Book Reviews of Circle of Three

An enjoyable book on relationships especially between women, and in this case the women are related - mother, daughter, granddaughter - with a few extras thrown in.

A most excellent book. I gave it to my daughter in law.

This is a wonderful book about relationships between three generations of women, Carrie, newly widowed and feeling guilty because her marriage had been unraveling for some time prior to her husband's sudden heart attack, Dana, Carrie's mother, who has always been domineering and married to a man she walks all over, and Ruth, Carrie's teen-age daughter, who's trying to deal with her father's death, her mother's guilt and her own growing pains. They make you laugh, cry and at times want to yell at them to 'get a life'. But as they come to terms with each other and sort out their anger and emotions, you can't help but cheer them on. And the ending is very satisfying and totally real. For any woman who has had to deal with mothers and daughters, at some point you'll be able to relate to these women.

Newly widowed, Carrie is overwhelmed by the guilt that her marriage had died long before her husband. She must find a way to weave her new life and love into a family struggling with their own pain and disappointment. Wise, moving and hearbreakingly real, this book offers women a deeper understanding of one another, of themselves and of the magic that is life itself.

Excellent book about three women's relationships--how complicated they can be and still survive the bonds of love.

Newly widowed, Carrie is overwhelmed by the guilt of knowing her marriage died long before her husband's fatal heart attack. Struggling to go on for the sake of her teenage daughter, Carrie slowly pulls her life together, with help from a unexpected source...............

Ok book by the author of "The Saving Graces".

newly widowed, carrie is overwhelmed by the guilt of knowing her marriage died long before her husband's fatal heart attack. struggling to go on for the sake of her teenaged daughter, ruth, and her overly possessive mother, dana, carrie slowly emerges from the sorrow that has embraced her and begins to pull her life together, with the help of an unexpected source. Jesse, carries's first love, re enters her world and offers her the lifeline that will help her pull herself out of hte drowning place she's been in

Good story, I didn't enjoy it as much as I did Saving Graces, but still a good read.

Another good Gaffney book.

Gaffney captures the complexities of women's relationships in this tale of mothers, daughters, and the bonds of love. Newly widowed Carrie - her teenaged daughter, Ruth - her overly possessive mother, Dana. And Jess, Carrie's first love, who re-enters her world and offers her the lifeline that will help her pull herself out of the drowning place she is in.

I really enjoyed this book. Gaffney is a great author!

Good book for a change of pace. I usually read thrillers. Good about life book

Good

As Nora Roberts stated, Circle of Three "reminds us of what it's like to be a woman."

This is a lovely grandmother-mother-daughter book. It highlights how wonderfully intense and rich and complicated these relationships are. I enjoyed this book.

A good book to read before bedtime. Not particularly compelling in the can't put it down sense but in the "a nice comfortable friend" to come back to every night sense!

Gaffney digs right down into mother/daughter relationships. I couldn't put it down.

I love Patricia Gaffney and this book is right up there. Great for long trips or layovers!

Wise, moving and heartbreakingly real, this book offers women a deeper understanding of one another, of themselves, and the perplexing and invigorating magicc that is life itself.

great book!

A great read.......'Newly widowed , Carrie is overwhelmed by the guilt of knowing her marriage died long before her husband's fatal heart attack.'

Great story with great characters... Story of a newly widowed woman overwhelmed by guild of knowing her marriage died long before her hsubands fatal heart attack... struggling to continue on for her daughter's sake, she finds unexpected help from her first love... re-entering the picture and helping her to pull her life back together.

Amazon.com
Patricia Gaffney's remarkable talent for describing the bittersweet connections between mothers and daughters makes the novel Circle of Three a mesmerizing study of three generations of women challenged by their shifting relationships and developing self-identities. With her ability to capture the essence of the timeless conflict of mothers' and daughters' various hopes and frustrations and the overall need for an intense connection with family, Gaffney's novel will appeal to readers of many ages.
The lives of grandmother Dana, mother Carrie, and daughter Ruth are instantly altered by the untimely death of Carrie's husband, Stephen. Having recently returned to her hometown in rural Virginia, Carrie had just begun to recognize and express her dissatisfaction in her bland marriage. Stephen's death tips Carrie into a deep depression, and 15-year-old Ruth feels as if she has lost both her mother and her father. Determined to get Carrie back on track, Dana encourages her to accept a job. As Carrie begins to emerge from her depression, she finds solace in the company of her old flame, Jess, and her work as a wooden menagerie designer for a local religious group called the Arkists. When Carrie refuses to return to her old patterns, both Ruth and Dana struggle to adapt to this change and develop their own new approaches to life.

With moments of quirky humor, realistic dialogue, and classic romance, Circle of Three does a tremendous job of describing the complex and conflicting process of growing up--at any age. This novel is sure to linger in your mind for months and to make the lending rounds between moms, daughters, sisters, and friends. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien

Excellent easy read

Newly widowed, Carrie is overwhelmed by the guilt of knowing her marriage died long before her husband's fatal heart attack. Struggling to go on for the sake of her teenaged daughter, Ruth, and her overly possessive mother, Dana, Carrie slowly emerges from the sorrow that has embraced her and begins to pull her life together, with help from an unexpected source. Jess, Carie's first love, re-enters her world and offers her the lifeline that will help her pull herself out of the drowning place she's been in.

The relationships in this book are developed so well, between Carrie and her mother and daughter. It was a bit slow to start, but it gains momentum and really gets good. At the end I was sorry to have it stop.