The Things We Do for Love
A Novel
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4.2 • 66 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Years of trying unsuccessfully to conceive a child have broken more than Angie DeSaria’s heart. Following a painful divorce, she moves back to her small Pacific Northwest hometown and takes over management of her family’s restaurant. In West End, where life rises and falls like the tides, Angie’s fortunes will drastically change yet again when she meets and befriends a troubled young woman.
Angie hires Lauren Ribido because she sees something special in the seventeen-year-old. They quickly form a deep bond, and when Lauren is abandoned by her mother, Angie offers the girl a place to stay. But nothing could have prepared Angie for the far-reaching repercussions of this act of kindness. Together, these two women—one who longs for a child and the other who longs for a mother’s love—will be tested in ways that neither could have imagined.
Praise for The Things We Do for Love
“[Kristin] Hannah is superb at delving into her main characters’ psyches and delineating nuances of feeling.” —The Washington Post Book World
“Wonderful . . . enormously touching . . . The warmth and complexities of these characters grab hold of the heartstrings.”—RT Book Reviews
“Wrenching, convincing . . . bittersweet.”—Publishers Weekly
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Nobody does relatable, real-world domestic drama like Kristin Hannah. When Angie’s marriage succumbs to the heartbreak of infertility, she moves back to her seaside hometown, where she can lean on her mom and two sisters (whose smart mouths and boisterous antics we couldn’t get enough of!). When Angie meets Lauren—an intelligent, determined teen stuck in a terrible situation—she takes the young woman under her wing and gives her the love and support no one else will. Hannah colors in the contours of her two main characters with so much love, compassion, and nuance that they start to feel like close friends. The Things We Do for Love is an inspiring reminder that life doesn’t have to look the way you pictured it to give you everything you’ve ever wanted.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this tear-jerking novel by Hannah (Between Sisters), 38-year-old Angela Malone abandons a successful advertising career in Seattle to find comfort in West End, the small Pacific Northwest coastal town where she grew up. Pregnancy woes (chronic miscarriages, a baby who lived only for five days and a botched adoption) have caused her marriage to journalist Conlan to end in divorce. Her big, warmhearted Italian family welcomes her with open arms, and she throws herself into revamping the family restaurant, DeSaria's. Then she befriends hard-working teenager Lauren Ribido, who's in need of a new coat, some mothering and, later on, a place to live. Lauren's life is far worse than self-pitying Angie's she's pregnant, her alcoholic mother has given up on her, and her rich boyfriend, David, is off to his first-choice college. Lauren can't go through with the abortion David encourages her to have, and the next step seems obvious: she should give the baby up to Angie, who's on the way to reconciling with Conlan. Hannah stacks the odds against Lauren almost absurdly, and makes her life with Angie a rose-tinted dream come true, but she paints a wrenching, convincing picture of the dilemma teenage mothers face. Familiar but warmly rendered characters, a few surprising twists and a bittersweet ending make this satisfying summer reading.
Customer Reviews
Amazing and talented writer!
I could not put this book down. The author captured every detail on how a loving family operates. I was brought to tears several times throughout this book. Heartwarming, heart wrenching and beautifully written. A wonderful story that you will remember.