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Her Turn
A delightful novel in the vein of Younger and The Unbreakables, with a hint of Nora Ephron, about a journalist who stumbles into an unusual relationship with the woman married to her former husband. A journalist in Washington, DC, Liz has turned lemons into lemonade after her husband walked out on her a decade ago. She likes her life—she’s the editor of My Turn, a weekly column in which readers write about their lives, has a few romantic nibbles—some better than others—a good relationship with her teen-aged son, and has come to terms with the shock and heartbreak of her divorce. Or so she thinks. One day at work, she receives a letter for the column she can’t ignore, because it’s written by her ex-husband’s current wife—AKA the other woman. It is the beginning of an unexpected correspondence between the two women—but only Liz knows the truth about their connection. Could it be she still cares? How far will she take this unusual relationship? And what happens if the truth comes out? Her Turn is an immensely readable, joyful novel about fidelity and forgiveness that explores one woman’s second act in life, and the ties that still bind her to the first.
240 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2021
About the author
Katherine Ashenburg
8 books68 followersKatherine Ashenburg is the prize-winning author of three non-fiction books and hundreds of articles on subjects that range from travel to mourning customs to architecture. She describes herself as a lapsed Dickensian and as someone who has had a different career every decade. Her work life began with a Ph.D. dissertation about Dickens and Christmas, but she quickly left the academic world for successive careers at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a radio producer; at the Toronto newspaper The Globe and Mail as the arts and books editor; and most recently as a freelance writer, lecturer and teacher.
Her first book, Going to Town: Architectural Walking Tours in Southern Ontario, won the Ontario Historical Society's award for best regional history. Her second book, The Mourner's Dance: What We Do When People Die, was a finalist for two important prizes. Her latest book The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History, is a spirited chronicle of the West's ambivalent relationship with the washed and unwashed body. She's a regular contributor to the Sunday Travel section of The New York Times and she writes a column on design and architecture for Toronto Life magazine.
Her first book, Going to Town: Architectural Walking Tours in Southern Ontario, won the Ontario Historical Society's award for best regional history. Her second book, The Mourner's Dance: What We Do When People Die, was a finalist for two important prizes. Her latest book The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History, is a spirited chronicle of the West's ambivalent relationship with the washed and unwashed body. She's a regular contributor to the Sunday Travel section of The New York Times and she writes a column on design and architecture for Toronto Life magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
June 10, 2021
I did not give this book only 1 star because I managed to finish it.
The first third of the book was ok -we learned about Liz and some of her past. Mind you, this book is written in the first person, so we never really get another person's take on her life. Unfortunately, Liz starts showing her true colors toward the end of the first third. It's not pretty.
The second third is even worse as Liz really starts showing her true colors. She is cruel, selfish, manipulative, a user, and can't seem to let things go.
By the last third, I was ready to find her and beat some sense into her. This woman did NOT deserve a HEA.
I'm sorry, but this just wasn't the book for me-if I wanted political views, I would read a book about politics. If I wanted to know just how little the over 60 crowd is thought of, I would find a book that disparages those of some maturity.
And please keep in mind, especially authors -when you make fun of those over 60...you are making fun of those who invested in Amazon, Apple, etc when those companies were just starting out---think about that for a moment.
*ARC supplied by the publisher, author, and NetGalley.
The first third of the book was ok -we learned about Liz and some of her past. Mind you, this book is written in the first person, so we never really get another person's take on her life. Unfortunately, Liz starts showing her true colors toward the end of the first third. It's not pretty.
The second third is even worse as Liz really starts showing her true colors. She is cruel, selfish, manipulative, a user, and can't seem to let things go.
By the last third, I was ready to find her and beat some sense into her. This woman did NOT deserve a HEA.
I'm sorry, but this just wasn't the book for me-if I wanted political views, I would read a book about politics. If I wanted to know just how little the over 60 crowd is thought of, I would find a book that disparages those of some maturity.
And please keep in mind, especially authors -when you make fun of those over 60...you are making fun of those who invested in Amazon, Apple, etc when those companies were just starting out---think about that for a moment.
*ARC supplied by the publisher, author, and NetGalley.
May 23, 2021
I loved it! This is a must for women’s reading groups. Ashenburg deals with several topics that left me engaged in reflecting on this personal story of a woman rebuilding her life and relationships after she has been left by her cheating husband for the other woman.
In an unexpected flash of coincidence, it is this woman who submits an essay to Liz, who believing herself to be anonymous, injects herself into the story in her role as an editor. As a divorced woman, Liz navigates the rough waters of dating and single parenting.
There are books I can’t relate to, but this one fit me like a glove. It’s a well written, enjoyable novel that will please readers. I must admit that I have no lack of personal experience in divorce, dating and dealing with the other woman. I don’t have an essay, but I have lots of letters. If anyone thinks it doesn’t ring true, they just haven’t had these experiences.
I really want to thank Netgalley for this absolutely satisfying and interesting novel.
In an unexpected flash of coincidence, it is this woman who submits an essay to Liz, who believing herself to be anonymous, injects herself into the story in her role as an editor. As a divorced woman, Liz navigates the rough waters of dating and single parenting.
There are books I can’t relate to, but this one fit me like a glove. It’s a well written, enjoyable novel that will please readers. I must admit that I have no lack of personal experience in divorce, dating and dealing with the other woman. I don’t have an essay, but I have lots of letters. If anyone thinks it doesn’t ring true, they just haven’t had these experiences.
I really want to thank Netgalley for this absolutely satisfying and interesting novel.
August 22, 2021
First and foremost, Thank you to Harper Collins and Goodreads Giveaways for this advanced copy of Her Turn in return for an honest review.
This was horribly dry for me to get through. It seemed as though there was just a muddled hint of a plot in there somewhere. Can the protagonist also play the part of the antagonist? I found only in the last 40 pages did I become slightly interested in what was unraveling.
This was horribly dry for me to get through. It seemed as though there was just a muddled hint of a plot in there somewhere. Can the protagonist also play the part of the antagonist? I found only in the last 40 pages did I become slightly interested in what was unraveling.
September 7, 2021
I really don't know what to say about this book, except I don't really see the point of it? The plot is almost non-existent and I frequently got the characters muddled up . I feel like the main character captures the original idea of a girlboss, which isn't a good thing.
November 11, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of Her Turn in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately I could not get into this book and could not finish it. I read over half the book but felt as if I was only reading because I had to, not because I was enjoying the story. I don't actually know what the book is about. There was no real conflict and character development seemed to be non-existent. This book was, sadly, not for me. The main character was hard to relate to or root for. This book fell short for me unfortunately.
August 18, 2021
This one didn’t really do it for me…I liked the setting of DC (Especially mentions of Kramer’s)! I didn’t relate to or like the main character. Though I can’t imagine being a divorcee with a kid, I kept judging a lot of her decisions and really found her to be incredibly immature. There was interesting commentary on the theme of forgiveness. This one is skipable imo.
November 29, 2021
I’m a little surprised by all the low ratings for this book on Goodreads. I guess I could see how this might be for a specific audience, but I found it sharp and witty.
Liz is the editor of “My Turn,” a daily column in a national newspaper. Her husband left her ten years ago, and though she wants to believe she���s not harboring a grudge, she is.
When a submission for her column comes in with the name of her ex-husband’s current wife attached to it, the very one he had an affair with, Liz knows she should just trash it, but instead, she begins a strange, slightly revengeful correspondence with her.
I loved Liz’s inner dialogue and watching her navigate dating as a middle-aged woman who may have some revenge issues was interesting. I could relate in many ways, as she went to yoga class and tried not to compare poses, was blamed for most things that went wrong, even from her college-age son, and tried to serve all the food warm at the Thanksgiving dinner.
Thank you to @harperperennial for this gifted copy.
Liz is the editor of “My Turn,” a daily column in a national newspaper. Her husband left her ten years ago, and though she wants to believe she���s not harboring a grudge, she is.
When a submission for her column comes in with the name of her ex-husband’s current wife attached to it, the very one he had an affair with, Liz knows she should just trash it, but instead, she begins a strange, slightly revengeful correspondence with her.
I loved Liz’s inner dialogue and watching her navigate dating as a middle-aged woman who may have some revenge issues was interesting. I could relate in many ways, as she went to yoga class and tried not to compare poses, was blamed for most things that went wrong, even from her college-age son, and tried to serve all the food warm at the Thanksgiving dinner.
Thank you to @harperperennial for this gifted copy.
December 3, 2021
Abandoned me at page 40. I really didn't like the protagonist and looked up a quick few reviews hoping to find the reason this one made it to my TBR shelf. Instead reader after reader said it doesn't get better. 😬 Ain't nobody got time for that with end of year goals looming.
October 15, 2021
The protagonist was interestingly flawed. Angry over a marriage that had ended a decade earlier, Liz is taking steps that threaten to implode both her life and her career, and she’s fed up enough to not care about the fallout.
The plot was engaging enough to keep me reading. The downside to this book for me was in the details about Brutalist buildings (apparently that’s a design style) and other equally irrelevant passages. They felt like padding or, at best, the author fitting in some of her personal interests, rather than being integral to the story.
The plot was engaging enough to keep me reading. The downside to this book for me was in the details about Brutalist buildings (apparently that’s a design style) and other equally irrelevant passages. They felt like padding or, at best, the author fitting in some of her personal interests, rather than being integral to the story.
July 27, 2021
I just posted a YouTube video review of this because, at least in Canada, it’s out today. Out soon elsewhere, I think: https://youtu.be/JpHncEurXe8
This is charming in a messy, verisimilitude type of way. I can see why the marketing would go with Nora Ephram-esk. It’s very good at dredging up lots of different emotions in the day-to-day. While it does take a moment to shift gears into the writing voice and the narrator herself, especially because it feels a bit monotonous at first, it really finds its stride on the building blocks of the first act—not to mention the structure of each chapter, which is each week broken up on a day planet for our editor protagonist, Liz.
What’s really ingenious about this is that the minutia, especially concerning what Liz is specifically editing that day/week, acts as a vector, vehicle, and springboard at any given time. Even as Liz puts a piece of writing into the context of her own life and ascribes it meaning, it naturally asks the reader the same. Then it becomes pertinent to the plot as well. It’s really satisfying and smart. I’m not sure I’ve seen a device deployed much like it?
I worried about “liking” or understanding Liz to get behind her voice as a protagonist for a while because of the kind of moral flexibility that she seemed to be projecting, but it actually works quite well; contradictory character traits and actions end up almost as being good, not to mention proponents of good drama.
In any case, I laughed out loud multiple times, winced, and was surprised to find out how much I cared about Liz. I am very happy I went out of my usual reading comfort zone to try it out. I hope this finds the audience it deserves.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the digital ARC.
This is charming in a messy, verisimilitude type of way. I can see why the marketing would go with Nora Ephram-esk. It’s very good at dredging up lots of different emotions in the day-to-day. While it does take a moment to shift gears into the writing voice and the narrator herself, especially because it feels a bit monotonous at first, it really finds its stride on the building blocks of the first act—not to mention the structure of each chapter, which is each week broken up on a day planet for our editor protagonist, Liz.
What’s really ingenious about this is that the minutia, especially concerning what Liz is specifically editing that day/week, acts as a vector, vehicle, and springboard at any given time. Even as Liz puts a piece of writing into the context of her own life and ascribes it meaning, it naturally asks the reader the same. Then it becomes pertinent to the plot as well. It’s really satisfying and smart. I’m not sure I’ve seen a device deployed much like it?
I worried about “liking” or understanding Liz to get behind her voice as a protagonist for a while because of the kind of moral flexibility that she seemed to be projecting, but it actually works quite well; contradictory character traits and actions end up almost as being good, not to mention proponents of good drama.
In any case, I laughed out loud multiple times, winced, and was surprised to find out how much I cared about Liz. I am very happy I went out of my usual reading comfort zone to try it out. I hope this finds the audience it deserves.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the digital ARC.
July 28, 2021
1.5 stars ⭐🌜
Alright so honest review ahead. I was not a fan of this book. I always finish a book in hopes that it will get better, but this one just dragged on. It took me longer than usual to finish a book because I just wasn't excited to keep reading, or to read whenever I got the chance. Thankfully it was a shorter book, so there was a bonus.
Ten years ago, Liz's husband had an affair, and is now married to the woman, Nicole. Liz is editor for a column called My Turn, where writers can submit an essay to have published in the paper. When Nicole submits a story one day, Liz's decisions, although they have already not been great , get worse. She is already having an affair with her boss, seeing men she has no true interest in, and now, is responding back to Nicole's submissions.
The book goes on about these choices Liz is making and how they backfire on her, with her work, her relationships, her son.. she is trying to work on forgiveness, which I guess is the moral of this book. I think. I don't even really know what the point of it was and was bored reading it. It gave a lot of reference to poetry and plays, which just got repetitive and did not interest me.
Personally, would not recommend.
Thank you to the publisher for my free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Alright so honest review ahead. I was not a fan of this book. I always finish a book in hopes that it will get better, but this one just dragged on. It took me longer than usual to finish a book because I just wasn't excited to keep reading, or to read whenever I got the chance. Thankfully it was a shorter book, so there was a bonus.
Ten years ago, Liz's husband had an affair, and is now married to the woman, Nicole. Liz is editor for a column called My Turn, where writers can submit an essay to have published in the paper. When Nicole submits a story one day, Liz's decisions, although they have already not been great , get worse. She is already having an affair with her boss, seeing men she has no true interest in, and now, is responding back to Nicole's submissions.
The book goes on about these choices Liz is making and how they backfire on her, with her work, her relationships, her son.. she is trying to work on forgiveness, which I guess is the moral of this book. I think. I don't even really know what the point of it was and was bored reading it. It gave a lot of reference to poetry and plays, which just got repetitive and did not interest me.
Personally, would not recommend.
Thank you to the publisher for my free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 2, 2021
Liz is divorced and still a little bitter about the other woman who broke up her marriage. She is also a journalist who edits a My Turn column, and is surprised to get a submission from her ex's new wife. Thus starts an anonymous correspondence and Liz's obsessing over whether she can really forgive and move on. Though this read quickly, I didn't really connect with the characters and found the themes a little too heavy-handed.
August 2, 2021
Chatty chicklit set in Washington, DC. Sad that Canada doesn't have any newspapers, or even cities, of its own for Canadian writers to set their novels in, but what can you do? Get those igloos organized and start some dailies, Canada! This book displayed good solid writing and would have been a 3 star read for me - if only I'd managed to like, or even believe, the parade of unrelatable characters and their feckless decision-making. 2 1/2 stars, minus 1 for the US setting.
December 21, 2021
https://www.howdidthatbookend.com/kat...
Thank you to Harper Perennial for the physical copy and to Harper Audio for the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book scores an even 2.5 stars from me. It was entertaining enough, very middle-of-the-road, but it didn’t stick with me at all. It’s been about a month and I would have no recollection of what Her Turn was about, if not for the notes I took while reading it.
I love reading about women who have just had it with their lives. There were a few passages of Liz’s inner thoughts that made me chuckle, and I enjoyed that she wasn’t trying to please anyone any more. I liked the scenes about her bad dates and her interactions with her son.
I think part of the reason I didn’t love this one is that I just don’t like character-driven novels. There was very little plot to speak of here, so I found it to be somewhat dry. For me to like a character-driven novel, I need to be able to really relate to the main character, and I need them to show significant growth throughout the book. I didn’t really get either of those things, in this case. I’ve never been divorced (or married), so I couldn’t really relate to Liz’s ire. I also didn’t find her all that likable.
Overall, I think this book would be better suited to someone that can identify with Liz’s experiences, and to a reader who enjoys character-driven novels. Luckily it was very short, so I made it through quickly! I will say that I love the color of the spine, so it’ll probably stay on my shelves 🤷♀️
Thank you to Harper Perennial for the physical copy and to Harper Audio for the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book scores an even 2.5 stars from me. It was entertaining enough, very middle-of-the-road, but it didn’t stick with me at all. It’s been about a month and I would have no recollection of what Her Turn was about, if not for the notes I took while reading it.
I love reading about women who have just had it with their lives. There were a few passages of Liz’s inner thoughts that made me chuckle, and I enjoyed that she wasn’t trying to please anyone any more. I liked the scenes about her bad dates and her interactions with her son.
I think part of the reason I didn’t love this one is that I just don’t like character-driven novels. There was very little plot to speak of here, so I found it to be somewhat dry. For me to like a character-driven novel, I need to be able to really relate to the main character, and I need them to show significant growth throughout the book. I didn’t really get either of those things, in this case. I’ve never been divorced (or married), so I couldn’t really relate to Liz’s ire. I also didn’t find her all that likable.
Overall, I think this book would be better suited to someone that can identify with Liz’s experiences, and to a reader who enjoys character-driven novels. Luckily it was very short, so I made it through quickly! I will say that I love the color of the spine, so it’ll probably stay on my shelves 🤷♀️
September 8, 2022
I usually really enjoy character driven novels like Her Turn. However, in most books of this ilk, the protagonist has some kind of epiphany, which I am not so sure happened for Liz, the main character in Her Turn. I think part of my problem was I didn't like Liz and grew tired of her, and her excuses and justifications. I felt that at the end she had gained no greater insight into her own behaviour or had developed her capacity to see things from other's perspectives. I have to say, I was disappointed, as I guess I thought we were moving towards something like that and it didn't seem to happen, although it is hinted at when she invites Henry to have a drink with her at the end of the novel. Maybe she's turned a corner but I'll never know.
October 18, 2021
Katharine Ashenburg generously attended our book club meeting virtually a few years ago when we discussed Sofie and Cecilia. She alluded to her second novel. I just finished it and loved it on so many levels. It is funny, contemporary, well written and very astute. I wonder what is up the author’s sleeve for her next novel?
September 7, 2021
I love reading about a fed-up lady. There is nothing more entertaining than reading the inner (and sometimes outer) thoughts of a middle-aged woman who is just sick of it all. One of my favourite books in past years was this little gem, which is why I was so eager to read Her Turn by Katherine Ashenburg, because it’s written in the same vein: from the perspective of a divorced 40-ish year-old woman. There were so many little lines and thoughts that I bark-laughed at while I read this one. I devoured it in two days, and was even a little disappointed when it ended because I wanted to spend more time with our protagonist Liz. For the record, I’m rarely unhappy when I finish a book because I’m usually so excited to jump into the next one, but in this case I wanted to keep following Liz around, even if it was just to work and back.
Plot Summary
Liz is the editor of My Turn, the personal essay section of a prominent Washington newspaper. She’s also a divorced mother of one adult son Peter, whom she is close with. Her ex-husband Sidney lives across the country in Seattle with his second wife Nicole, whom he had an affair with for an extended period of time before him and Liz divorced. Despite this painful past Liz is fairly happy with her life; she has a group of reliable friends, a social calendar that is satisfying but not overwhelming, a cast of men she is seeing, plus she enjoys her job. But when an essay is submitted to Liz by Nicole, complaining about the lack of effort her husband puts in at Christmastime, (Liz is not named as the My Turn editor, her actual name rarely appears in the paper) she is faced with a decision: ignore the submission, respond to it anonymously, or tell Nicole who she is? This is fun fiction, so of course Liz responds to it anonymously and starts giving Nicole relationship advice masked as writing advice. But this isn’t the only bold move Liz has up her sleeve, she also begins to select and print controversial essays as part of her column, which puts her in the line of fire with her management. We follow Liz over the course of a few months as these uncharacteristic moves begin to push her once-comfortable life into something on the verge of imploding.
My Thoughts
The best part of this book, by far, is Liz’s internal voice. She is generally a very agreeable woman, and since her divorce is getting better at setting her own boundaries with others, but she’s also experienced enough to express snark where snark is needed. For instance, her stories of dating in middle-age are ripe with humour; although she is exasperated when men insist on fact-dropping to proclaim their superior intelligence (or act surprised when she does her own fact-dropping to counteract theirs), she takes it in good stride and still gives them a chance. She is sleeping with one poet who is fairly selfish and mooches off her at any point possible, but despite this irritation, he’s a very attentive lover so she sticks with him. She is most vulnerable around her son who she loves more than anything else in the world, but he too can be aggravating, especially when he announces he has become vegetarian after she’s cooked his (former) favourite meal, lamb chops:
“No thanks? But you love lamb chops.”
He had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. “I’m not eating meat these days. Or hardly ever.”
Where was a god who would give her strength? (p. 160 of ARC).
Other than the bold editorial decisions and questionable correspondence she keeps up wit her ex’s mistress-turned-wife, there is not much that happens in Liz’s life to drive the narrative forward. Instead, it’s her internal development that piques my interest, because I really didn’t know how things were going to end up for her. At some points it seems as though she’s headed for disaster, while other times it feels like she has enough sense to fix the problems without too much fallout. Her self-realizations are prompted by other people in her life, which comes across as the most realistic possibility. We like to think that being influenced by one’s friends is left behind in our teenage years, but I would argue that we are continually influenced by our friend group as we age, which is no doubt compounded when one’s family is upended through divorce. Liz is a shining example of someone who picks themselves up after a major fall, continues on with life fairly successfully, but still has a great deal of growing to do.
This is an easy entertaining read that promises a lot of laughs, but some insightful commentary about growing older and adjusting to life’s changes. Men would no doubt roll their eyes at most of Liz’s observations, but I was nodding my head throughout. Although we are months away from spring 2022, this book would be a perfect Mother’s Day gift, so be sure to keep it on your radar.
To read the rest of my reviews, please visit my blog:
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Plot Summary
Liz is the editor of My Turn, the personal essay section of a prominent Washington newspaper. She’s also a divorced mother of one adult son Peter, whom she is close with. Her ex-husband Sidney lives across the country in Seattle with his second wife Nicole, whom he had an affair with for an extended period of time before him and Liz divorced. Despite this painful past Liz is fairly happy with her life; she has a group of reliable friends, a social calendar that is satisfying but not overwhelming, a cast of men she is seeing, plus she enjoys her job. But when an essay is submitted to Liz by Nicole, complaining about the lack of effort her husband puts in at Christmastime, (Liz is not named as the My Turn editor, her actual name rarely appears in the paper) she is faced with a decision: ignore the submission, respond to it anonymously, or tell Nicole who she is? This is fun fiction, so of course Liz responds to it anonymously and starts giving Nicole relationship advice masked as writing advice. But this isn’t the only bold move Liz has up her sleeve, she also begins to select and print controversial essays as part of her column, which puts her in the line of fire with her management. We follow Liz over the course of a few months as these uncharacteristic moves begin to push her once-comfortable life into something on the verge of imploding.
My Thoughts
The best part of this book, by far, is Liz’s internal voice. She is generally a very agreeable woman, and since her divorce is getting better at setting her own boundaries with others, but she’s also experienced enough to express snark where snark is needed. For instance, her stories of dating in middle-age are ripe with humour; although she is exasperated when men insist on fact-dropping to proclaim their superior intelligence (or act surprised when she does her own fact-dropping to counteract theirs), she takes it in good stride and still gives them a chance. She is sleeping with one poet who is fairly selfish and mooches off her at any point possible, but despite this irritation, he’s a very attentive lover so she sticks with him. She is most vulnerable around her son who she loves more than anything else in the world, but he too can be aggravating, especially when he announces he has become vegetarian after she’s cooked his (former) favourite meal, lamb chops:
“No thanks? But you love lamb chops.”
He had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. “I’m not eating meat these days. Or hardly ever.”
Where was a god who would give her strength? (p. 160 of ARC).
Other than the bold editorial decisions and questionable correspondence she keeps up wit her ex’s mistress-turned-wife, there is not much that happens in Liz’s life to drive the narrative forward. Instead, it’s her internal development that piques my interest, because I really didn’t know how things were going to end up for her. At some points it seems as though she’s headed for disaster, while other times it feels like she has enough sense to fix the problems without too much fallout. Her self-realizations are prompted by other people in her life, which comes across as the most realistic possibility. We like to think that being influenced by one’s friends is left behind in our teenage years, but I would argue that we are continually influenced by our friend group as we age, which is no doubt compounded when one’s family is upended through divorce. Liz is a shining example of someone who picks themselves up after a major fall, continues on with life fairly successfully, but still has a great deal of growing to do.
This is an easy entertaining read that promises a lot of laughs, but some insightful commentary about growing older and adjusting to life’s changes. Men would no doubt roll their eyes at most of Liz’s observations, but I was nodding my head throughout. Although we are months away from spring 2022, this book would be a perfect Mother’s Day gift, so be sure to keep it on your radar.
To read the rest of my reviews, please visit my blog:
https://ivereadthis.com/
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March 22, 2022
I found this book incredibly boring. It started off very promising, a plot involving a writer editing the work of their ex's partner in secret but it didn't stick to this storyline. The story jumped between failed marriages, forgiveness, morals, and more. It didn't connect well in my opinion and I cannot recommend this read.
August 28, 2022
This was beautifully written. I loved the quirky characters, the plot, and the clever humour. A perfect read for me.
November 21, 2022
Ack, I’m picking not-so-great audiobooks lately. This one is a kind of late-midlife crisis book and I had a hard time - I was cringing all the way through. Being set in 2015 for almost no reason at all didn’t help.
December 5, 2021
Dry, dull, pointless, unrealistic. Privileged as fuck, too.
January 18, 2022
An enjoyable listen with some crazy LOL moments.
November 14, 2021
The book started out promising, with Liz a journalist who has a column consisting of unusual stories written as submissions, with her editing. Liz is divorced after her husband, Sidney, cheats on her. Forgiveness seems to be a major theme, as Liz contemplates how to forgive Sidney, but all the while hurting others and building a wall around her. I appreciate Edelweiss for the opportunity it’s to read the book, but I cannot recommend it.
November 30, 2021
I've been listening to the audio version of this book on my library's recommendation based on past reads. The narrator is pleasant enough. But her pronunciation of the word savasana (shah-VAH-sah-nah or shih-VAH-snah) as sa-va-sauna made my jaw clench. I would have though in this time most people were familiar with the word or as a professional reader would have looked it up.
I have found it frustrating with no clear plot. The musings of a self-centred woman who seems to have everything she needs to the point of discarding people as they bore her. Yet all these men seem to be attracted to her.
I will most likely finish it as I fold laundry and steam the floor as it is distracting enough to take my mind off the task. Mostly because I am so irritated with the character that I continue to hope for a comeuppance to occur.
I have found it frustrating with no clear plot. The musings of a self-centred woman who seems to have everything she needs to the point of discarding people as they bore her. Yet all these men seem to be attracted to her.
I will most likely finish it as I fold laundry and steam the floor as it is distracting enough to take my mind off the task. Mostly because I am so irritated with the character that I continue to hope for a comeuppance to occur.
October 7, 2021
The best parts of this book were the many references to local DC landmarks and neighborhoods. Not the monuments, museums, or tourist parts of DC, but the nooks and crannies of Dupont Circle that locals know best. Had I not so enjoyed these glimpses of a city I love, I would have put this book down a few chapters in and not looked back.
Other positives? Well written. The author is well read and it shows (in mostly good ways). The themes of the book were intriguing too: a middle-aged woman trying to grapple with both the hurt she’s caused others and the hurt others have caused her, as well as the nature and act of forgiveness.
But, even driven by such heady themes, the main characters were shallow and uniformly unlikeable. For a group of people who seemed to reflect so much on big questions of morality and philosophy, they didn’t seem all that self-aware or to possess much executive function control.
Moreover, after introducing truly intriguing questions about how to forgive and be happy after someone has deeply hurt you, the book just sort of falls apart, leaving the vague impression that the only way to forgiveness is through revenge. For example, the main character is finally able to move past her anger at her ex and his lover (for their adulterous affair and the break-up of her marriage) only after she accidentally humiliated the lover (now second wife) in a national newspaper. I think (hope?) the author intended to communicate that needing to ask for forgiveness herself made the main character more able to forgive others; but honestly, it’s just as easy to make the argument that she was only able to forgive after she’d had a sufficient measure of revenge. Oh! And then, finally sated, she goes on a date with a nice guy. The end.
So, even with the solid writing, interesting themes, and extra credit for showing the lived DC (not the tourist version), this book fell short.
Other positives? Well written. The author is well read and it shows (in mostly good ways). The themes of the book were intriguing too: a middle-aged woman trying to grapple with both the hurt she’s caused others and the hurt others have caused her, as well as the nature and act of forgiveness.
But, even driven by such heady themes, the main characters were shallow and uniformly unlikeable. For a group of people who seemed to reflect so much on big questions of morality and philosophy, they didn’t seem all that self-aware or to possess much executive function control.
Moreover, after introducing truly intriguing questions about how to forgive and be happy after someone has deeply hurt you, the book just sort of falls apart, leaving the vague impression that the only way to forgiveness is through revenge. For example, the main character is finally able to move past her anger at her ex and his lover (for their adulterous affair and the break-up of her marriage) only after she accidentally humiliated the lover (now second wife) in a national newspaper. I think (hope?) the author intended to communicate that needing to ask for forgiveness herself made the main character more able to forgive others; but honestly, it’s just as easy to make the argument that she was only able to forgive after she’d had a sufficient measure of revenge. Oh! And then, finally sated, she goes on a date with a nice guy. The end.
So, even with the solid writing, interesting themes, and extra credit for showing the lived DC (not the tourist version), this book fell short.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2022
The first half of this book was not amazing. It dragged on for too long and was boring and depressing and whiney. Then, it gets more interesting. It really picks up in the last 1/4 of the book. However, I don’t think books should only get good at the very end. If I didn’t have a weird thing about not being able to not finish a book, I would’ve put it down after 40 pages. I feel bad about giving a bad rating, but I can’t just keep throwing around 5s at every book. I’d say the first half is a 1/5. Third quarter is 3/5. Fourth is 3.75/5.
August 3, 2021
What a fun read! I flew through this one, couldn’t put it down. So much to think about here, as we follow the personal and professional exploits and mishaps of main character Liz. Set against the hope and (as we now know, false) promise of a strong female US presidential candidate leading up to the 2016 election, Her Turn is a thoughtful exploration of the perks and challenges of modern womanhood in a complicated world.
July 20, 2022
This book was honestly quite lackluster. There was a lot of build up with the characters but so many loose ends never got tied up and some characters just left the story and there really wasn't a clear reason why. But I guess sometimes that's how life works out too. There was really never a huge resolution to the storyline.
I absolutely despised the main character. She was so arrogant and thought she was better than everyone else. She was so upset about her husband cheating on her when she was going around sleeping with married men and throwing herself at pretty much any guy that came her way. She lacked knowing what boundaries are for other people and respect for other's relationships in her life. She was never wrong and she blamed a lot of her misfortunes on other people.
Reading this from a counselor in training lens, this woman needs a lot of help- she is holding onto a lot of resentment and unresolved feelings from her divorce and she is never going to be truly happy until she does that. There were multiple times throughout the story when she was asked whether she was happy or not.
I was also not a fan of the way she side-stepped her way back into her ex-husband's new marriage. The main character would get mad at the new wife yet she was the one who was instigating things and the reason for the grief in the first place. She was not helping herself out at all. The amount of divorces and messed up marriages and affairs that happened in this book was appalling- I can only hope that the real world is not like this. Or at least that my real world once I get older will not be similar to the premise of this book.
I absolutely despised the main character. She was so arrogant and thought she was better than everyone else. She was so upset about her husband cheating on her when she was going around sleeping with married men and throwing herself at pretty much any guy that came her way. She lacked knowing what boundaries are for other people and respect for other's relationships in her life. She was never wrong and she blamed a lot of her misfortunes on other people.
Reading this from a counselor in training lens, this woman needs a lot of help- she is holding onto a lot of resentment and unresolved feelings from her divorce and she is never going to be truly happy until she does that. There were multiple times throughout the story when she was asked whether she was happy or not.
I was also not a fan of the way she side-stepped her way back into her ex-husband's new marriage. The main character would get mad at the new wife yet she was the one who was instigating things and the reason for the grief in the first place. She was not helping herself out at all. The amount of divorces and messed up marriages and affairs that happened in this book was appalling- I can only hope that the real world is not like this. Or at least that my real world once I get older will not be similar to the premise of this book.
August 30, 2021
Novelist Katherine Ashenburg displays some of her remarkable range as a writer in this, her second novel, a follow-up to Sofie & Cecilia, Ashenburg’s debut work of fiction. That novel examined the enduring and often moving friendship between two genteel Swedish women exchanging letters in early 20th Century Scandinavia.
In her new novel, entitled Her Turn, Ashenburg shifts her time signature close to the present — Donald Trump is in the wings — and sets her story in Washington D.C., where a middle-aged newspaper editor named Liz stumbles into an unwise, manipulative, and anonymous virtual relationship with a would-be essayist named Nicole, who also happens to be the second wife of Liz’s former husband. (Pause here to catch your breath.) As you might expect, complications and misunderstandings ensue.
The plot line zigs and zags more often than a pandering politician, but a diligent reader will have little trouble keeping matters in sight, if not 100 per cent straight (little in this novel is entirely that), and the rewards are well worth the effort. Ashenburg has a keen eye for shifts in character motivation and a sometimes tart way of skewering pretensions and delusions, which Her Turn contains in abundance. The result is a lively and sometimes hilarious romp through the troubled worlds of journalism, politics, and what will soon come to be known as “social distancing,” a term not yet invented when this novel is set, and yet you can sense its ominous rumblings on almost every page.
In her new novel, entitled Her Turn, Ashenburg shifts her time signature close to the present — Donald Trump is in the wings — and sets her story in Washington D.C., where a middle-aged newspaper editor named Liz stumbles into an unwise, manipulative, and anonymous virtual relationship with a would-be essayist named Nicole, who also happens to be the second wife of Liz’s former husband. (Pause here to catch your breath.) As you might expect, complications and misunderstandings ensue.
The plot line zigs and zags more often than a pandering politician, but a diligent reader will have little trouble keeping matters in sight, if not 100 per cent straight (little in this novel is entirely that), and the rewards are well worth the effort. Ashenburg has a keen eye for shifts in character motivation and a sometimes tart way of skewering pretensions and delusions, which Her Turn contains in abundance. The result is a lively and sometimes hilarious romp through the troubled worlds of journalism, politics, and what will soon come to be known as “social distancing,” a term not yet invented when this novel is set, and yet you can sense its ominous rumblings on almost every page.
December 31, 2021
K dočtení této knihy jsem se musela hodně nutit – už jen samotný začátek byl hodně nezáživný, nebyla jsem si jistá, co vlastně čtu, o čem to má být a co mě na tom má teda zaujmout. To se nezlepšilo ani později – podle popisu měla být hlavní pointa knihy Lizina korespondence s Nicole, ve skutečnosti se ale jednalo jen o pár emailů, které mi ani náhodou nepřišly jako hodné nějakého příběhu a ani dramatu, které z toho poté, co se provalilo, že si Nicole píše právě s Liz, vzešlo. Navíc se podle všeho mělo jednat o romantickou komedii, při čtení jsem se ale nezasmála doslova ani jednou.
Od začátku do konce byla kniha prostě… plochá. Přišlo mi, že čtu spíše několik dějových linek, které spolu mají nějakým způsobem navzájem souviset, ovšem jejich pospojování do ucelené knihy hodně skřípe. Na to, jak byla krátká, mi navíc přišlo, že ji čtu neskutečně dlouho.
Zkrátka a jasně, nebylo tu nic, co by mě zaujalo – hlavní hrdinka mi nebyla sympatická, k postavám kolem ní jsem absolutně nic necítila. Ke konci byl v jednom kontextu zmíněný Lizin bratr Greg, o kterém se v knize již psalo, a já si uvědomila, že jsem úplně zapomněla, že Liz vůbec nějakého bratra má. Když jsem si sedla k psaní této recenze, málem jsem zapomněla i jméno hlavní hrdinky. Od začátku do konce to pro mě bylo prostě zapomenutelné čtení. Snad jen Lizin konflikt se synem byl zajímavý, to už ale bylo příliš pozdě.
Od začátku do konce byla kniha prostě… plochá. Přišlo mi, že čtu spíše několik dějových linek, které spolu mají nějakým způsobem navzájem souviset, ovšem jejich pospojování do ucelené knihy hodně skřípe. Na to, jak byla krátká, mi navíc přišlo, že ji čtu neskutečně dlouho.
Zkrátka a jasně, nebylo tu nic, co by mě zaujalo – hlavní hrdinka mi nebyla sympatická, k postavám kolem ní jsem absolutně nic necítila. Ke konci byl v jednom kontextu zmíněný Lizin bratr Greg, o kterém se v knize již psalo, a já si uvědomila, že jsem úplně zapomněla, že Liz vůbec nějakého bratra má. Když jsem si sedla k psaní této recenze, málem jsem zapomněla i jméno hlavní hrdinky. Od začátku do konce to pro mě bylo prostě zapomenutelné čtení. Snad jen Lizin konflikt se synem byl zajímavý, to už ale bylo příliš pozdě.
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