Rescue: A Novel

I do agree with others that this is definitely not her best book but it's an easy read and a true human story, all quite believable. I noticed some readers have complained that there are grammar mistakes and minor errors, however overall Ms Shreve is an excellent writer and if like me you are a prolific reader so have to keep to mostly books on offer, then definitely these flaws are minor. I enjoyed the book, it's an easy read,

I haven't read Anita Shreve's books in a while but this book seemed to be different flavor than the ones I had read in the past. There are at least 3 story plots in this book that meld together to tell the story of a single father, a questionable & sometimes missing mother and their teenage daughter. I felt that the father's story/profession overcame the story several times undermining my interest in the book a couple of times.

As a retired RN (and former Emergency Room nurse) there was a lot in this story that was just not believable. Perhaps someone not familiar with the ethics of medicine would find this book enjoyable but a lot of it just raised anger as I read. I did read it through but would not necessarily recommend this book.

Shreve has solidified herself, yet again, as my favorite author of all time. This one in particular held my fascination due to the EMT/medical details, the small town feel, and the marriage and parenting struggles. The writing captures everything so well, without telling and describing all or forcing it. She paints in my mind with her words. Please read this, if you like great writing, or have any interest in people, life, love, humanity.

I am a Shreve lover, and have read all her novels but A Change in Altitude--which I just purchased on Amazon. Shreve just died, so this is a good time to read all her novels. Rescue was the one I unfortunately liked least, but it 's still readable.

I have just "discovered" Anita Shreve and am so happy I did. Ms Shreve writes with depth and compassion and her characters resonant long after the book ends. She has become my new favorite author. I highly recommend this excellent book.

I always expect a good story from this author. The characters are real people facing problems in their lives and I feel their emotions and struggles as my own because they are so well drawn.

Unlike so many reviewers whose opinions I've read here on Amazon, I really liked this book. I found it to be very absorbing, and thus, a quick read. For whatever reason, it hit home for me and I was hooked from beginning to end. Since a number of other reviewers have actually summarized the story, I will not repeat that. I will only say that this is evidently a book that either appeals or does not. It is not all that unusual for we as humans to have and be haunted by our demons. It's how we handle those demons that defines us in life and sometimes afterward. With the three central characters in this book, Sheila's demons haunted and affected each of them, although Rowan was very small when her mother was driven out of her life. Sheila's absence profoundly affected both Webster and Rowan; Webster, in particular, because he felt responsible for it during the ensuing years, since it resulted from the rocky love/hate feelings which always attracted him like a magnet to Sheila. Rowan must have always known a big piece of her life was missing, even though Webster was a loving and attentive father.I have read a number of Anita Shreve's books. As with the others, I found this book to be very thought-provoking and it really haunted me for days after I finished it. It made an impact on me, and that is what I enjoy about a book when I've finished it. I can enjoy or relate to stories which leave me the minute I have turned the final page. This one, for me, is different. I loved the ending of this book because it portends a promise of a more positive and better future for these characters.

Webster, a young trainee paramedic, is called out one evening to help rescue a young woman from the car she has wrecked and, when he sees the victim, he finds her enticingly attractive with her glossy chestnut hair and her slender, long limbs. The young woman is called Sheila; she is unconscious, has been drinking heavily and is lucky to be alive. Sheila is rushed to hospital and this should be the end of the matter for Webster; however, he is very attracted to the beautiful young woman and, although he has been advised against contacting Sheila, he cannot resist visiting her. And so starts the love affair between a naïve young man and a woman who, although still young, already has a difficult and fairly tumultuous past life behind her, including a relationship with an abusive lover and a significant problem with alcohol. When Sheila falls pregnant shortly after she and Webster start seeing each other, Webster proposes marriage and Sheila, keen to settle with someone she can rely on, quickly accepts his offer. At first, the two of them appear to be happy and Sheila tries hard to reduce her alcohol intake; however after the birth of their daughter, Rowan, Sheila finds she needs a drink or two to help her to cope. And then one day, after drinking heavily, she gets into her car with Rowan in her child seat and drives off...(No spoilers here, we learn most of this early on in the novel and there is a lot more for prospective readers to discover).This was an entertaining read and, if you are interested in emergency medical procedures, you will find this a very interesting read also. I must admit that I could have done with a little less information about Webster's work and would have preferred Anita Shreve to have spent a little more time exploring her character's motivations, especially as I found Sheila an interesting protagonist and would have appreciated learning more about her and her problems; I would also have liked to have discovered more about what happened to her after her second accident - but I cannot explain further without revealing spoilers. That said, I found this compassionately told domestic drama an absorbing and interesting story, and although I would not regard it as one of Shreve's best, it is certainly worth a read.3 Stars.

I have read every Anita Shreve book. What originally drew me to her writing was the way in which she could make New England such a spell-binding place. Also Anita's characters were not only easy to imagine but they fitted into their environment.This book was a good read, and told a good but inevitable story; very typical, maybe unfair but I would imagine (not that I read the!), more Mills and Boon without the sex! Disappointingly it did not have the depth of her other novels, and certainly very little to give a good picture of the setting of the novel.Having said that I read it through over a long weekend!

A really good story, although very sad to learn more about the awful civil war in Greece.I think Victoria Hislop’s historical research is fantastic.

love all her books

Like other reviewers, I am also a Shreve fan, but was very disappointed at this shallow offering. I found the medical descriptions boring - they were probably correct but gave the impression that they were being added to 'show off' the author's research. It also included a lot of Americanisms. It wasn't a patch on previous books.

After about the getting about half way through this book I was tempted to give up on it because I was finding it extremely tedious but because I trusted her to get to the point in the end I continued. However when I did get to the end I still didn't really get it. I suppose I was expecting a more unusual story as is her normal style.

of love between two people for each other, despite their differences and the difficulties of sticking together through the not uncommon situations we can all come across. The writing is easy and uncomplicated. I loved it.

As above .....books by Anita Shreve always keep interest right through ...her style is refreshing,simple but intriguing,demanding uninturrupted reading and such a page turner!She deserves the highest star rating ......and can be referred absolutely to those who enjoy mystery,drama and all the varying human emotions ....which she is classically empowered to expose.

Interesting story line. Good characterisation. Worth a read. Just. As good as all her other books. Would recommend to other readers.

I am just so surprised that the same person wrote this book? Yes it was in places interesting, but it appeared to me that the wonderful description of events and feelings that so touch me with other books by Anita Shreve were very much missing, I can not think what happened?No worries perhaps the next book I have ready to start will have me hooked and restore my love of Anita Shreve's work.Debra.

I, too, have much enjoyed Anita Shreve's previous books. I enjoyed 'Rescue' well enough but found it all a bit one-paced. It is a simple tale, certainly well-told, but with only three main characters there is little plot development or much really to engage the reader.

Boring. RepetitiveNot nearly as good as others by the author. Wish I'd not bought it and struggled to get involved with storyline

Love her books. Some find them too sad, but i find her a beilliant , descriptive writer who draws you in to yer stories

Having read 'Testimony ' by Anita Shreve, I was disappointed by this book. The story line was poor, and full of American medical terms and abbreviations that did not make sense.

Good book