Forgive Me

By Amanda Eyre Ward

Book Overview

From the acclaimed author of How to Be Lost comes a gorgeous new novel about love, memory, and motherhood.

Nadine Morgan travels the world as a journalist, covering important events, following dangerous leads, and running from anything that might tie her down. Since an assignment in Cape Town ended in tragedy and regret, Nadine has not returned to South Africa, or opened her heart-until she hears the story of Jason Irving.

Jason, an American student, was beaten to death by angry local youths at the height of the apartheid era. Years later, his mother is told that Jason's killers have applied for amnesty. Jason's parents pack their bags and fly from Nantucket to Cape Town. Filled with rage, Jason's mother resolves to fight the murderers' pleas for forgiveness.

As Nadine follows the Irvings to beautiful, ghost-filled South Africa, she is flooded with memories of a time when the pull toward adventure and intrigue left her with a broken heart. Haunted by guilt and a sense of remorse, and hoping to lose herself in her coverage of the murder trial, Nadine grows closer to Jason's mother as well as to the mother of one of Jason's killers-with profound consequences. In a country both foreign and familiar, Nadine is forced to face long-buried demons, come to terms with the missing pieces of her own family past, and learn what it means to truly love and to forgive.

With her dazzling prose and resonant themes, Amanda Eyre Ward has joined the ranks of such beloved American novelists as Anne Tyler and Ann Patchett. Gripping, darkly humorous, and luminous, Forgive Me is an unforgettable story of dreams and longing, betrayal and redemption.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345494474
• ISBN13: 9780345494474
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A GREAT SURPRISE AT THE END!

Ms. Ward has written an interesting story about Nadine Morgan, a journalist who has traveled the world in search of the next big story, making sure nothing and no one ties her down. After being badly beaten while in search of a story in Mexico, she returns to Cape Cod to the home of her father and his girlfriend. Nadine's mother died when she was quite young and she was raised by a father who dealth with his grief by pouring himself into his work. While recovering on Cape Cod, her meets Dr. Duarte who is taking care of her injuries. There is a mutual attraction between the two. But first Nadine feels she must return to South Africa where she left 10 years ago following a tragedy. She is going to South Africa to attend the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings regarding the death of Jason Irving, a teacher from Cape Cod. Jason's parents are flying to South Africa to attend the TRC and Nadine is determined to interview them. This story is told in the present (mid 1990's) and in flashbacks, along with interesting entries from a journal. I am embarrassed to admit that before this book I had read nothing about apartheid. Ms. Ward tells in gripping details some of the atrocities carried out by both sides, atrocities I will not soon forget. Overall I thought this was a good book. The story was interesting. I felt the characters were well drawn and fully developed. And I particularly liked the way the author pulled everything together in the end, along with a surprise I did not see coming. I would recommend this book to family and friends.

I couldn't put Forgive Me down

Amanda Ward's Forgive Me starts with a bang (or a punch, to be more precise); it grabbed me by the end of its spare and haunting three-page chapter one and never let up. Through Nadine Morgan, a journalist who returns to post-apartheid South Africa, drawn by the ghosts of her own past as well as those of the country's history, Ward delivers a story about relationships and motherhood and love, and about the temptation to forget and the redemption of remembering. A compelling, thought-provoking read!

An incredible read!

Ward's ambitious third novel is by far my favorite. Just as in her previous books, Ward has an amazing ability to tackle tough topics with an effortless writing style. As always, her ability to write different voices is completely on target. In particular, I found the character of Nadine extremely compelling; I was fascinated by her simultaneous toughness and vulnerability. And the plot, well, it blew me away. Enjoy this book - it's an incredible read!

Great Read!

Amanda does it again! Her writing is so fluid and fun to read that she takes you quite by surprise when you realize the book is about so much more than she originally lets on. Not to give anything away, but this book is especially for all the independent and adventurous women out there who have been amazed and delighted by the unexpected joys of motherhood. Grab this book and wait for a rainy day -- its very, very hard to put down.

She Got Me

Normally, I can figure out a twist in a story pretty quickly. In fact, I kind of annoy myself with this ability as it means I rarely get surprised. Well color me surprised. Ward totally got me on this one. And I can't tell you how happy it made me. In addition, the book was so well written. Flashbacks aren't an easy thing for a reader to keep up with sometimes, but Ward shows a real talent at keeping the reader engaged and on track. Ward's third book does not disappoint.