"Fly Away Home" by Jennifer Weiner

Sylvie Woodruff is the ideal politician's wife. Her wardrobe is full of tailored suits, she considers it her job to stay twenty pound thinner than she really is and she spends her days giving talks and tending to her senator husband. But when news of her husband Richard's extramarital affair hits the airwaves, she is forced to reconsider who she is and where her purpose really lies.


Sylvie and Richard's daughters are also dealing with their own struggles when the scandal hits. Diana, the "perfect" daughter, is an ER physician with a husband and young son at home but she finds an escape from her loveless marriage through Doug, a hospital intern. Lizzie, the younger daughter, is a recovering addict trying to keep her life under control. But when she meets Jeff, a kind and caring man, she doesn't know how to handle having a relationship or the surprise that comes out of it.


Wanting to escape their troubles and the national spotlight, the three women leave everything behind and head to the family home in Connecticut. There they able to face their troubles and come to peace with what life has brought them and where it will take them.


Fly Away Home is the story of a mother and her two daughters who find themselves living lives they hadn't really expected. Jennifer Weiner has created characters who the reader will be drawn to, who will accept them flaws and all and hope for a positive outcome.


Unfortunately, Fly Away Home isn't one of Weiner's best. It is a great story and one that is current, but I personally felt that she could have done without the many references to real life cheating politicians and actors. To me, it cheapened the story. The beginning felt like it dragged a bit, however the story did pick up toward the end. More time is dedicated to the characters back stories rather than the healing and resolving of their situations.


While it may not be Weiner's best, it is still a good story and a good read. If you are a fan of Weiner's it is definitely worth picking up. If you have not read anything by her before, I recommend picking up one of her other novels first.

Comments

  1. SuzanneAugust 24, 2010 at 1:51 PM

    I totally agree with you on this one. I love Jennifer Weiner's other books, but this one was sadly lacking. I thought it read too much like a "scandal of the month" story and that the story of the women together in Connecticut should have been a bigger part of the novel.
    Nice review.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Julie PAugust 24, 2010 at 9:35 PM

    I enjoy this author, so I will still probably pick up a copy of this. I may wait until it hits the used book store though!

    Have a wonderful week, Shan.....

    ReplyDelete
  3. ClaireAugust 26, 2010 at 6:48 AM

    Thanks for the tip!

    Cxx

    ReplyDelete
  4. ShanAugust 26, 2010 at 9:18 AM

    I have read a lot of other reviews that feel the same way about this book, that it seemed too much like a scandal of the month book and that it's not her best.

    Interesting though how she made the comment that she had been working on this book for years, and before all the scandals hit the news. I think it's unfortunate that she threw those in, the book would have been fine without them.

    ReplyDelete

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