So Happy Together ~ with Author Maryann McFadden ~ August 15

[mabel1015j]

So Happy TOGETHER with Author Maryann McFadden

We are honored to have author Maryann McFadden join us for an in-depth conversation about her book! Join us today!

Discussion Schedule:

Aug15 to Aug 20--Read and discuss- Prologue thru Chap 12
Aug 21 thru Aug 26--Read & discuss-Chap 13 thru Chap 25
Aug 27 thru Sept 1-- R&D--Chap 26 thru 38
Sept 2 thru 5--R&D--Chap 39 thru Epilogue  [/font]


Discussion Leader: Adoannie

The endings for every character  were ones i surmised as possibilities. Claire not going to Arizona; everybody staying at the Cape; John and Claire rather than Rick and Claire. I liked the ending very much. I still have some concerns.........can Claire make a living as a photographer? She can always work as a substitute teacher, they are always needed - but who wants to do that??...............What happens as Joe's illness progresses? We knew very little about John, and we all know that the more we get to know people the more likely we are to see the flaws, what are John's flaws? Amy seems heading in a positive direction and has learned some lessons from her experiences...................good story..................jean

[bellamarie]

Phew...finished and may I say first off, thank you Maryann, you accomplished all that you set out to do as far as this reader is concerned.  You captivated me, you had me relating to each of the characters as though I was either one of them, or one of them were my very own family member.  I LOVED the theme, "familia" because when life throws you all the curves whether you are a teen with an unexpected pregnancy to deal with, a middle aged Mom/teacher/daughter trying to figure out your goals for retiring years, or an elderly parent/spouse/grandparent facing aging, health issues and living arrangements, you are all going to need the support and love of your family.  No family is perfect because our creator made us humans with flaws.  So, in saying that I felt this family was no different than any other family.  They all made choices in their lives that caused them hurt and mistrust.  They learned their lies and secrets were road blocks to their own personal happiness.

Amy gets my vote for my favorite character and the one who matured and showed the most growth.  I think through the love and support of the family, and their lies and secrets, she was able to learn how the lies and deceit was only going to lead to MANY years of pain, so she made the choice to be honest with Jared and let the chips fall where they may.

I did not see much growth in Claire, even though she was able to realize her love for Rick was truly her dream of what she thought she wanted in life, for me that is more of an awakening.  I was not really moved by her decision to fall into John's arms and live happily ever after.  In this situation I would have been happy to see her realize she needed more time to get to know herself more before committing to a complicated man like John.  But then the romance novels generally end with the woman falling for the rugged, handsome guy.  No disrespect intended, just I saw this from the moment John Pool was introduced to the story.

Fanny, oh dear sweet Fanny, you tortured yourself and even ruined your wedding night due to eavesdropping on a conversation that you knew nothing about.  I wasn't pleased with Fanny and her search for what she thought her life was missing, with Dominic, Manuel and the Buddha.  I understand people search in the strangest places when they feel lost, but what is that saying, "You go off looking for something, that is in your back yard."  I personally could never image someone going 50 yrs with that doubt and disappointment, without discussing it with my husband.  I was happy she let her hardened heart melt.

Joe, poor dear Joe, he thought for 50 yrs he deserted a child, and carried that shame and guilt preventing him from being open with his wife.  Well, I do think men lack in communication skills and so this was believable for me.  I truly got tears in my eyes when he reached for Fanny's hand and said he was not leaving without her.   She so badly needed for him to tell her in words how much she meant to him.  Kudos to Joe! 

Rick I can comment in one word....predictable.  Good, bad or indifferent we knew where this was going.  No big epiphany after his scare with his health, just determination to go get his girl.

John Pool, well as much as I should be rooting for him, I just didn't see this working.  He and Libbey would have been a better fit.

So where was the climax for me?   I suppose when each one revealed their secrets, because then they were able to have life altering changes take place in their relationships and life choices.

[Finnabair]

Yes, Claire has had too many psychological assaults to be able to think clearly and make decisions.  TOO MUCH STRESS!  Her long lost daughter returns, she becomes a grandparent unexpectedly, her plans for the class change (twice), and her parents are fading.  NOT a time for falling in love with John.

Another thought, making a decision about love based on an intense experience (such as whale rescue) is not necessarily a good idea, either.  The bond that appears between people in crisis often does not last in real life.

I don't see John as the kind of partner Claire needs, either.

[ANNIE]

Well, I finished the book and have some different takes on the characters.  One of the climaxes of the story was Fannie coming to her senses and realizing that it was wrong for her to tempt herself and Dominick.  And then, there she sat, in the Buddhist temple after running away from Dominick's home, saying the Catholic act of contrition.  She knew that she had almost done the wrong thing.  Saved by her own conscience and maybe her promise to be faithful to Joe in her wedding vows.

I almost thought that Rick had come to his senses when he and Claire talked after his health scare, when he asked her to marry him and suggested that he could withstand not leaving for Arizona right away.  That he understood her leaning toward helping Amy and her baby plus dealing with her parents' dillema.  He's not a horrible person just the the wrong guy for her. And he hasn't given up being the center of his own world.

John Poole might not be the right guy either but she's gonna give him a chance.  

Amy and Rose will be all right and she shows promise in cooking and wanting to put together a book of Frannie's recipes.  I liked this part of the book quite a lot.  Her interest in helping at the restaurant and showing them how to cook Frannie's recipes is very forward thinking.  It leaves her in a good place while she ponders what to do about Rose's father in her and baby Rose's life.  She is growing up, a little late, but doing so in a good way.

Claire's photo exhibit was captivating in description and made me want to see how it looked. I liked her ideas.  She needs some time to devote to this new possibility in her life and if it would mean a part time job in teaching or working at the Burger King, I think she has promise in the photography field.  

I also really appreciated the way our author presented the saving of the whales, the dedication of the team.

The night spent looking at the our maker's fireworks of shooting stars made me want to get up at 2am and go see that again.  

As I sit here on my screen porch listening to the tree frogs and the birds saying good night to each other, I feel very lucky to have been in this discussion and am looking forward to meeting you, Maryann.  I know you have a real winner here!



 

[Finnabair]

Because there are multiple plot lines, I don't think there's a single climax.  Each character has his or her personal epiphany.

This book feels like a glimpse into the continuum of the lives of the characters, which is a sign of excellent writing.  We don't have that feeling of the beginning and the end. 

*change of subject*
I have a neighbor here in southern Missouri named Rick.  He *is* Rick.  (Ick)

[ginny]

Love the comments.

Icky Rick. Love that. hahahaa

"Richard,"  to me, has always seemed such an unlucky name, think of the Richards in history you have heard of. Of course there are exceptions, maybe everybody is named after Lion Heart. hahahaa Still, think of them, Richard III, Tricky Dick, etc.

To me the climax was Joe finding out (I still question the authenticity of the nurse and the willingness of Joe et al to accept it) there was no baby. This set in motion all the other things: Fanny realizing she had wasted a good bit of time, Claire revealing her own secret (what did you think of IT?) secrets from all and resolutions to all. Somewhat.

Somewhere in this section one of the characters says secrets always come out. I don't think this is true. I definitely know people who went to their graves protecting secrets for more than 50 years. A secret  MAY come out after you're gone but then you won't care, will you? I guess it depends on the nature of the secret.


Who is the strongest character, would you say?

John Poole? I dunno, he and Jared are sort of the antithesis of  Rick and Liam and their stories are left hanging... maybe a sequel is in the works?

Joe showed the most surprising side I thought, I thought that was sweet. And it was a good side.

There was a lot about "being alone" in this section, maybe that is a theme too in the book.

It was interesting that the Buddhist thought of taking things one day at a time seems to echo the "take no thought for tomorrow" of Christianity. I had never heard that Buddhist  expression before.

Not sure on  Claire eavesdropping, that surprised me a bit. What did you all think of it? I don't have a handle on Claire. Even now.

I guess it was so we could find out what was said as we've never been in Joe's head like we have Fanny and Claire's. An interesting book, with characters you do care about and can relate to, on any level;  very well written, thank you Maryann for being here and gracious enough to answer our questions.
 
Is it a sequel you are working on now?  We really look forward to meeting you in NYC on the 11th and hearing your inspiring message.

Everybody here will not be in NYC. My goddaughter longs to be published, what advice would you give her? She wrote me asking did I know how she could get published, she writes continually, she's a high school student.

You all made a great discussion out of this, such wonderful insights!

[bellamarie]

I am so sad, and sorry I am not going to be in NY to meet all of you in person.  I feel like I have found best friends in all of you through our many book discussions.  We truly do love to delve deep into the books and share our deepest thoughts with one another.  I do hope that the next get together will work out for me.  These dates just happen to fall on the days of two of my granddaughters birthdays, and they would never understand their NONNIE not being there for them.  So like Fanny, and Claire, I will choose being with my family for their celebration.

I look forward to our next book and discussion, and will say goodbye to our new friend Maryann.

Maryann, I so want to thank you for joining us in this discussion.  You gave me insight into the making of this lovely family.  You made each character so real because each one I can tell is someone you have known in your life, just as each of us have.  I will be thinking of you all sitting and enjoying your lunch and chatting about the book in NY.  Enjoy!  Ciao~

[MaryannMcFadden]

Oh, and now we are near the end, as well! The date seems to have crept up on me.
Thank you for all your kind comments first of all, and I am soooo excited to meet some of you next week! Writing is a lonely profession, so meeting and engaging with rewards is the big reward, believe me

As for this ending, well...what can I say? As I was writing it, I honestly had tears in my eyes as I put myself in Claire's shoes, watching her parents, two undemonstrative people, finally find a way to reach out to each other. It's never too late. And yes, Amy grew beautifully, didn't she? She's a mother now, and as a good mother, she's putting Rose first, above everything, something her father never did for her.

And Claire is still a work in progress, I think we can see that. Her life has changed drastically in the 6 months of this story, with some things she was so certain of no longer that, and other things she was doubting, becoming more clear. Yes, the story is a bit open ended, because I think with family, with situations like this, there is never a real ending. They go on, grow change, continue to make mistakes, and to love one another. In my mind, yes, I can see a sequel, but that's not in my plans. Maybe  someday, but that was not an intentional thing with the ending.

As for what I am working on now? I am putting what I hope are the final revisions on my biggest book yet, totally different from this one, and my first, THE RICHEST SEASON. This one is called THE BOOK LOVER about a little bookstore in Warwick NY, and the woman who runs it, as well as the struggling author she discovers, and those who orbit their lives. Lots of drama, a wonderful bunch of info on the bookworld, and a bit of my own crazy backstory to finally getting published.

Thank you everyone for participating, for making me feel so welcome, and for your terrific comments and excitement about my book. XXOX Maryann

[ANNIE]

Maryann,

"The Book Lover"  already has me waiting with baited breath for its publishing date to be revealed.

I have to go back a little way in our book to say that Claire's quiet chat with her father at the parking lot left me in tears.  So many similar feelings have cropped up in my family and that meeting bears a very strong resemblance to a happening in my life. Wow!

Thanks for being strong enough to withstand some of our queries here.  You have been a rock to explain your handling of the characters.  See you on Saturday!

To all who joined us here,

Its been a joy to participate in this discussion with so many speaking of their memories of family.  I feel as though we have created our own little family here. 

Don't forget that there are, "So many books and so little time",  and do come join us discussing another one soon.

[serenesheila]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!  So much so, that I purchased "The Richest Season".  I will look forward to the next book, too. 

My favorite character was Fannie.  My least favorite was Rick.  I will never understand completely, how Joe and Fannie could go so long, without discussing Ava.  How sad!  My second favorite was Claire.  I am so glad that she dumped Rick.  I liked John from the beginning.  It seems to me that he and Claire had a lot in common.  She was an artist, and he was a writer.  Those go hand in hand.  Neither Claire, nor John was self centered. as Rick was.  Nor were either of them judgemental, as was Rick. 

I could relate to Claire's surprise when her daughter came home, unexpectedly.  My 48 y/o daughter is living with me.  It has meant a lot of adjusting for each of us.  She has been unemployed for a year and a half.  I am learning to keep my opinions to myself, unless she asks for it.  We are getting along quite well.  She has both a BA and a MA.  Now, she is learning a new field at the local Junior College.  She wants to begin making web sites, and marketing. 


Thank you Maryann, for this novel, and for being with us.  I look forward to more good novels from you.

Sheila

[Finnabair]

Fanny and Amy grow as the novel progresses.  I especially admire Fanny being a seeker and willing to go to the Buddhist temple.  I believe that she kept quiet about the situation with Ava because that is what many women of that age were trained to do. 

Amy's growth was unexpected.  I thought she was going to abandon the baby with Claire and disappear again.  She stepped up and took more responsibility than I thought her character could.

I do not like John, but I don't know why.

[JoanP]

  You made us care about your characters, Maryann - either we related to them or disliked them intensely.  That's the test of a real writer.
 Sheila speaks for all of us  - "Thank you Maryann, for this novel, and for being with us.  I look forward to more good novels from you."

Wish we all could have met with you in New York this week!