2.5 STARS"Gordon McKenna is a handsome 24-year-old science teacher who thought life was as tough as it could get when his only sister, Georgia, was diagnosed with cancer. Then she and her husband die in a car crash, leaving behind their one-year-old daughter, Keefer. Gordon willingly gives up his self-involved bachelor life and adopts his beloved niece. Georgia's in-laws, however, have different wishes for their granddaughter. Well heeled, conservative and wealthy, they believe their born-again Christian niece and her husband should get custody of the child. Their challenge to Gordon's custody lies in the fact that both he and Georgia were adopted children, with "only" love, not blood, connecting Gordon and Keefer. Thus begins the custody battle which makes up the bulk of this book. Mitchard is known for her bestseller, The Deep End of the Ocean (Oprah's very first book pick, back in Sept. '96), as well as for her nationally syndicated newspaper column about family life. As a widowed mother of five adopted children who was once part of a custody suit, Mitchard is an expert on how even the most loving and functional households can be thrown into turmoil and chaos without warning. She writes with grace and authority, and Juliette Parker's gentle and even reading of the text gives a slightly upbeat feel to this suspenseful and emotional tale that challenges the legal definition of "family." (From Amazon)I had high hopes for this author and could not wait to read this novel. I found the novel to be uninteresting to me. I did finish it but it was more because I respect the author and her writing.
I was in and out of the bookstore in less than 5 minutes and this was what I bought:This was the first book that I bought and read after we moved into our new house. And it is also what "revived" my talent of finishing a book in 24 hours or less. I actually ended reading in about 48 hours but at least it's an improvement, redeeming me from all my unfinished starts. S went into the BookShop to pick up a magazine and I followed suit. I wasn't really planning to buy anything but when I picked up this book and read the synopsis, I just couldn't let it go. This is the book that made me realize that for a book to be sold in posh bookstores, it doesn't guarantee to be a really good read. Like everything else these days, publishing and selling books is also commercialism-driven. It's a sad truth, with the possibility that lots of great authors go unnoticed because of the lack of "marketing" for them and their talent. Who would have thought I'll find a nice book in a secondhand shop? Oh well....A Theory of Relativity tells the story about a little girl who loses both of her parents at such as very young age. She becomes the center of a custody battle between her remaining relatives. Growing up in an extended family, I was really touched by the story. There are a lot of twists to the plot too, making it a more exciting read. One important realization that the novel gave me: Families are not bound by the blood that courses through their veins, but by the LOVE that flows from the heart and is shared by each and every one in the loop. =)
What do You think about A Theory Of Relativity (2015)?
I have read several of Mitchard's books, so I was looking forward to this one. (found on the $1.00 rack at Half-Price Books!) Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much and actually found myself skimming large passages.It's an intriguing story -- Georgia and Gordon are adopted siblings. When Georgia is killed along with her husband in a car accident, Gordon wants to adopt his 18-month old niece. He is challenged by the husband's family on the grounds that he has no "blood" relation to the child. Several scenes are very moving and heartwrenching, but overall, I found myself pretty bored. I liked the characters and the premise was certainly interesting, but overall it just didn't grab me.
—Diane Ferbrache
Mitchard explores the meaning and responsibility of "family." She challenges conventional wisdom--or at least invites the reader to explore it. Does being "blood of my blood" actually require blood? How does a mental construct designed to assure a father that he is providing for his "own" affect a sense of family today given the increased variety of ways that families are formed and children spawned? My comments deal with the abstract, but the story through which these issues emerge is very concrete. Her characters are achingly real. In the absence of well-meaning adults being able to mutually agree on the parameters of "family," who will? The courts. Read this book to learn how one extended group of adults work out the definition.
—Donna
Jacquelyn Mitchard is one of the best at writing depth of emotions to the point that you feel the emotions along with the characters. It was true in The Deep End of the Ocean and it is true in A Theory of Relativity. This is nother emotional roller coaster of a book by Jacquelyn Mitchard. This one involves the issue of the custody battle and adoptoin of a 1-year-old chold of a couple who were killed instantly in a car crash. The battle between the surviiving families is a no holds barred dispute court battle involving issues such as adoption vs. biological children & families, the definition of blood relative, who is better suited to adopt a child,etc. That said, this book desperately needed more time of serious editing. There is way too much in the book that gets bogged down in extraneous monologue and some of it is just so unnecessary to the story. I found myself mentally screaming "Come on already. Cut to the chase here!" So be prepared for these long momologues and musings. The end of the book gets a bit bizarre to say the least. A rather "odd" epilogue, which just left me shaking my head. That said, I'd recommend the book on the basis of the actual plot reagarding the adoption and all the family dynamics involved. Very thought provoking! It reminded me of My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult in many ways. A bood that makes you think and that can provoke discussion.
—Debby
