Happenstance : Two Novels in One about a Marriage in Transition (Paperback)

from SeriousGrace

In the first 50 pages I couldn't tell if I liked Mrs. Brenda Bowman. She seemed too persnickety to me. Too particular. Too fussy. I am prone to comparing characters to myself, especially if we have something in common like upbringing, hobbies, schooling, age, or certain circumstance. In Brenda's ...

from tandah

I love Carol Shields writing, and her patience in describing the everyday, and the unrelenting (often gentle) tug of wanting a little bit more; a little bit different. in 'Happenstance' she evokes the meaningfulness and intimacy that family and marriage provide its members well beyond the the eve...

from Lexicographer

Carol Shields' deftness for the quietness of life is on display here, as a couple in the throes of the extraordinary cannot avoid the contrast with everyday existence.

from tandah

I love Carol Shields writing, and her patience in describing the everyday, and the unrelenting (often gentle) tug of wanting a little bit more; a little bit different. in 'Happenstance' she evokes the meaningfulness and intimacy that family and marriage provide its members well beyond the the eve...

from thatotter

Interesting premise...essentially two books in one, where you learn what happens during five days that a married couple spends away from each other, from each of their perspectives. The focus on domestic minutiae irritated me occasionally, and I didn't really love either character.I recommend rea...