Wow. Just wow. I ran across a quote from the book "Here on Earth" by Alice Hoffman on one of my favorite blogs, Everyday Strange, and it piqued my curiosity enough to fork over some dough for a read slightly different than my go-to. It was so worth every penny.
"Here on Earth" by Alice Hoffman is a love story unlike any others I've ever read. It's like six love stories crafted together into one beautifully written novel that highlights both the beauty and the pain that we are willing to endure to follow our hearts to the end of Earth and beyond. And of course the last few paragraphs gutted me to the point I couldn't sleep for a good hour despite the late hour I sacrificed finishing it cover to cover yesterday, though you'd have to read the entire book for it to enrapture you the same way.
What I disliked: It switched perspectives a lot. One paragraph would be from the teenagers mind. Two paragraphs later it would be from the moms perspective. It was hard to get used to, but once I did it was lovely. I also disliked the amount of extramarital affairs; however the reviews did indicate it would be secretively dark so I should have guessed.
What I liked: It was beautifully written, thought provoking and in a tone I haven't felt in a while. It really spoke volumes about the power of love and how it compels us to be something else - something more - something new. It also described a season, (in life as well as the weather) so astonishingly well that I'm not going to even try to give it words. Alice Hoffman captured a feeling, something unrepeatable. I find myself thinking about certain aspects of the book during random times of the day - in the car driving, talking with a stranger, or just trying to understand my own world. Shockingly I would relive the pain that book sends you through a hundred times more just to be blessed enough to read it again.
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Reviews with images
Spoiler Alert - I rewrote the ending.
Spoiler alert- Don’t read my ending until after reading the book!PTSD warning- this book has traumatic abusive situations- Both physically & mentally. I feel like it should have a warning on it. But maybe that takes away from experiencing it like March- making up excuses and being shocked of what someone is capable of.If you are looking for a sweet, comforting love story- this isn’t it. That being said, this book is enthralling. Somewhere it comes off the rails and goes dark. I understand that not all stories have happy endings. However- I think this ending is rushed and almost cruel after such a long descriptive story of love. I guess I just want to know it’s possible for love to go wrong and then be healed, grown stronger for having been through something. I want to know people in love can make healthy choices. I wanted this book to end pretty much any way but the way it did. It’s so sad, so depressing…. And life can be that way. This book was an escape I looked forward to and then struggled to finish. I guess sometimes it’s hard to have something so wonderful go horribly and have it shoved in your face, which is how I felt reading this. There’s so much regret, so much hurt. With the current ending, we need to know what happened to March especially…. & Gwen- it’s like the author just got sick of it and ended it. I know you may not like my ending. If you still want to… read the book and come back to it… or feel free to write your own. I felt so much better after I did, maybe you will too. I have never done that before, but I was so upset by this book (which says something about the tone and beautiful writing), that I felt it was the only way I could let go and heal myself from the ending.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2018
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Top reviews from other countries
JG
was rather disappointed, however it as well written
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2016Evelyn Norris
Another Great Alice Hoffman Read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 9, 2015