In Clara's Hands

Rating:
Summary: Disappearances
Review: Bringing back characters from his previous novels "Clara's Heart" and "Nightswimmer", Olshan's new novel centers on a group of people struggling to extricate themselves from the past. Will is stunned when the plane his friend Marie was supposed to be on crashes into the ocean, but when her name isn't listed as among the passengers, the fact of her boarding the plane comes into question. He reaches out to Clara, who helped him get through his brother's death years before. Will is eventually contacted by Marie's children, Peter (Will's ex-boyfriend) and Grace (who's dying of cancer), and the four adults soon come together to await news of Marie's whereabouts. Peter and Will still love each other after all these years, and they slowly reconfigure their new relationship. Each character is mired in the past, and there are numerous flashbacks exploring this, which all grow distracting and tedious as the novel progresses. The reader cannot help but care about these rambling people though, and is treated to a good story to find out how it all ends.

Rating:
Summary: A visit with old friends...
Review: Reading In Clara's Hands was so much like attending my 20th high school reunion. Even though all the news and all the stories weren't wonderful, I was back among the safety of close and trusted friends.

In Clara's Hands is a journey that takes place in the past and the present. The first two words on the first page: Clara Mayfield. Read just a little farther and Blanche is mentioned. Then Will and David and Mrs. Hart. Add Marie, Grace and Peter to the mix and the resulting story is complex and compelling.

Will needs Clara to help him conquer demons of the past and present, while at the same time, Clara has her own demoms to overcome. Mystery and suspense surround the disappearance of Marie, while Grace anxiously awaits word about her mother. Time, being of the essense, adds to the heightened sense of urgency. Grace is dying now. Danny died quite a while ago and everyone needs to come to terms with the past and the present.

Clara, with all her wisdom, tries to give Will strength, yet Clara is also suffering to come to terms with Danny's death. Will seems to be surrounded by death...his brother, his ex's mother and his ex's sister. It all seems a little to much to take.

This is another strong story that uses characters of the past and familiar current events to instantly draw you in. This is another great novel that I highly recommend.

Rating:
Summary: Much like life...
Review: What can I say, but another fresh endearing look into the life of Will Kaplan and why he is such a unforgettable character. When I first heard there was another book featuring the same characters from 'Nightswimmer' and 'Clara's Heart. I went out to 3 different bookstore to find it. I was not disappointed by this haunting, and honest novel told from quite a few perspectives of current and remembered events. There are many things I could say this book is about: hope, longing, family, trust, faith, fate. But of all those things, to me, it's mainly about surviving the past. The ways that different people choose to perceive/cope with the past,and the understanding that can come from it, if we really get honest with ourselves. How there is more to just surviving the past, but having to to decide 'what do I do now?'. Although I was a bit confussed about when this story actually takes place. Was this before or after he had met and lost Chad? Also he went from being a map collector in this book, to a writer , but I don't remember Will collecting maps, as well as writing in 'Nightswimmer'. But otherwise there are no complaints, he kept me guessing almost till the end. If you have never read one of Mr.Olshan's books, take the chance to read one of his other well written novels. (Nightswimmer and 'A Warmer Season' are my favorites) He is one of the few authors I have read that, rather than wrapping the ending all up in a pretty bow, he leaves the resolution in your hands, much like life really is.

Rating:
Summary: Much like life...
Review: What can I say, but another fresh endearing look into the life of Will Kaplan and why he is such a unforgettable character. When I first heard there was another book featuring the same characters from 'Nightswimmer' and 'Clara's Heart. I went out to 3 different bookstore to find it. I was not disappointed by this haunting, and honest novel told from quite a few perspectives of current and remembered events. There are many things I could say this book is about: hope, longing, family, trust, faith, fate. But of all those things, to me, it's mainly about surviving the past. The ways that different people choose to perceive/cope with the past,and the understanding that can come from it, if we really get honest with ourselves. How there is more to just surviving the past, but having to to decide 'what do I do now?'. Although I was a bit confussed about when this story actually takes place. Was this before or after he had met and lost Chad? Also he went from being a map collector in this book, to a writer , but I don't remember Will collecting maps, as well as writing in 'Nightswimmer'. But otherwise there are no complaints, he kept me guessing almost till the end. If you have never read one of Mr.Olshan's books, take the chance to read one of his other well written novels. (Nightswimmer and 'A Warmer Season' are my favorites) He is one of the few authors I have read that, rather than wrapping the ending all up in a pretty bow, he leaves the resolution in your hands, much like life really is.