All You Could Ask For by Mike Greenberg Published by William Morrow Paperbacks on April 2, 2013
Genres/Lists: Fiction
Pages: 264
Read synopsis on Goodreads
I received this book for free from TLC Book Tours.
Buy the book: Amazon/Audible (this post includes affiliate links)
Sometimes a book comes along at exactly the right moment and for me this was it. I’ve been so bogged down with heavy reading for school that this was all I could have asked for (cheesy pun intended). Light writing combined with a balance of seriousness and hilarity, Mike Greenberg’s novel is sure to be a hit.
I must say that I was surprised at how well the author wrote about women. Especially because this particular author is a man who works for ESPN – not exactly a breeding ground for womanly insights. And yet, Greenberg succeeds. Both insightful and honest, each of the three main characters (Katherine, Samantha, and Brooke) is completely three-dimensional and approachable. I wanted to know each of these women even when I didn’t agree with them or their choices. While there are a lot of male writers who can successfully write about women, not many write about women told through the point of view of women, and this is what sets Greenberg apart and launching him into the category of men who “get it.”
Not only is he able to write about women, but he can write about women’s friendships (here’s another great book about that). Greenberg successfully weaves the lives of three very different women together (with the emphasis on one particular woman as the “anchor”). Although Katherine (a Wall Street success) and Brooke (a stay-at-home mom) have a shared past, the book focuses on each of their individual relationships with Samantha (a young up-and-comer). The thing that ties them all together, however, is that they face the one common obstacle in their health. So while Katherine and Brooke lack the closeness that they each share with Samantha, they share the need for her as a friend.
Over the course of the book, their friendships become their lifelines and each woman learns more about herself. Facing their pasts, their fears, and their futures, the women show a determination and resilience that will inspire you. If you get the chance to pick up this book, here are three things that will happen: You will laugh. You will cry. You will want to call your best friend and tell her all about it. That said, I’m going to go call my best friend and tell her to read it.
Be sure to visit these other stops on the tour!
