Promise of Happiness, The

  7 Reviews

The five members of the Judd family, reeling from a series of personal and professional blows, have each retreated into a private world. But the impending release of eldest daughter Juliet, an art historian incarcerated in an upstate New York prison for helping to sell stolen Tiffany windows, sets in motion the plot - and the family.

Comments from Groups

An easy read. Didn't find it totally compelling but it improved as it went on. Katikati 002

A brave book to write and the author revealed so much of himself. Auckland 119

None of us had read anything of Juston Cartwright's but most agreed we would like to try some of his other titles Rotorua 006

An extremely well written portrait of a family with a wide range of themes - explicit and non-explicit - that provided an opportunity for in-depth discusssion and exploration. Rawene 001

Reviews

DUNED 039

19-07-2023

I enjoyed the book. Growing up in the U.K. and having lived in Devon and Cornwall, I was familiar with the demographic and the rural lifestyle - flower arranging for the church etc, travelling to London. Other members of our group found the characters more challenging and the book less enjoyable. I enjoyed ( and identified with) the 'happy ever after' ending.

CHCH 011

29-07-2020

Well-written. Portrayed family life realistically. Most enjoyed.

CART 001

29-07-2020

Not a universally enjoyed story. Much discussion over the relationships in the family. Some felt that it mirrored life as people got older and life changed for them.

NELS 014

22-07-2020

Well-written, lively discussion.

MORRI 002

22-07-2020

Not generally enjoyed. Found none of the characters likeable.

TAUR 015

22-07-2020

An enjoyable read. Good page-turner - not too heavy. Interesting family dynamics.

PALMN 004

22-07-2020

I enjoyed the book once I had got used to his way of moving from one character to another. The characters became interesting as the family coped with a crisis. It was a dense and well-written novel.