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There are currently 35 member reviews
for Maybe in Another Life
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Cathy M. (Milwaukee, WI)
Your Bashert
We've all come across a fork in the road. You choose one. Did you ever wonder what would have happened if you had taken the other path? Some people believe that the one you take is the right one. It is your "bashert", the Yiddish word for fate or destiny. The person you marry is the one you were supposed to marry, whether it's a good or bad marriage because it was preordained by G-d. Taylor Jenkins Reid explores the concept of fate. In two parallel stories the author writes about what would happen if you took both paths. While I found the theme of "fate" a bit overdone, I wondered what would happen to each Hannah in the next twist or turn of the story.
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Daryl B. (Poolesville, MD)
Fun read
I was a bit skeptical about how I would like the two concurrent stories, but really enjoyed it. The author did a good job of keeping the two separate and I never felt confused as to which was which. It really makes you think about how differently one choice can determine the course of your life. The characters were mostly very believable with the exception of Hannah's family over in England. Who just abandons their daughter like that? I think my book club would enjoy it.
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Sheila B. (Danvers, MA)
Good summer read
This is a good, light summer read. The characters are relatable and it's an interesting tool to look at alternate sides of the paths fate leads us down. I think this book would be of particular interest to 20-something adults who are still finding their way.
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Kathleen B. (Las Vegas, NV)
Oh if I had only done that.
As a Christian I am always a little put off by a book that has a casual attitude to promiscuity. But it was realistic for today's standards. I felt sorry that Hannah had gotten involved with a married man such a fruitless endeavor. What really surprised me is keeping her baby rather than getting an abortion. I am of course delighted being a right to life advocate. I like the idea of What if I had done that! I have certainly have had that though that many times. Even read a book titled What If. I picked this book from the choices because I enjoyed the movie with G. Paltrow Sliding Doors. Parallel universes really appealed to me.
The most beautiful sentiment was said by Gabby's husband. " What I am getting at here is that I know there may be universes out there where I made different choices that led me somewhere else, led me to someone else."
He looks at Gabby. " And my heart breaks for every version of me that didn't end up with you.". I read this over and over and read it to my husband and he agreed that it was beautiful and said the writer was so talented to be able to write something like that. I wanted Henry to be her husband.
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Barbara G. (Acworth, GA)
Choices
"There are millions, trillions, or quadrillions, I guess, of different versions of ourselves living out the consequences of our choices." This is the main in theme of this very entertaining novel.
This is an easy, quick read with quite a few of quotable statements made mostly by the main character, Hannah. Hannah has come to a point in her life that she needs to make some real choices in her life. And thus begins the story; who should she go with, which turn should she take?
I enjoyed the way the story wraps up how her choices turn out. I also found the characters very likable, or not as the case may be. This is a great summer read that I will definitely recommend.
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Susan J. (Twain Harte, CA)
Couldn't put it down!
I enjoyed the "Choose your own adventure" structure of this novel. We all wonder what the consequences would have been if we had made another choice at some point in our lives. Even a seemingly trivial decision can lead to a different life. I very much enjoyed the main character, Hannah, as well as her BFF Gabby, Ethan, and Henry. When I finished the book, I thought about both the overlap and the divergence of the two plots: a different decision will change some things and not others. The only weak spot of the book for me was the last chapter: Jesse's identical speech in both versions was unnecessary and redundant.
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Kay B. (Lake Jackson, TX)
Maybe in Another Life
I really enjoyed this book! It would be a lot of fun for a book club to discuss how our choices affect our life's outcomes, especially since it's an easy, fun read. I would like to read more by this author.
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