The Art of Mending

By: Elizabeth Berg

Narrated by: Joyce Bean

It begins with the sudden revelation of astonishing secrets - secrets that have shaped the personalities and fates of three siblings, and now threaten to tear them apart. In renowned author Elizabeth Berg's moving new novel, unearthed truths force one seemingly ordinary family to reexamine their disparate lives and to ask themselves: Is it too late to mend the hurts of the past?

Laura Bartone anticipates her annual family reunion in Minnesota with a mixture of excitement and wariness. Yet this year's gathering will prove to be much more trying than either she or her siblings imagined.

As soon as she arrives, Laura realizes that something is not right with her sister. Forever wrapped up in events of long ago, Caroline is the family's restless black sheep. When Caroline confronts Laura and their brother, Steve, with devastating allegations about their mother, the three have a difficult time reconciling their varying experiences in the same house. But a sudden misfortune will lead them all to face the past, their own culpability, and their common need for love and forgiveness.

©2006 Elizabeth Berg (P)2004 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A nuanced account of a family's implosion, with enough ambiguity and drama...to keep any reader intrigued, right up to the fittingly redemptive ending." ( Publishers Weekly)

The Art Of Mending ~

For those who find forgiveness by way of Truth and for those who find the truth in way of forgiveness ~

A big fan of Elizabeth Berg's, but was not a fan n

I was less then entertained, and had a hard time remaining focused on this story. It had its moments. the classic Elizabeth Berg stop you in your tracks writing and makes you think moments. But overall, I was not drawn into the story and was not finding the art in reading or mending.

Berg never disappoints

Elizabeth Berg has a terrific insight into secrets of all things "relationship." This work visits the lives of two sisters, their mother and the damage of secrets of the past.

What???

I like Berg's work, and, for the most part, enjoyed this listen.
As I don't want to be a spoiler, I will only say that the ending makes me think that either the main characters are Zen masters or are highly skilled in denial.

Or, as a third option, perhaps Ms. Berg was simply overworked and late for her publisher's deadline.

Still, Berg makes interesting intrigue out of the stuff of ordinary lives, distinguishing her work from others in the genre, and elevates her narrative from what would be generic "chic lit" in the hands of skilled but less perceptive writers.

Loved it

As always, Elizabeth Berg tells a beautiful story. I prefer when she narrates it herself, but this narrator was very good.

Elizabeth Berg never disappoints me

When I read Elizabeth Berg’s novels, I feel like I’m with a friend. When I listen to them, I feel like we’re having a conversation.

Anticlimactic

This showed such great potential. There was a huge build yet such a disappointing ending. It feels like the author just gave up. I feel annoyed for having to have endured the whole story only to be left with a lackluster ending.