Mistake, The
James, WendyJodie Garrow has come a long way: 25 years ago she was single, pregnant and desperate; now she is married to a successful lawyer and the mother of two teenagers. Following a chance encounter with a face from the past, her life starts to unravel and she becomes subject to the court of public opinion and trial by media. Examining family, the power of the media, and the judgements we make of one another, this is a provocative and compelling story. [Small font]
Comments from Groups
Enjoyed by the group. We discussed having sympathy for individuals 'under trial' by media for whatever reason. Christchurch 125 The plot was rather contrived, but led to discussion re a person's ability to shut down emotionally; the power of the media; and on reuniting with children previously given up for adoption - the effect on the mother and her family. Putaruru 001 Everyone read it, but there was a mixed reaction to this book. Some thought it lacked depth. Some likened it to a Jodi Picoult novel that relied on a societal theme. It certainly generated a lot of discussion. Most thought the beginning was stronger than the end... We all decided that there was not one mistake but many mistakes made by most of the characters!!! Hokitika 001 Great discussion regarding teen pregnancy and adoption. The book was enjoyed by most of us. Some found it a bit "light-weight". No-one anticipated the ending! Napier 011 Mixed response to the book re its literary quality, plotlines, characters and plausibility. But we ALL read it to the end and agreed it was an excellent choice for a holiday read. Thanks! Auckland 107 Easy read. Quite captivating. Didn't have to concentrate too much! Auckland 256 We felt the book was predictable and the characters were very stereotyped... Christchurch 001
Pages
278
278
Year
2012
2012
Reviews
28-03-2023
We found the book a little contrived. We found it hard to believe the story would make national newspapers when it was old news and an unconfirmed death or adoption. However we could believe the social media rubbish. We thought too many parallels were made to Lindy Chamberlain, and the story line was simply not in the same category. We did not have much sympathy for Jodie and did not think she was well drawn. We "liked" the twist in the end and had not seen that coming. We thought the story victimised mothers like Lindy who had lost their babies in a tragic manner.
15-08-2022
Readers found Jodie unlikeable and not very real. Good concept but could have been dealt with better. Characters cardboard cut-outs of people. Unlikely to read another book by this author.
17-11-2021
1 or 2 enjoyed - but many disappointed with the side stories that went nowhere, and also the ending. Good discussion about growing up in small towns.
20-09-2021
Mostly enjoyed the book - felt it was a bit like a mini-series at times when there were different little scenes ( like husband and daughter's friend's mother having affair). Interesting ideas and thinking that it would have been quite normal to have the 'informal' adoptions. The group as a whole enjoyed it. But, found the writing very small and hard to read, especially at night.
16-04-2021
Interesting read, but the general comment was that it wasn't such an enjoyable book to read. One member said she found it "harrowing, but well-written".
14-04-2021
We all really loved this book. Good writing and a great story with interesting characters.
07-06-2019
A very well paced and plotted book. The characters are well drawn, although not very likeable. The reader is drawn in to the horrors of their situation, and this provoked a very stimulating discussion.