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Here are comments from our group of Advance Readers about Joshua Henkin's MATRIMONY.
Dawn from Meridian, ID
Have you previously read a book by Joshua Henkin?
No, I have not.
What other authors do you usually read?
James Patterson, Karen Kingsbury, and Patricia Hickman.
What did you think of MATRIMONY?
I liked it very much. The main characters, Julian and Mia, are so
vivid. You feel what they feel, and when family illness and other
things upset their marriage, they are portrayed as real people dealing
with real problems. They seemed to be well off, and that is not so
common these days.
Would you ever read a future book by Joshua Henkin?
Yes, I would.
Freida from Nineveh, IN
Have you previously read a book by Joshua Henkin?
I have not read anything by Joshua Henkin.
What other authors do you usually read?
Authors I read and collect are Chris Bohjalian, Pat Conroy, Michael
Connelly, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Sue Monk Kidd and many
others.
What did you think of MATRIMONY?
I thought the characters in Henkin's book were fully developed and I
found myself liking and disliking them all at various points throughout
the story. I enjoy reading about family interactions and history.
Would you ever read a future book by Joshua Henkin?
Yes, I would read a future book by Mr. Henkin.
oe from Hixson, TN
Have you previously read a book by Joshua Henkin?
I have not read Mr. Henkin's previous book.
What other authors do you usually read?
Authors include (in no particular order): James Patterson, John
Sandford, Philip Shelby,
Robin Cook, John Lescroart, Daniel Silva, Dale Brown, Patricia
Cornwell, Nelson DeMille, John Blaine Kerr, Tom Clancy, Robert Harris,
David Baldacci, Brain Haig, and many others.
What did you think of MATRIMONY?
Marriage and relationships, what else is there? Isn't this what life is
all about? Joshua Henkin's novel unfolds many of life's traditional
struggles --- conflicts with peers, jealousy of friends, social-class
inequality, religious beliefs, husband-and-wife daily grinds, the idea
that the way we think of our spouses is predestined by love. All these
are brought forth in MATRIMONY by the author in a very deep,
psychological transfer to our own everyday lives.
A very perceptual part of the novel for me was Mia's mother and her
fight of cancer. My mother had a double mastectomy, and is a cancer
survivor. Her relationshipwith her momrefreshed my memory of my
sister's struggle with my mother's illness.
Joshua Henkin's MATRIMONY is written by a young man who is very wise
beyond his years. He has the ability to translate to his readers many
difficulties, while still leaving them with an optimistic statement
aboutlife.
[Editor’s note: this comment was edited to prevent spoilers]
Would you ever read a future book by Joshua Henkin?
Yes, Mr. Henkin's "finger" on life makes for a satisfying read!
Marjorie from Manilla, IN
Have you previously read a book by Joshua Henkin?
Thank you for introducing me to the writing of Joshua Henkin. I
certainly plan to read his first novel and any of his future books.
What other authors do you usually read?
I am a retired farmwife and an avid reader, so will not to attempt to
list my favorite authors. I do read a great variety of fiction,
including historical, mystery, romance and general fiction, such as
MATRIMONY.
What did you think of MATRIMONY?
I found it difficult to put MATRIMONY down.Henkin develops his
characters so deeply that you cannot keep fromwanting to help them in
their relationships.His descriptions of their feelings, ambitions and
motivations are unique at times.A sense of humor invades the drama and
keeps it bearable. The conclusion is both believable and satisfying. Would you ever read a future book by Joshua Henkin?
I certainly hope that Joshua Henkin will reward us with more novels of
this caliber.
Mary from North Wilkesboro, NC
Have you previously read a book by Joshua Henkin?
This was my first book by Joshua Henkin.
What other authors do you usually read?
I typically read more romance and suspense novels, with Anne Rivers
Siddons and Christine Feehan as my current favorites.
What did you think of MATRIMONY?
I found MATRIMONY to be what I call a very readable book. To me, that
means I did not have to stress to read it or concentrate to the point
of headache to understand it. The story flowed very well and I kept
wanting to pick it back up to see what happened next. That is the key
to a good book. Is it a pleasure or a chore?
Would you ever read a future book by Joshua Henkin?
This was a pleasure and I would choose another of his books.
Irene from Saratoga Springs, NY
Have you previously read a book by Joshua Henkin?
No, this is the first.
What other authors do you usually read?
The authors I read are pretty eclectic; right now I am reading Richard
Russo's THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Other favorites are Ann Patchett, Alice
Sebold, Kathy Reichs, Henning Mankell, Pat Conroy, and Nelson DeMille.
What did you think of MATRIMONY?
Joshua Henkin's writing style simply captures, holds, and definitely
keeps you reading. His characters are authentic and
believable. Henkin's expansive vocabulary and interesting
informational tidbits made the novel even more readable. By offering us
a view of Julian's and Mia's parents' lives, the author forced me to
rethink my belief that the variant expectations and ambiguities each
person carries to a marriage are usually based on how they view their
parents' marriage. Julian and Mia's marriage was essentially unorthodox
--- he,a wealthy WASP and she, an nonmaterialistic Jewess. Yet, until
a surprising pivotal revelation and despite some under currents, their
marriage appeared to be working.
Much more can be said about this book,but I won't spoil it for those
of you who will be reading it. It was an excellent read.
Would you ever read a future book by Joshua Henkin?
Yes, I like his writing style and his extraordinary presentation of
seemingly ordinary life events.
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