Helpful Score: 1
There's something to be said about a book that captures the nuances of everyday life, the heartbreak and betrayal of human beings as a whole, and the redeeming power of love. Eileen Ramsay has crafted a story about a woman that could be any one of us, and shown us that life doesn't have to end when your heart gets broken. Even more so, the miseries and deceptions that are the typical family dynamic show that all of us have the power to forgive almost anything, even when forgiving seems so hard to do.
For Sophie Winter, her well-paying job in the Scottish Parliament is something to take pride in. So is her active social life. Sophie never lacks for companionship, whether it be of the friendly or romantic variety. To many, she has almost the perfect life-except for the scandal of her divorce, five years ago, from famed pianist Raffaele de Nardis. The world watched in shock when Raffaele and Sophie divorced, and Sophie, although she won't want to admit it, will be the first to tell you that she's never been the same since.
When a family wedding forces Sophie's return to Italy , memories inundate her regarding her marriage to Raffaele. When the pianist himself shows up to play at the wedding reception, Sophie attempts to show no feelings to her ex-husband, or the woman who hangs on his arm. Only Sophie and Raffaele know the true reasons behind their divorce, and as the story unfolds, we learn that even Raffaele was left in the dark about certain facts and situations.
A WAY OF FORGIVING isn't just a story about a woman forgiving the man who broke her heart, or the telling of a man who has never forgotten the woman he hastily divorced. Instead, this book is about families, about the lengths that they go to love each other and, sometimes, the ways they go about hurting each other.
For Sophie, the summer in Tuscany isn't only about the healing power of love, but about how she can learn to forgive those who have hurt her, and how she can forgive herself and get on with life.
For Sophie Winter, her well-paying job in the Scottish Parliament is something to take pride in. So is her active social life. Sophie never lacks for companionship, whether it be of the friendly or romantic variety. To many, she has almost the perfect life-except for the scandal of her divorce, five years ago, from famed pianist Raffaele de Nardis. The world watched in shock when Raffaele and Sophie divorced, and Sophie, although she won't want to admit it, will be the first to tell you that she's never been the same since.
When a family wedding forces Sophie's return to Italy , memories inundate her regarding her marriage to Raffaele. When the pianist himself shows up to play at the wedding reception, Sophie attempts to show no feelings to her ex-husband, or the woman who hangs on his arm. Only Sophie and Raffaele know the true reasons behind their divorce, and as the story unfolds, we learn that even Raffaele was left in the dark about certain facts and situations.
A WAY OF FORGIVING isn't just a story about a woman forgiving the man who broke her heart, or the telling of a man who has never forgotten the woman he hastily divorced. Instead, this book is about families, about the lengths that they go to love each other and, sometimes, the ways they go about hurting each other.
For Sophie, the summer in Tuscany isn't only about the healing power of love, but about how she can learn to forgive those who have hurt her, and how she can forgive herself and get on with life.
This book was very slow moving for about the first half but by then I was so very invested in the story and the characters -- oh, so human characters -- that I dashed through to the end and enjoyed this deeply compassionate book.
