Barbara Claypole WhiteCritiques
Auteur de The Perfect Son
Critiques
We are introduced to Marianne, who is in a manic bipolar tailspin and on her way across the ocean from North Carolina to her hometown in England. The past has crawled back inside her head, and the only way she can move forward with some peace is to connect again with her teenage friend, Gabriel… who also happens to be her first love.
I fell in love with Gabriel right away. This kind, sexy, town vicar does everything he can to help Marianne get control of her life, while steeling his heart from getting involved with her again.
We meet Jade, a young “daughter of Marianne’s heart” who is witty, sassy, emotionally scarred, and loyal to a fault to Marianne and her husband, Darius.
Then there is Darius, a man so completely in love with his wife, and all of her “faults” a man I wasn’t sure I liked at first. But this author has a way of peeling back the layers of each character, unveiling their delicate layers of hurt, fear, and vulnerability.
I thoroughly enjoyed digging deep into each of these unique characters, all emotionally scarred, yet willing to continue on and hope for a happy future. And it didn’t disappoint! The thing I loved most about this book was the humor and wit woven through a story that could have been doom and gloom.
It shows us that with grief, can come happiness, and with loss, can come hope.
A great read!
This is the story of a family in crisis. The son has turrets and ADHD. The mother makes him her entire life. She ends up so stressed she has a heart attack. The father is obsessed with working to provide for his family and being perfect. He has some issues of his own mentally as in needing things perfect. It's great at giving perspective if you don't have experience with these neurodiversities. Also, the mother and father do not have good communication skills with each other. All members of the family don't address issues, and ignoring them makes them worse and leads to compounding problems. They all love each other but no one really knows how the other feels. It's a great example of being honest and open with the people you love. I enjoyed it.
Seriously, everything about this story is perfect: the words, the phrases, the emotions, the characters and all the interactions between them. I listened to an audiobook copy and the narration is perfect too. There is conflict and sorrow and grief and hope and of course love.
Tilly’s husband David died a few years ago and gardening is the only thing keeping the guilt she feels at bay, keeping her at least mostly sane and providing a living for her and her 8-year old son, Isaac, in North Carolina. James is successful and rich (and wickedly handsome, I might add) but often suffers from his crippling OCD. He’s had lots of ups and downs in his life, and by this time expects mostly downs. James and Tilly meet by chance. He sees her garden and something clicks. He wants her to make a garden for his new home; she says no.
Then Tilly has to return to her native England for a family emergency and who follows her but James? And I won’t add any more than that, because you really, really, really need to read (or listen) to this story for yourself and let it unfold. I was so engrossed and involved with these characters, sometimes they were maddening, sometimes I just wanted to hug them, sometimes I couldn’t wait for the next chapter and often I didn’t want the current chapter to ever end.
Author White perfectly captures James and his OCD as well as Tilly’s regrets, fears and insecurities. James is brilliant, clever, caring – and worries about every single thing every single minute. He is also single-minded and determined, and right now he is determined to be in Tilly’s life and get that garden. Tilly is attracted to him but scared, and feels pretty much everything in her life is a mess – her business, staying in England or returning to North Carolina, lingering guilt over David, seeing her former schoolmate/lover and wondering what those feeling are, if there are feelings at all.
The Unfinished Garden is funny, both laugh-out-loud funny and full of wry, subtle humor. When Tilly thinks to herself, “James has really wee’d in your bath water” or James thinks to himself, “You’re a troll,” I couldn’t help but laugh. But when they hurt and doubted I couldn’t help but cry and hope for the best. And author Barbara Claypole White does such a fantastic job of keeping the story moving and the plot twisting and turning that two chapters from the end I was still wondering and worrying about how things would work out. And I didn’t ever want to leave these people. (Thanks to the author for providing a copy of The Unfinished Garden. No review was expected. I loved this story and all opinions are my own.)
In the aftermath of losing his young son, Freddie, in a tragic accident, Will Shepard is deeply grieving his loss when he is forced to return to North Carolina to take care of his aging father Jacob. Will is planning a quick trip to settle his dad in a new retirement home but he is soon enmeshed in the lives of his temporary landlady, Hannah Linden and her deeply depressed adult son, Galen. Unable to escape memories of his painful childhood and trapped by the falsehood he told Jacob about Freddie's prolonged absence, Will is soon desperate to escape back to his life in New York. A crisis with Galen forces Will to admit to his growing feelings for Hannah, but is love enough to heal the shattered pieces of their lives?
Will is devastated by Freddie's death and angry at the circumstances surrounding the accident that took his son's life. He loves his father but he is struggling to understand Jacob's devotion to the mother who destroyed his childhood with her untreated mental illness. The lie Will tells to protect Jacob keeps him from discussing his loss with anyone and his grief is quickly becoming all consuming as he tries to find a viable solution for Jacob. Hannah is a calming influence in both his and Jacob's lives but it is his unexpected friendship with Galen that brings the most comfort to Will.
Hannah is probably one of the most unflappable characters I have encountered. Calm and serene, she has an instant rapport with Jacob and they bond over their love of the land. Able to help everyone but Galen, Hannah finds it difficult to maintain her tranquility once her son returns home.
Desperate to maintain his dignity as he slowly declines, Jacob finds peace in returning the mountains he loves so much. Despite Will's best efforts to protect him, the knowledge of Freddie's death lingers around the edges of his fragmented memory. Watching him fight his memory loss is absolutely heartbreaking but there are also touching glimpses of the gentle and loving man he once was as well.
Galen is such an incredibly sensitive person that it is not surprising he feels life so deeply. His struggle with depression is handled with sensitivity and offer amazing insight into a little discussed illness. The descriptions of the medications' side effects, the crippling hopelessness and abject despair provide readers with an up close and personal view of depression that is not easy to forget.
A much needed counterpoint to everyone else's sadness, Hannah's lifelong friend Poppy is a bright spot in story. Vivacious and energetic, she is irreverent and funny. Although Poppy is facing a few setbacks of her own, she is always upbeat and her enthusiasm is infectious. Given her current circumstances Poppy is the logical person to become Jacob's caregiver and their relationship is quite charming.
Full of deep emotion, The In-Between Hour is beautifully written and quite riveting. Barbara Claypool White brilliantly weaves grief and loss into an uplifting and hopeful story of love that will stay with readers long after the last page has been turned.
As things progressed both in their relationship (whatever label you wanted to throw at it) and in her personal dramas, I couldn't love the characters anymore than I did. I was so scared for Tilly when everything was coming apart...and adored Isaac and how smart/sweet he is...and James, well he still remained an unknown quantity for the most part, but was endearing nonetheless. Sebastian on the other hand...I was never really keen on, and quite frankly, Tilly's bestie Rowena wasn't really making be a believer of her character either, but then again there was more on both their plates then we were privy to at the moment. By book's end, I was completely in love with everything, longing to know just who she would end up with, and honestly thought it might even be herself for that matter.
All in all, an AMAZING listen/read that I highly recommend to fan's of the Women's Fiction genre. It has loss and love, surprises and revelations, future dreams and realities come true...and it all comes packaged in a fabulous tale that will warm your heart and tantalize the soul.
**copy received for review; opinions are my own
From my blurb: In THE PROMISE BETWEEN US, Barbara Claypole White masters the art of bringing a reader up close and personal to the influences and forces of a mental illness. In this powerhouse of a story, Katelyn MacDonald’s decision to give up the precious gift of raising her baby, Maisie, in order to protect her, makes for a compelling page turner. This is an in-depth portrayal of what it means to live in a world where every single thought or action comes into question, it is a story for the times, a story filled with stark realities, but most important of all, it is a story about hope, healing, and the strength of a mother’s love.
Beyond the blurb: I loved reading each character's chapter. BCW has created characters who are multi-dimensional and real. They stand out on their own, and take you with them through their struggles and triumphs - each and every one. Another great story, and one I'm sure will open your eyes to what this particular mental illness does and can do.
As I read, my heart broke again and again for the MacDonald family. With circumstances and choices that seem impossible to navigate, each character (except Maisie) has his or her unlikable moments, yet not one of them is wholly bad. Despite their flaws and brokenness (or perhaps, because of them, as all the details come to light), I grew to like all of them over the course of the book, and I’m glad that White doesn’t leave them without hope by the end.
Well-told and emotionally-charged, with a valuable look at dealing with OCD (and the possibility of strength and resilience amidst consuming, perceived weakness), The Promise Between Us is a compelling read. I enjoyed reading it and often had a hard time putting it down when needed. Readers interested in contemporary drama involving family and mental illness, I think, will enjoy it, too, and should definitely consider this book from Barbara Claypole White.
Thanks to TLC Book Tours, I received a complimentary copy of The Promise Between Us and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
I loved this book. Barbara Claypole White has a very special gift for writing about mental illness. She is giving a voice to those with mental illnesses and helping to take to the stigma away (at least in my opinion). BCW educates and explains about mental illness as she develops her characters.
This is my new favorite book by BCW. This book is about forgiveness, redemption, family, mental illness, and love. This book starts with Katelyn(Katie) abandoning her 7 month old daughter, Maisie, and her husband Callum after having images of hurting Maisie. We rejoin the MacDonald family when Maisie is 10 years old, with a new stepmother and about to gain a sibling. Maisie is having trouble adjusting to this change. Callum is also struggling with these new changes and afraid that history might repeat itself. As we get into this book we find out that Callum has his own secrets and hasn't dealt with his own demons.
Katie has reinvented herself and is an artist. She is dealing with her OCD as best she can. Katie agrees to a docent program at the CAM and meets her student Maisie MacDonald. It is here that Katie is reintroduced to her daughter and where she sees that Maisie may also be dealing with OCD.
Through Callum best friend, Jake, Katie and Callum come together to help Maisie but only after everyone's normal has been destroyed. There is so much in this story about how loving someone so much makes you do thing you may not normally do to protect them. This theme is repeated through out this book.
But....what if...someone never was able to control these thoughts. What if they took over one's life, incessant and intrusive, so that with every moment one was confronted with the possibility of doom.
Barbara Claypole White's new book The Promise Between Us peels back the reality of people who live with the crippling 'what ifs'. Her character Katie has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. A knife sends her into panic: what if she harmed someone with it? What if she killed with it? Before she was diagnosed and treated she abandoned her beloved husband and their child to save them from the acts she envisioned she might commit that would bring them harm.
Years later Katie unexpectedly finds her daughter Maisie in her life and recognizes the early symptoms of OCD. Somehow she must intervene and help her daughter before her life becomes the horror she knows so well. The complication is that Maisie believed that her mother had died.
Readers have loved this book, especially impressed by how White brings Katie's disease to life. We hear the internal dialoge of OCD and are shown how Katie self-talks to control it.
Along the journey we learn the tragic back stories of Katie as well as that of her husband and his best friend. Broken hearts and romance will be found in these pages.
The secondary story of the husband's PTSD, for me, was a bit too much for a book already brimming with broken people. The repetition of Katie's internal voices and the talk about how her daughter can control her thoughts took up a lot of space and slowed the story.
But who can blame White? In her Backstory page found here, we learn she is intimately knowledgeable about her subject matter. Her husband and their son has OCD. I commend the author for bringing understanding and insight. We are all better for it.
Readers will be propelled by the well-drawn characters and will adore Maisie. Book clubs can find lots to discuss with the help of the Reading Group Guide found here.
I received a free ebook from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Heart-wrenching a profoundly moving, and insightful story of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and mental health. Relationships. Battling the monsters of the mind. Educating the family members and close friends. Deep understanding and empathy.
Compelling, beautifully written, and emotionally-charged, you sympathize with each of the characters as they come alive on the pages. A story of shame, love, hope, and redemption.
“Every thought is just a thought until you assign it meaning.” — Angie Alexander, founder of Friends with OCD
Written passionately, from five viewpoints —meet Katie, Callum and Maisie MacDonald. Second wife, Lilah, and Callum’s best friend, Jake.
In Raleigh, NC after the birth of Katelyn (Katie) and Callum’s daughter Maisie, Katelyn begins experiencing harmful thoughts and images. As a mother, she is afraid she will hurt her child. She wants to protect her, and she doesn’t understand what is happening. She wants nothing more than to be a good mother. She worries about everything. Her daughter's safety.
Katelyn has told no one of her private horror movies playing inside her head. Violent images. Not Cal, not the doctors. Images that play over and over. She is powerless. They may take her away from Maisie. She would lose her forever. She wants to protect her. They would lock her away and think she was crazy.
She had told the doctor she was worried all the time and he said it was depression and PTSD. Easy fix, they say, “pills and think happy thoughts.” She knows nothing of postpartum OCD.
Katelyn has a haunting past. According to the professional, adults never escape their childhoods. She saw her mother stab her father at the kitchen table. The dad ran off, and her mom prayed and drank, while she raised her baby sister, Delaney. She was only twelve years old.
When she finally asks for help, her husband does not understand. He has his inner demons (which he has not shared with his wife). She senses her husband is terrified of her.
Flash forward we hear from Callum (Professor) which is now raising ten-year-old daughter Maisie. He is newly married to Lilah which is pregnant.
Jake (uncle J) has been a best friend of Callum’s since grade school and is single. He is a big part of their lives. We also learn later in the book; he also has secrets of the past. Why is he so engrossed in their lives?
Katie (former Katelyn) now a metal artist living in Durham, NC. She works with Ben, the star of the studio. He took her on as a project, years earlier when she became his intern.
Her work takes her to a docent program in Raleigh, where she lived with Callum and her daughter. She is very nervous about returning to the area. Her anxiety level is high.
A student. A talented fifth grader, Maisie. Her daughter. She believes her mother is dead. Katelyn now goes by the name of Katie Mack. She keeps quiet and enjoys interacting with the girl. Her precious daughter. However, immediately, she suspects her daughter has inherited her OCD.
She has all the signs. She becomes concerned for her well-being. She knows what she will face and how she thinks. She will be the one to help her. However, how will she convince Cal, his new wife, and J she has Maisie's best interest at heart?
“OCD goes after what matters most." Tortures you with your worst-case scenario — Staying away from Raleigh was no different from dumping all the knives in the trash nine years earlier. Avoidance.
Katie still hears the voices inside her head. However, she has learned to deal with them differently. She knows she has OCD. OCD lies. It does not go away; however, it is up to her to manage them.
A woman desperate, abandoned her daughter and family because she thought she, was a monster. Living with her dog in a tent for seventeen months with her dog until he died. She wanted to go home, but suicide seemed the only option.
When that did not work, she knew she had to do something. Without the resources and money to get the help she needed. Self-directed therapy. She grew up with an unfit mother and knew she did not want that for Maisie.
She decided to tackle her fear. She had nothing to lose. Her first welding class. If she could control fire and make something beautiful of it, she could do so with her life.
The author cleverly unravels the past and the horrific journey of Katie. From being alone, helpless, homeless, with no health insurance, or anywhere to turn. At one point she turned to suicide but was saved. With her sister’s help and her new career, she was making a life for herself. She continues to tell herself.
“I control fire; I am strong. I’m a welder who works in a helmet decorated with Power Girl stickers.”
This time she will not leave. However, with this disease, stressful situations bring out the beast. She will help her daughter before it is too late. For nine years she had backed herself into a corner and played into the hands of OCD. Convinced herself staying away was the right thing to do. She had remained dead to both Cal and her daughter.
This time she will face her fears. She will be there for her daughter. Katie may be the one person who is instrumental in everyone facing their demons of the past. Understanding mental illness
Riveting and thought-provoking! The author gets into the minds and hearts of each character. Each person plays an essential part in the overall storyline. (the twist with Cal and Jake) Thereby, providing further depth. Their history, tragedies, anxieties, fears (both past and present). TPBU is not a story just for women. Men play a big part and highly recommend to all readers and genders, and especially parents and grandparents.
THE PROMISE BETWEEN US reminds me of the show (I love) This is Us. (well-received) And back for the next season. Especially this past week’s new episode with (Kevin) in therapy and the family is called in for a joint session. It is not pretty. The blame and addictions start rolling in.
When reading, Jake strongly reminds me of Kevin in some ways. (actor, meltdown, obsessive, self-absorbed, etc.) Now in therapy. Randall is successful, has OCD, and childhood issues; Kate has an eating disorder. Jack, the dad, is an alcoholic.
An excellent example of how those close to these persons cope and their troubled relationships. The Pearson family's generational story unfolds in this TV emotional drama. In moments of love, joy, triumph, and heartbreak; much like the MacDonalds in THE PROMISE BETWEEN US.
An often misunderstood illness leads people to make desperate decisions, which change the course of their lives. A group of people trapped in a difficult situation with difficulties. A ripple effect on those they hold close.
Riveting, suspenseful and enlightening. Every person should read this book. You will learn something and be more sympathetic and understanding of others. The instant I finished reading, immediately called my son to discuss my grandson.
On a personal note: I have a bit of OCD (not the voices, intrusive thoughts, or images); however, with perfectionism in work. A strong desire to have everything to carry out a certain way, home meticulously organized, disliking disruptions, and finding it difficult to stop until a task is complete. A total driven workaholic.
This form of life causes internal and external stress and anxiety, which is not good for your health, especially your heart. Ironically my dad, myself, and my son have the heart issues, auto-immune problems, difficulties sleeping, highly creative, artistic, and Type A driven personalities. A week before my dad passed away at 84 he is worried about vacuuming the carpet and dusting the ceiling fans.
You look at others and wonder how they can sit down and relax when something is not complete? Unthinkable. I inherited this from my dad, and have passed it down to my younger son (drives his wife nuts), and now my eight-year-old grandson (very artistic and a worrier).
Often people without these tendencies say, "just get it over it." It will not go away, as the book reiterates. However, with the understanding of those around you, the education and proper help, it can be managed.
The author does an extraordinary job tackling the topic of mental illness with meticulous research and well-developed characters.
The characters tell the story. (this must have been a bear to write). Hat's off to the author! An absorbing (inspiring) journey of one woman’s story of motherhood, love, and determination. Your heart will go out to Katie. She was the perfect person to reach out to Maisie. Often kids will shut down with their parents. If only every child had a "someone" to turn to for understanding.
The title, THE PROMISE BETWEEN US, speaks volumes. More than one promise. More than one with mental illness in this story. Some only hide their illness. White skillfully demonstrates how everyone has a different form of the disease. Everyone handles it differently.
When spiraling out of control, it can be devastating. From childhood to adulthood. OCD is an illness of the mind. When thoughts are not the problem, but how we deal with them.
Written with intensity, and a mix of humor, a total package from the first page to the last. Not an ordinary family drama. It almost reads like domestic suspense. It is riveting, and readers will be turning the pages dying to discover the mystery behind Cal and Jake's personalities.
Plus a former Piedmont Triad NC native, love, and support NC authors.
The author is at the "top of her game." A perfect choice for book clubs with discussion question included the inspiration behind the book and additional resources for OCD.
Highly recommend! While all White's books I have read have been 5 stars; this one is on a higher level, a 5 Star + +. For fans of Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain and of course, the TV series, This is Us.
A special thank you to Lake Union and #NetGalley for an advanced reading copy. Have also pre-ordered the audiobook performed by Justine Eyre.
JDCMustReadBooks.
WOW! I appreciate that Barbara Claypole White, Author of “The Promise Between Us” has written such a powerful and descriptive novel about mental illness. The genres for this book are Fiction and Women’s Fiction, but Barbara Claypole White describes mental illness in such a realistic and enlightening way.
The author describes Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, High Anxiety Disorder Panic Attacks, and Depression which can be seen in her characters. Many of the disorders that are mentioned cause feelings of shame, self-deprecating behavior, guilt, repetitive thoughts or ruminating, loss of worth, and are emotionally painful to deal with. The author gives some past family history to describe what factors that could contribute genetically , emotionally or physically to some of these disorders. The author also discusses emotional and sexual abuse, which is significant. Through the characters, we can see how this affects their relationships and lives.
Metal artist Katie Mack realistically is aware that she ran away from her baby daughter Maisie nine years ago,in an attempt to Maisie safe from her obsessive compulsive thoughts, and fear of hurting her. Katie’s husband at the time could not comprehend what was going on, was not capable of giving Katie emotional support. He could not recognize that Katie needed psychological help. Katie could not afford the proper Psychologist or Psychiatric help, and trying to self-educate herself to become aware, she tries to deal with her OCD. Katie tries facing her fears. One of her fears is fire and Katie uses fire and metal to make artistic creations.
Katie is showing her artistic metal creations to students and meets her daughter Maisie. Maisie thinks that her birth mother is dead. Katie notices that Maisie is showing many of the symptoms of OCD. Katie is facing a dilemma. How can Kate help Maisie get the proper help?
In this novel, the author discusses mental illness, making therapy available to those who need it, encouraging honesty in relationships, and having a support system in place. Barbara Claypole White also discusses the importance of family, friends, support, love and hope. I would highly recommend this significant novel to readers of Women’s Fiction. I received an Advanced Reading Copy for my honest review.
Katie is a metal artist who left her infant daughter behind nine years earlier because she was afraid that she would harm her. As she learns more about her illness and how to develop coping skills to fight her OCD thoughts, she understands why she felt the need to leave but she had promised her husband Cal that she would give up her parental rights to Maisie. When she meets Maisie by accident at a museum program for kids, she realizes that Maisie also exhibits signs of OCD and wants to do what she can to help her. Will she be able to help Maisie without totally falling back into the chasm that OCD created in her life.
Barbara describes her writing as 'Hopeful family drama with a healthy dose of mental illness'. Her new novel gives her readers all that and more. She has created wonderful real characters with all of their flaws - people that we all know in our everyday lives. This is a book that will make you laugh out loud and will make you cry as you struggle through life with Katie and Cal and the others. One character was my favorite - a brave little girl named Maisie who was struggling with her OCD and all of the other changes her life. She is so serious about life but so funny and real that I just wanted to hug her.
I have enjoyed all of Barbara's books but this is my new favorite. It has characters that I won't soon forget, a fantastic plot that keeps you turning the pages and a wealth of knowledge of OCD and how it affects the person with the illness as well as their family and friends. It's a story of love and family and most of all forgiveness and redemption.
Thanks to the author for an early copy of her book. All opinions are my own!
The ending was not very well crafted at all. Some parts dragged on and on.
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
I will come back and review this. I'm just blown right out of the water after finishing. I can't put words on it yet.
OK. I'm back. I won't summarize the plot, because others have done that. I don't want to give away the ending, even though when I first read it, I thought the ending was just a little too pretty. But I realized something while I was processing it. It was hard-earned by every character. I DID wonder how life would go on after an ending like that. Would they remain as entwined as they were at the end of such a life-changing experience? Would that even be a good thing?
I can't say anything about Marianne because I really don't feel like I ever saw the "healthy" Marianne before she went off the rails after so much work to get herself stable on meds. There was something about Gabriel that I was drawn to. The climactic scene with them broke my heart into so many little pieces. So much time wasted for both of them. I wish they could have had that sooner so they could live free of the past.
And by the way, this is a nightjar. I had to look it up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOAGUfBFcvM
Marianne was living in England and attempting to get her medications sorted for her bipolar when something horrible happens. I don’t want to spoil plot points but it sends her running to the US to get away from her action and her boyfriend. She ultimately settles in North Carolina with a man that loves her deeply and knows about her mental health challenges. They adopt a young woman and Marianne sets up a group to help troubled girls. Her life is going well and all seems under control but we all know that the minute we think we are in charge and all is fine that is when Life decides to teach us otherwise. Life does this in a big way for Marianne and it sends her back to her beginnings to try and find answers but sometimes there are just more questions.
This is a very richly developed book with a profound story and strong group of well defined characters. It was very hard to put down and to be honest I just about read it in two long sittings. I found myself quite drawn into the lives of Marianne, Darius, Jade and Gabriel and didn’t want to leave their complex world. This is my second five star book in a row and that is just a delightful gift for a reader. This is another one I will keep for a second read when I have the time. I am sure there is much to be gleaned in a second, more paced reading.
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So, back to the book... if you'd have told me in the beginning of the book that I'd fall in love with Felix Fitzwilliam, I'd have said you were crazy. But Barbara has a way of peeling back the thin layers of her characters little by little so that as time goes on, we understand why they have molded into the person they are.
We all have our own "quirks" in our personalities, but once you understand Felix, you can't help but love him, along with so many other quirky characters in this story. It is a great insight to family dynamics, our expectations of others and ourselves, and overcoming insecurities.