White Picket Fences: A Novel

White Picket Fences has ratings and reviews. Melinda said: I liked this book well enough, but was drawn more to the subplot than the ongoing sa.
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There were times when I saw that despite the outward appearance of a less-than-perfect home, a child could be loved there. Even if you live behind a white picket fence, you still have to deal with the fallout of a living in a broken world. The perfect, idyllic life is an illusion. To ignore what is ugly is to cheapen what is beautiful.


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You dovetailed a current day family drama with the Holocaust and the Warsaw Ghetto. There was ugliness happening, if you will, and much of the West failed to see it — for whatever reason. Within the horror, though, people made brave choices, selfless choices. And there were survivors who had to choose what they would take with them from the ashes of their suffering. I wanted to explore how a person makes that decision. Even the decision to pretend it never happened is a decision regarding those ashes.

White Picket Fences by Susan Meissner

What do you think interests you about the intersection of personal relationships and perceptions — a theme you wove into both The Shape of Mercy and White Picket Fences? I see every great work of fiction being about human relationships. Gone With the Wind is so much more than just an epic story with the Civil War as a backdrop. We are at our best and our worst when we are responding and reacting to the people who shape who we are.

Human history is the story of relationships and what they teach us about what we value. White Picket Fences is a different kind of novel than your acclaimed book, The Shape of Mercy, but there are some similarities too. Can you explain those? This thread is enhanced by visits to a nursing home where Chase and Tally meet a man blind from birth who survived the occupation of Poland. It is also a story that draws its pathos from family dynamics and the near-universal desire we have to make straight what is crooked.

What do you hope readers come away with after reading White Picket Fences? Secrets of a Charmed Life. Stars Over Sunset Boulevard. Sponsored products related to this item What's this? A Battle of Britain Novel.


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    There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Susan Meissner never fails to entertain and educate. This is the fouth title of this particular author I have purchased and all I can say is "Well Done" I actually managed to drop my book on Halloween night; out of my bag with 26 pages to go til the end. I was so involved with the story line and all the characters, that after 4 days of searching and finding no available copies at any local library, I repurchased a new copy!!! This book is a wonderful read with completely believable characters, with no over the top story.

    A must read for any individual who would like to connect to the "civilian" side of the Holocaust. I am one of those, who does not like to give the whole synopsis of the book, would rather the individual discover for themselves. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. Meissner is a beautifully descriptive writer. She paints a scene with every detail. This novel was satisfying. It wove a contemporary story with memories from the past and by the end everything dovetailed well.

    The only reason I didn't give five stars is because I found it somewhat unbelievable that neither parents nor son ever discussed the fire. It is hard for me to imagine something so crucial in a child's life being ignored. I really did not know what this book was about but it surprised me and delighted me. The beginning was about a modern day family. As the story goes on it digs much deeper than that. I loved this book but don't want to ruin the surprise. It touch me on a number of levels. The perfect family may not be so normal after all! Kept me wanti ng to read more!

    Susan Meissner's books always leave me feeling a better person for having read them. They are very believable and share some much needed life lessons. I have loved them all! The main theme of the story is that of a teenage boy and his family dealing with horrific memories of a fire.

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    It is a good read even though not the historical novel I was looking for. Beautiful story and something to escape into like so many of Meissner's books.

    White Picket Fences: A Novel - eBook

    I'm a serious fan! This was a gift. She said it was just okay. The characters were too predictable, making the storyline fairly predictable.