Helpful Score: 3
This gripping story of a woman hiding behind a facade of the perfect family will touch your heart and open your eyes to family abuse. This fictional portrayal is emotional.
Helpful Score: 2
Writing is a bit old fashioned and I felt held back a bit - but the story is good and you feel for the characters. Ending is predictable.
Helpful Score: 2
This was the first Belva Plain book I have read and I loved it. It made me look forward to reading other books by her.
Helpful Score: 2
This is a wonderful book dealing with the hidden world of domestic violence. It is extremely well written and kept me wanting to find out what happens next.
Helpful Score: 1
A great story teller. Impelling characters.
Helpful Score: 1
It can happen in the best of families--even the Fergusons. When Lynn and Robert first meet, she's bright, fresh-faced twenty-year old; he's handsome, a bit older, a charming young executive on the fast track. From the start they fall deeply in love, thrilled by the discovery of their mutual desire. But as early as their honeymoon the gold begins to tarnish, when Robert's anger erupts into a physical assault, one for which Lynn blames herself. To all appearances Lynn and Robert are living the ultimate American dream-a lovely home in an exclusive Connecticut suburb, a picture-perfect marriage, two beautiful children, a country club membership, and wonderful friends. But not even with their closest friends can Lynn reveal what is truly happening to her family. Their secret life is betrayed only is whispers of what goes on behind closed doors.
Helpful Score: 1
Keeps you on the edge of your seat ..Hard to put down!
Helpful Score: 1
I'm a huge fan of Belva Plain, but this one was disappointing. Lynn, the main character, was not very likable and hard to empathize with because there was too much page time with her self-esteem in the toilet. The story was predictable as a result of her staying with a physically abusive husband as long as she did; we know exactly where things are headed in her marriage with Robert, so by the time it happens, it falls totally flat.
The middle rambled, making the story a good 150 pages too long. I was over it by the end. C-
The middle rambled, making the story a good 150 pages too long. I was over it by the end. C-
intelligent book highlighting a subject that is still kept under the covers. Another New York Times beseller for Plain.
Good story - enjoyed gow it played out
Robert and Lynn Ferguson are the quintessentially picture-perfect couple with two beautiful daughters and a lovely home in an exclusive Connecticut community. Robert is on the fast track of a major corporation. Lynn is devoted to her family and doing good works. But the Fergusons' ultimate American dream hides a dark painful secret - one that Lynn vows to keep hidden from the world - and her children - at any cost.
When Lynn and Robert first meet, she's a bright, fresh-faced twenty-year-old; he's handsome, slightly older, a charming young business executive; ambitious and determined. From the start they fall deeply in love, thrilled by the discovery of their mutual desire. But as early as their honeymoon the gold begins to tarnish, when Robert's anger erupts into a physical assault, one for which Lynn blames herself.
To all appearances, the Fergusons have kept the facade of an idyllically happy family firmly intact. Not even their closest friends, Josie and Bruce Lehman know the entirety of Lynn's shame. Social worker Josie has seen her bruises, distrusts the overly-ambitious, too-perfect Robert, and suspects the real cause of the children's increasingly disturbed behavior. But not even Josie can pierce Lynn's icy wall of silence, a wall that will not crumble until Lynn is forced to face herself - and the truth - at last.
I thought this book was absolutely excellent. The plot was very believable; I can imagine that such a scenario could, and perhaps does, happen to so many people - domestic abuse is probably much more prevalent than we expect. I give this book a definite A+!
When Lynn and Robert first meet, she's a bright, fresh-faced twenty-year-old; he's handsome, slightly older, a charming young business executive; ambitious and determined. From the start they fall deeply in love, thrilled by the discovery of their mutual desire. But as early as their honeymoon the gold begins to tarnish, when Robert's anger erupts into a physical assault, one for which Lynn blames herself.
To all appearances, the Fergusons have kept the facade of an idyllically happy family firmly intact. Not even their closest friends, Josie and Bruce Lehman know the entirety of Lynn's shame. Social worker Josie has seen her bruises, distrusts the overly-ambitious, too-perfect Robert, and suspects the real cause of the children's increasingly disturbed behavior. But not even Josie can pierce Lynn's icy wall of silence, a wall that will not crumble until Lynn is forced to face herself - and the truth - at last.
I thought this book was absolutely excellent. The plot was very believable; I can imagine that such a scenario could, and perhaps does, happen to so many people - domestic abuse is probably much more prevalent than we expect. I give this book a definite A+!
It can happen in the best families-even the Fergusons. When Lynn and Robert first meet, she is a bright, open-faced 21 year old; he is handsome a little older, a charming young executive who is already rising fast in one of America's top corp. From the start, they are deeply in love, thrilled by the discovery of their mutual desire. It is only on their honeymoon that the gold begins to tarnish when Robert's anger erupts into a physical attack, one Lynn blames on herself, for after all, Robert is the love of her life.
Very good read!
I love her books. I can't wait to get to the end.
I was able to get into the characters and story line. Was very good and kept me reading till the end.
I had a hard time getting into the book, for about the first 100 pages. Then to my surprise around page 200, I noticed I couldn't put it down and had to keep reading....
robert and lynnare a picture perfect couple with a beautiful home. no one was aware of the violence and distrust that went on behind closed doors.
It can happen in the best of families-even the Fergusons. From the start they are deeply in love and it is only on their honeymoon that the gold begins to tarnish when Robert's anger erupts into a physical attack, one Lynn blames on herself. A picture-perfect marriage..NOT!!
Robert and Lynn Ferguson are a picture-perfect couple with two beautiful daughters and a lovely home in an exclusive Connecticut community. Robert is on the fast track of a major corporation. Lynn is devoted to her family and good works. But the Fergusons' closed doors hide a painful secret Lynn must keep from the world--and her children--at any cost...
Not even the Fergusons' best friends, Josie and Bruce Lehman know of Lynn's shame. Social worker Josie sees her bruises, distrusts the too-ambitious, too-perfect Robert, and suspects the real cause of the children's increasingly disturbed behavior. But not even Josie can pierce Lynn's wall of silence, a wall that will not crumble until Lynn is forced to face herself-and the truth--at last.
Not even the Fergusons' best friends, Josie and Bruce Lehman know of Lynn's shame. Social worker Josie sees her bruises, distrusts the too-ambitious, too-perfect Robert, and suspects the real cause of the children's increasingly disturbed behavior. But not even Josie can pierce Lynn's wall of silence, a wall that will not crumble until Lynn is forced to face herself-and the truth--at last.
A fantastic book Belva Plain is a good Arthor.
Robert and Lynn Ferguson live in a lovely home in an exclusive Connecticut community. Robert is very succesful and on the outside this couple, and their children, appear to be the *perfect family*. Even their best friends, Bruce and Josie Lehman, don't know of Lynn's shame, however, after a few incidents, they begin to suspect that all is not well in the Ferguson household. Bruises appear on Lynn frequently and Josie (who is a social worker) questions her friend, but Lynn always makes an excuse and explains away her bruises as *accidents.* In addition, the Ferguson children begin to show disturbing behavior. The wall that Lynn has built cannot come down until she face the truth about her husband's anger and abuse. The very serious subject of this well written story opens our eyes to the fact that people from all backgrounds can exerience abuse.
Robert and Lynn Ferguson are a picture perfect couple with two beautiful daughters and a lovely home in an exclusive Connecticut community. Robert is on the fast track of a major corporation. Lynn is devoted to her family and good works. But the Fergusons' closed doors hide a painful secret Lynn must keep from the world - and her children - at any cost...
Not even the Fergusons' best friends, Josie and Bruce Lehman know of Lynn's shame. Social worker Josie sees her bruises, distrusts the too-ambitious, too-perfect Robert, and suspects the real cause of the children's increasingly disturbed behavior. But not even Josie can pierce Lynn's wall of silence, a wall that will not crumble until Lynn is forced to face herself - and the truth - at last.
Not even the Fergusons' best friends, Josie and Bruce Lehman know of Lynn's shame. Social worker Josie sees her bruises, distrusts the too-ambitious, too-perfect Robert, and suspects the real cause of the children's increasingly disturbed behavior. But not even Josie can pierce Lynn's wall of silence, a wall that will not crumble until Lynn is forced to face herself - and the truth - at last.
Robert and Lynn Ferguson are a picture perfect couple with two beautiful daughters and a lovely home in an exclusive Connecticut community. Robert is on the fast tract of a major corporation. Lynn is devoted to her family and good works. But the Ferguson's closed doors hide a painful secret Lynn must keep from the world and her children at any cost...
Not even the Fergusons' best friends, Josie and Bruce Lehman know of Lynn's shame. Social worked Josie sees her bruises, distrusts the too-ambitious, too-perfect Robert, and suspects the real cause of the children's increasingly disturbed behaviour. But not even Josie can pierce Lynn's wall of silence, a wall that will not crumble until Lynn is forced to fae herself-and the truth-at last.
Belva Plain's searing novel of a family's heartbreak, a woman's courage-and of a subject too often talked about only in whispers.
Not even the Fergusons' best friends, Josie and Bruce Lehman know of Lynn's shame. Social worked Josie sees her bruises, distrusts the too-ambitious, too-perfect Robert, and suspects the real cause of the children's increasingly disturbed behaviour. But not even Josie can pierce Lynn's wall of silence, a wall that will not crumble until Lynn is forced to fae herself-and the truth-at last.
Belva Plain's searing novel of a family's heartbreak, a woman's courage-and of a subject too often talked about only in whispers.
Robert and Lynn Ferguson are a picture-perfect couple with two beautiful daughters and a lovely home in an exclusive Connecticut community. Robert is on the fast track of a major corporation. Lynn is devoted to her family and good works. But in the Ferguson's closed doors hide a painful secret Lynn must keep from the world-and her children-at any cost... Not even the Fergusons's best friends, Josie and Bruce Lehman, know of Lynn's shame. Social worker Josie sees her bruises distrusts the too-ambitious, too perfect Robert, and suspects the real cause of the children's increasingly disturbed behavior. But not even Josie can pierce Lynn's wall of silence, a wall that will not crumble until Lynn is forced to face herself-and the truth-at last. Belva Plain's searing novel of a family's heartbreak, a woman's courage, and a subject too often talked about only in whispers
1-5 I give it a 5. I have a different cover then they have.
i have not read this book it was given to me
