Under the Influence: A Novel
- Narrated by:
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release Date:02-23-16
- Publisher: HarperAudio
Drinking cost Helen her marriage and custody of her seven-year-old son, Ollie. Once an aspiring art photographer, she now makes ends meet by taking portraits of schoolchildren and working for a caterer. Recovering from her addiction, she spends lonely evenings checking out profiles on an online dating site. Weekend visits with her son are awkward. He's drifting away from her fast.
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Publisher's Summary
The New York Times best-selling author of Labor Day and After Her returns with a poignant story about the true meaning - and the true price - of friendship.
Drinking cost Helen her marriage and custody of her seven-year-old son, Ollie. Once an aspiring art photographer, she now makes ends meet by taking portraits of schoolchildren and working for a caterer. Recovering from her addiction, she spends lonely evenings checking out profiles on an online dating site. Weekend visits with her son are awkward. He's drifting away from her fast.
When she meets Ava and Swift Havilland, the vulnerable Helen is instantly enchanted. Wealthy, connected philanthropists, they have their own charity devoted to rescuing dogs. Their home is filled with fabulous friends, edgy art, and dazzling parties.
Then Helen meets Elliott, a kind, quiet accountant who offers loyalty and love with none of her newfound friends' fireworks. To Swift and Ava, he's boring. But even worse than that, he's unimpressed by them.
As Helen increasingly falls under the Havillands' influence - running errands, doing random chores, questioning her relationship with Elliott - Ava and Swift hold out the most seductive gift: their influence and help to regain custody of her son. But the debt Helen owes them is about to come due.
Ollie witnesses an accident involving Swift, his grown son, and the daughter of the Havillands' housekeeper. With her young son's future in the balance, Helen must choose between the truth and the friends who have given her everything.
©2016 Joyce Maynard (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers
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"This book reels you in from the start"
This is the first book I've read by author, Joyce Maynard. Overall it was a good book and story. The story focuses primarily on the friendship, unfolding among the 4 main characters. The character development is both rich and detailed. One feels drawn into the storyline almost instantly. While I truly loved the characters, and the excellent narration, by the author, the ending felt lacking. The story is entertaining and it was difficult to put down at times. Ultimately the ending feels less climactic than one might hope for after investing the time and emotional energy absorbing the story.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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