Comfort & Joy: A Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Comfort & Joy: A Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Details

Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (October 31, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345483790
ISBN-13: 978-0345483799
Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.7 x 6.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

By : Kristin Hannah
Price : $7.99

Customer Reviews

If I find this enjoyable, why only three stars? Well, the book starts off with a fantastic premise that should interest most readers. Joy's sister slept with her ex-husband, whoops, and then Sis invites Joy to her wedding. Feeling pretty terrible (as you can imagine) Joy decides to 'run away' and has quite the experience that readers should enjoy reading about. I know I did. Yes, it requires a slight suspension of belief, but it was still fun to read. Then, bam! There's a pretty big surprise at the end, but don't worry, it gets better. I was rather satisfied with it overall.
But what made me drop the rating to a 3 was the fact that Joy just forgave her sister. Bam, just like that, let's sweep it all under the rug. That will let Sis and ex-hubby think that what they did to her really was no big deal, and it makes light of adultery. There are some things that should never be done, and when Joy forgave them, she was just this... doormat. Whoop dee doo. I was terribly disappointed in that after seeing her character develop so nicely before.

Joy Candellaro used to LOVE the Christmas season. But after finding out about her husband and her sister, Joy is not feeling very joyful. Tired of it all, she hops on a plane and disappears from her frustrating life - at least for a little while.
Daniel O'Shea is a widow with an eight-year-old son, Bobby, who is about to have his first Christmas without his mother. Bobby is not adjusting too well and is making it harder on Daniel. In fact, Bobby seems to be distancing himself from the world around him and slipping into deep depression.
Then Joy and Bobby meet. These two disillusioned people may be able to help each other ... and Daniel as well.
In my opinion, this is one of the best novels I've read for this year's holiday season. Author Kristin Hannah has proven time-and-time-again that she has an almost mystical way of making her readers empathize with her characters. This story is no different. You will be snared quickly and be in no rush to free yourself. Awesome!
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.