The novel is well written, using sensitive language and dealing very well with the characters' feelings. It has been one of the best Members' Giveaway read I have had in terms of literary narrative and style. The main drawback, in this book, is that it only appeals to US readers. I have found many, many unnecessary cultural, political and artistic references (that I did not know about); it sort of changed the pace of my reading to the point where I had to look some of them up in Wikipedia. This was not helping me to get a grasp of the story, I found these references useless in terms of plot and, while I enjoyed the book, I had difficulties dealing with them or achieving a good reading pace.

All in all, this is a very 'US-centric' book and I would not recommend it to non-US readers because of the reasons mentioned above. ( )

The Love Ceiling is a novel maybe better appreciated by women of a certain age who can really relate to the heroine's life. I know Annie faced many of the problems and situations and choices that have been a part of my life. The ceiling is equivalent to the glass ceiling only this is the effect on our life's path caused by the people we love, their needs and their life paths. Annie is in her 60s, a woman whose famous artist father destroyed her confidence as a budding artist when she was still a child. In her 60s to fulfill a final promise to her dying mother, she takes up the serious study of art and that decision has many ramifications for her husband and grown children. I found her courage during this transition very stirring and recommend this book to women everywhere. ( )

The Love Ceiling is a story of people in transition. Annie Duppstadt is about to turn 64; her mother has just died and her father, a famous painter and a narcissistic tyrant, carries on as though nothing much has changed; Annie's husband, Jack, is about to be forced to retire; and her daughter Cass is in an unfulfilling relationship with a man who can't commit to marriage.

Annie has always wanted to paint, but she was traumatized by her father at an early age (what I call Art Abuse) and grew up believing that she'd never make it as an artist. As her mother nears death, she extracts a promise from Annie that she will paint.

"When you see this do you...want to paint it?"

"Always." It was a whisper as much to myself as my mother.

"I thought so." Mom grabbed both my hands, turning her head to look at me. "You must do it."

"Maybe someday. You know how it is, Mom."

"You must do it." Direct, unequivocal, this time almost a command, while she tried pathetically to squeeze my hands. "Promise me, Annie."

"I promise," I whispered. (page 34)

Thus begins Annie's journey to her Self - a struggle to carve out time and create places where she can explore her artistry. Most women with families have obligations that pull them in many directions. When they give their passions a priority and give themselves permission, they can claim their power and explore possibilities. Okimoto did a wonderful job of portraying this struggle in The Love Ceiling. We recognize that Annie's mother was unable to do this herself, thus was so adamant about Annie pursuing her talent.

The story is told from alternating first and third person narratives - Annie in the first person and Cass in the third (though I suspect Okimoto originally had both characters in first person, as there's at least one instance of "I" in the narrative when it should have been "she" - editors, please!). It feels slightly awkward to have the two POVs. I enjoyed Annie's first person narrative - I felt as though I was inside her head and could understand her motives and actions.

I found there were places where there was way too much mundane detail - for example, I'm not sure why it was necessary to list all the bathing suit coverage options available in the Land's End catalog (again, editors!).

I enjoyed reading about Seattle and Puget Sound, since I hail from that area. I could visualize the Vashon Island ferry ride, the Olympic Mountains at sunrise, the seagull suspended against the wind. Okimoto brought those scenes to life for me. There is some lovely prose in this book, for example, as Annie is painting:

"I felt almost disconnected from myself physically, detached from hunger or even thirst, lost in the mystery of the color, the emotions it evoked, and the luminous impasto taking shape before me." (page 151)

Okimoto's publicists refer to The Love Ceiling as a "coming of age novel for women over 50...60...70...80...90...!" I would add 30...40 to that too, as 32 year old Cass is also struggling with the questions, "what comes next? how do I do this?" and has some important insights along the way. Overall, this is an enjoyable read, and I recommend it to readers who like stories about families going through big transitions as well as stories about art and artists. ( )

One of the things I loved best about this fantastic novel was that unlike most contemporary fiction that take place in a tepid political vacuum, this beautiful story of a woman's search for identity depicted fully realized characters that had feelings about gay marriage and the war in Iraq, it reminded me of Anne Lammott and the novels of May Sarton, it is simply inspiring! ( )

I truly appreciated being chosen to receive this book as a reviewer.

There was much of the story that was intriguing and enjoyable, however the relationship between Annie and her father seemed implausible in many ways. Annie attributes no blame in any form to her mother who continued to allow the abuse throughout her lifetime, and I don't feel her fathers narcissism was fully realized as revealed in the story to cause the reader to view Annie as a likable protagonist, instead she seems weak and ineffectual.

I also disliked the political bent regarding Dick Cheney; I am no fan of his, however the many slights towards him were simply annoying and felt intrusive to the story.

I did however very much enjoy the storyline regarding her re-immersion in the art world she so longed for, and the mentor she finds to bring out her talent is interesting and a good read. ( )