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Reservation Road (Vintage Contemporaries) (Vintage Contemporaries)
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Customer Reviews
Rating:  - Cherish What You Have
Creative, insightful, literary fiction which tells the story of a hit-and-run car accident which killed Josh Learner,the 10 y.o. son of a small town college professor. The driver, a small town attorney also has a 10 y.o. son, but is divorced in part because he lost his temper one time and while drunk, hit his wife and his son. The story is told from the perspective of each father, the mother and the little sister of the victim. This structural technique allows us to watch each character's developement through their ability to deal with conflict and tragedy. Their is plenty opportunity for empathy. I found by placing myself in the shoes of each father, a wide range of emotions surfaced and made it very difficult to judge anyone's behavior. The lesson for real life: cherish every moment; you don't know when fate will intrude on what you've taken for granted.
Rating:  - Depressing yet eye opening
I suggested that my book group read Reservation Road as I thought it would make for an interesting discussion. The book itself was very well written and the plot was a difficult one to read but John Burnham Schwarz handled it well.
This is the story of two father's and their sons. One father, Dwight, is a big disappointment not only to himself but to his family as well. His relationship with his young son is tenuous at best and his actions throughout the book do nothing to further this.
On the other end of the spectrum is Ethan. Everything a father should be. In one instant when these two men meet on the side of a dark road both of their lives are changed forever. Ethan watches as his son Josh is hit by the car that Dwight is driving.
The novel bounces between the two men and their families. It looks at how they deal with their tragedy and how they try to move on in their lives as the two move closer and closer.
Dwight is racked with guilt and wavers between wanting to get caught and not for his crime while Ethan does everything within his power to hunt the killer down.
Their are many moments where the reader wants to reach into the book and give advice or soothe these two families which is what makes this novel so good. Both men are truly drawn as humans - faults and all.
This book may be too painful for anyone who has lost a child to read however it is also a beautiful reminder of how important children are to their parents and how important those little decisions can sometimes be.
Rating: - A Very touching story
This book moved me for several reasons. It used three characters to narrate the story, and the changes are neither jarring nor contrived. Ethan, Grace, and Dwight are all emotionally scarred people, and this is their story, a sad song of a tribute to a loss that they cannot explain or accept.
John Burnham Schwartz writes with a clarity that cannot be matched by anyone I have read. He writes this story has a minor thriller, but it really is a trasgedy of beauty and understated elegance.
Rating: - This book will make you think!
It's 2 am and I just finished this book. Read it pretty much straight through. Very very compelling story about loss, grief, responsibility, guilt. The pacing is fantastic, chapters (each told from a different character's perspective) change in length as the pace changes, like a piece of music. Can't wait for this author's next work.
Rating: - A compelling and quick read
I had recommended this book to my book club to read. It was voted down. (Their loss they missed a good one) So I went ahead and read it on my own. Im so glad I did. It was such a compelling story. I still keep thinking about it. I have tried to put myself in each of the characters place how would I have handle the situation they were in? I cant imagine it, and there are no easy answers. Which comes through in each of the characters. You can feel their pain and struggle. The characters were so well developed even the children. (Emma Sam and Josh) They just werent bystanders in the story. My heart went out to all of them as if they were real people. Yes even the bad guy who did the unthinkable. Even though I think what he did was horrible and cowardly since he didnt stop. I still felt sorry for him. His life even before the accident seemed to be spinning out of control. He just couldnt get it together. Then this happens. I may have hated what he did but I couldnt hate him. It made for a very emotional read. But I loved it. One of the better books I have read. And to think I first saw it on "Good Morning America: recommended by Charlie Gibson. Thank you Charlie. Its a book I wont soon forget.
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