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The Arrivals: A Novel
Unavailable
The Arrivals: A Novel
Unavailable
The Arrivals: A Novel
Audiobook9 hours

The Arrivals: A Novel

Written by Meg Mitchell Moore

Narrated by Leslie Bellair

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

It's early summer when Ginny and William's peaceful life in Vermont comes to an abrupt halt.

First, their daughter Lillian arrives, with her two children in tow, to escape her crumbling marriage. Next, their son Stephen and his pregnant wife Jane show up for a weekend visit, which extends indefinitely when Jane ends up on bed rest. When their youngest daughter Rachel appears, fleeing her difficult life in New York, Ginny and William find themselves consumed again by the chaos of parenthood - only this time around, their children are facing adult problems.

By summer's end, the family gains new ideas of loyalty and responsibility, exposing the challenges of surviving the modern family - and the old adage, once a parent, always a parent, has never rung so true.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 8, 2012
ISBN9781611134353
Unavailable
The Arrivals: A Novel
Author

Meg Mitchell Moore

Meg Mitchell Moore worked for several years as a journalist for a variety of publications before turning to fiction. She lives in the beautiful coastal town of Newburyport, Mass., with her husband and their three daughters. Summer Stage is her eighth novel.

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Reviews for The Arrivals

Rating: 3.710144985507246 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

69 ratings11 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this family life story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This story revolves around the return home of three adult children at the same time - one with children in tow and marital problems, one with a pregnant wife needing bed rest, and one with a badly broken heart and spirit. Their parents, William and Ginny, strive to accommodate the physical and emotional needs of all three as their once-peaceful home is stretched to the limit. Their interactions are realistic given the inevitable generational differences that we all experience as children and as parents; however, it has a predictable outcome and no memorable characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I couldn't wait for this book to come out since I heard the author speak about it before it was published.

    The Arrivals is a book about 3 generations of a family getting through the tough time and sharing the wonderful times. Ginny and William are not expecting to have their 3 grown children come home to stay with them. First their daughter Lillian shows up with her 2 children (but not her husband), then their son and his very pregnant wife unexpectedly come for a weekend (but stay longer), and their youngest, Rachel, with a broken heart, appears on their door step looking for help.

    This story had the potential to be cheesy but the author made the characters so believable and real. As in real life, families don't always get along and sometimes, adults get whiny and act immature. In the end, though, it's about family and love.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    from Lilac Wolf and StuffI'm going to gush. I think this would be classified as "chick lit" but I would call it "just a story" which is my favorite kind of story. Ginny and William have settled into their retired life together when their adult children return home with their children, pregnant spouses or just alone. The house is filled to busting and William and Ginny take turns being annoyed by it. I loved this, because that's how it usually goes in a relationship. It's a good way to support each other.Which leads to the other reason I adored this story. Each character is human, realistic. No one is all good or all bad, you WILL get annoyed with every character in this book. I find that more engaging than characters that are sweeter than a cupcake.And there were numerous plot points, or story lines. Some I sort of knew where they were going to end, but even then it was a fun ride with nothing truly known for sure until it ended. There is lots of sadness, anger and tons of hope.It also clearly paints a picture of what it's like when you want to be a parent, when you are waiting to become one, when you are one and when your kids are all grown. I think it was a brilliant way to play out not only a great story, but a sneaky way to play out a 30+ year timeline.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    THE ARRIVALS Meg Mitchell MoorePublished by Reagan Arthur Books/Little, Brown and CompanyThe Hachette Book GroupISBN 978-0-316-09771-0At the request of The Hachette Book Group, a HC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion. Synopsis: It's early summer when Ginny and William's peaceful life in Vermont comes to an abrupt halt. First, their daughter Lillian arrives, with her two children in tow, to escape her crumbling marriage. Next, their son Stephen and his pregnant wife Jane show up for a weekend visit, which extends indefinitely when Jane ends up on bed rest. When their youngest daughter Rachel appears, fleeing her difficult life in New York, Ginny and William find themselves consumed again by the chaos of parenthood - only this time around, their children are facing adult problems. By summer's end, the family gains new ideas of loyalty and responsibility, exposing the challenges of surviving the modern family - and the old adage, once a parent, always a parent, has never rung so true. My Thoughts and Opinion: Having recently started my own chapter of being an empty nester, I was quite interested in the premise of this book. And along that line, I definitely could relate to the parental characters in the novel. It was very easy for me to, what I call being "transported", into the story line and become part of this family. Which was quite surprising due to the fact that this was the debut novel by this author. There was a situation, where the patriarch character became so frustrated that he finally lost his patience, because his house had been so transformed into a mess. Another plight I could relate to. And how the parents attempted to treat their children as the adults that they were. Except these adult children, never took into consideration that they were giving their parents their responsibilities and problems instead of dealing with them as the adults they were. I felt that there were some family dynamics, and this is only my opinion, that did not resemble real life. The timeframe occurred over a few months, and during that time, it was never stated to the parents why their children appeared "back home". I enjoyed this book due to the story line of the novel, but also felt that it was predictable. No matter what the rating this book gets, like the synopsis states, "once a parent, always a parent". My Rating: 3
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Life in Burlington, Vt. seemed peaceful to retirees Wm and Ginny Owne. Then their eldest daughter, Lillian, informed them that she and her two children, ages three and an infant, were coming to their home and that she needed a break from her husband.Overnight, the tranquel home turned into a jumble of childrens clothes and toys, awkward moments when Lillian would nurse the aby and Lillian's temper changes. The situation became even more chaotic when the Owen's son, William and his seven month pregnant wife, Jane arrived unannounced for a weekend visit. After a trip to the hospital and the doctor's recommendation of bed rest for Jane, their stay became prolonged. Rooms changed, a pull out couch was activated and the house was suddenly crowded.The youngest child, Rachel, also has difficulties and called her parents for help.The Owen's family's personal journey through this turbulent time is interesting to read. The author adds humor and empathy that the parents share with the children as each child needs nourishment in different ways.The story is realistically told and the novel basks with literary flavor as we understand William and Ginny's realization that parents' responsibility to their children doesn't end when the children leave home and it is important for the children to have a safe place to go to when things are not going well.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a debut novel for Mrs. Moore and I for one, cannot wait to see what else she has in store. I enjoyed the interaction this family shared and how they all came home one by one. While we know why they are there, it is revealed to other members of the family slowly. All of the children are wrapped up in their own problems, but at the same time they are able to come to realize that supporting their siblings is important as well. Ginny and William (parents) take it all in stride. I cannot believe the amount of patience they showed. If I am remembering the story correctly, I read this awhile ago, I am not sure that they had any warning that their kids were coming - and they sure weren't expecting them to stay for the summer! Looking back on my own life though, there was a couple of times that I found myself back at my mom's for an extended stay of a month or two and we got along quite well. I hope that in the future I could extend that hospitality to my own kids (of course, they have to move out first!)I enjoyed this book, I do remember that - that it was an easy read - one that I looked forward to getting back into. I think it would be a good book for book clubs as there is lots of discussion material revolving around family relationships, troubles, and how to solve/deal with them.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A fun easy to read family story. Perfect for a quick summer read.This story addresses parenthood in different stages - the empty nesters who find their nest full again, the loss of a child, the trials and joy of pregnancy and first time parenthood, the strain young children can put on individuals and parents. I found a lot to relate to in the book.A good debut novel. I look forward to reading more by the author.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Funny and heartwarming in a comforting sort of way, The Arrivals explores what happens when a retired couple's children all come home to roost again.Ginny and William are living a quiet and contented retirement when, one by one, their adult children begin to arrive back home. First comes Lillian with 3 year old Olivia (asking endless questions) and infant Phillip, but her husband is nowhere to be seen and no one dares ask how long she and the children might be staying. Then Steven and his pregnant wife arrive for a weekend visit, until complications with the pregnancy lands ambitious, driven Jane in bed rest indefinately. Lastly Rachel shows up, physically and emotionally exhausted from trying and failing to make a life for herself in New York. As the summer wears on the household bulges with too many people and too many problems. Can Ginny and William keep it all together and get their children back on track?Meg Mitchell Moore gently probes at family relationships, how the change and mostly how they stay the same in this entertaining and sweet story. The characters are all likeable in their own way and I enjoyed how they revealed different sides as the stroy progressed. 3 year old Olivia, caught in the middle, will steal your heart as she tries to figure out what is going on and, in the end, shows everyone with startling clarity what is truly important in life. An enjoyable read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As parents we raise our children to adulthood and launch them into the world hoping that they have learned to stand on their own two feet and will be happy. And once we send them out into the world, we want them to come home to visit, briefly filling the empty nest with life and noise and chaos, before heading back into their own grown-up existence. But as children, when things aren't going well and it's all we can do to hold it together, we turn first to our parents, even after we are grown. In Meg Mitchell Moore's debut novel, empty nest parents welcome their children and grandchildren home only to discover that the children are struggling and intend to stay for a while. Going from two quiet older people to a house packed with 6 adults and 2 small children, life changes very quickly and Moore captures it in all its messy reality in this well-written and charmingly perceptive novel. First to come home to Ginny and William is oldest daughter Lillian. After discovering that her husband cheated on her, she packed her three year old daughter and new infant son into the car and headed home to her parents. To them and to the inquisitive Olivia, she's only said that she has come home for the summer for vacation, prefering to nurse her broken heart and to feed her anger in private but still within the comfort of her family circle. Next to descend on the home in Vermont is son Stephen and his very pregnant, workaholic wife Jane. Not wanting to be gone from home too long, they intend to only stay the weekend until Jane has a scare, is put on bed rest, and told to remain in Vermont at Ginny and William's, where Stephen will have to defend his desire to be a stay at home dad and Jane will be forced to scale back on her job even as she tries to head off a work crisis and to come to a better understanding of her mother-in-law all from the excruciatingly boring state of bedrest. Last to drift home the summer of the full house, is youngest daughter Rachel, the baby of the family who has lost her capacity for joy. She is on the verge of crumbling both emotionally and financially, not entirely knowing what she wants out of life but being too saddened and dissatisfied to think much into the future. With all these disparate people living in tight proximity, even if it is a very loving proximity, tensions simmer and erupt as each person's needs and habits rub up against the others. Moore has captured beautifully the mixed emotions of such a situation. She has drawn characters who are are completely true to life facing everyday sorts of challenges and yet they are never mundane or boring. Their struggles are universal and completely relatable. As they all face the life they've chosen, each character is lucky enough to be cared for and loved by the others, allowed room to breathe even if they occasionally irritate and annoy each other. Precisely what families are best at. Most of all, the summer of unexpectedly communal living allows each of the characters to grow, to come to an understanding or acceptance of his or her situation, and to decide where to go next. It allows them all to find contentment in the present and weather the bumps in the road as just what they are, merely bumps in the road of life. Moore has written a delightful, entertaining, and positive novel. She captures beautifully the tensions among a family where members really do love each other most of the time. The dynamics between parent and adult child are spot-on. And her ability to portray the mixed emotions of empty nesters who have happily welcomed grown children home only to find they miss their quiet and ordered life is fantastic. This is not so much a domestic drama as a skillful, accurate portrait of modern life.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this book - it was a very realistic portrait of a family.