Range Of Motion

by Elizabeth Berg

'I can tell you how it happened. It's easy to say how it happened. He walked past a building, and a huge chunk of ice fell off the roof, and it hit him in the head. This is Chaplinesque, right? People start to laugh when I tell them-'As Jay Berman lingers in a coma, his young wife, Lainey, is the only one who believes he will recover. While he lies motionless, she hopes to reach him by offering reminders of the ordinary life they shared - sweet-smelling flowers, his softly textured shirt, spices from their kitchen. And throughout her ordeal, Lainey is sustained by her relationship with two very special women, each of whom teaches her about the enduring bond of friendship and the genuine power of hope.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Book Club, Womens Fiction, Relationships, Romance

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Elizabeth Berg is an American novelist.
She was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and lived in Boston prior to her residence in Chicago. She studied English and Humanities at the University of Minnesota, but later ended up with a nursing degree. Her writing career started when she won an essay contest in Parents magazine. Since her debut novel in 1993, her novels have sold in large numbers and have received several awards and nominations, although some critics have tagged them as sentimental. She won the New England Book Awards in 1997.
The novels Durable Goods, Joy School, and True to Form form a trilogy about the 12-year-old Katie Nash, in part based on the author's own experience as a daughter in a military family. Her essay "The Pretend Knitter" appears in the anthology Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting, published by W. W. Norton & Company in November 2013.

Reviews

[Tanya Eby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so lucky that I get to narrate. I've always loved acting and writing, and this is the best of both worlds. And every once in a while, I get a chance to narrate a book that resonates in me, like a plucked string.

This is one of those books.

When I was sixteen, I tried to read "As I Lay Dying" by Faulkner and I couldn't figure out what the heck was going on, so I went outside, and sitting under a willow tree on a picnic table that sagged, I read that book out loud, using different accents. Suddenly, I got it. I mean, I GOT it. The characters jumped out to me. And I also got something else. I got that words, well-written words, are musical.

This book reminds me that words are both musical and magical.

I know this is an older book, so if you haven't read it, pick it up. It's a dramatic piece, but I think the themes of marriage, love, family and hope are so relatable. If you don't read it yourself, I'll hope you'll listen to the audio. I tried to stay true to Berg's characters, and I have to say that while reading it out loud, there were moments were I was just swept away..by the beauty and emotion and just, well, realness, I guess. I'm so honored that I was allowed to give her words voice. What a lovely story.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this 21 years ago. I liked it then; it was the first Elizabeth Berg novel I'd ever read, and turned me into a lifelong fan of hers. Reading it now, however... it was so much more. I just appreciated it so much more. I don't know if it's because I'm older and wiser, or a more discerning reader, or what the difference is but the entire book was just so much more beautiful and meaningful this time around.

[Cindy (BKind2Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very different from much of the women's fiction genre - there's no obsessing over fashion or weight, no moaning over lost loves - but it is still very much a women's fiction book. From the beginning, we see Lainey and her family dealing with the freak accident of her beloved husband, Jay. He was hit in the head by falling ice and now lays in a coma, a coma from which he may or may not recover. This is a quiet novel about the power of love and friendships. There are two friendships that pull Lainey through - one with her neighbor Alice and one with the ghost of the woman that lived in her house. They both help her work out her issues and see her through the difficulties of juggling her family and her feelings about her husband.

Quotes to remember:

You can't force miracles…You just need to stay out of the way for when they want to come.

I am saying all of this, all of this, all of these things are the telling songs of the wider life, and I am listening with gratitude, and I am listening for as long as I can and I am listening with all of my might.

[Kristie]

Well, this is going to be a dnf for me at 13%. I was reading it for a book club, but I'm just not interested in it. I'm finding myself bored, procrastinating picking it up, constantly checking how far I've progressed, and wanting to skim.

This is not the type of book I would normally enjoy due to the writing style. Basically you are in this woman's head and you go through the motions of her day and all her mundane thoughts. I understand that there is a market for this type of writing and many people love it, but it's just not my taste.

In fairness, it might not be a bad story in the end, I just can't engage with it to find out. There are times that I would have pushed through the book since it is so short, but it is taking forever to me to make progress and I'm not in the mood to do that right now.

[Carole P. Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about hope. I love Elizabeth Berg. It's like she climbs into people's homes and captures a slice of their life. She is able to write in such a way that you know these people and they remain in your life long after you close the book. Range of Motion is a book about hope. In a freak accident, Lainey's husband is comatose after an icicle falling on his head. (I had heard something like this actually happened inNew York) Visiting him daily, she brings life to the lifeless- filling the hospital and the naysayers with her hope. She believes in her husband, coaxing him and talking him back. There are subplots, and they are all well developed and realistic. She is the lynchpin holding it all together. I think Elizabeth Berg shows great Range of Emotion with her book!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful read-very soft, full of love and the sweetness of devotion. A truly lovely book. It made all of my senses brim over.

[Kaytee Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sasha knew I would love this one and ahe was right. it is such a beautiful reflection on love and life and friendship and loss and grief and joy. I borrowed it from the library but found myself really wanting to dog ear pages and underline quotes and read paragraphs again and again. Berg is a stunning writer and I'm looking forward to finding a few more of her books to dive into. thanks, Sasha!

[Antof9 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was just beautiful. I cried so hard, almost from the beginning, but oh, what a lovely love story this was. It's really interesting to think about how a huge accident or death affects everything, and our lives are divided by before the Event and after the event. I know I feel that way about my dad's death in 1998. Oddly enough, just a day or so ago, I posted in my blog about something my husband said to me. Unk was just walking out the door to see a movie with his brothers, and he said, "Hey. If anything ever happens to me. . ." (we have these conversations every once in a while, and I wondered where this one was going) "Well, you know, you've been travelling a lot, I've been travelling a lot, and I'm about to take another trip. . . Anyway, if anything ever happens to me, I want you to know. . . I've had a very happy life with you."

This is relevant because the whole book is about a man who was in a coma, and what his wife goes through during that time.

Two sections I'd like to quote, because they stood out:
Talking about the Forties

The women were home. They got to talk. I'm not sure it wasn't better. Think of it, the luxury of talking to another woman and feeling your three-year-old idly pressing his head into your stomach, instead of being fined for picking him up late at day care -- again.

Talking to a nurse who thinks talking to someone in a coma is a waste of time

'All right. I guess I understand what your wishes are.'
I stand. 'I intend to bring him home. Recovered.'
Nothing. Polite vacancy.
'If you don't think that's possible, I'd like you stay out of his room.'
'I'm the head nurse here, Mrs. Berman. I go into every patient's room, every day.'
'Well, don't talk to him,' I say. 'Don't touch him.'

I wanted to say YAY Lainey, when I read that :)

This book is just wonderful.

[Chana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very rarely "cheat" by looking ahead in a book, but I did with this one. I was only about an eighth through the story when I realized that the writing was too powerful and I was in the grip of a terrible grief. I needed to know what happened. Once I knew then I could adjust my reality to match the book and not suffer as much.
It is an amazing book about the strength of love, the beauty of love, the agony of sorrow and loss. I felt her pain on every page. And I was comforted by her friendships, her children, the supportive medical staff - as she was comforted. There is a world within the covers of this book. It is one of the most realistic feeling pieces of fiction that I have ever read.
Beautiful, brilliant.

[Cathryn Conroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, Elizabeth Berg's novels are typically literary comfort food. Not this one! While it's a good, tender story, it is shrouded in sadness—a deep, abiding kind of melancholy and desolation that just hangs over the novel and the reader. Read with caution depending on your mood!

Elaine Berman, known as Lainey to all her friends, is very happily married to Jay. They have two young daughters, Sarah and Amy. The family lives in one half of a duplex with a shared front porch. Lainey is best friends with Alice who lives next door with her husband, Ed, and son, Timothy. The novel opens with Jay lying in a coma in the hospital after he walked under a chunk of ice that had fallen off a roof and hit him in the head. He fell to the sidewalk and never got up. After a while, he is moved to a nursing home. The novel is Lainey's long and difficult path of caring for Jay and being a good mother to Sarah and Amy, all while navigating the terrible turn their lives have taken. Alice is Lainey's godsend. She cares for the girls so Lainey can visit Jay for long hours and spends much time letting Lainey cry and vent. But then Alice figures out a shocking secret about Ed—one that is heartbreaking and could end their marriage.

The novel is written in typical Elizabeth Berg style with wit and wisdom, but the subject matter is so tragic and the story drags out a bit (even though it's a very short novel) that I felt fully sucked into all the sadness and despondency. I was glad when it ended.

Do read the epigraphs both before you read the novel and again after. They are perfect.

Oh, and the ending? Well, I'm not giving that away. Put it this way. I cried. I won't tell you if they were tears of joy or sadness.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lainey and Jay have what appears to be a perfect marriage, until it all comes crashing down, literally! Jay left the house that morning for work and an ice cycle hanging over his head broke, rendering Jay immovable.
Lainey confides her fears that Jay may never come out of the coma to her dear friend and neighbor Alice, and it is their relationship that makes this book strong.

Alice is stable, predictable, someone to count on. She gladly watches Lainey's two young daughters as day after day Lainey visits Jay in the nursing home as he lies in a coma state. Gradually Lainey brings soft memories that might open his mind and heart to regain what they once had.

And, as Lainey shares her fears, and Alice outlines exactly why she believes her husband is cheating on her, the two laugh and cry.

This is very much what I've come to rely on regarding Berg's writing. There are soft images of difficult days handled the best one can possible know how to navigate. The love is real and solid, and the heartbreak of betrayal for Alice and uncertainty for Lainey create a very strong, unbreakable bond.

Thanks to my friend Diane Keenoy for bringing the books of Elizabeth Berg into my life!

[Mo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't decide if this book was more boring than stupid, or vice versa.

"Why don't they elect little children to Congress, I wonder? Why don't we let them run things? They have such fine imaginations. They are almost always in a good mood." - Range of Motion

The only reason I finished it was because it was only 142 pages long.

[Donna Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

another different subject ---- man in coma and his wife visits him daily, waiting for him to wake up. His thoughts are in here, in italics, as well. I found this quite intriguing.

[Atul Indurkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books i have enjoyed for a long time. True human emotions in a normal condition. Read this book you will remember it for a long time. Elizabeth bergs finest work. Definitely 4 star.

[Maureen Grigsby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would probably give this one a 3.5 stars. I liked the book, but not the ending.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little slow at first but then Berg’s little insights and reflections started popping up. Her honest view of humanity is amazing. I loved her defiant description of the main character as being a natural optimist: seeing the glass as not half full but “a fucking waterfall”.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't often give a book 5 stars but this one deserves it. I think that Elizabeth Berg's writing appeals to me because she is an observant down to earth writer. Yes, I do enjoy being entertained but I am looking for a certain authenticity, rich with human experience. I read a little about her and come to find out she worked as a nurse for 10 years. Many of her books touch upon themes that involves illness. Another thing I enjoy in her books is the nostalgia that she brings into her storylines. I am savoring her books slowly and so far most of them are 4 or 5 stars. At this moment in time I can safely say that she is my favorite author.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertainment Weekly's quote on the cover states that "you will read it straight through" and it was so true! I could not put this one down. Perhaps because it is a book without chapters, so maybe that made it easier haha. But truly, I think it was the reality of the prose - I love books that make the characters come alive simply by how real they sound. Not quite stream-of-consciousness, but written in the natural way conversations usually go - where there are tangents but you always come back to the point you started out to make. And it was such a wonderful story of female friendship. Very deep.

[Cecilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Range of Motion is a well written book that stands as a testament to the power of love and of female friendship. When Lainey’s husband is the victim of a freak accident that leaves him in a coma, she never wavers in her belief that he will recover. That belief, along with the constant support and devotion of her best friend Alice, carries her through this moving novel. My favorite part of the book was the lovely, stream-of-consciousness voice of her comatose husband. A must read for reader’s of women’s fiction.

[Weeziee Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing job!

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual type of book (contemporary setting, middle aged, white characters a little too much like me), but I enjoyed this one nonetheless. I enjoyed protagonist Lainey’s honesty about everything that comes across sometimes as shocking, like a sudden ice bath on a hot day. I especially liked Evie, ghost from the past, but this is neither a ghost story nor magic realism. Just read and appreciate all of the little things life serves up daily. I think that is the theme of this story, the essence of gratitude and how the little things are in fact everything.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

another good one by my favorite author. this was one of her earler works that i had missed. it has a lot worthwhile about it but it was a little slow moving for most of the book. my favorite line (tho not significant to the story) was: "you're the kind of person who gets happy if the leftovers fit exactly into the tupperware container". that sounded so much like me!

[Sarah5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving book of a husband who, after an accident is in a coma. The wife, and their children try to cope with this and carry on with their lives. A tale of family life and an emotional read at times.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4 stars!! So very good. I was hooked from page one!

[Rachel Kohlbrenner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quiet story of a moment of tough time in a woman’s life. Lots of beautiful life reflections of taking stock of yourself and the relationships in your life

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this, and most of Elizabeth Berg’s first books, long time ago. They’re all unique, deeply thoughtful and wonderful.

[Laura McGee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows a woman as she tries to navigate life after her husband has fallen into a coma (freak accident- some ice fell off a building onto his head). It is a book about belief, friendship, and all the little things that we do, eat, wear, and say that make up a life. Recommend!

[Donna Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up for beautiful writing. 🤓

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the audiobook! Tanya Eby is one of my favorite narrators and she was wonderful with this story about marriage, love, family and hope. Elizabeth Berg is a hit or miss author for me but she hit this one out of the ballpark. As my family is going through a small crisis right now, the theme of commitment struck a real chord. I would love for my son and his (ex) fiancée to read this and understand the level of heartbreak and commitment that couples must endure. This is definitely a good read and I look forward to reading more by Elizabeth Berg and listening to Tanya Eby.

Go Cards! L1C4!!

[Dani Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love Elizabeth Berg and have never read a book by her that I haven't absolutely fallen in love with the main character or at least been able to relate to them in some way. Most of her books have a main character who is a little girl named Katie but I was surprised to find out that this novel was different. It was a quick read about a wife whose husband is in a coma for a long long time. It is the story of her life without a husband after all of these years of being married. He falls into a coma after being hit in the hear with a piece of ice hanging from a building. This is such a random thing that could happen to anyone that no one ever thinks about having to deal with until it happens to you or a loved one.

Elizabeth Berg really has a way with words and also a way of making you feel like you are a part of the story that you're reading. As I read this book, I was in tears many times just imagining what it would be like to lose a loved one like this. I even think that it would be even worse if he was actually still alive and just unconscious. While he was in a coma, he was in a nursing home. My grandmother is in a nursing home right now and so many of the things were so similar, like the old lady with the baby doll and just talking to random people and random people's loved ones that are hanging around the home with you. I know these are things that happen to everyone and that a lot of people have been through but Berg has a way with words that just make it seem so real.

I would definintely recommend this book and all other books by Elizabeth Berg to anyone who likes a good but quick emotional read!