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Here are comments from our group of Advance Readers about Philip Beard's DEAR ZOE.
ajrevelli@sbcglobal.net
What writers do you read?
In the past couple of years I have begun reading numerous authors thanks to finding Readerville.com. Recently I have read books by Ha Jin, Yu Hua, Alice Sebold, Jim Crace, Reynolds Price, Jane Austen, Wilkie Collins, John Harwood, Haruki Murakami --- the list goes on --- and now most recently Philip Beard. Prior to that I read only Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Sanford, Anne Rice, Mary Higgins Clark and a couple of others along this line.
What did you think of DEAR ZOE?
I liked DEAR ZOE very much and was immediately drawn in by Tess and what she had to say. You could feel the love that she had not only for Zoe but amazingly for Dad, who was by no means the model parent. I think at least with the time she spent with her father she was able to crawl out the immense guilt she felt in death of her sister and the realization that she could go on and that it didn't mean forgetting about her it was trying to get past the pain. September 11, 2001 was a difficult day for the nation and little did it or does it cross our minds that tragic things just did not happen for those who were on those planes, buildings or on the ground close by. DEAR ZOE reminds us that there were other tragedies in other lives as well as miracles on this day that we may never really know about.
Would you ever read a future book by Philip Beard?
I would definitely read more from Philip Beard.
AcornLiz@aol.com
What writers do you read?
I can't say that I am a big fan of the contemporary novel. My favorite authors are people like Edith Wharton and John O'Hara who told epic tales of society as they saw it. I'm also a great historical fiction fan --- Sharon Kay Penman and Diana Gabaldon are among my favorite authors in that genre. I guess you could almost say the longer the book, the greater my appetite for it.
What did you think of DEAR ZOE?
I was pretty surprised when I received DEAR ZOE last week. It is tiny by comparison. But like the author, I am the mother of 3 daughters (ranging from 20 to 11). And I, too, lost a sister --- almost 2 years ago.
I finished reading it last night. I found it a little slow at first, but was later captivated by the voice of the narrator and fascinated by her life.
The characters were real --- they live next door and ride the bus with your children. But their problems were larger than life and had no easy answers. The sympathy they inspired in the reader was deep and sincere. I found the relationship between Tess and Em and Tess and her biological dad to be especially poignant. It took my breath away to think that Frank's life might parallel Zoe's and destroy all the progress Tess had made. And it made me smile to know that Tess was truly being given a second chance.
It's remarkable to think that this book was written by a male --- much less an adult one. I would like to ask him what life experiences he drew on to write so realistically in the voice of a modern day teenage girl (Tess doesn't really seem like someone who could be his daughter).
Would you ever read a future book by Philip Beard?
And of course I would like to read something else by Mr. Beard. With his creativity, it's almost impossible to guess what he will come up with next.
Attwoman@aol.com
What writers do you read?
I read a little bit of this and a lot of everything!
What did you think of DEAR ZOE?
I sat down yesterday and started reading the book and found myself totally drawn into it. When I finished reading the book it was several hours later and I felt closure with Zoe. To think the family life was so torn up on a day when the rest of the world suffered and to live it through the eyes of the siblings was very moving. I would definitely recommend the book!
Would you ever read a future book by Philip Beard?
I am looking forward to Mr. Beard's next book
mccoy_bonnie@mchsi.com
What writers do you read?
The writers I typically read are:
John Grisham
Patricia Cornwell
Harlan Coben
What did you think of DEAR ZOE?
This book is written with a knowledge of tragedy, triumph, and hope. By the time I read the final page I was connected to the characters. I could feel their pain, desperation to move on, and finally acceptance. DEAR ZOE was wonderfully written and touched on so many aspects. The references to 9/11 were a background to the story, not a focus. I think because to many people it wasn't the focus of that day. The whole world doesn't revolve around one thing. Each persons own life comes with its own struggles and triumphs to overcome. To read this book was like stepping into someone's life and going through all of their emotions. The anger, the pain, the need for family, wanting to be OK with yourself, trying to feel better in ways that won't, and finally a new beginning, acceptance, and hope for the future.
Would you ever read a future book by Philip Beard?
Philip Beard will definitely be on my list of top authors.
quilterofwords@bonbon.net
What writers do you read?
A variety, from established bestsellers to newbies and unknowns.
What did you think of DEAR ZOE?
I found this book sweet, refreshing and what struck me more was that it was written by a male author that really was able to capture the perspective of a small child. I intend to share this book with my 14 year old daughter and will recommended it to other parents that have 10 to 15 year old daughters.
Would you ever read a future book by Philip Beard?
Absolutely!!!
stephanie@krantz.name
What writers do you read? I always read Stephen King, Patricia Cornwell, Dean Koontz, James Patterson, Steve Martini, Richard North Patterson and Harlan Coben.
What did you think of DEAR ZOE?
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I quickly became immersed in the story and it went very quickly. It was not my usual read, which you can see by above list of regular authors. But, I am trying to branch out now and in the past month have read 6 new authors (beside this one) that I had never read before. I thought he (the author) has a very keen insight into the grief process and how it affected each family member differently. I saw some similarities to the mother in THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN and am amazed at how the mothers in both books totally shut down and shut out the other members of the family, in particular the remaining living children, who need them most. As I read the book, I also had to wonder if the story itself was kind of a metaphor for the healing process all of us went through during 9/11 --- those of us who grieved though we did not personally know anyone who died that day. I also thought how lucky Tess was to have such a terrific father. She says she knows he a "screw up" and maybe with respect to work he is. But, he spends time with her, comes to get her at her whim. He attends all the functions of all his nieces and nephews and is close to his mother helping her out. Lots of kids would give their right arm for a dad who cares like he does. Anyway, he gives her the space she needs to heal and never says a word when she leaves him to go home though it must have been devastating to him. More than we can say for her mom who is definitely nor there for her or her sister during this difficult time. I thought the characters were well developed and the story interesting --- it was in my humble opinion, a great read and I hope it sells well.
Would you ever read a future book by Philip Beard?
Absolutely.
tsantoro@erols.com
What writers do you read?
I read a variety of writers ranging from Don DeLillo, Umberto Eco, Salman Rushdie, to classics like Steinbeck, Faulkner and Jane Austen to what I consider "light" or "bestseller's list" fiction like Stephen King and James Patterson. Pretty much whatever strikes my fancy. I tend to read an author in clusters of their work: everything I can get my hands on, and then I move on to another author. I love fiction, but am also big on nonfiction, particularly history of all kinds.
What did you think of DEAR ZOE?
I really enjoyed this book. When I read the jacket, I was expecting a book along the lines of THE LOVELY BONES, but while I personally felt disappointed by that book, more specifically its ending, DEAR ZOE did not disappoint. I expected Tess to be flawed and make mistakes since she was only 15. I felt that Mr. Beard gave her a voice that was true, which is not what I find a lot of authors able to do --- especially since he is a male writing a book from a young female's perspective.
I am going to highly recommend this book to everyone in my reading circle. It was poignant, and somewhat hopeful, without being overly mushy.
Would you ever read a future book by Philip Beard?
He'll definitely be one that I watch in the future! The answer is YES!
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