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Rating: 
Summary: special and rings true
Review: Be careful what you wish for because one never knows when it is granted. Bailey Bender desperately searches for her son, who she gave up for adoption many years ago. Driven by a compulsion, she needs to find him. However, in spite of her efforts, so far she has come up empty. Bailey heeds the advice of an investigator, who recommends she check birth records at the New York Public Library. The number on the original birth certificate matches that of the one adoption agency gives to its' clients. However, all does not end well as the name of her son has made the newspaper headlines of a Long Island town. He has been accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend. Bailey does not know whether she should visit him, but she is well aware that her life will never be the sameno matter what she decides. Ellen Feldman explores life in all its complexities, spanning the range of human emotions so that the audience will feel the soul of each character. GOD BLESS THE CHILD is about choices and how they impact a person's life. It is also about second chances and the hope that, with maturity, people will make peace with their past in order to obtain a better future. Ms. Feldman understands people and is able to brilliantly weave that knowledge into a coherent, fascinating tale about everyday individuals struggling with extraordinary experiences. This novel is a moving story filled with suspense and a maternal love that accepts even as it questions. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: She's got it!
Review: I live in the town about which Ellen Feldman writes, and she's got it. All the nuances, the divisions, the subtle hostilities. And she writes about these with an ease of style and a clarity of comprehension. The biggest flaw with this mystery definitely is not Ms. Feldman's fault. The publisher chose to reveal too much detail on the jacket blurb, pretty much giving away the secrets to be uncovered. This is a shame, and unfair to an author as skilled as Ellen Feldman. Still, even though the mystery is predictable, so were the works of Charles Dickens. And that doesn't make them any less worthy. GOD BLESS THE CHILD is a touching story, and in the process of telling it, Ms. Feldman makes some pithy observations. The ending was a small one, since too many of the pertinent points were disclosed so early on. Yet that's okay; life doesn't come with neat demarcations, either. The best any of us can hope for is a sense of peace regarding how we live our lives, and at peace is where Feldman leaves her heroine. This is compelling reading, more for the underlying concepts and the lovely prose than for any excitement in the mysteries to be resolved. From the writing, to the plotting, to the thoughtful examination of relationships, all of it is worthwhile. And what makes GOD BLESS THE CHILD work is that it is so true to life.
Rating:
Summary: She's got it!
Review: I live in the town about which Ellen Feldman writes, and she's got it. All the nuances, the divisions, the subtle hostilities. And she writes about these with an ease of style and a clarity of comprehension. The biggest flaw with this mystery definitely is not Ms. Feldman's fault. The publisher chose to reveal too much detail on the jacket blurb, pretty much giving away the secrets to be uncovered. This is a shame, and unfair to an author as skilled as Ellen Feldman. Still, even though the mystery is predictable, so were the works of Charles Dickens. And that doesn't make them any less worthy. GOD BLESS THE CHILD is a touching story, and in the process of telling it, Ms. Feldman makes some pithy observations. The ending was a small one, since too many of the pertinent points were disclosed so early on. Yet that's okay; life doesn't come with neat demarcations, either. The best any of us can hope for is a sense of peace regarding how we live our lives, and at peace is where Feldman leaves her heroine. This is compelling reading, more for the underlying concepts and the lovely prose than for any excitement in the mysteries to be resolved. From the writing, to the plotting, to the thoughtful examination of relationships, all of it is worthwhile. And what makes GOD BLESS THE CHILD work is that it is so true to life.
Rating:
Summary: Great summer read
Review: I loved this book--great parent-child interactions; fun mystery; and even an interesting love story. Feldman also writes VERY well--all in all, a perfect summer read.
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Summary: This is a witty, sophisticated and engrossing "good read."
Review: I staid up most of the night finishing "God Bless the Child." It has a heroine who is smart, sophisticated, witty and very believeable. Ellen Feldman writes a seemingly effortless prose and is a master of characterization. The place (the Hamptons) and the people ring true, the story is engrossing and the author has a wonderful sense of humor. Take this book to the beach or turn on the a/c and stay home and read it. It makes a great little holiday.
Rating: 
Summary: A novel with potential that peters out in the end.
Review: Ms. Feldman had the basis for a wonderful story. Unfortunately, she fell short of fully developing it to its potential. The reader is offered tidbits about important characters' lives, with no filling in the gaps in the end. Mack and Bailey's relationship should have been developed more. Bailey became too enmeshed with her "son" too quickly. She also "found" him too quickly and easily. The truth came out too easily as well. Ms. Feldman rushed the story without giving the reader more to chew on first. I hope her next novel is meatier--I will read it.
Rating:
Summary: A novel with potential that peters out in the end.
Review: Ms. Feldman had the basis for a wonderful story. Unfortunately, she fell short of fully developing it to its potential. The reader is offered tidbits about important characters' lives, with no filling in the gaps in the end. Mack and Bailey's relationship should have been developed more. Bailey became too enmeshed with her "son" too quickly. She also "found" him too quickly and easily. The truth came out too easily as well. Ms. Feldman rushed the story without giving the reader more to chew on first. I hope her next novel is meatier--I will read it.
Rating: 
Summary: It didn't work for me...
Review: While this novel is nicely written, it presents a rather passive protagonist who by coincidence finds herself involved in a murder investigation. The entire story seems to happen by chance and is a little too contrived. The murder itself is not terribly unique. I won't give away the ending, but it was pretty disappointing considering all the build-up. The relationship between Bailey and Nell is really the most interesting one presented in this story. The love between Mack and Bailey is not quite as compelling, and their eventual romance is a given. This novel is something between a thriller and a quirky character sketch. While the writer has a nice style, the story doesn't provide many twists and turns.
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