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A review by lauraorourke
The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers
3.0
This book is my nightmare. I remember back when I was engaged to Dan, waking up in a cold sweat and calling him to make sure that he still loved me and he would never leave me or cheat on me. In my dreams I would catch him canoodling with another woman or admitting to sordid affairs. Even though he is now promised to me ’til death do we part, I still have the occasional nightmare where I am not the only woman. My husband is a good man, but for some reason this fear plagues me.
Writing (and reading) is one of the ways that we process our fears so it is no wonder that I was drawn to The Comfort of Lies. The story is a tangled one. Tia loves Nathan. Nathan is married to Juliette. Unbeknownst to Nathan, Tia places the child that he fathered up for adoption and Caroline reluctantly becomes her mother to please her husband. Eventually, all of these families collide to form the plot of Randy Susan Meyers’ book The Comfort of Lies.
The Comfort of Lies is completely character driven. The narrative shifts between voices and the reader is invited to see the story from multiple perspectives. The three primary female characters are given the most time in the narrator’s role while Nathan is allotted two chapters.
Because this novel is propelled by its characters, one of the biggest criticisms is that the characters aren't entirely likable, and possibly aren't even relatable. While it is true that I did not find myself intimately drawn to any of the characters, I am not sure if that in itself is a flaw. In The Comfort of Lies we are invited to see women in their most vulnerable and stressed states: as they are in love, pregnant, raising children, and in a failing marriage. Understandably, they are not the perfect shells of women we see of our friends and acquaintances on social media. This book invites us to go deeper, into their heads, until we find that we don’t like everything we learn.
Because of circumstances set in motion by one man who happens to connect them all, these three women – Tia, Juliette, and Caroline – are placed at odds with one another. All that they know to be true or have imagined to expect in life has been rocked and this novel chronicles the aftermath. Should we expect perfection? Should we expect likability?
As I read, I noticed that many of the character flaws that caused me to dislike these characters are the same flaws that I struggle with. As a mother and a woman, I struggle with selfishness and vanity. I sometimes wish I could prioritize my own passions over my role as a mother. And yes, I want to escape the job of parenting more often than I care to admit.
In light of our own flaws, can we disparage these characters for theirs? If we aren't drawn to Tia or Juliette or Caroline while we read their innermost (and sometimes quite private) thoughts, then what does that say about us, the reader? Should we blame Tia for loving another woman’s man? Should we blame Juliette for focusing on her looks when she is fighting for her husband’s attention? Should we blame Caroline for caring for other children when she has to find love for her own? Can we blame any of the women for wishing away (or giving away) their chance at motherhood?
I think any book that causes the reader to question themselves is a powerful book. The Comfort of Lies might be an easier read if one of the characters had been written as entirely good and likable, but I don’t think the novel would have been as strong that way. Randy Susan Meyers wrote an engaging, thought-provoking, well-written novel, and I enjoyed reading it. With a character-driven plot and a story-line that could come right out of the tabloids, this book is the perfect beach read.
(This book was read as part of the #MomsReading book club. Join us at http://www.mommy-miracles.com/momsreading )
Writing (and reading) is one of the ways that we process our fears so it is no wonder that I was drawn to The Comfort of Lies. The story is a tangled one. Tia loves Nathan. Nathan is married to Juliette. Unbeknownst to Nathan, Tia places the child that he fathered up for adoption and Caroline reluctantly becomes her mother to please her husband. Eventually, all of these families collide to form the plot of Randy Susan Meyers’ book The Comfort of Lies.
The Comfort of Lies is completely character driven. The narrative shifts between voices and the reader is invited to see the story from multiple perspectives. The three primary female characters are given the most time in the narrator’s role while Nathan is allotted two chapters.
Because this novel is propelled by its characters, one of the biggest criticisms is that the characters aren't entirely likable, and possibly aren't even relatable. While it is true that I did not find myself intimately drawn to any of the characters, I am not sure if that in itself is a flaw. In The Comfort of Lies we are invited to see women in their most vulnerable and stressed states: as they are in love, pregnant, raising children, and in a failing marriage. Understandably, they are not the perfect shells of women we see of our friends and acquaintances on social media. This book invites us to go deeper, into their heads, until we find that we don’t like everything we learn.
Because of circumstances set in motion by one man who happens to connect them all, these three women – Tia, Juliette, and Caroline – are placed at odds with one another. All that they know to be true or have imagined to expect in life has been rocked and this novel chronicles the aftermath. Should we expect perfection? Should we expect likability?
As I read, I noticed that many of the character flaws that caused me to dislike these characters are the same flaws that I struggle with. As a mother and a woman, I struggle with selfishness and vanity. I sometimes wish I could prioritize my own passions over my role as a mother. And yes, I want to escape the job of parenting more often than I care to admit.
“Motherhood was little more than a series of repetitive commands and tasks these days.” (Chapter 6 – Juliette)
In light of our own flaws, can we disparage these characters for theirs? If we aren't drawn to Tia or Juliette or Caroline while we read their innermost (and sometimes quite private) thoughts, then what does that say about us, the reader? Should we blame Tia for loving another woman’s man? Should we blame Juliette for focusing on her looks when she is fighting for her husband’s attention? Should we blame Caroline for caring for other children when she has to find love for her own? Can we blame any of the women for wishing away (or giving away) their chance at motherhood?
I think any book that causes the reader to question themselves is a powerful book. The Comfort of Lies might be an easier read if one of the characters had been written as entirely good and likable, but I don’t think the novel would have been as strong that way. Randy Susan Meyers wrote an engaging, thought-provoking, well-written novel, and I enjoyed reading it. With a character-driven plot and a story-line that could come right out of the tabloids, this book is the perfect beach read.
(This book was read as part of the #MomsReading book club. Join us at http://www.mommy-miracles.com/momsreading )