Author: Carrie Kabak

Publisher: Dutton Adult (June 16, 2005)

ISBN: 0525948767

The following review was contributed by Jennifer Murray. To read more of Jennifer`s reviews click

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 I highly recommend that before you even consider cracking open this book, you make sure to set aside a long block of uninterrupted time. Otherwise the “just one more chapter” that you keep saying to yourself is going to give you some late nights and cause havoc in your day to day life from not being able to put the book down because you are dying to find out what happens next.

Carrie Kabak’s debut novel is about forty-something Kate Cadogan who, after spending eighteen years trying to get elevated in her husband’s priorities, has an breaking point event that causes her to reflect over her life to where she’s ended up. Between husband, parents, son and friends, she realizes that living on her own terms is not such a bad thing after all. 

These are some of the most well rounded characters that I have come across in a long time. As the main character is reliving points in her life, starting at when she was almost fourteen to a woman in her forties, Kabak keeps true to the age and voice of the characters. They never seem as being “older than their years” and you believe the age and time Kate talks about. I found myself getting swept up in Kate’s first crush, her first love, her marriage of comfort and motherhood as well as the heartbreak in-between while the whole time trying to figure out who Kate was.

I also found myself just as frustrated with Kate’s mother Biddy and her attitude, hurt by her father Tom not standing up for her numerous times, and the joy and strength her two best friends Ingrid and Moira bring to her life. I could also felt the internal struggle Kate had with growing up Catholic versus the societal experimentation and wanting to be a part of that went on in the sixties and seventies as well as the search for the balance between the two. I wanted to will Kate the strength to say out loud what she was thinking backed into a corner. I was deeply disappointed when she would continuously back down out of fear and was equally joyous when she finally took a stand for her own life her own way.

I love books that make you think, I love books that make you react, I love books that make you care about the characters and l love books that make you want to tell everyone you know about it. This book struck every chord with me and I can’t wait to see what’s next from Carrie Kabak.