Mar 23, 2012

Daughters by Elizabeth Buchan

Opening sentences in a novel can set the tone and help readers decide about a book. Here are the opening sentences for Daughters by British author Elizabeth Buchan.

Curious how much pleasure she took from saying, 'My daughter...actually my stepdaughter...is getting married.' It ran against the grain of her own experience but her pleasure was not to be underestimated...that visceral need to see a child settled.

She had got used to answering questions such as 'What sort of wedding?' and 'Do you like him?' (To the latter she would reply, 'Yes, I do.')
Did she like Andrew? The little she knew of him, yes. She could list the plusses :affable, well-mannered, liked a joke, normal. He was also - she was assured on all sides - brilliant at his banking job, and unusual because he was a man who took the long view.(ch. 1)
Title: Daughters by Elizabeth Buchan
Publisher: Penguin, paperback

Book description: It is a truth universally acknowledged that all mothers want to see their daughters happily settled. But when Lara begins to fear that her daughter Eve is marrying a man who will only make her unhappy, and her other daughter Maudie reveals something that shocks the entire family, Lara faces the ultimate dilemma. Daughters explores the impact of secrets and betrayal within a dysfunctional but loving family.

So, what do you think, based on the opening sentences?

6 comments:

  1. Oh yes, I would read this one for sure! It sounds like just the type of thing I need right now!

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  2. Between your write-up on it and the opening lines, yes, this captures my fancy.

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  3. That first sentence seems a bit awkward to me. It didn't pull me in either.

    When I am not familiar with a book, I will plop myself down on the bookstore floor and read a few pages to see if it pulls me in. If it doesn't, then I usually won't buy it, but if it came highly recommended, then sometimes I will buy it anyway.

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  4. This book definitely sounds like it's something I'd be interested in reading.

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  5. I'm not sure if I would keep on or not....but I am curious to know how it all turns out!

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  6. You had a lucky string of book wins --congrats.

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I appreciate your comments and thoughts...

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