Write your own review!
Sylvia T. (Rancho Mirage, CA)
An Emotional Roller Coaster
The story of Pru and Spence starts with a young girl falling in love with her teacher, a brilliant professor. They marry and embark on a relatively typical life together with Pru in the role of supportive partner and Spence continuing his role as the creative, successful teacher whose students clamor to take his classes. Over the course of the marriage, Spence develops Alzheimer's and Pru's role changes to be his caretaker as the disease becomes more and more debilitating.. The story of Pru and Spence evolves into Pru's story as she cares for and works to help Spence through difficult days, engages with their
…more daughter and Spence's son from a previous marriage, and navigates through an opportunity for a new relationship. This book shows you just how much one person having Alzheimer's truly affects everyone. (less)This is a wonderful but bittersweet story about marriage, about parents and children and about dealing with loss. The writing is so intimate and touching - you feel like part of the family. I love multigenerational stories and this one that will truly touch your heart.
Gerry P. (Malverne, NY)
Morningside Heights
Enjoyed the book, felt it was well written, kept your interest.
Found it very interesting the different and changing relationships in the books, many twists.
Amazing to see how tragedy effects each of us differently. Very moving and could relate to it.
Laurie S. (Lakeville, MN)
Morningside Heights: The Joys and Sorrows of Marriage
Readers of Morningside Heights will find a fascinating view into the marriage at the center of this novel. At first, I felt the strangeness of new love with its unusual comparisons, like "two halves of a clam," and the initial clumsiness of young lovers. But then, I got caught up in Spence and Pru's new life together. From awkwardness to routine and finally to decline, this story of husband, wife, exes, lovers, and children shares the wisdom found in the joys and sorrows of human connection at its deepest levels. Although the individual characters themselves are not fully fleshed out, the marriage at the center
…more of the novel is unforgettable in its twists and turns of beauty. (less)Morningside Heights came at me quickly and kept me riveted through all the details, the dialogue, and the feelings. The prose is straightforward and realistic. It is still hard to believe that the novel spans forty years in the lives of Pru and Spence Robin. Because a good part of the story is focused on their children, I selfishly found myself wanting more details about their marriage prior to Spence's decline. Being a wife in my late 50's, I could only dreadfully imagine if my spouse had Alzheimer's. Mr. Henkin's ability to evoke feelings and move you through time is effortless. I would recommend this book to
…more all married people (whether in a book club or not). (less)
Suzanne G. (Tucson, AZ)
Morningside
The story kept my interest with the characters intertwined with love and consideration. It was a plot that was hard for me to read as our family is beginning to deal with my husband's similar dementia. The book introduced me to a concerning progress situation that has nowhere to go but backwards. I certainly gave Pru credit for control; I end up with anger at times. I will recommend Morningside Heights to my book club — much we can discuss.
Rebecca R. (Western USA)
Very Realistic and Engaging Story of a Marriage
One of my favorite aspects of this modern story is that the characters are very realistic. Pru Steiner, for example, comes from a family in which the dad follows kosher rules but her mother does not. As for Pru, she feels too constrained - even as a kid- when attending the Torah Academy. So it is quite surprising when Pru, as a Columbia University student, begins dating and eventually moves into the apartment of the man she's fallen in love with that she makes his kitchen kosher.
Pru goes from being a person who made fun of female students who seemed to be in college simply to obtain that proverbial "MRS."
…more degree to being a Mrs. herself.
Although this book is very much about love and relationships, it treats marriage very realistically. Pru and husband Spence Robin have great days and crummy days. For a while they seem to have it all, but life is not 100% perfect. There's also a challenging child from a previous marriage and then some unexpected, very serious challenges.
Throughout the book, author Joshua Henkin references the many landmarks and popular restaurants in the real Morningside Heights area of New York. It makes for fun reading. I have recommended this book to several friends. The reason I rated this with 4 of 5 stars is that it seemed a little slow at times. (less)I was expecting a classic story about a family dealing with the harsh diagnosis of Alzheimer's. While Spence's early diagnosis of this terrible disease is the focus, we also learn that this outwardly successful family has lots of dysfunction. They struggle to find a place in their family for Arlo, Spence's son from a prior marriage. I found myself wanting Arlo to finally find his place in their family. We get snippets of ways in which the entire family is affected by the loss of Spence's distinguished teaching career, and how caregiving can be so challenging and depleting. The book held my attention from the
…more beginning. I think it would make a great book club discussion. (less)
