What do you think?
Rate this book
A Job You Mostly Won't Know How to Do Lib/E
For young couple Taz and Marnie, their fixer-upper is the symbol of their new life together: a work in progress, the beginning of something grand, all the more so when they learn that a baby is on the way. But the blueprint for the perfect life eludes Taz when Marnie dies in childbirth, plummeting the taciturn carpenter headfirst into the new, strange world of fatherhood alone, a landscape of contradictions, of great joy and sorrow.
With a supporting cast as rich and compelling as the wild Montana landscape, the novel follows Taz's first two years as a father-a job no one can be fully prepared for.
With more than eleven books in over twenty years, including the classic Indian Creek Chronicles, Pete Fromm has become one of the West's best literary legends. A Job You Mostly Won't Know How to Do beautifully captures people who end up building a life that is both unexpected and brave.
With a supporting cast as rich and compelling as the wild Montana landscape, the novel follows Taz's first two years as a father-a job no one can be fully prepared for.
With more than eleven books in over twenty years, including the classic Indian Creek Chronicles, Pete Fromm has become one of the West's best literary legends. A Job You Mostly Won't Know How to Do beautifully captures people who end up building a life that is both unexpected and brave.
Audio CD
First published May 1, 2019
161 people are currently reading
2237 people want to read
About the author
Pete Fromm
30 books215 followersPete Fromm is a five time winner of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Literary Award for his novels IF NOT FOR THIS, AS COOL AS I AM and HOW ALL THIS STARTED, a story collection, DRY RAIN, and the memoir, INDIAN CREEK CHRONICLES. The film of AS COOL AS I AM, starring Claire Danes, James Marsden, and Sarah Bolger was released in 2013. He is the author of four other short story collections and has published over two hundred stories in magazines. He is on the faculty of Oregon’s Pacific University’s Low-Residency MFA Program, and lives in Montana with his family.
http://www.petefromm.com
http://www.petefromm.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
May 3, 2019
4.5
The first thing I thought of when I started reading this book was why haven’t I heard of Pete Fromm before now? This is one of those books that for me is hard to review without giving too much away, so I’m not going to focus on the plot, but rather how this book made me feel. Tragedy and grief is so hard to imagine if you haven’t experienced it in the same way as Taz, the main character, but the depth of it is so stunningly depicted here. The word heartbreaking is used pretty often , I think, when describing a sad story, but this ...my heart. I felt everything that the grief stricken, lost, Taz felt - the sadness, the loss, the moments of feeling that he couldn’t move, sleep, eat, the moments of joy looking at his beautiful baby girl Midge. It’s one of those stories where the emotions are so real . I know it sounds crazy , but I wanted to climb inside and go help this guy. That’s how real this character and these circumstances felt. Set in Montana with such beautiful descriptions, there’s a beautifully described location there which becomes a place at the heart of the story. But the heart of the story is the genuine love of family and friends who will do anything for you - no matter what - to save you, help you move to a place where you can see the light. At the end I thought why haven’t heard of this author and was thankful that I found him. While the ending was predictable, I wouldn’t have wanted it to end any other way. An achingly sad and beautiful story. I’ll definitely read more by Pete Fromm.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Counterpoint through Edelweiss.
The first thing I thought of when I started reading this book was why haven’t I heard of Pete Fromm before now? This is one of those books that for me is hard to review without giving too much away, so I’m not going to focus on the plot, but rather how this book made me feel. Tragedy and grief is so hard to imagine if you haven’t experienced it in the same way as Taz, the main character, but the depth of it is so stunningly depicted here. The word heartbreaking is used pretty often , I think, when describing a sad story, but this ...my heart. I felt everything that the grief stricken, lost, Taz felt - the sadness, the loss, the moments of feeling that he couldn’t move, sleep, eat, the moments of joy looking at his beautiful baby girl Midge. It’s one of those stories where the emotions are so real . I know it sounds crazy , but I wanted to climb inside and go help this guy. That’s how real this character and these circumstances felt. Set in Montana with such beautiful descriptions, there’s a beautifully described location there which becomes a place at the heart of the story. But the heart of the story is the genuine love of family and friends who will do anything for you - no matter what - to save you, help you move to a place where you can see the light. At the end I thought why haven’t heard of this author and was thankful that I found him. While the ending was predictable, I wouldn’t have wanted it to end any other way. An achingly sad and beautiful story. I’ll definitely read more by Pete Fromm.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Counterpoint through Edelweiss.
July 31, 2019
This story was distinctly beautiful. The character's were very real and empathetic, you cared deeply for them and their challenges. The story was evocative of discovering the purpose of life, which is of course, loving others. Great joy and sorrow await Taz in his the first two years of fatherhood. However, it isn't just a tale of being a father but a husband, with a deep connection to his spouse, his soul mate.
The story hearkens to some other great contemporary classics Taz discovers that a father's love for his child transpires all that he once believed important. He also endeavors to change behavior to realign his values, where those he loves come first. To say more would ruin the joy you will discover reading it.
After my first few chapters, I tore through the book, wanting to know what happened next. As I neared the end, I slowed down to savor the story, not wanting it to end. This demonstrates to me how the writing and the story impacts me. If he could have given me an extra fifty pages of "good stuff", I would have enjoyed it. This is not to say it was sparse, it was taut and reflective of the perception of a man. It often conveyed more than one level of meaning in a passage, not wasting the reader's time with insignificant detail.
Why didn't I hear of Pete Fromm sooner? He is a master at storytelling, he even has the credentials as a professor of literature (Pacific University’s Low-Residency MFA Program, ) to prove it! He has been the recipient of Pacific Northwest Booksellers Literary Award for five different books AND has published over two hundred short stories. I just discovered Pete Fromm but now that I have sampled his talent, I won't soon forget him!
This is a story well worth the time. It would also make a great gift for a loved one, who wants to be guaranteed a five star experience! I have no doubt that this author has been or will be approached for the movie rights. This is definitely something I would go see on the big screen.
The story hearkens to some other great contemporary classics Taz discovers that a father's love for his child transpires all that he once believed important. He also endeavors to change behavior to realign his values, where those he loves come first. To say more would ruin the joy you will discover reading it.
After my first few chapters, I tore through the book, wanting to know what happened next. As I neared the end, I slowed down to savor the story, not wanting it to end. This demonstrates to me how the writing and the story impacts me. If he could have given me an extra fifty pages of "good stuff", I would have enjoyed it. This is not to say it was sparse, it was taut and reflective of the perception of a man. It often conveyed more than one level of meaning in a passage, not wasting the reader's time with insignificant detail.
Why didn't I hear of Pete Fromm sooner? He is a master at storytelling, he even has the credentials as a professor of literature (Pacific University’s Low-Residency MFA Program, ) to prove it! He has been the recipient of Pacific Northwest Booksellers Literary Award for five different books AND has published over two hundred short stories. I just discovered Pete Fromm but now that I have sampled his talent, I won't soon forget him!
This is a story well worth the time. It would also make a great gift for a loved one, who wants to be guaranteed a five star experience! I have no doubt that this author has been or will be approached for the movie rights. This is definitely something I would go see on the big screen.
April 29, 2019
“A Job You Mostly Won’t Know How to Do”, by Pete Fromm, starts out about a young couple in love, Taz and Marnie, expecting their first baby, and renovating their home while also looking for work as contractors. And then tragedy strikes, and we have a story about Taz brining his new baby home from the hospital, alone.
Written with pathos AND wit, Fromm masterfully brings us into Taz’ new world. I was amazed at how fascinating the details of new parenthood were from this unique perspective. There are many books about the crushing sleepless days weeks and months of new parenthood, and many readers will have experienced it first-hand, but Taz’ point of view is specific to him, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
Readers will fall in love with all the characters here, particularly Taz’ best friend, Rudy (“Rude”) who brings a special kind of friendship to the tiny family. We should all have a “Rude” in our lives.
The story is simple, beautifully told, and the symbolism of restoring an old home and re-building a life isn’t particularly novel, but it all works so well together and elicited so many feelings, that I feel very good about giving this novel all the stars and recommending it to all!
Written with pathos AND wit, Fromm masterfully brings us into Taz’ new world. I was amazed at how fascinating the details of new parenthood were from this unique perspective. There are many books about the crushing sleepless days weeks and months of new parenthood, and many readers will have experienced it first-hand, but Taz’ point of view is specific to him, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
Readers will fall in love with all the characters here, particularly Taz’ best friend, Rudy (“Rude”) who brings a special kind of friendship to the tiny family. We should all have a “Rude” in our lives.
The story is simple, beautifully told, and the symbolism of restoring an old home and re-building a life isn’t particularly novel, but it all works so well together and elicited so many feelings, that I feel very good about giving this novel all the stars and recommending it to all!
April 13, 2023
Kas skaitė, turbūt pritars, jog tai knyga, kuri prilygsta atradimui. ❤️ Viena geriausių perskaitytų šiemet knygų apie netektį, susitaikymą, skausmą, tėvystę, vienatvę, ilgesį ir aišku, meilę... 🩷
Buvo taip jautru ir gilu, jog jaučiau virpuliukus ją skaitydama. Retai pasitaiko tokių knygų, kuriose tiek išjaustas, išreikštas netekties jausmas. Nepagrąžinant, nenuslepiant...
Buvo taip jautru ir gilu, jog jaučiau virpuliukus ją skaitydama. Retai pasitaiko tokių knygų, kuriose tiek išjaustas, išreikštas netekties jausmas. Nepagrąžinant, nenuslepiant...
June 4, 2022
"Ateitis - ten, kur link eini. To negali pakeisti."
Tai knygą apie mylimo žmogaus mirtį , o taip pat apie gimimą mažo stebuklo, kuris gyvenimą apverčia aukštyn kojomis, apie begalinį sielvartą. O taip pat apie ilgą ir lėtą grižimą į normalų gyvenimą. Tokia lėta, jautri, bet kartu ir graži knyga. 😉
Tai knygą apie mylimo žmogaus mirtį , o taip pat apie gimimą mažo stebuklo, kuris gyvenimą apverčia aukštyn kojomis, apie begalinį sielvartą. O taip pat apie ilgą ir lėtą grižimą į normalų gyvenimą. Tokia lėta, jautri, bet kartu ir graži knyga. 😉
November 6, 2021
Knygos viršelis mums žada, kad tai bus istorija apie patį svarbiausią gyvenimo darbą - tėvystę. Kas turi vaikų pritars, kad tai yra pats sunkiausias, bet tuo pačiu ir daugiausiai džiaugsmo bei meilės pripildantis darbas. Tačiau jei vaikelis pirmas ir tu su juo lieki vienas? Kaip užauginti tą mažą žmogutį, kai pats nori prasmegti kiauriai žemę?
Tazas ir Marnė – jauni, beprotiškai įsimylėję, kupini svajonių ir planų. Darbuojasi drauge meistraudami baldus ir remontuodami kitų namus, nors savajam namo remontui stinga laiko ir pinigų. Bet viskas nesvarbu, nes jie turi vienas kitą ir netrukus jų šeimą papildys mažas žmogutis. Viena lemtinga akimirka pakeičia jų gyvenimą ir visos svajonės sprogsta kaip balionai. Tazas lieka vienas naujame, visiškai nepažintame tėvystės pasaulyje.
Labai graži knyga apie mirtį ir gimimą, apie nepakeliamą sielvartą ir neatrastą džiaugsmą, apie stiprią meilę ir viltį bei lėtą gryžimą į normalų gyvenimą. Buvo vietų, kurios šiek tiek erzino, atrodė naivios, bet nepaisant to, tas lengvas, kasdieniškas rašymo stilius įtraukė ir nepaleido iki pabaigos.
Tazas ir Marnė – jauni, beprotiškai įsimylėję, kupini svajonių ir planų. Darbuojasi drauge meistraudami baldus ir remontuodami kitų namus, nors savajam namo remontui stinga laiko ir pinigų. Bet viskas nesvarbu, nes jie turi vienas kitą ir netrukus jų šeimą papildys mažas žmogutis. Viena lemtinga akimirka pakeičia jų gyvenimą ir visos svajonės sprogsta kaip balionai. Tazas lieka vienas naujame, visiškai nepažintame tėvystės pasaulyje.
Labai graži knyga apie mirtį ir gimimą, apie nepakeliamą sielvartą ir neatrastą džiaugsmą, apie stiprią meilę ir viltį bei lėtą gryžimą į normalų gyvenimą. Buvo vietų, kurios šiek tiek erzino, atrodė naivios, bet nepaisant to, tas lengvas, kasdieniškas rašymo stilius įtraukė ir nepaleido iki pabaigos.
May 23, 2023
Pati tema labai prasminga, patirta netektis, vaiko auginimas jos fone, kylantys sunkumai. Vis tik skaičiau labai lėtai. Iš pradžių galvojau, kad tiesiog istorija nekabina. Bet po to ėmiau pastebėti, kad tiesiog netekties tema skaudžiai kabina mane pačią. Į knygos pabaigą įsijaučiau daugiau. Lyg ir nieko ypatingo, bet užtat prasmingo.
March 28, 2019
Being a parent is a job you mostly won’t know how to do. Particularly if you’re in your twenties and have very little money and your future is a work in progress. And especially if you’re suddenly forced to do it alone and grieving.
That is the situation that Taz finds himself in when he suddenly is plunged head first into fatherhood upon the death of his wife (which occurs right near the book’s beginning). Heartbroken, exhausted, aimless and overwhelmed, Taz barely gets by — and gets by only because of his wife’s voice in his head and his baby girl. And then there is his group of quirky friends who won’t give up on him and the babysitter, Elmo, who one of them finds for Taz.
This is not a book where a lot happens. Life ebbs and flows and evolves, and the reader is submerged into a sea of undulating emotions mixed with the precise opposite -- a deadness of spirit. Through most of the novel, we are twinned with Taz, feeling him flounder and yet rooting for him all the same.
It’s a big-hearted novel and one that embraces the saying that “the only way to the other side is through.” For those with the strength and tenacity to get through, second chances abound. 4.5 stars.
That is the situation that Taz finds himself in when he suddenly is plunged head first into fatherhood upon the death of his wife (which occurs right near the book’s beginning). Heartbroken, exhausted, aimless and overwhelmed, Taz barely gets by — and gets by only because of his wife’s voice in his head and his baby girl. And then there is his group of quirky friends who won’t give up on him and the babysitter, Elmo, who one of them finds for Taz.
This is not a book where a lot happens. Life ebbs and flows and evolves, and the reader is submerged into a sea of undulating emotions mixed with the precise opposite -- a deadness of spirit. Through most of the novel, we are twinned with Taz, feeling him flounder and yet rooting for him all the same.
It’s a big-hearted novel and one that embraces the saying that “the only way to the other side is through.” For those with the strength and tenacity to get through, second chances abound. 4.5 stars.
June 16, 2019
A Job You Mostly Won’t Know How to Do is a story of how grief takes over one man’s life and plunges him into the depths of despair and hopelessness. Taz’s friends refuse to give up on him even when he cuts himself off from them and isolates himself. His friend Rudy is particularly supportive, standing by and supporting Taz throughout both the good days and the bad ones. The emotions that this book depicts run the full gamut and are portrayed in a very realistic and believable way, making you ache for what Taz is going through. While the ending was rather predictable, it was satisfying nevertheless; I wouldn’t have wanted this story to conclude any other way.
May 14, 2019
Taz and Melanie are a 20-something couple, partners in every sense of the word. Early on, Melanie dies of a rare pulmonary embolism while giving birth, so Taz is faced with the almost impossible task of single parenthood from day one. His friends rally round, helping him find day care worker, trying to transition him back into the routines of life. This quiet novel examines what it means to grieve, to love, and how to accept life when it seems most cruel.
November 3, 2019
Un joli roman au très beau titre en français sur l'épreuve du deuil et la vie après celui-ci. J'ai trouvé la traduction française très réussie. Les personnages secondaires sont particulièrement attachants (Lauren et, surtout, Rudy). Malgré le sujet sombre et difficile, le livre est agréable à lire et, en fin de compte, plutôt lumineux. Si la mort se fond dans le récit, c'est bien la vie qui l'emporte. La fin est toutefois assez prévisible.
March 27, 2023
Tazas ir Marnė, nors kartu pora jau ne vienerius metus, tačiau jie vis dar beprotiškai įsimylėję bei kupini bendrų svajonių ir planų. Poros idilę į kitą lygį perkelia vaikelio laukimas. Iki gimimo liko nebedaug laiko, tad vyksta intensyvūs pasiruošimo darbai. Tazas - stalius tad pats remontuoja namus. Likimas iškrečia žiaurų pokštą ir Tazas su tėvystės išbandymais lieka kovoti vienas.. Nemigo naktys, nauji rūpesčiai bei visiškai nepažįstamas pasaulis. Tai tik maža dalis to, su kuo susiduria Tazas.
Atsivertus bei pradėjus skaityti šią istoriją man knygos tema pasirodė tikrai įdomi. Autorius padėjo prisiminti ir pačios sūnelio laukimą, kuris atrodo buvo dar visai nesenai. Tad puikiai supratau Marnės ir Tazo patiriamus išgyvenimus bei aplankančius jausmus. Skaitant toliau, man šioje istorijoje pritrūko gylio. Galbūt būčiau norėjusi, jog autorius labiau pasigilintų bei atskleistų Tazo jausmus, o galbūt ir mažosios Midžės. Tad man ši istorija pasirodė truputį paviršutiniška. Ir vietomis skaitant buvo truputį nuobodoka, ypač apie Tazo remonto darbus.
Mano akimis istorija galėjo būti tikrai stipri, tačiau autorius jos neišpildė. Tad šį kūrinį vertinčiau kaip lengvą laisvalaikio skaitinį, nes didelių emocijų ši knyga man deja, tačiau nesukėlė.
Atsivertus bei pradėjus skaityti šią istoriją man knygos tema pasirodė tikrai įdomi. Autorius padėjo prisiminti ir pačios sūnelio laukimą, kuris atrodo buvo dar visai nesenai. Tad puikiai supratau Marnės ir Tazo patiriamus išgyvenimus bei aplankančius jausmus. Skaitant toliau, man šioje istorijoje pritrūko gylio. Galbūt būčiau norėjusi, jog autorius labiau pasigilintų bei atskleistų Tazo jausmus, o galbūt ir mažosios Midžės. Tad man ši istorija pasirodė truputį paviršutiniška. Ir vietomis skaitant buvo truputį nuobodoka, ypač apie Tazo remonto darbus.
Mano akimis istorija galėjo būti tikrai stipri, tačiau autorius jos neišpildė. Tad šį kūrinį vertinčiau kaip lengvą laisvalaikio skaitinį, nes didelių emocijų ši knyga man deja, tačiau nesukėlė.
August 24, 2021
Tazas ir Marnė jaučiasi pagaliau galintys džiaugtis savo gyvenimu. Neseniai įsigytas namas, ne visai planuotas, tačiau daug laimės teikiantis nėštumas. Ekstremalus jų gyvenimas nesustoja net ir laukiant vaikelio. Tačiau vaikelio atėjimas į šį pasaulį netikėtas ir tiek, kiek atneša džiaugsmo, tiek pat Tazo gyvenimui įneša ir skausmo, nes toliau gyventi jam tenka apsuptam gedulo, sielvarto ir naujų išsūkių bei pamokų kupiname pasaulyje.⠀
Širdį draskanti knyga, nenuneigsiu. Ačiū dievui, man niekada neteko patirti to, ką patyrė veikėjai šioje knygoje, tačiau matydama tokius atvejus aplinkoje lieku šoke ir puolu savęs klausinėti: kaip judėti toliau? Kaip nepamesti noro gyventi? Kaip nesusiriesti lovoje į kamuoliuką amžiams ir taip likti? Tai yra tragiška, tragiška situacija. Gali būti empatiškas, gali būti jautrus, bet niekada nesuprasi, kaip jaučiasi tokiame gyvenimo akligatvyje atsidūręs žmogus. Bent jau aš taip manau. Ir tai yra siaubinga, nes net ir norėdamas žmogų paguosti, vis tiek supranti, kad net nenumanai, kaip jis jaučiasi. Kokiame skausme jis gyvena. Tai yra neišmatuojama. ⠀
Tokiais atvejais gali tik būti šalia. To gali pakakti. Tiesiog būti, kad žmogus žinotų, jog yra petys, ant kurio gali išsiverkti. Kad yra žmogus, kuris dieną ar naktį iškviestas atsiras ir tau padės. Tokiomis akimirkomis Tazas nebuvo vienas - tam turėjo nuostabų draugą ir uošvienę, kurie stengėsi kaip tik išgalėjo. Nenoriu atskleisti daug siužeto, tačiau ši knyga tik patvirtino, kaip iš tiesų svarbu yra mums artimi žmonės. Ne tik tokius turėti. Ne tik paskambinus sulaukti tarpdury su maistu, bet ir patiems tokiems būti. Aš pati asmeniškai kartais jaučiuosi, lyg per mažai duočiau kitiems, tačiau kaip ir visi žmonės stengiuosi mokytis būti geresne. Žinoma, suprantu, kad tai yra viso gyvenimo darbas.
Jei ne skaudi tema, romanas tikrai lengvas, labai greitai verčiasi puslapiai. Bet aš spėjau prisirišti prie veikėjų, patikėjau jų skausmu, o kiekviena jų pergalė, nors ir mažiausia, privertė mane džiaugtis ir šypsotis. Tai knyga apie skausmą ir džiaugsmą viename. Apie gyvenimo pamokas, apie atsidavimą, apie kritimą žemyn ir tai, kaip galiausiai aplinkybės ir artimiausi žmonės tave pakelia ir priverčia eiti į priekį. Man knyga patiko, minčių nepalieka, nors po jos perskaičiau dar kelias knygas.
Susitikime instagrame:
www.instagram.com/gretabrigita.lt
Visas apžvalgas rasite čia:
www.gretabrigita.lt
Leidyklos dovana.
Širdį draskanti knyga, nenuneigsiu. Ačiū dievui, man niekada neteko patirti to, ką patyrė veikėjai šioje knygoje, tačiau matydama tokius atvejus aplinkoje lieku šoke ir puolu savęs klausinėti: kaip judėti toliau? Kaip nepamesti noro gyventi? Kaip nesusiriesti lovoje į kamuoliuką amžiams ir taip likti? Tai yra tragiška, tragiška situacija. Gali būti empatiškas, gali būti jautrus, bet niekada nesuprasi, kaip jaučiasi tokiame gyvenimo akligatvyje atsidūręs žmogus. Bent jau aš taip manau. Ir tai yra siaubinga, nes net ir norėdamas žmogų paguosti, vis tiek supranti, kad net nenumanai, kaip jis jaučiasi. Kokiame skausme jis gyvena. Tai yra neišmatuojama. ⠀
Tokiais atvejais gali tik būti šalia. To gali pakakti. Tiesiog būti, kad žmogus žinotų, jog yra petys, ant kurio gali išsiverkti. Kad yra žmogus, kuris dieną ar naktį iškviestas atsiras ir tau padės. Tokiomis akimirkomis Tazas nebuvo vienas - tam turėjo nuostabų draugą ir uošvienę, kurie stengėsi kaip tik išgalėjo. Nenoriu atskleisti daug siužeto, tačiau ši knyga tik patvirtino, kaip iš tiesų svarbu yra mums artimi žmonės. Ne tik tokius turėti. Ne tik paskambinus sulaukti tarpdury su maistu, bet ir patiems tokiems būti. Aš pati asmeniškai kartais jaučiuosi, lyg per mažai duočiau kitiems, tačiau kaip ir visi žmonės stengiuosi mokytis būti geresne. Žinoma, suprantu, kad tai yra viso gyvenimo darbas.
Jei ne skaudi tema, romanas tikrai lengvas, labai greitai verčiasi puslapiai. Bet aš spėjau prisirišti prie veikėjų, patikėjau jų skausmu, o kiekviena jų pergalė, nors ir mažiausia, privertė mane džiaugtis ir šypsotis. Tai knyga apie skausmą ir džiaugsmą viename. Apie gyvenimo pamokas, apie atsidavimą, apie kritimą žemyn ir tai, kaip galiausiai aplinkybės ir artimiausi žmonės tave pakelia ir priverčia eiti į priekį. Man knyga patiko, minčių nepalieka, nors po jos perskaičiau dar kelias knygas.
Susitikime instagrame:
www.instagram.com/gretabrigita.lt
Visas apžvalgas rasite čia:
www.gretabrigita.lt
Leidyklos dovana.
August 17, 2021
"– Būtent toks ir yra mūsų darbas – pasirūpinti, kad mus palikę už nugarų, jie žengtų tolyn."
Man visada smalsu patirti, kaipgi ta tėvystė atrodo vyro akimis. O ši knyga ne tik apie tėvystę, bet ir apie tai, ką reiškia būti vienišu tėčiu. Apie meilę ir sielvartą, apie apie gimimą ir mirtį, apie neviltį ir viltį.
Gimus vaikams, gyvenimas labai pasikeičia. Ir, laimei, kad mes negalime pasižiūrėti į ateitį ir pamatyti, kiek sunkumų mūsų laukia. Laikiau kumščius už tėtį su kūdikiu ant rankų, kad jam pavyktų atsitiesti, dirbti ir gyventi toliau. Istorija labai liūdna ir išties aitrinantį širdį, bet nėra slogi. Daug staliaus darbų, medžio, namų remonto, kas suteikė pasakojimui jaukumo ir vyriško santūrumo.
Įdomiai pasirodė vietoj skyrių surašytos dienos nuo kūdikio gimimo. O kalbant apie knygos veikėjus, man labai patiko Tazo draugas, malonybiniu vardu "Rudžiukas". Išties tokia draugystė tikra vertybė ir, kaip sakoma "tikrą draugą nelaimėje pažinsi". Taip pat ir Tazo uošvė pasirodė visai supratinga ir racionali.
Bet aš, nuo pat pradžių skaitydama, jau laukiau laimingos pabaigos, nes jei istorijos pradžia liūdna, tokia pabaiga atrodo mažų mažiausiai teisinga. Ar meilė vaikui, tėvystė gali išgydyti beviltiškiausią netekties skausmą, motyvuoti gyventi ir judėti pirmyn? Tai vienų tokių knygų, kurios nesinori analizuoti, narstyti ir interpretuoti, o tiesiog leistis nešamam autoriaus žodžių, emocijų ir minčių. Rekomenduoju ieškantiems lengvo, bet kartu ir jautraus kūrinio.
Daugiau knygų apžvalgų: www.profesionalimama.wordpress.com
Man visada smalsu patirti, kaipgi ta tėvystė atrodo vyro akimis. O ši knyga ne tik apie tėvystę, bet ir apie tai, ką reiškia būti vienišu tėčiu. Apie meilę ir sielvartą, apie apie gimimą ir mirtį, apie neviltį ir viltį.
Gimus vaikams, gyvenimas labai pasikeičia. Ir, laimei, kad mes negalime pasižiūrėti į ateitį ir pamatyti, kiek sunkumų mūsų laukia. Laikiau kumščius už tėtį su kūdikiu ant rankų, kad jam pavyktų atsitiesti, dirbti ir gyventi toliau. Istorija labai liūdna ir išties aitrinantį širdį, bet nėra slogi. Daug staliaus darbų, medžio, namų remonto, kas suteikė pasakojimui jaukumo ir vyriško santūrumo.
Įdomiai pasirodė vietoj skyrių surašytos dienos nuo kūdikio gimimo. O kalbant apie knygos veikėjus, man labai patiko Tazo draugas, malonybiniu vardu "Rudžiukas". Išties tokia draugystė tikra vertybė ir, kaip sakoma "tikrą draugą nelaimėje pažinsi". Taip pat ir Tazo uošvė pasirodė visai supratinga ir racionali.
Bet aš, nuo pat pradžių skaitydama, jau laukiau laimingos pabaigos, nes jei istorijos pradžia liūdna, tokia pabaiga atrodo mažų mažiausiai teisinga. Ar meilė vaikui, tėvystė gali išgydyti beviltiškiausią netekties skausmą, motyvuoti gyventi ir judėti pirmyn? Tai vienų tokių knygų, kurios nesinori analizuoti, narstyti ir interpretuoti, o tiesiog leistis nešamam autoriaus žodžių, emocijų ir minčių. Rekomenduoju ieškantiems lengvo, bet kartu ir jautraus kūrinio.
Daugiau knygų apžvalgų: www.profesionalimama.wordpress.com
April 6, 2022
je suis heureuse d’avoir pu retrouver la plume de pete fromm que je trouve si singulière et si douce. dans la lignée de "mon désir le plus ardent" qui avait été un véritable coup de cœur, je trouve que l’auteur a un véritable don pour décrire : la vie
September 17, 2019
Taz and Marnie are young and living on love. When a baby is on the way, they are ready to start their new lives as parents. The author takes us on a heartbreaking journey through grief when Taz has to live their dream without Marnie. The baby is the anchor that keeps him from floating away and an interesting cast of characters wraps around Taz as the story unfolds.
This was one of those books where I kept thinking of the characters after reading. The writing style was different, very relaxed and almost conversational but it worked for the story. I highly recommend! I will have to check out Fromm's other work.
This was one of those books where I kept thinking of the characters after reading. The writing style was different, very relaxed and almost conversational but it worked for the story. I highly recommend! I will have to check out Fromm's other work.
February 25, 2020
Who hurt Pete Fromm?? I thought If Not For This was his saddest novel I would read, turns out this one was equally as tragic. This is one of the books where you get hooked on the story from the very first pages (my favourite type of books). Very well-written. I was more interested in the first half about the relationship of a young father and his baby, rather than the second half about his relationship with someone else, going towards the end we could have predicted early on (also a few inaccuracies in the behavior of a 1 year old I think ?).
ps. this cover photo is so bad, I much prefer the french edition.
ps. this cover photo is so bad, I much prefer the french edition.
May 23, 2019
This book has tons of potential and some beautiful writing, but I was very disappointed in the ending. Did he really have to get with the 22 year old babysitter?? Really? That's the best the author could come up with?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2019
Absolutely darling !
December 11, 2019
Such an enjoyable book.
One that you can read in one sitting or in small bite sized pieces as time allows. The emotion was raw and real. Pete Fromm I look forward to reading more of your work!!!
One that you can read in one sitting or in small bite sized pieces as time allows. The emotion was raw and real. Pete Fromm I look forward to reading more of your work!!!
September 25, 2020
In the beginning of A Job You Mostly Won't Know How to Do, Marnie and Taz are a young couple working toward their dreams. They surprise their friends and family by actually getting married-no one else in their early twenties does that in Missoula Montana-and by buying an extreme fixer-upper. Then they are first in their circle to become pregnant.
Taz is a talented finish carpenter and cabinet maker who, when busy, has little time to work on their house. When not busy, he has little money to invest in the house. News of the baby makes the couple and best friend Rude-Rudy-gear up. By the time Marnie's water breaks, the three have finished the two bedrooms and the living room. No one stops to think that the kitchen and bath are fairly important with an infant in the house.
Their joy and love of each other has made this short introduction to Taz and Marnie fill you up. They are optimistic, brave, undefeatable. You are rooting for them. Their unorganized, crazy, young- Montana-kids lives will soon settle into that long slog to survive we Montanans consider normal. Their lives will be like yours would have been had you been lucky enough to be young once in Montana.
Then Marnie dies in childbirth.
This is not a spoiler. Her death begins the story. The job Taz mostly won't know how to do. Chapters were at first a countdown to birth. Now they are now numbered by the days since Marnie's death/Midge's birth.
Taz stumbles through the days and nights, first helped by Marnie's mom and Rude, then eventually on his own. The sleepless nights and crying baby daze is infinitely more complicated by his crippling grief. He hides in the house, avoiding going out for any reason. Caring for the baby is his only reason to keep going. It seems he can't complicate Midge's care with anything else. All he wants is sleep and Midge. He gets only Midge. They lie on the beautifully restored living room floor staring up at the ceiling fan for days at a time, Taz in that twilight state of wakefulness, determined not to wake Midge by moving a twitch.
Rude keeps track of Taz, delivering food and supplies like diapers and formula, making certain Taz eats sometimes. Even though he's broke, Taz won't answer the door or the phone when the contractor he works for tries to locate him for jobs. Taz hides out, bonding with all he has left of Marnie-the unfinished house and Midge.
Rude keeps trying to drag Taz back to life. He goes along on jobs with Taz and Midge, finally convincing Taz he needs a babysitter or he'll never be able to support himself. The babysitter turns out to make all the difference. Despite Taz's efforts to keep the world at more than arm's length, Mo the babysitter forces him to deal with real life.
Midge and Rude and Mo are the only reason Taz could survive the crushing pain of Marnie's loss. Unless you count Marnie. Marnie is so much a part of him, Taz has her voice and personality pulling him through the worst of his fog of loss. In a way, like everything else in their young lives, they are getting through her death together.
Pete Fromm created incredibly deep people in these characters. Their humor and pain is real, drawn out in their subtle actions, in their shorthand speech, in their reactions to Taz's pitiful obliviousness. Fromm gave Taz such a close mental connection with Marnie that Taz doesn't remember how to relate to others. Fromm allows Marnie to step in to whisper a hint to point out where he's gone astray.
With Midge's character and actions, Fromm also pulls Taz back into society whether or not he is willing. Every event, be it a birthday/deathday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, becomes another milestone reached and overcome. Taz isn't aware, but he is succeeding. He is a father. He is a breadwinner. He is a survivor. He is ready to get past the pain and live again.
I'm not really sure if the author ever really says the town is Missoula. But I know it is. I live 30 miles up Highway 93. I've seen those big beautiful homes on Blue Mountain where Taz and Midge installed doors and cabinetry. I remember the smoke and the fires that summer when Midge was born. I even suspect I know the bar where the guys met Mo, known in the book as the Club. I know most of the route Taz takes to bring Midge to the secret swimming hole he and Marnie loved, where he basically baptizes Midge in her mother's ashes. I know many young carpenters who live lives large before real life it closes in. It closed in on Taz as hard as it gets.
It doesn't take having a close personal connection to the location for a reader to be drawn into the story, the lives of these characters, the awful loss and rebuilding. Fromm uses the place, the circumstances, the voices, the language and the crushing wheel of life's dramas to allow this group of young people to discover life goes on if you can just keep putting one foot in front of another. There will be a future.
It's no coincidence that Fromm gave Taz the job of a finish carpenter. They are the most painstaking, most particular, most OCD perfectionists in the building profession. Taz will rebuild a beautiful life.
Read Pete Fromm's A Job You Mostly Won't Know How to Do, to see how Fromm gets Taz from his lowest depths to a new place altogether-with Marnie whispering all along the way. It has been 24 hours now since I finished the book. I still feel a hollow spot in my heart even though I know I don't have to worry about Taz anymore. He and Midge will be okay.
I guess I'm remembering falling asleep while nursing my son, my first, and startling awake, terrified that I had dropped him. It's that same helpless fear and lack of faith in self that rode Taz all through the book. Taz will live with me for a few more days until I remember that both my kids survived my mothering skills. Midge and Taz had better backup than I did, their own little village.
Thank God I wasn't alone. And my husband had at least changed diapers!
KL.
Taz is a talented finish carpenter and cabinet maker who, when busy, has little time to work on their house. When not busy, he has little money to invest in the house. News of the baby makes the couple and best friend Rude-Rudy-gear up. By the time Marnie's water breaks, the three have finished the two bedrooms and the living room. No one stops to think that the kitchen and bath are fairly important with an infant in the house.
Their joy and love of each other has made this short introduction to Taz and Marnie fill you up. They are optimistic, brave, undefeatable. You are rooting for them. Their unorganized, crazy, young- Montana-kids lives will soon settle into that long slog to survive we Montanans consider normal. Their lives will be like yours would have been had you been lucky enough to be young once in Montana.
Then Marnie dies in childbirth.
This is not a spoiler. Her death begins the story. The job Taz mostly won't know how to do. Chapters were at first a countdown to birth. Now they are now numbered by the days since Marnie's death/Midge's birth.
Taz stumbles through the days and nights, first helped by Marnie's mom and Rude, then eventually on his own. The sleepless nights and crying baby daze is infinitely more complicated by his crippling grief. He hides in the house, avoiding going out for any reason. Caring for the baby is his only reason to keep going. It seems he can't complicate Midge's care with anything else. All he wants is sleep and Midge. He gets only Midge. They lie on the beautifully restored living room floor staring up at the ceiling fan for days at a time, Taz in that twilight state of wakefulness, determined not to wake Midge by moving a twitch.
Rude keeps track of Taz, delivering food and supplies like diapers and formula, making certain Taz eats sometimes. Even though he's broke, Taz won't answer the door or the phone when the contractor he works for tries to locate him for jobs. Taz hides out, bonding with all he has left of Marnie-the unfinished house and Midge.
Rude keeps trying to drag Taz back to life. He goes along on jobs with Taz and Midge, finally convincing Taz he needs a babysitter or he'll never be able to support himself. The babysitter turns out to make all the difference. Despite Taz's efforts to keep the world at more than arm's length, Mo the babysitter forces him to deal with real life.
Midge and Rude and Mo are the only reason Taz could survive the crushing pain of Marnie's loss. Unless you count Marnie. Marnie is so much a part of him, Taz has her voice and personality pulling him through the worst of his fog of loss. In a way, like everything else in their young lives, they are getting through her death together.
Pete Fromm created incredibly deep people in these characters. Their humor and pain is real, drawn out in their subtle actions, in their shorthand speech, in their reactions to Taz's pitiful obliviousness. Fromm gave Taz such a close mental connection with Marnie that Taz doesn't remember how to relate to others. Fromm allows Marnie to step in to whisper a hint to point out where he's gone astray.
With Midge's character and actions, Fromm also pulls Taz back into society whether or not he is willing. Every event, be it a birthday/deathday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, becomes another milestone reached and overcome. Taz isn't aware, but he is succeeding. He is a father. He is a breadwinner. He is a survivor. He is ready to get past the pain and live again.
I'm not really sure if the author ever really says the town is Missoula. But I know it is. I live 30 miles up Highway 93. I've seen those big beautiful homes on Blue Mountain where Taz and Midge installed doors and cabinetry. I remember the smoke and the fires that summer when Midge was born. I even suspect I know the bar where the guys met Mo, known in the book as the Club. I know most of the route Taz takes to bring Midge to the secret swimming hole he and Marnie loved, where he basically baptizes Midge in her mother's ashes. I know many young carpenters who live lives large before real life it closes in. It closed in on Taz as hard as it gets.
It doesn't take having a close personal connection to the location for a reader to be drawn into the story, the lives of these characters, the awful loss and rebuilding. Fromm uses the place, the circumstances, the voices, the language and the crushing wheel of life's dramas to allow this group of young people to discover life goes on if you can just keep putting one foot in front of another. There will be a future.
It's no coincidence that Fromm gave Taz the job of a finish carpenter. They are the most painstaking, most particular, most OCD perfectionists in the building profession. Taz will rebuild a beautiful life.
Read Pete Fromm's A Job You Mostly Won't Know How to Do, to see how Fromm gets Taz from his lowest depths to a new place altogether-with Marnie whispering all along the way. It has been 24 hours now since I finished the book. I still feel a hollow spot in my heart even though I know I don't have to worry about Taz anymore. He and Midge will be okay.
I guess I'm remembering falling asleep while nursing my son, my first, and startling awake, terrified that I had dropped him. It's that same helpless fear and lack of faith in self that rode Taz all through the book. Taz will live with me for a few more days until I remember that both my kids survived my mothering skills. Midge and Taz had better backup than I did, their own little village.
Thank God I wasn't alone. And my husband had at least changed diapers!
KL.
August 31, 2021
Comme toujours Pete Fromm excelle dans son ecrit... rien de larmoyant juste l'état d'âme et d'esprit d'un jeune père devenu veuf trop vite et de façon trop brutale... que j'aime cet auteur... il sait écrire sans tomber dans les clichés... de petites phrases chocs mais qui font sens et échos...
July 23, 2023
L'impression que Pete Fromm décrit ou écrit... la vie.
September 30, 2019
Taz et Manie vivent dans une petite ville du Montana. Ils achètent une maison, véritable ruine, seuls les murs tiennent debout, c’est le chantier d’une vie : tout est à y reconstruire. C’est avec de très maigres économies, le travail de Taz comme menuisier et les commandes aléatoires, qu’ils se lancent à corps perdu dans cette rénovation. Quand Marnie annonce qu’elle est enceinte, les priorités s’accélèrent : il faut construire une nursery, finaliser la cuisine, créer une salle de bains. Manie meurt d’une embolie pulmonaire en donnant la vie à Midge ( « le moucheron » traduction de l’anglais), leur fille, « une créature infime mais indispensable, le maillon essentiel ». C’est le commencement d’une vie en chantier, d’une blessure béante, d’une petite fille bien vivante, et d’un père qui tente de garder la tête hors de l’eau.
Quand les aléas de la vie frappent, le chantier d’une vie devient la vie en chantier. Le parallèle entre cette maison à construire et cette vie a reconstruire est l’essence même de ce roman. On entre par la petite porte dans l’intimité de ce couple, solide, amoureux alors qu’il s’attaque à un chantier colossal. Le bonheur parfois s’enraye et la vie se charge de métamorphoser un avenir radieux en cauchemar. Ce roman est construit de façon chronologique : un prologue, J-2 mois,…. et continue, zéro, pour nous amener au jour 1, le jour du décès de Manie et la naissance de Midge. Ne pensez pas que ce roman soit larmoyant ni que Pete Fromm surfe sur la vague de la tragédie emphatique en décrivant avec force superlatifs un décès annoncé dans la 4e de couverture : le décès est évoqué en 14 lignes. Quatorze lignes pour suggérer, plus que pour dire. Quatorze lignes pour mettre son héros Taz en situation d’être père.
Évidemment, ce récit a pour thème principal la perte d’un être cher et la découverte de la paternité d’un parent solo. Une plongée dans un lac sans savoir nager. Mais c’est surtout, l’obligation de devoir se construire un monde intérieur pour ne pas sombrer. La perte d’identité générée par la perte de l’autre exulte pendant que les mains de Taz construisent un monde extérieur, bien concret, celui-là, une maison dans laquelle il manquera une pièce centrale, celle du binôme qu’il formait avec Manie. Par la construction matérielle, Pete Fromm met en abîme la reconstruction de soi en évitant l’écueil du genre, l’emphase attendue liée à la perte. Son écriture est sobre, délicate, pudique et pas dénuée d’humour malgré la gravité de la situation. La douleur peut s’exprimer de bien des manières et nous ne sommes pas égaux dans la façon de la gérer. Pete Fromm nous apprend à lire dans les silences, la pudeur des mots, et la nature. On trouve d’ailleurs dans le bureau de l’auteur, 2 portraits : celui d’Ernest Hemingway qui lui rappelle d’aller droit au but, de faire simple et celui de Mark Twain qui lui rappelle d’avoir de l’humour. Vous allez vous surprendre à sourire, et même à rire tant certains dialogues sont savoureux. Au vu du sujet, ce n’était pas gagné…
Si le personnage principal de ce texte est une maison, le second est la nature. L’histoire se déroule sur la Blackfoot river, au cœur du Montana, temple d’une nature préservée, secrète, où l’auteur nous fait découvrir les différentes odeurs d’essence de bois et nous sensibilise aux changements des saisons par de troublantes descriptions sensorielles. Cette nature offre à Pete Fromm un formidable terrain de jeu pour associer les émotions de Taz aux changements saisonniers. Comme la rivière qui peut être à la fois paisible et tumultueuse, translucide et trouble, Taz vivant au cœur de ce paradis qu’il affectionne tant va pouvoir l’utiliser pour communier, communiquer et tisser des liens avec sa fille. Je vous laisse découvrir leur endroit secret, le seul où il ose parler à Midge de sa mère, le seul où il se livre sans fard.
Enfin, je termine par les personnages, car ce roman est aussi un formidable prétexte pour développer la thématique de la fraternité. Les personnages secondaires tels que Rudy, Elmo ou Lauren mettent en exergue cette bienveillance, cette bonté, cette solidarité gratuite qui manquent tant dans notre univers quotidien. Par le truchement des mots, des silences, des sous-entendus, Pete Fromm apporte le réconfort à Taz sans verser dans la plainte. La solitude est un mode de fonctionnement et il démontre superbement combien on est finalement moins seul qu’on le croit.
Être père ne se transmet pas. Être père s’apprend. À coup d’erreurs, à coup d’échecs, à coups de petites victoires sur le quotidien. Le lecteur silencieux est posé comme témoin privilégié de cette intimité, spectateur de la construction d’un lien au milieu d’un champ de ruine, au sens propre comme au sens figuré.
Je vous recommande chaudement la lecture de ce roman qui vous emportera, pour quelques heures, hors du temps.
Quand les aléas de la vie frappent, le chantier d’une vie devient la vie en chantier. Le parallèle entre cette maison à construire et cette vie a reconstruire est l’essence même de ce roman. On entre par la petite porte dans l’intimité de ce couple, solide, amoureux alors qu’il s’attaque à un chantier colossal. Le bonheur parfois s’enraye et la vie se charge de métamorphoser un avenir radieux en cauchemar. Ce roman est construit de façon chronologique : un prologue, J-2 mois,…. et continue, zéro, pour nous amener au jour 1, le jour du décès de Manie et la naissance de Midge. Ne pensez pas que ce roman soit larmoyant ni que Pete Fromm surfe sur la vague de la tragédie emphatique en décrivant avec force superlatifs un décès annoncé dans la 4e de couverture : le décès est évoqué en 14 lignes. Quatorze lignes pour suggérer, plus que pour dire. Quatorze lignes pour mettre son héros Taz en situation d’être père.
Évidemment, ce récit a pour thème principal la perte d’un être cher et la découverte de la paternité d’un parent solo. Une plongée dans un lac sans savoir nager. Mais c’est surtout, l’obligation de devoir se construire un monde intérieur pour ne pas sombrer. La perte d’identité générée par la perte de l’autre exulte pendant que les mains de Taz construisent un monde extérieur, bien concret, celui-là, une maison dans laquelle il manquera une pièce centrale, celle du binôme qu’il formait avec Manie. Par la construction matérielle, Pete Fromm met en abîme la reconstruction de soi en évitant l’écueil du genre, l’emphase attendue liée à la perte. Son écriture est sobre, délicate, pudique et pas dénuée d’humour malgré la gravité de la situation. La douleur peut s’exprimer de bien des manières et nous ne sommes pas égaux dans la façon de la gérer. Pete Fromm nous apprend à lire dans les silences, la pudeur des mots, et la nature. On trouve d’ailleurs dans le bureau de l’auteur, 2 portraits : celui d’Ernest Hemingway qui lui rappelle d’aller droit au but, de faire simple et celui de Mark Twain qui lui rappelle d’avoir de l’humour. Vous allez vous surprendre à sourire, et même à rire tant certains dialogues sont savoureux. Au vu du sujet, ce n’était pas gagné…
Si le personnage principal de ce texte est une maison, le second est la nature. L’histoire se déroule sur la Blackfoot river, au cœur du Montana, temple d’une nature préservée, secrète, où l’auteur nous fait découvrir les différentes odeurs d’essence de bois et nous sensibilise aux changements des saisons par de troublantes descriptions sensorielles. Cette nature offre à Pete Fromm un formidable terrain de jeu pour associer les émotions de Taz aux changements saisonniers. Comme la rivière qui peut être à la fois paisible et tumultueuse, translucide et trouble, Taz vivant au cœur de ce paradis qu’il affectionne tant va pouvoir l’utiliser pour communier, communiquer et tisser des liens avec sa fille. Je vous laisse découvrir leur endroit secret, le seul où il ose parler à Midge de sa mère, le seul où il se livre sans fard.
Enfin, je termine par les personnages, car ce roman est aussi un formidable prétexte pour développer la thématique de la fraternité. Les personnages secondaires tels que Rudy, Elmo ou Lauren mettent en exergue cette bienveillance, cette bonté, cette solidarité gratuite qui manquent tant dans notre univers quotidien. Par le truchement des mots, des silences, des sous-entendus, Pete Fromm apporte le réconfort à Taz sans verser dans la plainte. La solitude est un mode de fonctionnement et il démontre superbement combien on est finalement moins seul qu’on le croit.
Être père ne se transmet pas. Être père s’apprend. À coup d’erreurs, à coup d’échecs, à coups de petites victoires sur le quotidien. Le lecteur silencieux est posé comme témoin privilégié de cette intimité, spectateur de la construction d’un lien au milieu d’un champ de ruine, au sens propre comme au sens figuré.
Je vous recommande chaudement la lecture de ce roman qui vous emportera, pour quelques heures, hors du temps.
July 8, 2025
pas fou
January 18, 2022
Magnifique.
Taz et Marnie ont tout pour être heureux: ils sont jeunes, amoureux, et doivent retaper une maison qu’ils viennent d’acheter. Pour couronner le tout, ils vont accueillir leur premier enfant. Bref, aucune ombre au tableau. Et pourtant, leur vie bascule le jour de l’accouchement, où Marnie va perdre la vie. Taz va se retrouver seul, sans la femme qu’il aimait, avec Midge, leur petite fille. C’est là que débute cette vie en chantier, littéralement avec une maison où tout est à refaire, mais au-delà de ça c’est une vie où tout est à construire : comment élever un enfant dans ce contexte, quand la vie qu’on s’imaginait s’écroule en un instant?
J’ai eu un vrai coup de cœur pour ce roman, que l’on peut résumer en trois mots amour, résilience, espoir.
Taz et Marnie ont tout pour être heureux: ils sont jeunes, amoureux, et doivent retaper une maison qu’ils viennent d’acheter. Pour couronner le tout, ils vont accueillir leur premier enfant. Bref, aucune ombre au tableau. Et pourtant, leur vie bascule le jour de l’accouchement, où Marnie va perdre la vie. Taz va se retrouver seul, sans la femme qu’il aimait, avec Midge, leur petite fille. C’est là que débute cette vie en chantier, littéralement avec une maison où tout est à refaire, mais au-delà de ça c’est une vie où tout est à construire : comment élever un enfant dans ce contexte, quand la vie qu’on s’imaginait s’écroule en un instant?
J’ai eu un vrai coup de cœur pour ce roman, que l’on peut résumer en trois mots amour, résilience, espoir.
November 4, 2019
Marnie et Taz sont jeunes mariés. Ils retapent quand ils en trouvent le temps et l’argent une vieille maison qu’ils ont achetée dans le Montana. Lorsqu’un bébé s’annonce, ils lui préparent tous deux une jolie chambre. Mais à la naissance de leur petite fille, Marnie meurt brutalement. Taz est dévasté, et doit s’occuper seul de la petite Midge. Sa vie est autant en chantier que sa maison…
Il est difficile de quitter ce petit bijou quand on le commence. Tout est parfaitement maitrisé : les étapes du deuil sont remarquablement décrites, notamment la sidération et le sentiment d’irréalité dans laquelle baigne le personnage. La construction est judicieuse, rythmée par le décompte des jours. L’image du chantier colle parfaitement à la situation de Taz, qui reconstruit peu-à-peu sa maison et sa vie en parallèle. L’écriture est en parfaite adéquation avec le contenu : les phrases sont courtes, on raconte sans en rajouter. Le roman suscite beaucoup d’émotion car le lecteur franchit les étapes en même temps que Taz, mais sans jamais tomber dans la facilité ou dans le pathos.
Quant aux personnages, ils sont tous très forts et pertinents : Taz est extrêmement touchant dans ses tentatives pour se maintenir à flot et s’occuper au mieux de la petite Midge, adorable bébé que l’on voit grandir et progresser au fil des jours. On ressent toute l’empathie de l’auteur vis-à-vis de ses personnages, ce qui nous les rend très proches. Rudy et Elmo, respectivement l’ami fidèle et la baby-sitter, sont de belles personnes également, touchants dans leur fidélité sans faille envers Taz et la petite Midge. Marnie, bien que disparue, est elle aussi très présente dans le roman car omniprésente dans l’esprit de Taz.
La beauté est partout dans le roman : tout d’abord, Pete Fromm rend un très bel hommage aux paysages splendides de ce Montana qu’il connait bien, et que le lecteur a très envie de découvrir. D’une autre façon, la beauté se cache dans l’atelier de Taz, son refuge. Taz est menuisier et se noie dans le travail pour s’occuper l’esprit ; c’est un artiste minutieux qui a le goût du travail bien fait, et sait utiliser au mieux toutes les essences de bois. Lorsqu’il est dans son atelier, Pete Fromm décrit avec une telle précision ses réalisations que l’on a l’impression de sentir la bonne odeur de la sciure.
Pete Fromm a construit avec La vie en chantier un très très beau roman, élégamment traduit par Juliane Nivelt. Un grand coup de cœur.
Il est difficile de quitter ce petit bijou quand on le commence. Tout est parfaitement maitrisé : les étapes du deuil sont remarquablement décrites, notamment la sidération et le sentiment d’irréalité dans laquelle baigne le personnage. La construction est judicieuse, rythmée par le décompte des jours. L’image du chantier colle parfaitement à la situation de Taz, qui reconstruit peu-à-peu sa maison et sa vie en parallèle. L’écriture est en parfaite adéquation avec le contenu : les phrases sont courtes, on raconte sans en rajouter. Le roman suscite beaucoup d’émotion car le lecteur franchit les étapes en même temps que Taz, mais sans jamais tomber dans la facilité ou dans le pathos.
Quant aux personnages, ils sont tous très forts et pertinents : Taz est extrêmement touchant dans ses tentatives pour se maintenir à flot et s’occuper au mieux de la petite Midge, adorable bébé que l’on voit grandir et progresser au fil des jours. On ressent toute l’empathie de l’auteur vis-à-vis de ses personnages, ce qui nous les rend très proches. Rudy et Elmo, respectivement l’ami fidèle et la baby-sitter, sont de belles personnes également, touchants dans leur fidélité sans faille envers Taz et la petite Midge. Marnie, bien que disparue, est elle aussi très présente dans le roman car omniprésente dans l’esprit de Taz.
La beauté est partout dans le roman : tout d’abord, Pete Fromm rend un très bel hommage aux paysages splendides de ce Montana qu’il connait bien, et que le lecteur a très envie de découvrir. D’une autre façon, la beauté se cache dans l’atelier de Taz, son refuge. Taz est menuisier et se noie dans le travail pour s’occuper l’esprit ; c’est un artiste minutieux qui a le goût du travail bien fait, et sait utiliser au mieux toutes les essences de bois. Lorsqu’il est dans son atelier, Pete Fromm décrit avec une telle précision ses réalisations que l’on a l’impression de sentir la bonne odeur de la sciure.
Pete Fromm a construit avec La vie en chantier un très très beau roman, élégamment traduit par Juliane Nivelt. Un grand coup de cœur.
November 13, 2019
When I first started this book, I didn't think I was going to like it. But, because I was obligated to provide a review for the Amazon Vine program, I persevered and I'm so glad I did. By the end of the book, I was in tears -- probably for the last 50 to 75 pages or so.
This is a book that sneaks up on you. Fromm's writing style takes a bit of getting used to. (It was the reason why I didn't want to stick with the book in the first place.) It felt a bit choppy and was hard to get into. But, as I read, this style started to work its magic on me. I became invested in the story and the characters.
The story is simultaneously a quiet one and a huge loud one. Taz loses his beloved wife Marnie when she gives birth to their first child. (This isn't a spoiler ... it says it on the book jacket.) The rest of the book chronicles the first two years after this event. There aren't chapters ... rather, transitions are measured in the number of days since the baby's birth.
As bleak as it sounds (and there are very bleak and haunting moments), there are also moments of comic relief--mostly provided by Taz's best friend Rudy. You need a friend like Rudy in your life if you experience such a devastating blow--someone who knows you and loves and you but won't let you wallow or suffer or stay rooted in your grief. I thought Rudy was a great character -- I just loved him.
By the end, you'll be rooting for Taz to take a step forward and begin engaging with life again. I thought this book was heartfelt and well-done and it is one that will stay with you for quite some time.
This is a book that sneaks up on you. Fromm's writing style takes a bit of getting used to. (It was the reason why I didn't want to stick with the book in the first place.) It felt a bit choppy and was hard to get into. But, as I read, this style started to work its magic on me. I became invested in the story and the characters.
The story is simultaneously a quiet one and a huge loud one. Taz loses his beloved wife Marnie when she gives birth to their first child. (This isn't a spoiler ... it says it on the book jacket.) The rest of the book chronicles the first two years after this event. There aren't chapters ... rather, transitions are measured in the number of days since the baby's birth.
As bleak as it sounds (and there are very bleak and haunting moments), there are also moments of comic relief--mostly provided by Taz's best friend Rudy. You need a friend like Rudy in your life if you experience such a devastating blow--someone who knows you and loves and you but won't let you wallow or suffer or stay rooted in your grief. I thought Rudy was a great character -- I just loved him.
By the end, you'll be rooting for Taz to take a step forward and begin engaging with life again. I thought this book was heartfelt and well-done and it is one that will stay with you for quite some time.
March 11, 2020
Un nouveau roman de Pete Fromm qui va vous tirer des larmes !
Dans la même veine que Mon désir le plus ardent, c’est de nouveau une triste romance que nous raconte l’auteur, avec pudeur et tendresse. Le double apprentissage du deuil et de la paternité, la difficulté à reprendre pieds , à envisager un avenir... Nous suivons jour après jour ce « chantier » au sens propre comme au figuré , au sein d’une nature toujours sublimée cher Fromm. Difficile de ne pas être émue par ce récit même si j’ai préféré la 1ère partie du livre à la seconde au dénouement trop prévisible.
Petite remarque Très juste dans la description des sentiments, le roman ne me semble par contre pas très réaliste dans le récit de l’évolution du bébé (motricité et langage) ...
September 15, 2019
Marnie and Taz are busy lovingly restoring a fixer-upper that they hoped to fill with children, when they discover they are pregnant! Marnie is sure it is a girl. When she goes into labor, they grow excited at the prospect of their growing family and the start of their big plans for the perfect life together. Marnie was right, and the baby is a girl. But she dies giving birth to their daughter, changing forever the wonderful plans they had made. Taz wonders how he will go on. How does he live without the love of his life? How does he care for his newborn on his own? Everything has changed overnight.
This wonderful story by Pete Fromm chronicles the days before the birth of Midge and the year and a half after. It is populated with realistic characters who struggle to make a life, day by day, one moment at a time. As the characters struggle to find what makes a happy life of contentment, the reader, too, examines what is important to a wonderful life. It also makes the reader consider what it would be like with such a loss. But life does go on, and people must find a way.
This is a beautifully and tenderly written book with unforgettable images. I loved every second of this one!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
This wonderful story by Pete Fromm chronicles the days before the birth of Midge and the year and a half after. It is populated with realistic characters who struggle to make a life, day by day, one moment at a time. As the characters struggle to find what makes a happy life of contentment, the reader, too, examines what is important to a wonderful life. It also makes the reader consider what it would be like with such a loss. But life does go on, and people must find a way.
This is a beautifully and tenderly written book with unforgettable images. I loved every second of this one!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews