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There are currently 31 member reviews
for The Family Tabor
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Jill F. (Blackwood, NJ)
Not what it seems to be
Just like the story within this book is not what I thought it would be. On the surface Harry Tabor seems to have it all and have it all together. I was expecting the book to be about the "man who has it all" and his releationships with his family.
Harry is a very flawed individual and his adult children are all dealing with issues of their own. Nothing is what it seems to be on the surface.
The one thing I kept asking myself was if I could have hidden actions with such deep and multi-layered actions so completely that I was literally unaware that they had occurred. I'm still pondering this days after the book is finished.
This is definitely one of those stories that sticks with you.
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Rita I. (Saddle River, NJ)
The Family Tabor
Harry Tabor seemingly has it all. At 70 years old he has a loving and successful wife, three successful children and two beautiful grandchildren. On top of all of this, he is about to be honored as the Man of the Decade, with his family gathering together for the big celebration. As he reflects upon his life on the eve of the ceremony, the last few lines of the first chapter say it all......"I have been a very lucky man. And that is true, absolutely true. But luck is a rescindable gift". He is about to find out the truth of those words after an interview with a reporter slowly jars his memory and he realizes that his life is not exactly what he thought it to be.
Cherise Wolas is very good at getting the reader involved in each of the characters' lives and reveals that each one of them has secrets, not only Harry. She uses a lot of Jewish references and since I'm not Jewish, I may have been a little lost at times but I do feel I did learn something about the Jewish religion. Both Harry and Roma (his wife) know the difficulty their ancestors faced. Their ancestor's strength and their religion are huge guiding forces for both of them. So not only is the book about coming to terms with one's past, keeping secrets and how one portrays himself to others, but also about the strength and importance of family ties. The only downfall was that I found it hard to believe that such a big occurrence in someone's life could be completely repressed.
Overall I enjoyed this book and I think it would be an excellent Book Club book providing a lot of discussion points.
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Ashley B
Tabor family saga
This is a mostly well-written mostly captivating read for lovers (like myself) of a good, in-depth family saga. Everyone in the Tabor family has secrets, some more shallow (Phoebe) and some more damaging (Harry). Camille was my favorite character and was the best developed of the adult Tabor children. Simon's story is also interesting, but Phoebe's story and character fell flat for me. I didn't like or care about Phoebe at all. Lastly, I'll just say that I don't know how they drank that many Arnold Palmers and didn't drown in the pool. I assume from the context that they were the alcoholic version, although I looked them up and the version of iced tea and lemonade made with vodka is called a John Daly. Maybe a question for Ms. Wolas?
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Pau J. (Bath, ME)
High Expectations mostly met
I thoroughly enjoyed Cherise Wolas' first book "The Resurrection of Joan Ashby" and I had high expectations for The Family Tabor.
I despaired through the first 70 pages or so, though. I didn't see how I was going to get through it…it was dull. Nothing held my interest. I couldn't get into the characters. Since I almost always give a book one hundred pages before I stop reading, I kept going, and it got much, much better. But that first 70 pages could use some work.
All in all, it's a great story. I did wish that some of the characters had been more developed. The book could be longer to do that. The character of Roma was a little flat. Much of the "action" in this book takes place in each of the characters' minds and their self-talk. Wolas is an incredible writer and she makes this work for every character.
Ultimately, I thought of this book as the antithesis to "no man is an island" … not so; we are all islands. We keep secrets. We keep our deepest fears and shame hidden; we hide our regrets and maybe our most passionate desires as well.
The Jewish faith is a big part of this book. Not being very conversant myself, I may have missed things, but it added interest to the book. Wolas brings up big questions: is it possible to atone for a sin by doing subsequent charitable acts, if the good deeds are all dependent on that one big bad sin? How far can we take a lie until it becomes irreversible? Do we ever really know a person?
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Sally H. (Geneva, OH)
The Family Tabor - a 4.5
Cherise Wolas is a formidable talent with the ability to weave multi-layered stories that are as compelling and unforgettable as they are intricate. I loved The Resurrection of Joan Ashby and found her second effort to be very good, though perhaps not quite as wonderful as the first. Still, it was impossible to put down until I had finished it, and would make an excellent book club choice. Her brief reference to Joan Ashby in The Family Tabor was appreciated. I look forward to Ms. Wolas' third book.
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Harriette K. (Northbrook, IL)
The Family Tabor
The adult children are gathering with their parents for the occasion of "The Man of the Decade" award being presented to the father, Harry. Mother is a respected child psychiatrist, the son and one daughter are respected attorneys and the middle child, a daughter, an anthropologist. At first glance, it seems they have it all, and then the cracks appear. The morning of the evening of the awards ceremony, a huge gala, old buried memories start surfacing, and Harry is forced to confront the lies he has hidden from his wife and himself. It is difficult to believe that he could hide his transgressions from himself, and this almost made me put down the book. However, I found the rest of the story engrossing enough to continue to the end. I must say that this follow-up to "The Resurrection of Joan Ashby" does not quite measure up.
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Molly K. (San Jose, CA)
Family Ties
First, the plusses: I loved the plot, the story of a three-generation family that seemingly loves and respects each other. All the grownups have successful careers and the children are charming and well-behaved. I enjoyed the interweaving of the families religious experiences into the story.
Yet, each adult is struggling with a crisis they do not share with each other despite their closeness. Guilt reigns supreme.
Not so much plusses. The story is well written and the author deserves credit. But, I wish she had written less. The text is too often wordy and repetitive. There are sentences that ramble. More than once, I skipped a few pages and missed nothing. Several times I found vocabulary I haven't seen since I took the SATs in 1960--sounds petty, huh?
I will watch for the author's next venture.
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