Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Incredibly moving and beautifully written. Read it in a day, 25 Jul 2001
By A Customer
This novel begins with our heroine Mattie plotting to kill her pathologically cheating lawyer husband, Jake, after she discovers his latest affair. Aware that Jake only married her because she was pregnant with their now 15 year old daughter, Mattie still craves the love she believes is her right in a relationship.Following a bizarre day, including an uncontrollable outburst during her husband's latest trial, and a 'dead' foot that causes her to instigate a motor vehicle pile-up in which she is badly hurt, Matty is hospitalised. There her physical and emotional abnormalities of the day are examined further by her doctor and more tests are suggested. Upon leaving hospital, Jake immediately leaves Mattie for his 'uncomplicated' girlfriend. At first Mattie is shocked, but soon relishes the freedom of being able to live her own life with her daughter, without the burden of a husband who doesn't love her. However, after receiving the results of her medical tests, Mattie is forced to face devastating news, that results in Jake returning to their home to support Mattie, to win back the love of his daughter, who has not forgiven her father for leaving her mother, whilst maintaining his mistress on the side. The rest of the story develops into an initiallly frustrating, but ultimately successful progression of Mattie and Jake's marriage as they are forced together by the tragedy that has struck them. Together they are forced to confront childhood issues that have been the cause of most of their struggles and together attempt to heal these wounds. You almost feel as though you ARE Mattie, so real is her character. You laugh, cry, struggle and grow with her and ultimately come to realise the true meaning of love. A beautifully written novel that makes me want to read it again tomorrow!
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If you like a good weepy you will love this book., 19 Dec 2000
This was my "first time" with a Joy Fielding book and what a Joy! If you love sad movies you'll love this book, I actually cried, it is written with such emotion I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Definately a ladies book as it covers a womans relationships with her mother, daughter, husband and lover and keeps you riveted from page one.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Deeply moving and touching a controversial issue, 24 Aug 2007
Unlike her other love & suspense novels, Joy Fielding has this time written a quite different book.
"The First Time" is the story about Mattie, her successful attorney husband Jake and their teenage daughter Kim. It's not Jake's first fling, but after 16 years of marriage, he has finally decided to leave Mattie and Kim for his mistress Honey.
Mattie is determined to carry on by herself. She has had enough of Jake's unfaithfullness and finds life as a single mother taking care of 15 year old Kim, better than a sham of a marriage.
Until tragedy strikes and life is changed overnight.
At first it may simply seem a situation too cruel and impossible to understand. A situation which necessarily calls for acceptance and duty, but which otherwise seems totally unreal. However, as the situation develops, "love works in mysterious ways", not only in a newly awakened love (it was probably never there), but love wakened for the first time.
The answer to many of Mattie and Jake's differences during their marriage lie in their childhood. The situation they are all of a sudden facing, make them get closer to each other. As for the first time they share the ghosts they both carrie with them, feelings emerge and slowly a new and deep love grows between them.
Joy Fielding has written a serious book. This is not only a touching love story, it's a story about the strength of loyalty, care and love between two people.
I know many reviewers have reacted to Mattie's mother giving her daughter the medication she requests when "it's time". I understand the many objections. This is a very difficult and much discussed issue, where people not the least from the medical profession and the clergy highly disagree. It's also my only objection about this book. I think it would have been wiser to let the situation be solved differently than in this very controversial way. It opens for so many opinions, personal feelings - it's so enormously serious. This is a topic for a whole different book in itself, and should not be brought up lighthandedly.
In spite of this, I have given the book five stars. It is, afer all, a matter of opinion also on the part of the author.
Otherwise, I felt very strongly about Mattie and Jake's story. "The First Time" reminds me of a Swedish poem I once read about newfound love in the middle of war - (badly translated) "How can love bloom so wonderfully beautiful?"
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