I'm waffling between three and four stars for this one. I liked it quite a bit. It's always hard to know how you'll feel about a book six months later, but right now this one has me researching South Africa ... I found from reading it that there's quite a bit I'd forgotten or never knew about apartheid.

Ms. Ward creates great characters, I really like the women she writes about ... they're always so different from me. She does throw a loop in this one, there's a bit I didn't expect, and I'm not sure if I'm ticked off about or not right now ... but it did make the book quite interesting, this little "aha" moment. So I guess I'm not that ticked off. ( )

Nadine Morgan is a journalist that has traveled around the world. She is beaten up in Mexico and finds herself back home on Cape Cod to recoup. She escapes her father's house and stays with her doctor on Nantucket. Quickly they become more than doctor and patient. A story about Jason Irving, a young man who was killed in South Africa, has Nadine running from her home back to South Africa. Here she begins to relive what happened to her when she lived in South Africa and the present, trying to get a story. The story goes between the present, the past and a journal. At times this confused me and I didn't know what was going on. It was a sad story. The parents of Jason Irving are going to South Africa to here one of his killers testify and the person may even be given amnesty. The book somewhat dealt with the parents feelings, but I felt there was part of the story unexplained and it bothered me. I also didn't really like the main character Nadine. I thought she was insensitive to her family and childhood friend. Overall I liked the book, but was frustrated with it at times. ( )

I just finished reading Forgive Me by Amanda Eyre Ward. Nadine Morgan is a journalist who travels the world, covering dangerous and important events and running from anything that might tie her down. After a story turns tragic in Cape Town, South Africa, Nadine doesn't go back - or open her heart; until she hears the story of American Jason Irving.

Jason was beaten to death by angry local youths during the height of the aparteid era. Now, years later, his mother has been told that Jason's killers have applied for amnesty. His parents pack up and fly from Nantucket to Cape Town for the hearing determined not to bestow forgiveness.

Nadine follows the Irvings back to Cape Town, determined to lose herself in covering the hearing and trying to forget the ghosts of her past. During her time there in South Africa, Nadine befriends both the mother of the victim and the mother of the killers, leading to serious consequences. I loved this story and give it an A+! ( )

This book and her other,How to be Lost, are excellent. ( )

I have several of Amanda Eyre Ward's books on my shelves, and although this is one of her later ones, this is the first I've read. I think there's something about the covers on her books that appeal to me. This is a tough novel to review. Lots of good ideas in here, but it just didn't pull together very well -- kind of disjointed, an extremely selfish & unlikeable main character, and an ending that was a bit confusing. There were almost too many different plot lines going on to make this a well-written book, and I wish Ward would've picked one & stuck with it. I did learn some things about Apartheid (which I ashamedly admit I was very ignorant of prior to this) and some of the relationships in this book were worth exploring. But I still just felt like this could've all been pulled together more effectively than it was. Regardless, I still am interested in reading some of Eyre's other novels, as they seem to have garnered better praise. ( )