The Art of Mending

Definitely a dark side to this novel. The underlying subject is one which is just not given much attention - abuse - not sexual, not exactly physical - a well-hidden emotional abuse from a mother who's 'missing' something. I think many of us, as adults, have had conversations with siblings where our memories of one incident are very different. In this book, the siblings start to re-think their OWN memories after one sibling decides she wants to address what happened during her childhood. They realize things were not always as they appeared to be. A very, very interesting read. Not upbeat and cheerful - instead, an absolute, have-to-finish tonight read. Thank you, Ms. Berg.

Laura,a middle-aged woman,who makes quilts as awork/hobby,(hence the title)comes from an average middleclass family,or so she has thought.She returns to herhomestead,where her father has become hospitalized.Laura has a brother Steve,and a sister Caroline,a moodywoman. Neither daughter has been close to their beautifulmother,or to each other over the years.A family secret-created so the children will not knowthe suffering in the family,has been slowly destroying this family. Once you begin reading you cannot put this book down,until you see how the situation is resolved. At times,your mind plays tricks on you and you areunsure yourself,how to deal with the raw, overwhelmingemotions of Laura,Caroline,and their Mother.Laura's husband Pete is able to put a compassionate look on the situation and offer advice from a distance.This isbeneficial to Laura. In the end,it will be up to the children and theparent,to settle an old score that left some membersdamaged.

I put off reading this book because of the lukewarm reviews given it by others and am SO glad I did not miss it completely! Berg deals with a wide variety of sensitive issues, and some seem to strike home with certain people better than others. I, for example, did not care for Talk Before Sleep (where the protagonist's friend dies of breast cancer) at all, yet it was received with great enthusiasm by many others, and was well reviewed. I however, have never had cancer touch my life. I DID grow up in a highly dysfunctional home, however, and have acheived a high level of resolution/recovery beyond it, so this book resonated deeply with me and I LOVED the ending ... it was simply perfect. This book, to me, seemed to be "classic Berg" in the style of Joy School and others, so please, if you've liked others of her books, consider the possibility that the subject matter is all that turned some others off ... I thought it was great. Just as breast cancer failed to resonate with me in her earlier book, perhaps those rare few blessed enough to have grown up in a perfect home (or unwilling to contemplate the fact they didn't)will not find a responsive chord struck within themselves when reading this book, but the rest of the world should receive it with gratitude (for Berg's ability to articulate their experiences) and delight.

Let me preface this review by saying that I am a huge fan of Ms. Berg's writing - I have rarely found a writer who is able to capture the level of detail and nuance found in her books. I also find that each book has a "theme" - usually involving some sort of family crisis which precipitates a major upheaval in the main character's life. This book is no exception, and she deals sensitively (and humorously, at times) with the issues of family secrets, dysfunctions, and ultimately - forgiveness. I always find myself devouring her books (usually within a day) and coming away with a deeper level of understanding of my own life and relationships. I recommend this book highly to anyone who has ever struggled with "family issues" and longed to find the road to forgiveness.