- Mass Market Paperback: 462 pages
- Publisher: Dell; 1st mmpb edition (April 1 1987)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0440129389
- ISBN-13: 978-0440129387
- Product Dimensions: 17 x 10.2 x 3.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 249 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,301,485 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Library Journal
Anna Dunlap, newly divorced, is shaping a life centered around her three-year-old daughter, Molly. Then Leo Cutter sparks a sexual responsiveness new to Annaherself the product of a circumspect New England family, frigid during her marriage to a man of similar temperament. Molly and Leo like each other, too, and Anna sees them as a loving family unituntil her ex-husband sues for custody, citing sexual activities that put his child at risk. The love affair is irrevocably changed, as Anna opens her life to a court-appointed psychiatrist and bends the truth to her lawyer's strategy. Anna's first-person narrative, with its skillfully interwoven flashbacks, creates foreboding as it builds to the drama of the hearing and its wrenching conclusion. Miller's first novel is a stunner: so emotionally true and cleanly written, its characters so wonderfully and fallibly human, its issues so painful. Michele Leber, Fairfax Cty. P.L., Va.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
Anna is a divorcee, a piano teacher, and a devoted mother. She was brought up in a family which valued achievement and self-discipline above almost everything else, but what Anna has always longed for is to be more passionate and expressive, both in her music and in her life, than she seems capable of being. Then she falls in love with Leo, an artist, and in many ways the kind of wild, impulsive person Anna has always wanted to be. Their relationship is intensely sexual and it is this, ultimately, which threatens to destroy all that Anna holds dear.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
THE POST OFFICE IN EAST SHELTON reminded me of the one in the little town near my grandparents' summer home in Maine. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
THE POST OFFICE IN EAST SHELTON reminded me of the one in the little town near my grandparents' summer home in Maine. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
The mutual exclusivity of motherhood and sexuality,
This review is from: The Good Mother (Paperback)
Sue Miller's The Good Mother is a great piece of jurisfiction.Anna Dunlap splits up from her lawyer husband, Brian, with whom sex was a chore. She has custody of their three-year-old daughter, Molly. Anna meets Leo Cutter, an artist, and the two enjoy a passionate sexuality. Then Anna's ex-husband sues for custody, claiming that Leo engaged in sexual activities with Molly. When Anna confronts Leo, she is horrified to discover that he once let Molly touch his penis, thinking he was simply answering her curious questions but then regretting his actions. A psychologist appointed by the court reviews the case and concludes that the incident did not seriously harm Molly. However, the court experience dooms Anna's love affair by, in effect, forcing her to choose between her lover and her child. Miller's beautifully written book highlights the good qualities of her flawed characters, drawing out our sympathy for them in spite of their poor choices. Her skillful description of scenes and events give readers a sense of complete engagement with the characters and the story. The lawyers, judges and courtroom scenes are very believable. Miller succeeds in tackling a difficult theme - a mother's sexuality - by showing all its different angles. She reveals the shades of grey in each character's viewpoint; nothing is ever black and white. My only complaint is Molly's unrealistic precociousness. She never shows the sweetness I expect and look for, even in the beginning when Anna is totally devoted to her. She seemed the least believable of the characters. I highly recommend this fascinating piece of jurisfiction.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Enough,
By
This review is from: The Good Mother (Paperback)
I really liked the subjects the book addressed, but Anna left me feeling so tired. She analyzes incessantly. I can read between the lines. I don't need the main character doing it for me.I wish I could give it more than three stars because I really liked the book itself. I just wished I could've heard less of her thoughts. My first Sue Miller book to read. I'll try her again, as I hope this isn't a pattern with her writing style, but just another "issue" that our Anna deals with.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Who cares.........,
By lbskis (Long Beach, NY USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Good Mother (Paperback)
I just finished reading this book, complaining the whole way how I did not like it. I should have put it down, but I thought it had to get better at some point. There was too much sex (graphic sometimes)and no substance. While You Were Gone by Sue Miller was better.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
