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Seventh Heaven Alice Hoffman 9780449220184 Books

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Seventh Heaven Alice Hoffman 9780449220184 Books

Wow! Wow! Wow! I would give this book 10 stars if I could. The writing is divine, the plot amazing and the characters so real I think I know them personally. And maybe I do. This is the story of the same kind of neighborhood I lived in from age two to nine from 1956 to 1963.

It's 1959. The houses on Hemlock Drive are identical. The men take great pride in their lawns. The kids play outside until the moms call them in for dinner. All the moms stay home and bake cookies for their kids. It's a safe and magical time. Or is it? Author Alice Hoffman creates this neighborhood and populates it with ordinary people living what we sometimes look back on as the perfect time.

And then the nearly unthinkable happens. A divorced mother (in 1959!!!) moves into the neighborhood. Suddenly we get a better peek inside those identical homes on Hemlock Drive and realize there are a myriad of different problems behind closed doors. And mysteries. And yearnings. And jealousies. Broken marriages. Broken psyches. Teenage sex (in 1959!!!). Wife beating. A teenage car theft ring. A runaway mother. Marijuana-smoking teens (in 1959!!!) And a clairvoyant kid. It's a very light touch of the supernatural that brings the book to life and the plot to fruition.

Best of all, you don't have to be of a certain age (translation: baby boomer) to fall in love with this book. It's irresistible!

This is why we read--because of books like this.


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Seventh Heaven Alice Hoffman 9780449220184 Books Reviews

In the beginning of the book, I did not expect to enjoy the story as much as I did. It turned into a beautiful snapshot of a year in the life of a group of families in 1959/1960. I loved learning about all of the characters and the pacing of the story overall ended up being perfect. The intertwining of their lives and the effects they all have on one another was so intriguing and the ending left me feeling fulfilled which is all one can ask for these days. My one critique was the random "mystical" elements within the book such as Billy's intuition and the candle melting voodoo doll scene. I felt as they were anachronistic and didn't serve the beauty of the otherwise great story.I
I wish we could almost keep learning more about what the future holds for all of the characters but am happy with the snapshot the author provided.
Given that I was born only a few years before the setting of this novel, I could have written it describing the ubiquitous houses, manicured lawns, and stay-at-home Moms who were a lot like Beaver Cleaver's Mom (sans the pearls). This could be described as a "coming of age book" because of the age of the characters and what they go through on their way to adulthood.

I enjoyed the book for a lot of reasons, but mostly because of the nostalgia I felt in reading it. Readers who enjoy evolving characters will enjoy this read as well as those who grew up in this period (late fifties-early sixties). But it's not limited to those people. Those who want a look at that window of time would do well to read the book. Divorce was taboo, or at least not discussed in polite company. It the novel, it's referred to as "the d word" (to show how the word is not even voiced. That was how it was back then.

There's mystery here, too, and a bit of magic, but I won't spoil it for you, the reader. Enjoy this well written, though slightly eccentric (in a fun way) book.
I had heard great things about this book and this author. It started strong then just, sort of fizzled. I kept waiting for something fantastic to happen, but was left disappointed.

The people on Hemlock were used to their little lives on their little street. They all portrayed themselves as content and happy, but behind closed doors it seemed that no one was fulfilled. And those who were fulfilled was blinded to the misery their parents and children felt. But, each family lived the lives expected of them. The husbands went to work each day, the children to school, and the wives stayed home to care for their families. Each house looked the same from the outside.

However, a newcomer entered their quiet little world and was not like the rest of them. She was divorced with children, she wore different clothing, wore more make up and jewelry, except for the one piece which seemed to define a woman a wedding band.

As the months went by she began to touch more and more lives. She, succeeding as a single mother made other women question their roles as a wife. Her vulnerability made her an object of desire for men on Hemlock. Her unusual habits made her an individual for children yo shy from and spread rumors of being a witch, and thusly, ostracize her oldest son.

As her desire to be accepted free, the desire of her neoghbors' lives to change in conjunction.

Theo families on Hemlock experienced changes, joys, and tragedies. Life went on, people adapted....

...and then it was over. No huge revelation. No big scene of true acceptance or otherwise. It just stopped.

The story, all in all, was decent. I had a connection for some characters. I had sympathy for some, but mostly I was indifferent toward them. Perhaps that was the point just a snapshot of a year in the life of a street that could be anywhere. Just to be introduced and move on.

Because the book didn't drag on and on, I gave it a 3 star rating; it was a fast read. Had there been more drama, a twist of some sort - something! - which would have been entertaining, I would have given it 4. So, if you're in the mood for a shallow, quick story without much substance, this is your weekend read. If you're looking for something to take your breath away and keep you turning pages, you'd be better served to look elsewhere.
Wow! Wow! Wow! I would give this book 10 stars if I could. The writing is divine, the plot amazing and the characters so real I think I know them personally. And maybe I do. This is the story of the same kind of neighborhood I lived in from age two to nine from 1956 to 1963.

It's 1959. The houses on Hemlock Drive are identical. The men take great pride in their lawns. The kids play outside until the moms call them in for dinner. All the moms stay home and bake cookies for their kids. It's a safe and magical time. Or is it? Author Alice Hoffman creates this neighborhood and populates it with ordinary people living what we sometimes look back on as the perfect time.

And then the nearly unthinkable happens. A divorced mother (in 1959!!!) moves into the neighborhood. Suddenly we get a better peek inside those identical homes on Hemlock Drive and realize there are a myriad of different problems behind closed doors. And mysteries. And yearnings. And jealousies. Broken marriages. Broken psyches. Teenage sex (in 1959!!!). Wife beating. A teenage car theft ring. A runaway mother. Marijuana-smoking teens (in 1959!!!) And a clairvoyant kid. It's a very light touch of the supernatural that brings the book to life and the plot to fruition.

Best of all, you don't have to be of a certain age (translation baby boomer) to fall in love with this book. It's irresistible!

This is why we read--because of books like this.