The Ever After: A Novel

I loved this book, even thought it’s a tough and depressing subject. Wonderful writing, flawed, but real characters I rooted for, and a very realistic ending. I felt like I was beside the characters every step of the way, feeling what they were feeling. It’s a raw and honest look at infidelity ... the pain, the immense heartache, the mixed emotions, the healing process, the possibilities of hope and redemption for all the right reasons.It’s a story that’s been done many, many times — but Sarah’s writing draws you in, in so many ways. I became very attached to this family, as if I actually knew them. My heart hurt for them. They weren’t cardboard cutouts, acting out cliches, or written around the story. It’s an excellent character study and flows very naturally.I’ve been on a “psychological twisty thriller” book binge lately; this book was a wonderful break from those. It seems strange to say that a book about something so heartbreaking could be soothing .... but that’s the power of Sarah’s writing. The subject matter certainly wasn’t soothing, but the characters, setting, real life in all its beauty/ugliness, real people, lack of true evil intent, were. I’m actually going to miss this family.PS: Be sure to read the author’s note after the “Acknowledgements” page — she describes what inspired her to write this book.

Frank’s indiscretion leads Josie to piece together every last detail of her husband’s deception. This one crack in their marriage has Josie reevaluating herself and her marriage with Frank. Josie and Frank are a happily married couple with two kids or so she thought. Frank is a great father. At one time Josie considered him a great husband. Sure there were some faults along the way, yet she thought they were strong together.…Sarah Pekkanen writes a thought provoking story of one woman’s struggle with her husband indiscretion. The story is written from Josie’s perspective, the wife, the mother, the woman whose husband took for granted the loving family they created. Ms. Pekkanen wrote about marital troubles in a way that had me thinking she was writing about my husband. I thought to myself on several occasions is she writing this about my life? This sounds familiar. The reality is so earth shattering true how the roles between men and women and husband and wife vary.…Josie is faced with questions that stem from both the past and the present. Ms. Pekkanen provided valid information through therapy illustrating the importance of reconnecting. My favorite part of the story is reading characters recognize the need to change and be sincere about it. I liked how open minded Frank’s character was to going to counseling and listening to Josie share her feelings.…This quote says it all, “I’m going to spend every single day showing you how much I love you and the girls”. Ironically this should have been his mantra from the beginning not after the indiscretion. Reassurance of love can go along way to build confidence. Since marriage doesn’t come with a guide book it seems reasonable to have counseling sessions from the beginning to help guide couples along the way.…I appreciated how Sarah Pekkanen created Frank’s character by illustrating the importance of him recognizing he did something wrong and admitted guilt and then took the necessary steps to get help on his own. It takes a certain level of self reflection to notice when you make a mistake and need to remedy it. It’s wonderful when individuals reinvent themselves for the better.

Josie and Frank Moore are happy…at least Josie thinks they are. As parents of two young girls in the Chicago suburbs, their days can be both busy and monotonous, and sometimes Josie wonders how she became a harried forty-something mother rather than the driven career woman she once was. But Frank is a phenomenal father, he’s handsome and charismatic, and he still looks at his wife like she’s the beautiful woman he married more than a decade ago. Josie isn’t just happy—she’s lucky. Until one Saturday morning when Josie borrows her husband’s phone to make a quick call—and sees nine words that shatter her world. Now Josie feels as if she is standing at the edge of a sharp precipice. As she looks back at pivotal moments in the relationship she believed would last forever, she is also plunging ahead, surprising everyone (especially herself) with how far she will go to uncover the extent of her husband’s devastating secret.My Thoughts: What happens to a wife when she realizes that the life she thought she had was a big lie?  The Ever After: A Novel  digs deep into the anger, pain, and distress that foment after a husband’s secrets and lies are revealed.It was impossible not to feel the agony of Josie’s situation, as the author’s conversational style, along with the great dialogues and monologues, made the reader feel a part of what was happening.The story goes back and forth in time, showing the reader how the couple first met; unfurled the times in their marriage when they struggled; and revealed the depths of their current agony.I especially liked how Josie would not simply accept that the revelations her husband had given her could lead to forgiveness. She had to do her own investigating, work through the uncertainty, and finally get some help for the two of them. Mistrust requires brutal honesty between partners if the trust is to be rebuilt. We learned, through the therapy sessions, that a list of tests Josie devised had to be passed on a regular basis for her to finally believe in her husband again. If she ever could. An in-depth experiment in trust-building and working through the emotions of the disaster could begin to illuminate a new path for the two of them. 4.5 stars.

I really enjoyed reading this book! I read a few other books by both the authors. It was difficult for me to put down just as the others were.

Loved it! So interesting

Dull, dull, dull. Nothing happens. I was waiting for the story to evolve but it never did.