Jean Reynolds Page

A well written story with many layer to it. It seems each chapter pulls back a layer and the reader finds out a bit more information about this family. The characters are really well written and their struggles seem realistic. I liked the fact that not all characters have a happy ending. Life isn't like that so books shouldn't be either. There is a great mix of characters as well; some are young, some are middle aged, and some are elderly. My criticism of this book is that it is a bit drawn out. Some of the middle chapters could have been eliminated and the story would have flowed anyway. This book would bring about a great discussion for book clubs as it covers many family issues… (mais)

I’m not one to read the everyday drama kind of book, where a woman goes off and finds hope and faith and all that, but a certain storyline got me interested in reading THE SPACE BETWEEN BEFORE AND AFTER (even the name of the book makes me want to run in the other direction). Jean Reynolds Page’s novel is about a middle-age woman named Holli whose grandmother is showing early signs of dementia and whose son is having a crisis. Holli also has to come to terms with her past in order to move on with her future.
I found it weird that after presenting us with the characters we are supposed to come to care about, one death is marginalized, receiving just one paragraph. Another death is earth-shattering to Holli, but why? That particular character wasn’t even well-liked. Having a character with Cystic Fibrosis was interesting, but we aren’t told much about the condition other than patients aren’t expected to live beyond their thirties.
On the positive side, it was a fast read, so it didn’t take up much of my reading time.… (mais)