readers interested in family drama.
November 3, 2015
Deep Down True is the first novel I have read by Juliette Fay. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more by this author.
Dana Stellgarten is a very likable character and is thrown into some extraordinary circumstances. She is a very real person and always positive. However, her outlook on life throws her life into turmoil and she discovers that she can be a tough, strong person who can deal with whatever life throws her way.
This story make me laugh, smile, and, at times, cry. I loved the characters, especially Adler. These were all characters that I would enjoy spending an evening with.
Go Cards! L1C4!!
Dana Stellgarten is a very likable character and is thrown into some extraordinary circumstances. She is a very real person and always positive. However, her outlook on life throws her life into turmoil and she discovers that she can be a tough, strong person who can deal with whatever life throws her way.
This story make me laugh, smile, and, at times, cry. I loved the characters, especially Adler. These were all characters that I would enjoy spending an evening with.
Go Cards! L1C4!!
August 15, 2013
One of my favorite books! I loved it! It is a touching struggle of this woman, Dana, to get control of her life after divorce, and provide for her 2 children. Plus there is also a struggle to decide if she wants to meet other people (men specifically) and date.
The book touches on many sensitive subjects, anorexia and bulimia just to mention a couple; plus the death of a friend, sex and dating after divorce, divorce and infidelity and all are handled tastefully.
It is entertaining, and I found myself rooting for the main character, Dana, every time she got into a situation. You root for her to find the right guy and I was very happy with the way the book ended.
The book touches on many sensitive subjects, anorexia and bulimia just to mention a couple; plus the death of a friend, sex and dating after divorce, divorce and infidelity and all are handled tastefully.
It is entertaining, and I found myself rooting for the main character, Dana, every time she got into a situation. You root for her to find the right guy and I was very happy with the way the book ended.
November 19, 2014
Mundane and unbearable! Lackluster plot, and if you listen to the audio book the narrator will drive you nuts! She did me, anyway. Absolutely distasteful. She made everyone but the main character sound exactly the same....brassy and unlike anyone you might consider bonding with. The men, the women, the children, all jarringly harsh. No thank you.
February 4, 2015
This book could have been written in 1/3 of the pages. Kept my interest but I was waiting for something to happen and it never did. Only read if there's nothing else in the house...took too much time to get to the end.
December 2, 2013
Uma procura pelo significado do que é ser mulher no nosso tempo, Acasos do Amor traz-nos episódios e dilemas intrinsecamente femininos com os quais qualquer mulher, de uma forma ou de outra, se poderá certamente identificar. Esta não é uma boa escolha de leitura para quando estamos a tentar fugir da realidade, já que nos mergulha inteiramente nela…
Dana é uma mulher divorciada que se esforça diariamente para ser o melhor que consegue - uma boa mãe, uma boa tia, uma boa amiga, uma boa dona de casa, uma boa irmã e até uma boa ex-mulher. Contudo, ultimamente, os problemas parecem não ter tendência a agravar-se mas também a vir de todas as direcções e Dana, que se tinha deixado definir completamente pela vida que levava, terá que lidar com estes problemas ao mesmo tempo que tenta redescobrir-se e ganhar controlo sobre a sua própria vida.
Achei formidável a forma honesta como a autora, Juliette Fay, explorou a vida desta mulher, o modo como nos permite aceder de forma bastante íntima às suas percepções, esperanças e receios. Particularmente, gostei de ter acesso ao contraste entre o que Dana gostaria realmente de dizer e a resposta pela qual acaba por optar… Fazemos isto tantas vezes no nosso dia-a-dia e, apesar de por vezes termos vontade de responder mal a alguém, mesmo sendo bemmerecido (!), acabamos normalmente por escolher a resposta mais educada e que nos vai trazer menos problemas, mas mantendo aquela deliciosamente despreocupada ideia "e se eu agora te mandasse simplesmente para lá…!?"
Fay recheou este livro com problemas familiares e pessoais bem profundos, válidos tanto na adolescência como na vida adulta, presenteando-nos diversas vezes com a interessantíssima contrariedade da perspectiva mãe/filha. Desde as falsas expectativas que a sociedade actual nos leva a formar sobre a nossa aparência física, passando pelas sequelas do divórcio nos filhos bem como a sua resposta às tentativas dos pais retomarem as suas vidas amorosas com outras pessoas, a descoberta da sexualidade na adolescência, o consumo de drogas e a perda de um familiar por doença terminal, Juliette Fay aborda temas muito sensíveis e interessantes, pecando talvez, e este é o único ponto negativo que tenho a apontar, por querer abordar demasiadas adversidades no mesmo livro.
De qualquer das formas, gostei muito mais deste livro do que estava inicialmente à espera. Fay levou-me a simpatizar realmente com as suas personagens e a torcer por um final feliz para cada uma delas, passando pela compreensão dos seus dilemas e escolhas. Gostei do lembrete de que nunca temos realmente a certeza de estar a fazer o "melhor" mas que podemos garantir o "nosso melhor", o nosso esforço máximo, e que isso já conta bastante. A autora mostra como as mesmas pessoas podem trazer doses de alegria e tristeza/desilusão às nossas vidas e que é a forma como decidimos lidar com isso que condiciona o futuro dessas relações.
Acasos do Amor é um romance leve sobre as dinâmicas da amizade e da família, oscilando entre cenas comoventes e episódios divertidos sempre pontuados com um realismo que nos leva a desenvolver interesse pelas personagens e ganhar interesse no desenvolvimento das suas histórias.
Dana é uma mulher divorciada que se esforça diariamente para ser o melhor que consegue - uma boa mãe, uma boa tia, uma boa amiga, uma boa dona de casa, uma boa irmã e até uma boa ex-mulher. Contudo, ultimamente, os problemas parecem não ter tendência a agravar-se mas também a vir de todas as direcções e Dana, que se tinha deixado definir completamente pela vida que levava, terá que lidar com estes problemas ao mesmo tempo que tenta redescobrir-se e ganhar controlo sobre a sua própria vida.
Achei formidável a forma honesta como a autora, Juliette Fay, explorou a vida desta mulher, o modo como nos permite aceder de forma bastante íntima às suas percepções, esperanças e receios. Particularmente, gostei de ter acesso ao contraste entre o que Dana gostaria realmente de dizer e a resposta pela qual acaba por optar… Fazemos isto tantas vezes no nosso dia-a-dia e, apesar de por vezes termos vontade de responder mal a alguém, mesmo sendo bemmerecido (!), acabamos normalmente por escolher a resposta mais educada e que nos vai trazer menos problemas, mas mantendo aquela deliciosamente despreocupada ideia "e se eu agora te mandasse simplesmente para lá…!?"
Fay recheou este livro com problemas familiares e pessoais bem profundos, válidos tanto na adolescência como na vida adulta, presenteando-nos diversas vezes com a interessantíssima contrariedade da perspectiva mãe/filha. Desde as falsas expectativas que a sociedade actual nos leva a formar sobre a nossa aparência física, passando pelas sequelas do divórcio nos filhos bem como a sua resposta às tentativas dos pais retomarem as suas vidas amorosas com outras pessoas, a descoberta da sexualidade na adolescência, o consumo de drogas e a perda de um familiar por doença terminal, Juliette Fay aborda temas muito sensíveis e interessantes, pecando talvez, e este é o único ponto negativo que tenho a apontar, por querer abordar demasiadas adversidades no mesmo livro.
De qualquer das formas, gostei muito mais deste livro do que estava inicialmente à espera. Fay levou-me a simpatizar realmente com as suas personagens e a torcer por um final feliz para cada uma delas, passando pela compreensão dos seus dilemas e escolhas. Gostei do lembrete de que nunca temos realmente a certeza de estar a fazer o "melhor" mas que podemos garantir o "nosso melhor", o nosso esforço máximo, e que isso já conta bastante. A autora mostra como as mesmas pessoas podem trazer doses de alegria e tristeza/desilusão às nossas vidas e que é a forma como decidimos lidar com isso que condiciona o futuro dessas relações.
Acasos do Amor é um romance leve sobre as dinâmicas da amizade e da família, oscilando entre cenas comoventes e episódios divertidos sempre pontuados com um realismo que nos leva a desenvolver interesse pelas personagens e ganhar interesse no desenvolvimento das suas histórias.
November 19, 2013
Leia a Crítica completa em http://oslivrosnossos.blogspot.pt/201...
" Acasos do Amor, de Juliette Fay, é um romance contemporâneo, cuja acção decorre nos Estados Unidos, na Cidade de Cotters Rock, no Connecticut.
A personagem central desta trama é Dana Stellgarten, uma mulher na casa dos quarenta, recém-divorciada, desempregada, que luta por educar convenientemente os dois filhos menores, a pré-adolescente Morgan, quase com doze anos de idade, e Grady, de oito anos.
Com problemas financeiros no horizonte, Dana tem de ir reaprendendo a viver com os filhos, sem a presença constante de Kenneth, o marido que a atraiçoou, e trocou por uma mulher mais jovem - Tina.
Numa linguagem acessível, em tom envolvente e levando o leitor até junto das personagens, Juliette Fay faz desfilar perante os nossos olhos as vivências próprias de muitas famílias modernas. (...)
Estamos perante uma narrativa que nos traz personagens que bem podiam ser reais. E com rara sensibilidade, Juliette Fay, além de nos contar uma boa história, que nos cativa da primeira à última página deste romance, fazendo-nos rir, chorar, entristecer-nos ou enternecer-nos, leva-nos a pensar em temas bastante actuais nas vivências sociais e familiares dos nossos dias, tais como: os distúrbios alimentares (bulimia) que afectam adolescentes; as famílias reconstruídas; a forma como os jovens vivem a separação dos pais, e a aceitação de novas famílias; valores solidários; a vida escolar e os seus aspectos mais e menos positivos.
Uma história viciante, plena de humor, ternura, amor, valores intemporais, perdas e renascimentos, luta e superação. Afinal, a vida humana em todos os seus cambiantes oscilando entre o negros e cinzas e as cores mais vibrantes."
" Acasos do Amor, de Juliette Fay, é um romance contemporâneo, cuja acção decorre nos Estados Unidos, na Cidade de Cotters Rock, no Connecticut.
A personagem central desta trama é Dana Stellgarten, uma mulher na casa dos quarenta, recém-divorciada, desempregada, que luta por educar convenientemente os dois filhos menores, a pré-adolescente Morgan, quase com doze anos de idade, e Grady, de oito anos.
Com problemas financeiros no horizonte, Dana tem de ir reaprendendo a viver com os filhos, sem a presença constante de Kenneth, o marido que a atraiçoou, e trocou por uma mulher mais jovem - Tina.
Numa linguagem acessível, em tom envolvente e levando o leitor até junto das personagens, Juliette Fay faz desfilar perante os nossos olhos as vivências próprias de muitas famílias modernas. (...)
Estamos perante uma narrativa que nos traz personagens que bem podiam ser reais. E com rara sensibilidade, Juliette Fay, além de nos contar uma boa história, que nos cativa da primeira à última página deste romance, fazendo-nos rir, chorar, entristecer-nos ou enternecer-nos, leva-nos a pensar em temas bastante actuais nas vivências sociais e familiares dos nossos dias, tais como: os distúrbios alimentares (bulimia) que afectam adolescentes; as famílias reconstruídas; a forma como os jovens vivem a separação dos pais, e a aceitação de novas famílias; valores solidários; a vida escolar e os seus aspectos mais e menos positivos.
Uma história viciante, plena de humor, ternura, amor, valores intemporais, perdas e renascimentos, luta e superação. Afinal, a vida humana em todos os seus cambiantes oscilando entre o negros e cinzas e as cores mais vibrantes."
April 26, 2011
Dana Stellgarten has the most common of stories. Her husband left her for another woman, now she struggles to make ends meet, to deal with the lonely times when her kids are with their dad, and to reinvent herself as something other than a wife. She is the consummate caretaker, always putting the others (even her son's flirtatious football coach) before herself. As her teenage daughter points out, Dana is nice to a fault. Suddenly without the safety net of marriage Dana has to find strength she has buried deep to protect her children, find a job, help out her confused Goth niece, and maybe even let romance back into her life.
At first I found the plot of Deep Down True to be utterly commonplace and predictable and I was a bit bored. Dana's story is that of nearly every woman who has gone through a divorce. After awhile though I began to really like Dana and to feel like she was a friend. Then her everyday triumphs started to matter to me and by the end I had really enjoyed the book. Watching Dana's daughter Morgan struggle through her parents' divorce in such a vulnerable way with Dana trying to find her way to a solution was painful and rewarding all at once. There are some great humorous moments, often thanks to Grady's football coach, that help to lighten the mood. In the end I enjoyed the book but wish it had been pruned down a little.
I listened to the audio version of Deep Down True, read by Robynn Rodriguez. She does a nice job dealing with the voices of so many different characters and especially with Dana's warm and comforting tones.
At first I found the plot of Deep Down True to be utterly commonplace and predictable and I was a bit bored. Dana's story is that of nearly every woman who has gone through a divorce. After awhile though I began to really like Dana and to feel like she was a friend. Then her everyday triumphs started to matter to me and by the end I had really enjoyed the book. Watching Dana's daughter Morgan struggle through her parents' divorce in such a vulnerable way with Dana trying to find her way to a solution was painful and rewarding all at once. There are some great humorous moments, often thanks to Grady's football coach, that help to lighten the mood. In the end I enjoyed the book but wish it had been pruned down a little.
I listened to the audio version of Deep Down True, read by Robynn Rodriguez. She does a nice job dealing with the voices of so many different characters and especially with Dana's warm and comforting tones.
May 14, 2015
Uma leitura que nos envolve, toca, comove e emociona e nos mostra situações do nosso quotidiano e que se lê num ápice.
A autora é possuidora de uma escrita simples, directa e fluída.
Uma história de vida, de perdas, traições, tristezas, doenças, sofrimento, luta, ajuda, solidariedade e esperança.
Dana acabada de divorciar-se e com dois filhos a seu cargo, vai sentir o chão a fugir-lhe debaixo dos pés. Vai ter de lutar pela sobrevivência dela e dos filhos e para ajudar a festa, vem juntar-se a revoltada da sobrinha que se zanga com a mãe.
Um turbilhão de sensações e sentimentos vão surgir na vida de Dana e por vezes as decisões poderão ou não ser as melhores para seguir. Mas é com os erros que aprendemos.
Os personagens estão tão bem estruturados que vamos sentir por eles afeição e ternura.
Conseguirá esta mulher superar os obstáculos que a vida lhe apresenta? Voltará ela a amar?
Uma história que me conquistou da primeira à última página, esta poderia ser a história de qualquer um de nós.
Recomendo a autora pela criatividade e pela doçura de toda a história.
A autora é possuidora de uma escrita simples, directa e fluída.
Uma história de vida, de perdas, traições, tristezas, doenças, sofrimento, luta, ajuda, solidariedade e esperança.
Dana acabada de divorciar-se e com dois filhos a seu cargo, vai sentir o chão a fugir-lhe debaixo dos pés. Vai ter de lutar pela sobrevivência dela e dos filhos e para ajudar a festa, vem juntar-se a revoltada da sobrinha que se zanga com a mãe.
Um turbilhão de sensações e sentimentos vão surgir na vida de Dana e por vezes as decisões poderão ou não ser as melhores para seguir. Mas é com os erros que aprendemos.
Os personagens estão tão bem estruturados que vamos sentir por eles afeição e ternura.
Conseguirá esta mulher superar os obstáculos que a vida lhe apresenta? Voltará ela a amar?
Uma história que me conquistou da primeira à última página, esta poderia ser a história de qualquer um de nós.
Recomendo a autora pela criatividade e pela doçura de toda a história.
February 10, 2017
"Irrepressibly nice Dana Stellgarten is finding it hard to maintain her calm in the face of just about every possible issue a normal life could throw at her: an ex-husband who left her for a much younger woman, her own two kids who are dealing with the upheaval in troubling ways plus her uber-critical sister's kid showing up on her doorstep with her own problems, financial shortfalls forcing her to plunge back into the world of part-time work, and multiple potential suitors, all of whom she hesitates to offend but none of whom she's sure she is interested in.
Juliette Faye's Deep Down True might sound like an overwrought melodrama, but the characters are so thoughtfully drawn and interact so genuinely that instead it feels like a good friend commiserating about life, both the bad and the good. There are definitely laugh-out-loud moments (watch out for mailboxes, chipmunks, and golf balls!), but at the end of the day, as the author told me, a good story is about the 'twists and turns, my friend, the twists and turns,'" - DJ
Juliette Faye's Deep Down True might sound like an overwrought melodrama, but the characters are so thoughtfully drawn and interact so genuinely that instead it feels like a good friend commiserating about life, both the bad and the good. There are definitely laugh-out-loud moments (watch out for mailboxes, chipmunks, and golf balls!), but at the end of the day, as the author told me, a good story is about the 'twists and turns, my friend, the twists and turns,'" - DJ
July 14, 2011
Well-written, with likeable characters, but a predictable plot (though not so much so that the book was ruined for me). The main character, Dana, is very warm and appealing and I found her confusion over how to treat her daughter's incipent eating disorder very realistic. In fact, I found all of her parenting conundrums realistic, and not cartoonish; I find that refreshing, since a lot of novels' descriptions of parenting make me wonder if the author has ever actually spoken to a real child before. As a mother, I very much like not being patronized to or made a charactature of, so that was a large part of this book's appeal.
March 25, 2013
Dana is so real, well, so "deep down true." I could visualize her as an ordinary woman thrown into some extraordinary circumstances. She was always the good girl, good daughter, good sister, good worker, good wife, good mom, good friend. And her goodness slam dunked her into turmoil. She learns that she's not really always so nice and stands up for herself and her kids. I laughed out loud at different scenes, smiled at many and was almost in tears at others. There are characters you love and characters you love to hate. I enjoyed this novel more than Shelter Me but that might be because the whole story was much more believable for me.
February 6, 2011
Love the cover...it is why I picked it up! And, it ended too soon. I ended up really liking this book...even though there was more language than I like. It was a such a good slice of life with a middle schooler, very realistic look at people. It is the story of a recently divorced mother of two 8th grade and 6th grade, and the roller coaster of dealing with divorce, going back to work, teenagers and just life in general. It woudl make a good beach read, as it is a little brainless, but it was just nice to curl up at home and read something enjoyable.
February 14, 2011
An expertly crafted, subtle but straightforward look into the complicated world of middle school aged girls, life after divorce and the challenges of a blended family. Fay deftly leads the reader through these rocky terrains with a gentle hand and a supremely perceptive sense of humor. I loved how she mirrored the "mean girl" dynamics with the protagonist and her own set of women friends, making me question just how far we mature out of our junior high selves. A wonderful follow up to Shelter Me!
February 1, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. Despite a lot of content that I can't personally relate to, the characters and plot were so well written and realistic that I found I could relate to them anyway. I really liked the idea of Dana, the main character learning to be LESS nice. I know a few doormats like myself, who could sometimes stand to learn that lesson. This is a book that will make you laugh and cry and root for a happy ending.
March 21, 2011
My Mom gave me this book when she was visiting and didn't say anything glowing about it so I wasn't expecting much. I really liked it though! It's a great perspective of a Mom and middle school & high school age girls. (Something I'm dreading dealing with in the future...) I ended up staying up WAY too late last night to finish it but a great happy ending and a LOT of characters to like - something I haven't been able to say with the last couple of books I've read! :)
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