Shelter Me

When I began "Shelter Me", I thought, oh, no, here we go again, let's all feel sorry for the widow. But Juliette Fay never had me feeling too sorry for Janie - Janie was tough and was doing OK. Her character development is second to none. If anyone is tired of Jodi Piccoult's too deep, pity party novels, you will definitely be glad you picked up Juliette Fay's Shelter Me. You won't be sorry.

It's been a long time since I got into the story of a book enough that it kept me up late (very late!) reading it, but this one did. Fay has captured some of the truths we are all discovering - that life can change drastically in an instant - that help can come from surprising places. She does it with interesting characters, many of whom have fun quirks (don't we all?) I loved the scenes in which her young son dealt with his turmoil by wearing and hiding behind swim goggles. It's a fun read and highly satisfying. I recommend it.

I laughed, I cried. I couldn't put it down, but I didn't want it to end! Shelter Me made me appreciate the wonderful people & good things in my own life, without being preachy or heavy. Janie's story is told in part through her own journal entries, giving the reader the chance to experience events through Janie's eyes (and heart). The story moves along, with just the right sprinkling of these entries throughout. This is a book I'll share and gift (too bad it came out after the holidays this winter).

This is simply a great story. As a husband and a father, it made me both laugh out loud and cry hard enough that I had to put down the book for a while. At the end, I was left with a greater awareness of what a wonderful world I live in.

I loved Shelter Me. The premise shook me up -- as a mother of young kids I can't even imagine how we would ever deal with losing my husband in an accident. It was a joy to get inside Janie's head and join her world, her struggles to get herself and the kids through every day -- no wonder Rice Crispies will just have to do for dinner sometimes! The book is full of humor and various forms of love, and the details of life are captured just right. Juliette Fay has woven a fine story full of interesting and quirky characters. Personally I felt torn between wanting to read the book quickly, eager to see what would happen next, yet not wanting it to end. I highly recommend this book.