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The Comfort of Lies


"The characters crackle with both intelligence and wit." - Kirkus
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As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

Created: 04/27/13

Replies: 18

Posted Apr. 27, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert

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As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia? Did you empathize more with one or the other?


Posted May. 20, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
irisf

Join Date: 01/16/12

Posts: 136

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

For whatever reason a biological mother chooses to give up a child, the decision once made is done. From the time a baby is born the first concern should be for the welfare of the child. As heartbreaking as it is, from that time on only the child should be considered. To have interfered in Savannah's life at that time was selfish. Today many biological mothers give the child the ability to contact them at an age where they are capable of making that decision.

My heart went out to Juliette who was blind sided by her husbands affair and let alone the fact that there was a child from that affair. She was the only character I sympathized with


Posted May. 20, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
tillieh

Join Date: 04/28/11

Posts: 71

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

I found myself taking sides with Tia more than Juliette. Juliette had made the decision to go on with the marriage after finding out about the affair, even though she was certainly capable of taking care of herself and the boys on her own after discovering about the affair. Although Tia gave up the child, I think she totally regretted the decision. I think it was a decision made out of desperation rather than sound thinking. She was abandoned by the father of the baby at the same time she was unfortunately "abandoned" by her mother. It was a decision borne out of grief and despair. I think had she kept the child, she would have found she would have had more solace and strength than she ever dreamed she had.


Posted May. 20, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
mariannes

Join Date: 12/17/12

Posts: 206

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

I don't think I really took sides, because the author presented both characters sympathetically and I could see each woman's point of view. I didn't approve of Tia's affair with a married man, of course, but she's hardly the first woman to make that mistake, and she faced some bitter consequences as a result.


Posted May. 21, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Sharlene

Join Date: 04/10/13

Posts: 78

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

I was more inclined to empathize with Tia. She was treated dreadfully by Nathan and Juliette's interference opened up old wounds. Although she was sad about her decision to give Savannah up for adoption, I think it was the right decision because she was definitely not ready for motherhood, as shown by her heavy drinking and hanging out with the old crowd. She made a bad decision by having an affair with a married man but she would have taken him back in a heartbeat despite his previous abandonment. I am not sure why Juliette took the course she did which threw Nathan and Tia back together and could have resulted in disaster. If Juliette was not able or unable to forgive and put the affair behind her, then her choice would have been to leave and/or end the marriage.


Posted May. 21, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
mariannes

Join Date: 12/17/12

Posts: 206

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

Somebody asked me about Nathan. I didn't feel any sympathy for Nathan at all. His reason for cheating seemed to be that he just wanted to. I can't imagine what kind of man would leave an unborn child and never even try to find out what happened to the child or take any responsibility at all. What a jerk! He didn't even seem human in his response.


Posted May. 22, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dorothyt

Join Date: 04/10/11

Posts: 102

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

No. I didn't understand why Juliette was so determined to have Savannah in her and Nathan's life. I think Tia made the right decision regarding Honor, but not regarding getting in contact with Nathan.


Posted May. 22, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Sharlene

Join Date: 04/10/13

Posts: 78

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

I think we've all pretty much decided Nathan is a jerk.


Posted May. 23, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
cherylb

Join Date: 12/04/12

Posts: 5

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

I found myself siding with Juliette to some extent since she was the one cheated on for no satisfactory explanation. However, in her position, I don't think I would want to thrust Savannah directly into family life, a constant reminder of my husband's infidelity (if I could ever forgive that).


Posted May. 23, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
amyf

Join Date: 10/18/12

Posts: 10

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

I did not feel compelled to take sides, but must say that I really had a negative reaction to Tia's character. In the book it seems like she views herself as a victim. I viewed her as a woman who made a series of decisions, regretted her decisions and then wallowed in that regret. Her character did make improvements at the end of the novel, but it was very difficult for me to overcome that strong negative first impression. I thought Juliette also made some wrong choices, but I did feel that she was stuck reacting to situations. So, probably my sympathy was more with Juliette.


Posted May. 24, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
beverlyj

Join Date: 12/22/11

Posts: 138

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

I did not feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia. What I liked about the book is that it shows how childhood experiences, expectations, and an individual's hopes/dreams played into their trying to find the balance in their lives.


Posted May. 24, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
judym

Join Date: 10/29/11

Posts: 22

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

I did not feel like there was a need to take sides, and in some ways there were many times I didn't like the way either Juliette or Tia handled things. I was often a little more against Tia starting everything rolling, and seemingly without much care for anyone's end but her own. However, the circumstances, and the way the book tied everything together in the end made it a really good read for me.


Posted May. 24, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dianem

Join Date: 10/25/12

Posts: 65

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

My heart went out to Juliette because having been through something like this, you never quite forget or get over unfaithfulness. As Juliette was doing, you question yourself. Tia made the decision to give up the baby-I dont think she ever gave up hope Nathan would come back to her.


Posted May. 25, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
janen

Join Date: 06/01/11

Posts: 54

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

No I did not feel compelled to take sides between Tia and Juliette. I feel that Tia made many bad decisions in the book, as did all of the characters. I felt that both characters were well written and I found myself at times liking and disliking them both. Neither one was really thinking about the child, I felt thatg they were trying to hold on to Nathan through the child.


Posted May. 25, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Sharlene

Join Date: 04/10/13

Posts: 78

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

Good answer, Amy. I concur. Jane, I agree about both women trying to hold onto Nathan through the child. I hadn't considered that possibility previously.


Posted Jun. 04, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sarahh

Join Date: 03/05/12

Posts: 23

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

What I loved about the characters was that I felt connected to each of them and empathy for their history, their experience. There were no villains, just people, trying, failing, trying again. That made them human and accessible.


Posted Jun. 06, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
barbarab

Join Date: 04/15/11

Posts: 39

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

Juliette had my sympathy. Tia, to me was disgusting. She was in her late 20's when she got pregnant. She wanted to get pregnant, to take Nathan away from his family. She was a fool for having an affair with a married man to begin with. Because she couldn't have Nathan, she didn't want her baby, it was all or nothing with her. Even at the end, I didn't care for her.
I did not like the fact that Juliette went to Caroline & was sneaky. What was se really thinking?


Posted Jun. 08, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
arielf

Join Date: 04/22/11

Posts: 34

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

I felt concern and compassion for both Juliette and Tia. Both women wanted something and set about getting it. Each of us is human and has made mistakes and at some point would like to go back and change things.


Posted Jun. 08, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lindas

Join Date: 12/26/11

Posts: 17

RE: As you were reading, did you feel compelled to take sides between Juliette and Tia?

I think I felt more sympathy for Tia. She seemed like a lost soul. She did give up Honor which was the right thing to do if she felt she couldn't be a parent. The fact that she longed for Nathan for so long was very sad. She was so stuck. Juliette was a little wacky. Why in the world would you get yourself involved with your husband's lover? And why would you feel you were entitled to contact the adoptive mother?


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