Fly Away Home in Ask Jennifer Weiner - Special One-Day-Only Group!

Jul 22, 2010 Laura rated it really liked it

Jennifer Weiner is one of my favorite authors. Her characters are living, breathing creations that I can relate to and imagine having a conversation over coffee with them. I started reading her books five or six years ago with Good in Bed and I eagerly await each new novel.

Fly Away Home is a novel that sounds like it is ripped from headlines. Sylvie Serfer Woodruff has changed herself over the years into the perfect politician鈥檚 wife. Her husband, Richard Woodruff, is a high powered senator from Jennifer Weiner is one of my favorite authors. Her characters are living, breathing creations that I can relate to and imagine having a conversation over coffee with them. I started reading her books five or six years ago with Good in Bed and I eagerly await each new novel.

Fly Away Home is a novel that sounds like it is ripped from headlines. Sylvie Serfer Woodruff has changed herself over the years into the perfect politician鈥檚 wife. Her husband, Richard Woodruff, is a high powered senator from New York with dreams of being the president. They have two daughters, Diana and Lizzie. Diana is a doctor with a seemingly perfect life with her husband and son, if you don鈥檛 count that fact that she doesn鈥檛 love her husband. Lizzie is a troubled twenty-four year old recovering addict who is trying to find her way in the world.

All of their worlds are changed forever when it is discovered that Richard had an affair with a young staffer and helped her to get a job. Without Richard to take care of, Sylvie realizes that she has not been taking care of herself. Diana realizes that she is more like her father than she thinks . . . as she is having a torrid affair with a young intern. Lizzie finds purpose in life by taking care of Diana鈥檚 son Milo and then her father Richard, who is lost without Sylvie. The book explores what it is like to be the woman who stands behind the man confessing his extramarital affairs at the podium.

I wasn鈥檛 sure at first that I would like this book, as I have politician scandal fatigue, but I loved the focus and character development of the three women. The story wasn鈥檛 really about the scandal per say, but about how these women discovered or rediscovered themselves and were able to move on from their experiences.

I did have a hard time connecting with Diana. I understood her drive for perfection, but to marry someone you don鈥檛 love or feel attraction for just to be married is something I really don鈥檛 understand or have sympathy for. I like how she also had to hit rock bottom to start to understand herself again.

Sylvie reminded me a lot of my grandmother who was very focused on my grandfather and not on raising her child. This caused problems for poor Lizzie in the novel as well as Sylvie when Richard was suddenly out of the picture. Lizzie had a variety of problems, and I loved her growth to a mature young woman throughout the book and her ability to put the problems behind her.

I also loved reading Sylvie鈥檚 back story on how she and Richard got together in the first place and how their marriage evolved to the point it was at. I just wish the book could have continued on, I wanted to continue the journey with these characters!

While the story was serious, Weiner鈥檚 trademark humor was every apparent and you can see below in my favorite quotes:

When Sylvie鈥檚 mother Selma is talking about her sex life with her father, Sylvie thinks, 鈥淪omewhere in the world, there was surely a conversation taking place that she鈥檇 less enjoy hearing. Trouble was, she couldn鈥檛 imagine what that conversation might be.鈥�

Later in that same conversation Selma says, 鈥淚 just wanted you to know that you never know what鈥檚 going on in someone else鈥檚 marriage, behind someone else鈥檚 bedroom door. Nobody鈥檚 perfect.鈥�

I laughed out loud at this quote, 鈥淚f your grandmother wouldn鈥檛 recognize it, don鈥檛 eat it, her nutritionist had said. Well, too bad, nutritionist, because Selma鈥檚 grandma would have recognized Crisco just fine.鈥�

Overall this was a great character study and a hard book to put down. It tackled serious issues, but was relatable and had plenty of humor. I highly recommend it.
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Jul 07, 2011 Shaunna Lee rated it liked it · review of another edition

Love Jennifer Weiner and was super anxious to read this next novel. I needed a break from the heavy material my book club was reading. Chic Lit was right up my ally. This story, while heartwarming, didn't draw me in quite like others Weiner has given us. Still ... the story was touching, the characters were endearing and it left me wondering what I would do in any one of their situations. ...more

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Dec 20, 2010 Cindy rated it it was ok

I had high expectations for this book as I have read and enjoyed many of her previous books, this one was not up to par. I was rather disappointed, the storyline was weak at best and didn't hold my interest very well. Not her best work for sure! ...more

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May 28, 2011 Heather Cooper rated it liked it

Getting in the mode for summer and trying to read the books I bought for last summer but couldn't read because I was working on my masters. A fun brainless read....interestingtopic considering all the arnold drama going on. ...more

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