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    Jesus: A Pilgrimage
    Jesus: A Pilgrimage
    Jesus: A Pilgrimage
    Audiobook18 hours

    Jesus: A Pilgrimage

    Written by James Martin

    Narrated by James Martin

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. WINNER OF THE 2015 CATHOLIC PRESS ASSOCIATION BOOK AWARD.

    “James Martin’s riveting new meditation on Jesus is one of the best books I’ve read in years—on any subject.”  — Mary Karr, author of Lit

    James Martin, SJ, gifted storyteller and New York Times bestselling author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, brings the Gospels to life and invites believers and seekers alike to experience Jesus through Scripture, prayer, and travel.

    Father Martin ushers you into Jesus’ life and times and shows us how Jesus speaks to us today through combining fascinating insights of historical Jesus studies with profound spiritual insights about the Christ of faith, recreating the world of first-century Galilee and Judea.

    Martin also brings together the most up-to-date Scripture scholarship, wise spiritual reflections, and lighthearted stories about traveling through the Holy Land with a fellow (and funny) Jesuit, visiting important sites in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

    Stories about Jesus’ astonishing life and ministry—clever parables that upended everyone’s expectations, incredible healings that convinced even skeptics, nature miracles that dazzled the dumbstruck disciples—can seem far removed from our own daily lives but in Jesus you will come to know him as Father Martin knows him: Messiah and Savior, as well as friend and brother.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateMar 11, 2014
    ISBN9780062308955
    Author

    James Martin

    Rev. James Martin, SJ, is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America magazine, consultor to the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, and author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestsellers Jesus: A Pilgrimage, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and My Life with the Saints, which Publishers Weekly named one of the best books of 2006. Father Martin is a frequent commentator in the national and international media, having appeared on all the major networks, and in such diverse outlets as The Colbert Report, NPR's Fresh Air, the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.  Before entering the Jesuits in 1988 he graduated from the Wharton School of Business.

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    • 4/5
      This book is built upon a theme I generally eschew for being too predictable: friends getting together at a school reunion after not having seen each other for (in this case) six years, and then evincing fairly foreseeable reactions to one another. [On the other hand, I love the movie "Romy And Michele's High School Reunion," but (a) it's a satire; and (b) who can resist the combination of Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow and Janeane Garofalo?] Marisa de los Santos is also someone it is hard to resist: she is a writer who excels in chronicling changes over the course of relationships. Nevertheless, even while I love her writing, I didn?t love this book as much as her previous two.Pen (Penelope), Cat (Catalina) and Will (William) had met the first week of their first year at college, and became immediate soul mates. But after years of constant and close companionship, something happened to cause them not to see or contact each other since. Suddenly, Pen gets an email from Cat asking to meet her at their ten-year reunion, saying she needs her. Pen can't resist going; she has never stopped caring for her friends, and her life has been at loose ends ever since they parted.Pen is now a single mom, living with her daughter Augusta at her older brother Jamie?s house. Jamie agrees to watch Augusta, and Pen goes off to the reunion meet her fate, for she knows that?s what it will be.Discussion: I?m not so sure if making enigmatic much of what happened among the three friends was a useful plot device for de los Santos; I didn?t see any of the withheld information as significant enough to merit the mystery treatment. Rather, it seemed to me like a recipe for disappointment, because she was setting us up as if for something big that turned out to be rather mundane.On the positive side, de los Santos's writing is always a treat. The dialogue is clever and snappy (although sometimes so much so that the reader may be forgiven for suspecting that Pen, Cat, and Will traveled around with homunculi scriptwriters hidden in their pockets). The descriptive prose as well is vibrant and evocative, like this passage revealing Pen?s reaction to Augusta?s shimmery go-go girl outfit when Pen picks her up from a weekend with Augusta?s father:"Pen could imagine her before-kids self being utterly disapproving of this, the little girl in makeup and grown-up clothes thing, the pre-pre-pre-tween fascination with fabulousness. But seeing it in action, she found it didn?t bother her. Little girls were magpies and butterflies, gaga for everything shiny, in sheer, giggly, joyful love with transformation. Pen looked at Augusta, so at home in her body, so convinced of her own gorgeousness. Keep it up, honey, she thought. Hang on to it with both hands.?Evaluation: As you may perhaps agree after reading that passage quoted above, it's hard not to love Marisa de los Santos, even in her less stellar efforts.
    • 5/5
      Excellent! I will listen to this again and again!

      Starting now.

    • 5/5
      Loved, loved, loved it!
    • 5/5
      I have a new "Among My Favorites" authors, and it is Marisa de los Santos! Falling Together is a multi-layered story of love, loss and friendship that had me hooked from the first chapter, and the ending was anything but a foregone conclusion...guess one could say that about the middle of it too!!Three college freshmen meet the first week of school and wind up forging deep friendships that seem destined to last forever. But shortly after graduation they separate, with adamant declarations that they will not reconnect. Complete separation is infinitely better than shifting to occasional and shallow contact from separate parts of the country, at least according to Cat Ocampo. Six years later two of the three, Pen Calloway and Will Wadsworth, received a terse email from Cat, the third member of their circle of friendship. "I need you," was all she had to say, but she added, "I'm sorry for everything." Pen and Will return separately to the reunion, longing to renew their friendships, but not knowing how the others would respond. Pen is now a single mother of a 5 year old, living with her older brother, and working peripherally in the book industry but there is not much question about whether she will go to the reunion. Will is single and making a living as a children's author, and like Pen, is assaulted with memories of the friendship and the final parting. He knows he will go as well.It is a most unusual reunion, and in almost no time at all Pen is on her way around the world, along with her child and her friends, to solve a mystery and find a friend who sorely needs them. Along the way, the author fills in the back story of her exquisitely drawn characters. Flawed but charming people, even the obnoxious ones are redeemable in the author's capable hands. I highly recommend a good story, a sweet romance, and a tribute to the power of family and the importance of forgiveness, all wrapped up in one un-put-downable book! Check it out!
    • 3/5
      Cat, Pen and Will become instant friends after an incident happens during their freshman year and according to the book an instant family. Their connection to each other is rather difficult to understand as much as why they disappear from each other's lives for six years. This mystery is at the heart of the story and it is more about love than friendshipand the degrees of love; friendship, parents and children. Why does an individual stay within relationships when love is not there or why do we grief when a person leaves us?Pen, the romantic, states that "Love is an imperative" but love can either slip away or one can give themself over the the busines of loving a person who needs you. Cat's husband loved Cat with a true and open heart but that was not enough. Pen tells Cat's husband that no matter what happens, loving someone to the best of your ability is exactly the right thing to do. It's the only thing to do but it will not necessarily make the other person love you. This book awaken in me so many feelings that I was broke down in tears in the ending. This novel may not be for everyone but personally I related to the message of the book; people may leave but they are never truly gone. Don't give up on the book as it becomes more interesting and meaningful half way through the story.
    • 4/5
      Marisa de los Santos' books always hit a nerve with me. She turns a love story into a woven poem with words and characters that come alive. Falling Together follows the story of Pen, a mother and friend trying to make sense of past friendships and her life at 32. de los Santos adds the smallest intriguing details that pull you in until the last pages, in which everything finally fits together.
    • 4/5
      What a great book! It's about 3 college friends, Cat, Pen and Will. Pen and Will embark on a journey with Cat's husband to find her. It's truly more about the journey than the destination, with Marisa de los Santos' lovely, poetic writing and warm, familiar characters.
    • 1/5
      I was just notified that I won this book in a First Reads Giveaway. Update 10/17: I've received the book and will be reading it next. I will probably have a review up by the end of the week at latest. Update Oct. 28:As you can see it took me far longer than expected to get to this point, on page 265. The book isn't finished but I am. I'm done with trying to grapple with the long, convoluted nonsensical random rambling sentences. It took 11 days to read a measly two hundred and some pages, when I usually read a book a day. The simple act of trying to read, make sense of and follow this book is monstrous. I kept thinking, Why is this so much work?. Now there are books that are suppose to be challenging, that are suppose to be work and that are ultimately rewarding for such effort. That's not this book. There's nothing at the end of this rainbow to make reading this worth it. I hate pretty much everything about this book, except the package it came in. I mean the cover, the pages. The simple natural feeling and how well the book fit in my hand made me want to read a book packaged like this, but not this book.I don't care about what happens when they find Cat. I find Will and Pen's bumper-sticker conversation annoying enough, adding Cat back to make the original Trio may make me want to kill myself. Funnily enough, that's how another character described their conversations and the Original Trio are very aware of how annoying they are to other people. Yet we're suppose to like them, like their conversations and give a rat's ass about them reuniting? Fuck no. Are we suppose to want and long for this kind of relationship while feeling the sadness of their break up? I sure as hell didn't feel anything like that. Their relationship just comes off as toxic and unhealthy to me. I hate how Pen is stunted due to her dependence on people and her sheer determination to cling. I mean really? With her "cluck no"s, and her attitude of "you can't leave, you love me. If you leave that must mean you never loved me and I can't accept the fact that people change. Everything must stay the same" Pen seriously comes off like a 5 year old. Her child Augusta seems far more mature. Now, Will I liked. I just hated him with Pen and feel bad that he's falling in love with her for some incomprehensible reason. He lived and grew and became a better person when The Trio broke up. Cat did too. Cat realized how dependent, how stunted and stuck The Trio was to them individually. Pen failed to do so. While Jason came off as an immature frat boy jerk, I understood his hatred of The Trio. I have tried to make it through. I gave it almost two weeks. I can't do it. It's like the soap opera version of Will & Grace. It is the reason I have 7 books to read and review and have no desire to read. I think this book might have killed that compulsion to finish books now matter what. I'm fearful of the next book being like Falling Together. I'm going to take the day off from reading to readjust from this book and try delving into another book tomorrow. For example, starting on page fucking one, She [Pen] stood with her head tilted against the bookstore wall, her ears only half hearing a description of how to single-handedly lace oneself into a leather corset (?There's an implement involved,? she told Jaime later. ?There always is,? he said.), her eyes only half seeing the otherwise love store's horrible ceiling, paste-gray and pocked as the moon, while the weary rest of her began to fold itself up and give into it's own weight like a bat at dawn.Yesterday, Pen's daughter, Augusta, had come home from school with a late spring cold, and Pen had recognized, her heart sinking, that they were in for a rocky ride. Augusta's sleep, disordered in the best of circumstances, could be tipped over the edge and into chaos by any little thing. To make matters worse, it was her first illness since Pen had purged their apartment of children's cold medicine following newly issued, scarily worded warnings that it might be harmful to kids under the age of six. When Jamie had come home at 2:00 A.M., he had found Augusta cocooned in a quilt on the sofa, wide awake, coughing nosily but decorously into the crook of her arm the way she had been taught to do at school, and a pale, wild-haired Pen staring into the medicine cabinet like a woman staring into the abyss. I should have run away right here. Pen is just stupid for not using cough medicine. With two-hundred-sixty-four more pages written like this, it finally broke me. I read that much in broken tiny clumps of pages because it was so annoying, pointless and hard to follow. This on page 243, sums up how I feel about both Jason, Will and Pen, Pen said to Will, ?These seats are insane. I feel like a Poppin' Fresh roll, unpopped.??I fell like a jack-in-the-box,?said Will,?in the box.??Jesus freaking Christ, please tell me this isn't the way you guys always talk.?Jason, standing in the aisle next to Will: loud, looming, big as a barn, American flag T-shirt blazing. ?Or I might have to change me mind about changing my seat, when the black dude in the sleep mask gets off at Vancouver.?As Will and Pen looked over at him, the black dude on the other side of Augusta lifted his sleep mask, took a long look at Jason and told them, ?Lucky you.?Before that, Pen shows irony and lack of insight here on page 244 with Jason, ?Did not,? he [Jason] said.Listen to you, thought Pen, you are straight out of the clucking sandbox. Of course, Pen did get the ?clucking? thing from her mother and am guessing some of her other baggage comes from her as well. Moving forward 10 pages and a day or so later in the book, Pen and Will have a conversation regarding Jason, over Jason. When the pause in the conversation started to become unbearable, Will nudged Pen encouragingly. She ignored it. He nudged her again. She kicked him.?So. Uh. Jason,? said Will,? do you think she went to Cebu to be with Armando???Oh, Will,? Pen exclaimed, flinching. ? 'Be with him'? God. Could you not do better than that???Hey, it's not like you were asking.??Well, clearly, I should have.??And you would've phrased it how?? demanded Will. ?'Visit him'? 'Spend time with him'? Come on, we all know a euphemism when we hear it.??All I'm saying is-?began Pen, but Jason raised his hand.?Hello? I'm sitting right here,? he said.They both stared at him.Ten more pages and another day or so later in the book, I finally said Fuck this shit, it's not worth it.
    • 4/5
      "Falling Together" is about a trio of friends who meet in college and quickly become indivisible and exclusive in regards to others not in their triangle. Pen, Will and Cat finish each other's sentences, love and accept eachother's quirks, and become inexorably entwined into eachother's lives. When Cat falls in love with Jason, the triangle is fractured, and Cat abandons Will and Pen, as she believes she must to be with Jason. Subsequently, Will and Pen do not know how to continue in their relationship without Cat, and they too, ultimately end their relationship.Years later, when both Will and Pen receive contact from Cat requesting them to meet her at the Class Reunion, both struggle with their feelings of hopefulness and apprehension about being reunited as a trio. This novel is charming, heartwarming, and well-written, with Marisa de los Santos' wonderful style of prose and metaphor sprinkled throughout. This trademark style of breathtaking analogy is really the best part of the book, as her turns of phrase shuttle the reader into the scene in a multisensory way. There were times where I wanted to pluck the words from the page and save them in a jar to savor and re-read later. The story was however, a little long in the dialogue and short in the action. There were times when Will and Pen had overanalyzed their relationship with Cat to the point that I felt exhausted. I desperately wanted the story to move on, and when it did, I was happy to keep going. In general, though, I thought the story was good, the characters were solid and multifaceted, and the dialogue was quick, intelligent and hilarious. I was sorry to see the story end, as I wanted to remain friends with Pen and Willl. Perhaps they will return for another visit in another book?
    • 3/5
      My synopsis will be brief as the back of the book sums it up very well. Basically this is a story about friendship and family and all the ups and downs that go along with those relationships.I gave this one 3 stars because there are other readers out there who will thoroughly enjoy this book and I couldn?t give it less just because it wasn?t my cup of tea. Plus, I really thought I would be one of those people during the first half. I lost patience with it when I discovered that the mystery that had grabbed my attention from the start was sitting on the back burner. With that out of the way I also found that I wasn?t relating to the characters or their relationships. The familial relationships were relatable and realistic but I didn?t embrace the friendship that was central to the plot. When it comes to the mystery, I had figured it out and it had lost its importance by the time it was revealed. It?s not all negative. There are a few laugh out loud moments and heartwarming moments that most people can relate to. I will recommend this book as I do know a lot of readers who will love it.
    • 3/5
      After reading de los Santos' other books, I was excited to win this as an Early Review copy. I found this time though, that I had a hard time getting into it. Once I hit page 50 or so, I felt that it really picked up steam and I began to fall for the characters and get involved in their lives. It is a bit predictable, as most in this genre are, and it lost its tempo near the end, but all in all it's a decent read.
    • 4/5
      Lots of little plot holes and things that are not quite believable in this novel, but all in all a pleasant, quick read that includes travel, love, and mystery. The characters are often cliche and predictable, but the sweet story of young friendship maturing into love is what makes me glad to have read the book.
    • 2/5
      It had been six years since their friendship fell apart and each went their own way. So it was surprising when Cat's email arrived requesting Pen and Will to attend their college reunion. She said she would see them there, that she needed them and she was sorry. Reunited at the reunion, Pen and Will wait for Cat's arrival, which doesn't happen. They spend their time re-living their conversations, picking up some where they left off, going over the reasons for the break up and finally deciding to search for Cat. The book was mainly conversations, some important and some trivial. But very little else. And truth be told, I didn't care. The conversations were uninteresting. I took the book on a long drive for Thanksgiving, but preferred to listen to a book on my MP3 player. I started to read another book which captured my attention. I haven't returned to this book--I don't know if I ever will.
    • 4/5
      Pen, Cat, and Will were best friends all through college and after college. Until one of them decided things needed to change. It's now six years since that happened and the friends haven't spoken since. When one of them needs the others help, it leads eventually to their re-connection. One of the main mysteries that remains even at the end of the book is how these three people who were so different made a friendship last for so long. A friendship whose end left an indelible mark on all them. The other mystery that remains whether Pen is a reliable narrator. In general, this is a sweet funny novel about 30-something friends and relationships. Upon closer inspection though, there are more complex issues to think about. I wish Pen were a little less dramatic and over wrought. But if she wasn't I'm not sure other characters would care about her so much, which is a major plot driver. I also think that her emotions provide a lot of the more complex issues the book raises, so maybe she has to be that emotional.All in all, I'm left thinking about and critiquing the book a lot more than your run-of-the-mill chick-lit novel. Certainly worth a read, even if leaves you thinking about love, our relationships, leaving others behind and taking everyone with you. I would also highly recommend for a book group.
    • 5/5
      Will, Cat and Pen are the best of friends in college, secure in the fact that their threesome is perfect and complete. After graduation their lives begin to change and, largely due to Cat marrying a man Will and Pen don't like, the friendship ends. 10 years later Pen is struggling with single motherhood and the sudden death of her dad when she gets an urgent email from Cat requesting her presence at their 10 yr reunion. But when she and Will arrive they find Cat's belligerent and forlorn husband. What follows is a journey to find Cat and see if their friendship can be healed.As always, Marisa de los Santos comes through with beautiful, intense, real characters who you will care about desperately. The problems they wrestle with, Pen's aversion to change, Will's anger issues, and Cat's inability to find her place in the world all touch a chord and resonate. The adventure of the trip adds some spice to the story and the lush descriptions of the Philippines and the people they meet there made reading this book feel like taking a vacation. Falling Together is a heart-warming, feel-good story that will make you reexamine your closest relationships.
    • 3/5
      Three formerly inseparable friends at the heart of a novel? Great. Travels to the Philippines? Cool. This book? Boring.

      I would recommend this book if you have some time you need to waste, because it is just entertaining enough to get you through something like a plane ride, but no more. It has 3 spots that could have been the end, but the author dragged it on for a little more unnecessary drama. Throughout most of the book, discussion was about how much everyone missed this one character, but when we finally met her, she was completely one-dimensional and a huge disappointment. There were some good parts, but overall I wasn't moved.
    • 5/5
      Falling Together did not disappoint me. So far, I will give Ms. de los Santos kudos for telling stories that are believable. It is possibel and most likey has happenbed ot many people the reunion of someone who has been out of their lives so long but once they have reentered the picture life becomes "sweeter." Readers forget real people have problems they have to work through. People have to growup and realize what is important to them. This is the case of Will, Pen and Cat the reason for the story. The story also shows peopel can change and those who were once despised can become friends. Life is that way, the unexpected can lead to shifts soem good and others not so much. Interestingly, I found the guys in this story the characters I like the best: Jamie and Will but now that I think about it, I felt that way with de los Santos' "Belong to Me and Loved Walked In." I am sure if you are into psychoanaysis this means something but it simply means to me these characters were more likeable to me. If you are a person who want the story to grab you fromt he first word without the nuances, this may not be the book for you. If you can't let yourself believe in love that transcends time, this is may not be the book for you. If you want a story with real life issues, give "Falling Together" a chance.
    • 3/5
      Three close friends separate, for what seems like an odd reason (when it's finally revealed). Pen experiences a failed love affair, the birth of her daughter, and her father's death - all without the support of her best friends. Will becomes a children's author and Cat marries Jason, a buffoon she met in college. Six years after they last saw each other, Pen and Will receive an email from Cat, asking them to meet her at their class reunion. The event launches a journey for the characters as they come to terms with what happened in college and the six years since.The plot is so predictable that Pen becomes annoying in her refusal to see what's right in front of her. Cat's story is far-fetched and Will is likable enough but isn't given much to do in the story.Previous works by Marisa de los Santos contain more wit, better storylines, and less overly descriptive writing.
    • 4/5
      Pen and Will and Cat were inseperable in college, then they weren't friends at all. This is a story of friendship, of family, of love.
    • 4/5
      I love the way Marisa de los Santos puts language together. I'm constantly jotting down snippets from this book that I want to remember: "She didn't break him into syllables" (p. 97) or how a character describes herself as "criminally smitten" (p. 111). I was thrilled to get this book as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program and enjoyed it all the way through. I read slower and slower in order to savor the ending, but then oddly, was disappointed in HOW it ended. I can't say why without giving away what happens, but I suppose I should have paid more attention to the title.?
    • 4/5
      I read both of Marisa de los Santos previous books and LOVED them! I was very much looking forward to reading this one, although after I got into it I was not quite as charmed.... This story didn't seem to have as much substance as her others, and it took a LONG, long time to get to the point! I liked the characters very much. The triangle of exclusive friendship that was formed in college sounded so safe and satisfying, yet I didn't think the reason for their "friendship breakup" seemed very clear or relevant. Why would three people who cared so deeply about each other completely cease communication for six years????It took a long time for them to get down to the actual "search", and then once they found their beloved friend, she didn't even seem very happy to see them!!!Other than the story bringing Pen and Will together, finally, where they were meant to be all along, it seemed like a lot of dead ends. The characters themselves were likable and believable, the prose was lovely and I did enjoy reading it, but I just felt it could have been built on a stronger foundation. I do look forward however to other books as they are written. She is a gifted author!
    • 3/5
      Different style of writing than her first two books. I liked that the story had twists and kept you guessing. I would have liked a different ending, but to each his/her own! Still a good read!
    • 3/5
      I had heard nothing but good things about Ms. de los Santos' books so when I saw this one through LT ER, I requested it.While the book was good it wasn't really what I expected. I kept waiting for something to really happen during the course of the book and until the last 20 pages nothing really did. That's not saying that the plot wasn't moving forward , it was but at a very slow pace. I still wonder what it was about Cat that made Pen and Will feel that they couldn't be friends without her. For me that was never really resolved.
    • 4/5
      This is the second book that I have read by Marisa de los Santos. The first was her debut, Love Walked In. While I really enjoyed Love Walked In, I think her skills have grown even better with this, her third book! The book is about Will, Cat, and Pen. Three college friends who have not seen each other in quite some time after Cat decides that they can no longer be friends. When Will and Pen receive a message that Cat needs help, they rush to be with her.There are surprises along the way and the story is an enjoyable one. I love the way the the author puts words together and I kept re-reading passages and marking them throughout the book. There are so many neat descriptive phrases throughout. The characters are all likeable and fully developed. Without giving away the story, there were some parts that left me feeling a little off balance at the end, but that is what made the story good.Reader received an Advanced Readers edition from Library Thing Early Reviewers program.
    • 4/5
      Falling Together is a touching story about friendship, family, love, and the bonds that keep people together across physical distance and even after death. Above all, it is a story about love. Love wins, love lasts, as one character puts it "Love is an imperative." It also features wonderful, humorous dialogue that helps to paint the picture of people who have known each other forever, know all the others' stories and the in-jokes, and can follow each other's train of thought no matter what. It is one of the best books by an author previously unfamiliar to me that I have read in a long time.I received this book as a free ARC from the publisher.
    • 4/5
      I think I felt reversed with Marisa books. Love Walked In and Belong to me were good, but I really enjoyed Falling Together the most. I felt like I was a part of the story and was sad when the book ended because I wanted more time with the characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes her writing. This was a fairly quick read that captured my attention with the mystery of finding Cat.
    • 5/5
      Pen, Cat and Will all met in college and almost instantaneously became best friends. But, then, their friendship fell apart. Now, six years later, both Will and Pen receive a mysterious email from Cat asking them to come to their tenth year college reunion because she ?needs? them. Anxious, but eager to see Cat, they make the trip. Within moments of reuniting, Pen and Will resume their old friendship filled with warmth and conversation and something else which neither of them have yet acknowledged. But Cat is not at the reunion and instead her childish, somewhat hostile husband, Jason, confronts the two friends. Before they know it, both Pen and Will (with Jason in tow) find themselves on a search for their old friend, uncovering secrets, and discovering who they have become in the years between college and now.Marisa de los Santos creates characters that are warm, flawed, and oh so real. It is one reason why I have loved her books. Falling Together is no exception. Pen, still reeling from her father?s death and raising her daughter alone, holds onto the fantasy that she, Will and Cat will be able to recapture their old friendships. Will, now a children?s author, regrets having left Pen behind all those years ago. And Cat, perhaps the most mysterious of the characters, has plunged ahead with her life and found independence.The writing in this novel is witty and vivid. de los Santos was educated as a poet, and her prose often resonates with lyricism and beautiful description.The themes of friendship, love, and human connection are strong in the novel. Those readers who enjoyed the character interactions in de los Santos?s previous novels, will not be disappointed with the unspooling relationships in Falling Together. I found myself caught up in the lives of Pen and Will, Jason and Cat ? I wanted to see them find happiness and friendship. I really did not want to see their stories end.Marisa de los Santos has written a book full of heart and joy, and also laughter.Recommended to those readers who have enjoyed this author?s previous books, and for readers who love women?s fiction.
    • 4/5
      Loved the dialogue and relationship between the three main characters.
    • 2/5
      I LOVED the first two of Marisa's books -but this one totally fell flat to me.It took AGES to get into the story, and there was so so so so much hype (way too much) leading up to the great reason for the break-up of these three friends, it was a total let down once the reason was revealed. The book was way way way too long, and for the first 9/10 I was bored silly, but the last 15 pages reminded me of the "old" Marisa and why I like her books so much.This was the story of three friends: Pen, Will and Cat who were inseperable during their college years, but six years ago decided to disband their friendship (this part made no sense to me at all). Current Day: Will and Pen receive an email from Cat which begs for their help and hopes to see them at the upcoming reunion. Mystery and detective story ensues........
    • 4/5
      There were a few things about this novel I found a touch troubling. I think our author could have brought them together in a different way. The premise seemed a bit unrealistic. The friendship was believable but the way it ended wasn?t. I will never understand why people do what they do. Friends will be your friends as long as you allow them to be, they accept you, support you, and will tease the holy heck out of you. They are supposed to, it?s their job. To end a friendship because you can?t handle the truth is dumb. Plain and simple. The fact these three ended a great friendship because one wanted to be married and the other two couldn?t handle the fact that other feelings existed between them is idiotic. To bring them together to search for Cat with Cat?s sometimes-likeable husband was, for lack of a better word, odd. Made no sense to me, especially how they came together at the college reunion. And that?s where we began, not the greatest start.To steal a line from the novel, I have no idea why Pen though Cat ?hung the moon.? There was nothing redeeming in Cat that would make me travel halfway around the word to make sure she was okay. I found her to be mean, egotistical. She was a woman who would rip apart a friendship for her own selfish gain. And it wasn?t just the friendship that suffered, it was her marriage as well. There are things I absolutely agree with Julie about: Our disdain for Cat. What a ?beyotch.? The lack of any real conflict in the novel between Pen and Will that wasn?t forced. The journey that was sometimes a bit tedious, tiresome. The only thing that made the search bearable for me was Pen. As I told Julie, I heart Pen. She was one of the most authentic characters I have read in a long time. She was funny, smart. Flawed? Absolutely. Truth be told, I didn?t like her initially. Through the first few chapters, I thought she was a slightly pathetic, sanctimonious, needy woman who was wallowing in the bad choices she made. As I kept reading, I saw a transformation in her. I saw that she was someone who held steadfast to an idea of family, she didn?t want to let anyone go. She was a keeper and guarded what she had ferociously. I loved the connection she had with her brother, mom and daughter. I loved how vulnerable she was when discussing her father. I found most of her actions natural, real. I thought that Pen and Will had great chemistry together. It wasn?t rip your bodice type chemistry, it was I?m in love with my best friend type. I thought they fit together beautifully. In the final chapters, there is some forced tension between them. It seemed thrown in to add conflict to the novel. It was completely unnecessary. There are two reasons I enjoyed this novel as much as I did. The first is Pen. The second is about how family and togetherness this novel embodies. I come from a large Portuguese family. I have a brother and sister, but almost as many aunts, uncles and cousins as there are stars on a clear night. I love being part of something that is so big and wondrous. I love having a place where I belong, where everyone is loud and crazy and funny. It?s an incredible thing. This novel reminded me of that.The main difference I found in this novel from Ms. de los Santos? other novel is that where her first novels started strong and finished weak, this novel started weak and finished strong. I am a fan her work and recommend her novel Love Walked In as well.