Books

Average customer rating:

Boring and too coincidental
Haunting
a woman's search for identity
Questioning
A real page turner

Almost Strangers: A Novel
Delsa Winer
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Psychological & Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0743212320
Release Date: 2002-11-26

Book Description

How two women seek and embrace freedom is at the heart of Delsa Winer's stunning first novel

"At fort, Ursula Korfield Gant believes she is independent of the usual pleasure people seek and connections they covet. She lives alone, although there are men who've had, for a while, resident status."

Thus begins Delsa Winer's engrossing novel, at once terrifying and full of hope. When her mother dies, the shattered Ursula retreats for distant shores, abandoning Daniel, her lover, and the safe boundaries of her life. Meanwhile, Daniel's wife, Cissy, is tormented by a different loss -- she knows of her husband's betrayal -- and she, too, leaves. Both women end up in the same plane crash, and each ventures into the world unknowable and unable to return to the past. The mystery of their fates is the force that drives this emotional journey through the many faces of female identity in all its beauty, chaos, and compassion.

At once ironic and moving, Almost Strangers is a love story, a suspense story, and a novel about starting over.

Customer Reviews:

Boring and too coincidental.......2001-08-31

I read this in one sitting, not because it was a page-turner, but because I just kept waiting for something to happen! The characters were flat and the relationships never really explored...It was also entirely TOO coincidental...The slowest part of the story is the "meat"- the entire body of the novel - when "Lucy" is wandering throughout Greece etc...the narrative is not descriptive and often jumps and it is really hard to follow. I know the author is trying to get you into Lucy's frame of mind, but enough already. I was very disappointed and the ending was not that great either.

Haunting.......2001-01-20

This haunting and inspired novel is one whose gripping images remain with the reader long after the book is put down. As someone recently out of a relationship and in transition in my life, the image of a woman whose identity is lost and is being reshaped was profoundly compelling. In that, the book quietly and subtly offers hope and possibility, recognizing the everpresent dangers and possibilities of life changes. For anyone swirling from the unexpected turns life sends, this book will become a welcome partner.

a woman's search for identity.......2000-11-30

Ms. Winer's graphic images of identiy diffusion and formation are something every woman can relate to. The connection between her protagonist's intensely close relationship with her mother and the resulting confusion she has about intimacy is profound. This is a terrific first novel and one that will stay with you long after you close the book.

Questioning.......2000-11-14

Delsa Winer's fast moving, provocative novel, Almost Strangers calls into question the difficult task of reinventing oneself. As a woman I identified with the female characters in this book. Life subjects us to many changes: adolescence to adulthood, career changes, personal relationships all bring dramatic shifts to one's identity. In reading Almost Strangers I began to ask, Do I want to reinvent myself? For me, the most difficult task is to find out who I am. It would be wonderful to free myself of the demons of memory. But then, who would I be? Can we bypass our experiences? If so, we may rid ourselves of the pain, but also the joy of self-discovery. I believe we fool ourselves into thinking we can avoid the consequences of our beginnings. Almost Strangers helped me confirm some of my convictions.

A real page turner.......2000-11-13

This is a great read, after the first few scenes it gets impossible to put down, it thrills the reader to the end. The author combines a wonderful imagination with a witty style filled with unusual descriptions. The plot gives pause and makes one think about their own life and relationships.

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