Review “The Things We Wish Were True is a brilliant glimpse into the realities of suburban life. Startling. Compelling. Redemptive. It’s the kind of story that makes us wonder how well we really know ourselves—much less our neighbors. Marybeth Whalen has a gift for turning over the pretty surfaces of life, finding the hidden things beneath, and then exposing them to the light. I found myself drawn in, unable to look away from these characters and their dark, tender, familiar lives. I utterly loved this novel.” —Ariel Lawhon, author of The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress and Flight of Dreams “Marybeth Whalen has a gift for illuminating the dark corners of suburban life. The neighbor you think you know...but do you really? The couple with the seemingly perfect marriage...until the blinds are drawn. The Things We Wish Were True is a novel that explores the nuances of community and belonging, showing us the hope, pain, disappointments, and joy that exist behind the facades of a typical American subdivision. The characters are relatable and engaging, and you’ll find yourself pulling for them all, from the overwhelmed single dad to the hyper-responsible young girl to the lonely empty-nester or the divorcee forced to return home and face the past she’d vowed to outrun. Perceptive, astute, and oh-so-relatable, The Things We Wish Were True is a winner!” —Kim Wright, author of The Unexpected Waltz and The Canterbury Sisters “With skill and compassion, Marybeth Whalen digs beneath the surface of a quiet suburban neighborhood to reveal its darker secret side. Full of unexpected twists and sympathetic, relatable characters, The Things We Wish Were True is both surprising and heartwarming and it's sure to have you examining your own peaceful neighborhood with new eyes.” —Diane Chamberlain, USA Today bestselling author of Pretending to Dance “The characters in The Things We Wish Were True may live in a small town, but their hearts are as big as all outdoors. Marybeth Whalen has created an ensemble cast whose lives intertwine and touch one another in moving and surprising ways. A generous, compassionate novel that will leave a warm glow long after the last page has been turned.” —Yona Zeldis McDonough, author of The House on Primrose Pond “The Things We Wish Were True masterfully blends dark, twisted secrets with a redemptive story about the power of community. As the families of Sycamore Glen, North Carolina, kick off summer at their neighborhood pool, Marybeth Mayhew Whalen peels back the layers of their past and present lives to reveal the underbelly of suburbia. A fabulous page-turner with the ending you want.” —Barbara Claypole White, bestselling author of The Perfect Son “The Things We Wish Were True is a story of startling truth revealed through the intricate lives of those we think we know. Profound. Perceptive. Marybeth Whalen knows how to braid together the seen and the unseen in a profound story that startles and enlightens. Readers will eagerly turn every page.” —Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author “In The Things We Wish Were True, Marybeth Whalen has pulled off an impressive feat, an ever-shifting narrative through a neighborhood full of secrets. Each of these characters is compelling and fully realized, and the final twists and reveals left me breathless and, ultimately, at peace. An impressive achievement that you’ll want to put at the top of your to-read list.” —Catherine McKenzie, bestselling author of Hidden and Fractured “This novel had me hooked at its premise—a near tragedy unites a group of relative strangers at their community pool—and kept me gripped in its aftermath. Marybeth Mayhew Whalen digs deeply and expertly into the rich and fascinating subject of how well do we really know our neighbors—and the far-reaching impact of a split-second decision on an otherwise predictable day. Suspenseful and emotionally charged, and perfectly steeped in the combustible heat of a North Carolina summer, The Things We Wish Were True is a must-read for any season.” —Erika Marks, author of The Last Treasure “Written from multiple contrasting perspectives, each with a unique and memorable voice, the various stories are full of depth and intertwined in unpredictable ways. This novel captures the destruction that can be caused by secrets and reveals the mysteries of the story piece by piece, keeping readers intrigued and eager to keep going until the shocking and emotional end.” —RT Book Reviews “Whalen, director of the celebrated She Reads online book club...has crafted a compelling page-turner populated by characters we’ve all met and know in our everyday lives. Or do we? This book upends the myth of the American dream, examines the secrets that hide beneath the drapes of a typical neighborhood, and, ultimately, provides a compassionate testament to the power of community.” —Library Journal “Whalen (The Bridge Tender, 2014) takes readers on a guided tour through the joys and the difficulties of small-town life. With compelling characters and deeply engaging story lines, The Things We Wish Were True is a compassionate look at the strength of the individual and the power of community.” —Booklist Liz & Lisa Best Book of the Month Selection About the Author Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is the author of five previous novels and speaks to women’s groups around the United States. She is the cofounder of the popular women’s fiction site She Reads and is active in a local writers’ group. Marybeth and her husband, Curt, have been married for twenty-four years and are the parents of six children, ranging from young adult to elementary age. The family lives in North Carolina. Marybeth spends most of her time in the grocery store but occasionally escapes long enough to scribble some words. She is always at work on her next novel. You can find her at www.marybethwhalen.com or www.shereads.org.
L**E
A great summer read
An interesting story about the lives of different individuals in one neighbourhood and how the different threads of their lives weave together to form a new tapestry. The author manages to introduce each different character gradually leaving you wanting to find out more, yet still intrigued by the next set of events. Skilfully written with nice pacing, a great little read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
M**L
Mature & poignant story of a near tragedy that unites & changes the small-town of Sycamore Glen.
The neighbourhood pool in small-town Sycamore Glen, North Carolina brings the locals together, but only ever for the summer. It might sound perfect but behind their closed doors individuals and families are weighed down by their past, circumstances and long-held secrets with their own reasons for keeping withdrawn from their neighbours and becoming part of the community.When charitable and rather lonely Zell Boyette, a mother whose adult children have fled the nest, takes pity on Lance, the father next door whose wife has left him and his two children, Lilah and Alec, it sets in motion a daily routine of taking his children to the neighbourhood pool. There she meets Bryte, who grew up in Sycamore Glen and blossomed into a beautiful woman and mother of a three year old son and wife to Everett. With pressure to have a second child and the nagging doubt that she was second best to Everett’s childhood sweetheart, Bryte is constantly anxious and loathe to relax. When Everett’s first love, Jencey, arrives back in town after two decades away Bryte fears the worst, but Jencey has troubles of her own and memories of her hasty exit as a teenager to confront..With eleven-year-old Cailey left in charge of her six-year-old brother, Cutter, whilst their single mum works, they decide to venture to the pool with near tragic results. Single dad, Lance, saves Cutter from downing and the women all bear witness to the event as they come together to support Cailey and her family despite being near strangers and a family of outsiders in a small town.As Cutter’s life hangs in the balance and Cailey is taken in by maternal Zell, the underlying tensions, fears and secrets are wrinkled out with every character taken on a journey and lives changed forever. The lives of all involved are far more complex that at first glance and their stories are unpicked whilst the community cares for Cailey who demonstrates wisdom beyond her years.Cailey is the only narrative strand written in the first-person, with the others told in the third-person but there is an even-handedness and honesty as their flaws and past actions are laid bare. The novel is highly readable and despite every chapter alternating between the principal characters there is a real fluency to the story. The pace feels natural and keeps tempo with the daily unfolding of the characters lives as the neighbourhood pool acts as a convenient focus to bring them together.An involving and a heartfelt story that resisted the pull of melodrama. Whilst Marybeth Mayhew Whalen could have opted for a trite conclusion The Things We Wish Were True steers clear and instead proves thought-provoking and reflective. An author whose work I am keen to read more of and a book to make you feel good about the world.
M**Y
A page turner!
This is in the same writing style as girl on the train and is a real page turner! The story flows and each chapter continues the story, but the narrative is taken over by the main characters in turn. There's nothing more I can tell you about the content than written in the description given by Amazon, without spoiling it. All I can tell you is that I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
F**I
I nearly liked it a lot
This is no doubt well-written and assured modern fiction. I nearly liked it a lot.I guess what held me back is that it is set in a world that is completely alien to me. Small-town America, where apparently only single mothers work, where families gather around the local swimming pool apparently all day long for an entire summer, and everyone seems to know - and socialise with - everyone.I found it hard to believe that one character had left home at age 18 and never returned for over ten years. Even though she apparently was close to her family and seemed to have plenty of money. In this age of people flying anywhere all the time, I didn't buy that.It's very readable, but rather saccharine with a touch of Stepford wives. I liked many of the characters and I wanted to really like this book, but it just felt a bit contrived and too much fuss about nothing.Also, there's a side story about a missing child that doesn't fit well in the rest of the book and feels like an add-on.
K**R
It was ok
This book was OK but there were loads of inconsistencies and errors and the stupid names of the main characters annoyed me. There were a few grammatical bloopers and a lot of things that didn't make sense. In one chapter Jencey has gone to Lance`s home to have a drink. She intends to go home and if in her car. However she drinks too much to drive which seems irresponsible doubly so because she is with her children. We hear about another situation where her ex husband is about to drive after drinking a lot of alcohol. There are a lot of unlikely situations in this book apart from the lack of concern of drink driving.
E**R
Intricate and enjoyable
In Sycamore Glen, a small-town neighbourhood in North Carolina, the residents spend their summers idling away the days by the community pool, socialising with friends and neighbours. But when an accident at the pool upsets the calm, some are drawn into unlikely friendships where lies begin to unravel long-kept secrets are revealed. This is a story about real problems, the importance of friendship and forgiveness.The Things We Wish Were True is intriguing and complex. We follow the lives of a number of the neighbourhood’s inhabitants (both adults and children) in alternating chapters. This style means that each character is fully developed; their stories quite detailed. They’re so likeable and real, even the ones who have done bad things. I really found myself hoping everything was going to work out, rooting for each character in their individual struggles. And struggles there are: there is so much going on, from old and new romances, stalking, cheating, illegitimate children, an almost-drowning and a missing girl.Marybeth’s writing style is wonderful. It’s descriptive without being over the top, well-observed and very easy to read. I really loved the intricacy and realness of the story. Every storyline was important, and they all linked together, no part any less important than others. The result was effective, the story very moving, and I really enjoyed it.
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