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    Red Hook Road
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    Red Hook Road
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    Red Hook Road
    Audiobook14 hours

    Red Hook Road

    Written by Ayelet Waldman

    Narrated by Kimberly Farr

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    As lyrical as a sonata, Ayelet Waldman's follow-up novel to Love and Other Impossible Pursuits explores the aftermath of a family tragedy.

    Set on the coast of Maine over the course of four summers, Red Hook Road tells the story of two families, the Tetherlys and the Copakens, and of the ways in which their lives are unraveled and stitched together by misfortune, by good intentions and failure, and by love and calamity.

    A marriage collapses under the strain of a daughter's death; two bereaved siblings find comfort in one another; and an adopted young girl breathes new life into her family with her prodigious talent for the violin. As she writes with obvious affection for these unforgettable characters, Ayelet Waldman skillfully interweaves life's finer pleasures-music and literature-with the more mundane joys of living. Within these resonant pages, a vase filled with wildflowers or a cold beer on a hot summer day serve as constant reminders that it's often the little things that make life so precious.


    From the Hardcover edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 13, 2010
    ISBN9780307735409
    Unavailable
    Red Hook Road
    Author

    Ayelet Waldman

    Ayelet Waldman is the author of the memoir, A Really Good Day, as well as of novels including Love and Treasure, Red Hook Road, and Love and Other Impossible Pursuits. She is the editor of Inside This Place, Not of It: Narratives from Women's Prisons, and with Michael Chabon, of Kingdom of Olives and Ash: Writers Confront the Occupation and Fight of the Century. 

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    Reviews for Red Hook Road

    3.5/5

    230 ratings33 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Tragic beginning to this story, which then follows family members over the next few years as they try to cope and recover.

      I liked the characters and could relate to them. Overall I liked the book and enjoyed how the writer framed the story. However it seemed to get rather choppy in places and the end seemed rushed. My other nitpick is that there were a few places where an expletive was inserted into the dialogue where it just didn't fit. Now I'm not offended by four-letter-words generally, but language just for the sake of having it... not so much. It needs to add to the story and be in character for the people in it. Didn't always happen here.

      Overall, however, a fine read.

      This was a first-reads selection.
    • 5/5
      I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.I thought LOVE AND OTHER IMPOSSIBLE PURSUITS was a wonderful book so I was so excited to get my hand on a copy of RED HOOK ROAD. The book opens with two families gathering for the Maine summer wedding of John and Becca. The families couldn't be more different with Tom's family being a working-class Maine family and Becca's family being a privileged New York family that summers in Maine. The two are brought together through a tragic event that has far-reaching consequences. The story follows the two families through the four summers following the tragedy.This is not just a story about grief although that is a major part of it. It is also a story of relationships and the little threads that bind us to other people. It reflects on how events both small and large can bind us to others forever or rip us apart. I don't want to go too far into the plot for fear of giving something away. The characters are all beautifully done and the prose is wonderful. I was completely swept up in the story and greatly moved by it. The story could easily verge into melodrama but Waldman manages to steer clear of it. Several of the characters have strong ties to music and the structure of the novel alludes to the significance of music within the book.BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY recommended. A very beautiful and moving book with complex characters and emotions. This one will stay with you long after you put it down. This may be one of my favorites this year!!!
    • 3/5
      Well, I read this in (pretty much) one day, so that says something. It reminded me a little bit of More Than You Know, but I think that's probably due to the coastal Maine setting and focus on domesticity. Three-and-a-half stars, this one.
    • 3/5
      This is the story of how two families cope after a bride and groom are killed on the day of their wedding. I felt very disconnected from the characters in this book and didn't really get very invested in their stories. I think the reason why is because we never get to know the bride and groom at all before they're killed, and therefore I had a hard time caring how anybody reacted to their deaths. It was an OK book, not compelling reading.
    • 4/5
      Most reviewers on LibraryThing seem to say that this book is well worth reading but you need to put up with the very slow beginning to get to the better part of the story. In contradistinction, I regard the first 80 - 90% of the book to be really excellent reading, with the last 10% degenerating to become almost romantic. I think Waldman excels at observing and describing the subtle interactions between people, especially family members. She paints pictures of real people and focuses on behaviours that we know are real but which might often be not addressed in the real world: the early signs of the break-up of a marriage relationship; the differences in the way a father and mother relate to their children; the way the behaviour of the oldest of siblings can influence the younger ones. This works in the way a good photograph can make you see an everyday sight with new clarity. Although all this may not make "exciting" reading to many readers, to me it's very engaging.
    • 3/5
      3.5 is What I would give this. I more than liked it, but not quite Really liked it. I love Waldman's use of language. Her story flowed wonderfully. I'm just not sure I felt that each character was done enough justice. It only seemed that a few got more attention than others and it didn't feel very balanced. I guess I felt it could have been fleshed out more (not that I wanted more than 330 pages).

      Overall I would recommend it.
    • 3/5
      This book took a lot of reading. At times I was ready to give up on it and other times I couldn't wait to get to the next page. It is the story of two families drawn together by tragedy and the challenges they face dealing with the problems in their own ways. One family is quite wealthy and the other family struggles to make ends meet. I think there is some of this story that could be omitted as it really drags at points. I really don't think there is much to recommend this book.
    • 4/5
      The Copakens are a well-to-do family that summers in the small Maine town where the Tetherlys are year-round townies. The Copaken and Tetherly families expected that their lives would be forever intertwined when Becca Copaken and John Tetherly got married. However, when Becca and John are killed in a car accident on the way to their wedding reception, the two families find themselves bound by tragedy rather than joy.This novel is written in four parts – the summer Becca and John get married and the following three summers. I thought this was an interesting technique, to jump ahead to see how everyone is dealing with their loss. Obviously, the first summer, the grief is intense. It’s interesting to see how each character evolves over the next few summers. This novel is a character study. Not much happens in the way of plot (except for an out-of-place action adventure sequence at the end) but the characters are well-developed.I liked that the reader could play arm chair psychologist with the characters while they remained mostly unaware of the coping mechanisms they were employing to deal with losing Becca and John. That was so authentic to me. We often think we are fine when our actions prove otherwise and we can’t even see it. I also appreciated how well the author showed the contrast of how the loved ones of the victims grieve for a lot longer and more deeply than their friends and acquaintances realize and how the grievers can end up alienating the people around them for this reason without realizing it.This is obviously not a happy book but I enjoyed it. I thought the writing was wonderful and that the characters were all layered and well-drawn. Even though they did a lot of things I either didn’t agree with or didn’t think was very smart, there was always an organic motivation behind their actions that rang true.
    • 4/5
      I really liked this book. It starts with a tragedy and comes around full circle in the last "coda". It is about choices and how one little choice can change your life for the better or the worse. Choices you make, may or may not be what you really want or may or may not please others. In this case, as we see in the finale, one last photo delayed a wedding couple just enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and they die in a car crash an hour after they are married in a little church in Red Hook, Maine. The book takes place in the aftermath of the accident, that summer and the three following summers as the families come to terms with the loss. The main characters are the two mothers of the couple, opposites, they barely tolerate each other. Although the bride's family is from the area, they mainly live in New York and summer in Red Hook. The groom's family is from the are and have always lived there. The bride's family has money and the groom's family are working class. Both mothers, Iris and Jane have ambitions for their children which the children have thwarted, preferring to go their own way. Iris in particular has high expectations of herself and everyone else and when things fall apart she doesn't always cope very well. The grief of the loss of their daughter pushes she and her husband, Daniel, further apart and brings together their daughter Ruth and Jane's other son, Matt. Meanwhile, Jane's young niece, a Cambodian orphan who has been adopted, turns out to be a violin prodigy. Iris' father is a reknowned violinist who is aging and ill but who agrees to teach and train the young girl. Iris and Jane further clash over this.As I said, i did enjoy this book. Well written, good characters.
    • 4/5
      I liked this book more than I thought I would. I definitely needed a hanky at the end.
    • 4/5
      Brief Description: After the most tragic wedding day you can imagine, the Copaken and Tetherly families struggle to make sense of their lives and put themselves back together again. Following the families over four summers in the Maine town of Red Hook (the Copakens are a “summer” family while the Tetherleys are “townies”—a primary source of tension between the two), the individual members come together in various ways to grieve, heal and get on with their lives.My Thoughts: I just love a good tragedy, and this book starts out with a whopper. I thought Waldman’s writing was fluid and graceful, and she does a good job of breaking these families down and building them back up. However, I thought she spent way more time on the Copaken family at the expense of the Tetherleys. As I write this review, I realize that most of the story lines had a Copaken at the center, with the Tetherleys playing supporting roles. I’m not sure if this was Waldman’s intention, but I definitely felt as if her heart was with the Copakens. There is a lovely sub-plot between a gifted music prodigy and her elderly teacher that I found oddly touching and satisfying, but the primary focus of the book is the grieving and healing process and how we can lose ourselves in the aftermath of a loved one’s death. All in all, it was a rich and satisfying read, and I wouldn’t hesitate to read another Waldman book.
    • 4/5
      this book tells about two families whho are dealing with a couple who die on their wedding day. it was very insightful about how different people grieve.
    • 4/5
      Slow going at first, but patience pays off. Once the book starts hopping it is hard to put down. Some speed bumps on the way, but overall a wonderful exploration on family, grief, and finding your way back after a horrific tragedy.
    • 3/5
      There is quite a nice story in here for those that have the patience to make their way through the whole book.I found it very slow and bogged down with tons of detail. I was listening to the audio version of this which carried me through but if I had been reading the book I don't think I would have finished it.
    • 5/5
      A young couple, Becca Copaken and John Tetherly are married for only an hour before their young lives are cut short in a horrible tragedy, yet their families are intricately bound together forever—whether they like it or not. Red Hook Road is filled with tension, pain, and tenderness. The characters are well developed, and the descriptions of Blue Hill, Maine are so vivid, I feel as though I’ve been there. This story, and its exceptional characters, will stay with me for sometime. Especially Becca’s grandfather, Mr. Kimmelbroad. (Reminiscent of Richard Gilmore on the TV Show Gilmore Girls.)Pros: This story is meaningful, stirring, and lasting. The characters are real and memorable. Cons: The first two chapters are very slow.Overall: I highly recommend reading this book. It pains me to give this book four (4.5) stars, rather than five. The ONLY reason for not giving it the highest rating is I found the beginning very slow. I almost put the book away without finishing it, but I’m glad I continued. Once I reached the third chapter I was hooked! If the story started at chapter three, and the back-story was dispersed later throughout the story, I wouldn’t have hesitated to give it the highest rating.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from LibraryThing’s First Reads. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
    • 3/5
      I found this book very hard to get into. It starts off so tragic that it is hard to continue reading but I advise you to stick it out because once you get passed the extremely sad beginning it picks up and becomes quite a good story. I'm happy I stuck with it.
    • 5/5
      From the first page of this book all the way through the last chapter, I knew how I was planning on starting this review:"If I had to summarize this book in one word it would be 'lovely.'"However, upon reading the "coda" and closing the book, the only thing I had left was a sigh. I could not have guessed how much I truly connected with this story. The writing is, throughout the entire book, lovely. The story is heartbreaking over and over but most of it isn't heartbreaking in a huge event way, it is more like it slowly chips away at your heart throughout the story and yet at the end you are miraculously still left feeling whole.The book begins with a massive tragedy that leaves two families trying to rebuild and repeatedly fighting the connections they have to each other. The most divine moments come when Waldman details activities they take part in. Building a sailboat and playing music can be described so simply but they come to life in a way that makes them relatable in so many ways.I wanted to step into the little Maine town and become a part of the story even with all the tragedy they experienced. The characters were so real. I felt their pain and sadness so fully that the bittersweetness of the end was even sweeter. Truly an incredible book.
    • 5/5
      Red Hook Road is a wonderful novel. Exactly the type of contemporary American fiction that I appreciate the most. The writing is like a song, flows easily and beautifully, despite the many descriptive passages. There is a lot of them, mostly as insight to people's thoughts in the wake of a terrible tragedy that forces all those affected to be more introspective. Although it's not really mentioned, the closest family of the couple got a 'wake-up' call on how short and unexpected life really is. In face of that fact, how each of them tries to go on is very engaging, especially for someone with a little bit of voyeuristic nature like me.It may all sound boring to some of you, but believe me, Ms. Waldman made sure the novel was anything but. Somehow (I'm sure her talent had something to do with it), Red Hook Road turned out to be fascinating, without a boring passage in there. And even though it's heartbreaking, it's also a story that gives hope which I always appreciate, as there can never be too much hope. (Psst...don't tell, but I think I might even prefer Ms. Waldman's style to her husband's, Michael Chabon).
    • 4/5
      Set on the coast of Maine, Red Hook Road follows the lives of its characters through four summers after a horrible tragedy. When Becca Copaken (a talented musician whose family summers in Maine) marries John Tetherly (a local boy whose heart lies in boat design and restoring an old wooden sailing vessel), two disparate families are joined. But only an hour after the wedding, both John and Becca lose their lives in a terrible accident, leaving behind parents, siblings, and a wise old grandfather to figure out how to move forward without them.Ayelet Waldman captures the tension between the summer folks “from away” and the locals who populate the small fishing village of Red Hook, but more importantly, she exposes the raw wound of grief which does not discriminate between socioeconomic and class differences. Waldman’s writing is intimate and observant. It would be easy with a book about loss for an author to immerse the reader in sadness, and so I was delighted that Waldman chose to show how time heals grief, that there is still room for joy in the midst of sorrow, and strength is ultimately found in our connection to others.My favorite character in this book is Ruthie – Becca’s younger sister – who struggles to find her identity in the shadow of her sister’s death. But, all the characters ring true…Mr. Kimmelbrod, the taciturn grandfather whose serious nature belies a sensitive heart; Jane Tetherly, John’s matter-of-fact mother who hides her grief with anger; Iris Copaken, Becca’s mother whose obsessive organization and need for control nearly destroys her marriage; Daniel Copaken, Becca’s father who finds himself longing for his younger days as a boxer in order to escape the sadness of his daughter’s death; Matt, John’s brother, compelled to restore the boat his brother left behind; and Samantha, a young Korean girl who finds her talent in playing the violin. The characters in this novel are rich, well developed and captivating. Their individual journeys to find meaning in their lives after John and Becca’s deaths were haunting and real.I was surprised how much I liked this book – a book whose plot revolves around grief and loss, but somehow becomes more about living than about death. Waldman writes effortlessly, capturing place and character with ease. Readers who enjoy family sagas will undoubtedly like this novel.Recommended.
    • 3/5
      Summary: As lyrical as a sonata, Ayelet Waldman’s follow-up novel to Love and Other Impossible Pursuits explores the aftermath of a family tragedy.Set on the coast of Maine over the course of four summers, Red Hook Road tells the story of two families, the Tetherlys and the Copakens, and of the ways in which their lives are unraveled and stitched together by misfortune, by good intentions and failure, and by love and calamity.A marriage collapses under the strain of a daughter’s death; two bereaved siblings find comfort in one another; and an adopted young girl breathes new life into her family with her prodigious talent for the violin. As she writes with obvious affection for these unforgettable characters, Ayelet Waldman skillfully interweaves life’s finer pleasures—music and literature—with the more mundane joys of living. Within these resonant pages, a vase filled with wildflowers or a cold beer on a hot summer day serve as constant reminders that it’s often the little things that make life so precious. – Random HouseThe devastating premise of this book intrigued me. What happens to families when the young bride and groom are killed on their wedding day? How are you related when you’ve been in-laws for an hour? The story deals with the aftermath of a horrible car accident and how each family member comes to terms with their loss.I’ve read all of Aleyet Waldman’s Mommy Track mysteries and I really enjoyed them. I went into this book wanting to love and sadly I just didn’t. I liked it well enough but it just didn’t catch me. I felt like I was missing something. I’m sure there are going to be plenty of people who love this book unfortunately I found myself pushing to finish it and find out what happened, which I did want.Jane and Iris, the mothers-in-law were well written but I felt there was something missing about them for me. I can’t quite put my finger on it. It drives me crazy when I can’t explain why I didn’t like a book better. I’m not sure what wasn’t there for me or what I needed to like it better. Ugh, it’s just so frustrating.I did like the way Iris and Daniel’s (parents of the bride) marriage was handled. It seemed a realistic reaction to the death of a child. And though I didn’t always like Iris, I could understand some of the things she did and felt. I thought Jane (mother of the groom), a seemingly cold person was fleshed out a little better.The secondary story of the flower girl finding her talent for music with the world-famous violinist grandfather of the bride was a bit of a miss for me. Again, I don’t know why it didn’t work for me, maybe it was just a little contrived.This is a hard one for me because I really wanted to love this book and I did like it. Maybe my expectations were too high and I was expecting something else. I have a feeling more people are going to love it and wondering what the heck is wrong with me.Update: It just dawned on me, I had a head cold this weekend which I’m sure played a part in my feelings about this book. I’m still trying to get over it which is why I’m sure I didn’t pick up on it’s effect on my reaction to this book. Yikes, I may have to do a reread sometime soon.
    • 3/5
      Red Hook Road Ayelet WaldmanPublished by DoubledayISBN 978-0-385-51786-7At the request of Doubleday, a HC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion. Synopsis (borrowed by book's jacket): Becca Copaken and John Tetherly are young and in love, and the future looks as bright as the day of their marriage. Becca's family is well-to-do and summers in Red Hook, Maine, where John's mother, Jane, runs a housecleaning service for clients like the Copakens. The only thing that binds the two families is the love the elated couple share but it's enough to bring them together for the occasion. Until the unthinkable happens: Becca and John's limousine collides with another vehicle mere minutes after the wedding, killing them instantly. Joy gives way to grief, and the rifts between Becca's mother, Iris and Jane grow, from the funeral arrangements to Iris's strong.-willed interest in the musical career of Jane's niece to a new romance that buds between the surviving children, Ruthie and Matt. Time's healing powers prove elusive for Iris and Jane: Iris' thirty-year marriage disintegrates, while Jane's bitterness threatens to ruin her relationship with Matt. Only when a powerful, blinding storm hits Red Hook do the families begin to see what really matters most. My Thoughts and Opinion: Days before reading this book, we had attended a wedding, that was a beautiful and fun celebration, so parts of the story were easy to relate to. Thankfully there was a different outcome in the real life wedding. I was able to feel the emotions and gaiety of Becca and John's wedding day through the author's written words. And then the shock, disbelief, and despair when the news is announced to the family and friends, that are waiting for the newlyweds at the reception. From that point on, my thoughts of the book fluctuated. There was a lot of genealogy of the families', which I felt was important to understand the dynamics of the characters involved. But at times, and this is my opinion only, there was too much information that it became boring and took away from the story. The novel was a serious,somber and depressing read but at the same time the families' dynamics were so profound that I needed to continue reading. Not only were there difference in classes, as described in the synopsis, but also religions and beliefs of the families' that also divided them. Ms. Waldman's writing style and descriptive wording allowed me to feel the emotions that each character was feeling and how they dealt with their very individual way of grieving and how that grief affected their lives. This is not the type of book if you are looking for a fast paced or uplifting read, but a book to be read if you want a thought provoking and the need to understand family dynamics and individual differences. Filled with many life's metaphors. My Rating: 3
    • 2/5
      Although the tragic premise (a bride and groom are killed in a car accident on their wedding day) was interesting, I found it hard to thoroughly enjoy this book. Iris, the mother of the bride, was generally unlikeable and the story was skewed towards her instead of giving a balanced view that equally included Jane's grief as the mother of the groom. The ending was incredibly unsatisfying and left entirely too much unresolved. I have previously loved Ayelet Waldman's other writings so was a little disappointed not to have loved this book as well.
    • 4/5
      Ayelet Waldman's book is the story of two families in the town of Red Hook Maine. The Copaken and Tetherly families are about to be united by the marriage of Becca Copaken and John Tetherly. The union is short lived as John and Becca are tragically killed immediately after their wedding in a car accident.Red Hook Road follows the aftermath of this tragedy over the course of four years and the effect on the family and friends left behind.The two mothers - Iris Copaken and Jane Tetherly are the main characters and the ones we come to know the best. Waldman's strength lies in her characterizations. I truly disliked Iris despite her losses. Her sense of right, her scheming and manipulations added up to someone I would not enjoy knowing. Although her actions are not all bad, it is the way she achieves them that I found objectionable. Jane is portrayed a a 'typical' Mainer - stoic, spare with words and hard working. Despite her brusqueness she is the character I enjoyed the most. Supporting characters are just as strongly drawn, particularly Iris's father. The sea, boats and classical music all play a role in the novel and are used by Waldman as allegorical vehicles.Those looking for an action filled story won't find it here. Rather, they will find a thoughtful, carefully portrayed narrative of the feelings, emotions and actions of those left grieving after a heartbreaking loss.
    • 4/5
      The Tetherleys and the Copakens are two families living on the coast of Maine who are about to be joined forever by the marriage of their two oldest children, Becca and John. After a beautiful if tense wedding, a horrible car accident on the way to the reception leaves both Becca and John dead. As the two families struggle with their shared grief, the gulf widens between them. Iris Copaken and Jane Tetherley, both mothers who have lost their children, find themselves in an awkward and uncomfortable dance of a relationship, with Iris dictating the steps to an increasingly wary and hostile Jane. Meanwhile, the two younger siblings of the lost couple begin a relationship that strangely mirrors the one between the deceased couple. As the tale winds itself around four summers, the two families begin to see that the bond that was forged with Becca and John's wedding will not be easily broken. Both tender and at times sorrowful, Red Hook Road gives a peek into the lives of two very different families bound together by tragedy.This is my first book by Ayelet Waldman, though I've heard good things about her work. I think the thing that struck me the most about this book was the way Waldman encapsulates the tender and ever-changing relationship between a mother and her children. Though there are many other types of relationships portrayed in this book, these mother-to-child relationships seemed to be the glue that held the story together and really placed the framework for the rest of the tale. I was surprised to find such a complete and genuine examination of the subject in the book, mostly, I think, because I had been expecting something a little different.One of the things I liked about this book was the fact that although the two female protagonists were not all that likable, I was able to feel a lot of sympathy and understanding for them. It's rare to find a character that you don't like but can completely understand. For the most part, I thought Iris was domineering and controlling, and her actions spoke loudly of her need to organize and dominate everyone else's lives. It happened time and time again that Iris would assert herself in ways that totally took the decision-making power our of another person's hands. This was true of all of her relationships and I considered the possibility that Iris was really trying to live through people instead of letting them make their own choices and mistakes. I wasn't really fond of her but I did feel like I could relate to her in some ways and I also felt that not all of her actions were completely selfish. Jane, on the other hand, was more of a cold fish and she wasn't a nice person. Most of the time the reader is in her head, she is complaining and bitter. I got the impression that she felt that her future had been compromised by her past and that she was a little smug and condescending about the people who surrounded her. She was not a person who I liked spending time with but I did feel like she almost had a right to be bitter about her life and situation. She was very human and it felt very real to be in her head. Both of these women just felt right somehow. They felt like real people, with warts and flaws in all the right places.The relationship between the two families was really more about the relationship between Iris and Jane than anything else. Iris was constantly trying to exert control over Jane, with Jane attempting to back away and over time developing a palpable undercurrent of anger and a strange sort of detachment towards her rival. When the two women come to see that they need each other and that this relationship would persist in spite of all that is expected, they slowly begin to reassess and move towards some closure. It was an interesting relationship between two very different women, one fraught with false politeness and misunderstanding. This relationship gave a really nice texture and gravitas to the story, and felt very organic.The book shares the narrative between the two women, giving each of them space to relate their frustrations with each other and their families. As is often the case after a tragedy, the close relationships in the women's lives begin to break down and things that they took for granted before are suddenly at risk of falling apart. For Iris, the tragedy unmasked flaws in her marriage and relationship with her remaining child; and for Jane, the problems erupted with her child, and more importantly within herself. I think at the heart of each of these deconstructions was the women's loneliness, their inability to understand the way the tragedy would change and shape their lives, and their frustration at the great loss they both shared. It was odd that instead of bonding in their grief that they became set against each other as players in an elaborate power struggle, but the way Waldman skillfully crafts this relationship, it also seems very realistic. The love they had for their absent children makes them mirrors of one another, but in reality, they couldn't be more different.I must say that although this book had a bit of a slow start for me, I ended up greatly admiring it. Though the impetus for the story is a terrible tragedy, Waldman does an amazing job of giving her readers a glimpse of the real struggles and joys of family life that occur after the unthinkable happens. It was an emotionally encompassing read and one that felt very genuine. I think those readers who enjoy emotionally complex and thoughtful books would really like this one. I found myself very impressed with Waldman's execution of the story and its emotional range. Though the issues in this book can be heavy, it's not in the least maudlin or oppressive, which I really appreciated. A very sensitive and thought proving read, recommended.
    • 4/5
      This is an absorbing glimpse into the lives of those who have to go on after an unthinkable tragedy blindsides them. The stages and layers of grief both separate and join those who are left to deal with the aftermath of a devastating loss. Ayelet Waldman writes beautifully and convincingly about the unexpected strengths and fallibilities of human beings in their darkest hours.
    • 4/5
      This novel is a study of grief and how two people who seem so unlike each other can set aside differences when it comes to the well-being of their children.I follow Ayelet on Twitter where she’s very much herself – a mom, a writer, a funny woman, Jewish, a wife in love with her husband, and opinionated – these are only a few of the adjectives I’d use to describe her. These little pieces of herself were put into these characters. The ways in which they cope with their grief are as individual as the characters.I find it difficult to write about Red Hook Road without giving anything away. All I can say is the coda at the end is hauntingly beautiful. It is perfectly placed and it’s well worth the reader’s time to get through four summers in Red Hook, Maine to get there.
    • 4/5
      Ayelet Waldman seems quite concerned with death for someone with such a fortunate life. She's a former attorney, a successful author and the mother of several children with husband prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon. Waldman has written a series of light-hearted murder mysteries with titles like Death Makes a Playdate and Murder Plays House. Her other novels, before this Love and Other Impossible Pursuits and now Red Hook Road, feature death prominently as well. Waldman's strength in this and her other non-mysteries lies in the understanding of character. The ways two middle-aged women face tragedy are so different from one another that we have great insight into their personalities. The same is true for the other family members. The coastal Maine village where the book takes place is so well described it nearly becomes another character. The plot is the novel's shortcoming. It is so contrived that it stretches credulity. I would like to see Waldman write a non-mystery set in a happy family. She wrote a non-fiction essay and book about her emotional reaction to her husband as opposed to her children that generated a storm of controversy. I wonder if Waldman can create enough of the same strong response without death playing a part. I hope she tries.
    • 4/5
      As the novel opens, Ayelet Waldman immediately places the reader into a familiar scene: a wedding ceremony is winding down outside a church. The families are lining up for formal portraits before leaving for the reception dinner, and the photographer senses the tensions that underlie the festivities. This observer is documenting what he sees, and foreshadowing what the reader is about to see.Red Hook Road follows the families of the bride and groom, the Copakens and the Tetherlys, through the four summers following that wedding. The Copakens are "summer people" in the Maine village of Red Hook, but wife Iris' family has a long history in the community; however, the fact that they reside for the rest of the year in New York means that Jane Tetherly will always see them as being "from away." While their respective children, Becca and John, have been together since their teens, neither mother is altogther happy about the marriage that will bring their families together. And when the families are shockingly torn apart, the mothers react differently - Jane with New England stoicism, Iris with more conflicted emotions and behaviors. The mothers are not the only ones affected, of course - Becca's sister Ruthie and John's brother Matt find themselves drawn to one another as they individually sort through the aftermath.The observer's perspective employed via the photographer in the opening pages of the novel really never fades; Waldman seems to maintain a slight distance from her characters through much of the novel, which makes the times when she drops it all the more affecting. She spends more time with Iris and Ruthie than with other characters, but as the narrative viewpoints change, the reader get the opportunity to construct fuller pictures of these people - or some of them, anyway. Jane isn't as fully developed, but as a woman who focuses on doing rather than thinking, she comes across as someone who would keep her inner life to herself; in that context, it seems appropriate that she's at a bit of a remove. I found Iris' father, ninety-year-old semi-retired violinist Emil Kimmelbrod, a particularly enigmatic and interesting character, and he was one to keep himself to himself even more than Jane.There are stretches in the novel where it seems that not much happens, as Waldman explores these complex characters' responses over time, effectively conveying that there's no prescribed method or schedule for "getting over" something, and that what may seem like letting go at first may really be a way of holding on. There are also scenes that are written so vividly - almost cinematically - that I felt I was watching them play out. I rarely hope a book will be made into a movie, but in this case I wouldn't mind it; however, I have a bad feeling the focus of the story would shift more heavily to Ruthie and Matt. Aside from certain prominent exceptions, it's still tough for women over 40 to get good roles in which they can act their ages.Waldman's writing doesn't call attention to itself as she follows these characters on their journey, but it rarely hits a wrong note. For much of the telling, Red Hook Road is a quiet novel, and its emotional impact snuck up on me a bit. I don't mind when that happens. This didn't quite resonate the same way for me as Waldman's previous novel, Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, did, and it's very different from her last book - Bad Mother, my Nonfiction Book of the Year in 2009 - but it's a moving and thoughtful work of fiction that I think will stick with me for a while.Review copy provided by the publisher
    • 4/5
      A bride and groom are killed in a horrible accident on the way to their reception. The book tells the story of how their families cope with their grief.
    • 4/5
      I live in a small town in coastal Maine so I had high expectations of this book and its setting. On the whole, it did not disappoint. Ayelet Waldman has done her homework and presents us with a deeper than surface glimpse into the relationships, economic reality and culture of such a life.The story begins rather slowly. In fact, the only part of the story I found tedious was the beginning. Essentially it boils down to a wedding - the bridal party stays behind to have pictures taken. The wedding guests go off to the Grange Hall for the reception. But the bride and groom never get to the reception because the limo is involved in a fatal accident. This isn't a spoiler - it's the beginning of the story.The story isn't about the bride and groom at all, but rather the story of their families and how this wedding, this romance, and these deaths impact the families--both inside each family, and towards the other family. It is a story of relationships and people. In addition to the native vs. "from away" conflict, there are religious issues (the bride's family is Jewish), there are issues of aging (the bride's grandfather- a world class violinist - is now suffering from Parkinson's), there is marital discord - the bride's parents have drifted apart due to the mother's overbearing need to control everyone and everything and the father's lack of backbone and refusal to stand up to her.There are issues of class- the groom's mother cleans house for the bride's family, but doesn't feel the bride's family is deserving of being seen as 'from here' since they live in New York. There are grieving siblings who are left to fend for themselves emotionally, and who are struggling to find their own lives while trying to live up to their brother's and sister's dreams.The best part of the story surrounds the relationship that develops between Samantha (the flower girl) , a nine year old Cambodian orphan who was adopted by the groom's aunt, and Mr. Kimmelbrod, the grandfather, who discovers Samantha's incredible musical talent and takes her under his wing to mentor and encourage her.Over four summers, we watch as a marriage falls apart, a romance blooms, a musical career blossoms, and the mothers-in-law come to a grudging respect for each others' differences. The ending was almost a made-in-hollywood scene designed to tie up the loose ends and make it come out 'happily ever after.' It could have been more realistic, leaving the characters with some room to grow instead of just being able to walk away from problems. Still in all, it was a great read, and a well done look at generational, class, and religious differences that can fester in a small town atmosphere.