Last month I read "Leaving Before It's Over" by Jean Reynolds Page. In this book, we meet Roy Vines and his wife Rosalind. Earlier in life, Roy had been forced to choose between his family and Rosalind; he chose Rosalind. Roy & Rosalind accepted the fact that they would never have a relationship with Roy's family... then Rosalind finds out she has a serious disease. Their family has fallen on hard times and Roy can not afford the treatments his wife requires so he returns home to ask his family for help. Page slowly reveals the circumstances that drove a wedge between Roy and his family, and we learn more about the dymanics of the family. The damage seems irreparable as Roy's late wife had a son, Luke, that everyone thought Roy had fathered - and abandoned.Roy strikes a deal with his twin brother and takes Luke home with him for the summer in exchange for financial assistance. I can just imagine the anger that Luke felt towards Roy... All through life, Luke had been told that Roy was his father - and now he has to spend the summer with Roy and his family. Slowly Luke begins to see that Roy is not the jerk that he has been made out to be by his family, though.
This book was another quick/engaging read. It made me think - could I ever choose a man over my family? The answer is no, I couldn't. I can't imagine a circumstance where I would have to, though. I trust the opinions of my parents and siblings - so if they truly did not approve of someone I dated, I would really take their opinions into consideration... In the circumstances of this book, Roy made the right decision in choosing his wife over his family - I just can't imagine having to live with that decision...
Could you marry someone that your family did not approve of?
15 comments:
This sounds interesting! I'm with you I couldn't choose a guy over my family. I haven't yet :)
That's such a tough one! I can't think of a situation where I was really in love with a guy where my family wouldn't be receptive... unless he was a creep, in which case I hope I wouldn't chose him over my family!
How about this for a conditional answer: if my family was a bunch of jerks, I might consider it. But they're pretty awesome, so I'll pass ;)
Sounds like a really interesting book. I don't think I could marry someone who didn't get along with my family, either.
I don't think I could marry someone that my parents didn't like and/or who made me choose between family or him. I understand that things won't always be rosy, but I'd think that we could work through those things rather than having to pick sides, you know!?
I really want to read this! It looks like a great read :)
There is no way I could marry a man my family didn't approve of. The weekend I took Ryan to the cabin for the first time and I got my siblings and Mom & Dad's approval - that was the "deal breaker"
I think it would be too complicated to have a relationship with someone that clashes with family
I definitely couldn't, because I trust my family's judgment. If my mom had a problem with my guy, or if my brother did...I would think there's something wrong with HIM, and not my family.
Definitely would be too complicated to have a relationship where your family didn't like the guy, I think. If my parents and Eric didn't get along it would just be uncomfortable! Some of my friends are in relationships with people their parents and family don't approve of and I just don't get it!
I think the choice is one a lot of people face. I am lucky as I get on well with my in-laws, but I know lots of people who don't!
Yeah I personally would not choose a guy over my family but fortunately I did not have to! It sounds like this circumstance might be different though :)
That would be an incredibly hard choice to make. Like you, I don't think I'd ever be in that situation because my ties to my family are such that their opinions matter to me. But still, a very difficult situation to imagine being in.
Thanks for being a part of the tour!
I'm so happy you would chose family first! Makes me very happy! :D!!
It would be really hard to marry someone that my family didn't approve of - but I would convince them to approve :-)
That sounds like a pretty cute book. I'm not sure if I could choose a guy over my family. My parents and I are pretty close and it is just the three of us.
Great question! Like you, I could not imagine marrying someone my family did not like. But Roy's parents and brother struck me as fairly intolerant and perhaps in that situation one is less inclined to want what their parents want.
Great review - I liked this book too!
This book sounds really good!
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