"Nadine Morgan travels the world as a journalist, covering important events, following dangerous leads, and running from anything that might tie her down. Since an assignment in Cape Town ended in tragedy and regret, Nadine has not returned to South Africa, or opened her heart–until she hears the story of Jason Irving.
Jason, an American student, was beaten to death by angry local youths at the height of the apartheid era. Years later, his mother is told that Jason’s killers have applied for amnesty. Jason’s parents pack their bags and fly from Nantucket to Cape Town. Filled with rage, Jason’s mother resolves to fight the murderers’ pleas for forgiveness.
As Nadine follows the Irvings to beautiful, ghost-filled South Africa, she is flooded with memories of a time when the pull toward adventure and intrigue left her with a broken heart. Haunted by guilt and a sense of remorse, and hoping to lose herself in her coverage of the murder trial, Nadine grows closer to Jason’s mother as well as to the mother of one of Jason’s killers–with profound consequences. In a country both foreign and familiar, Nadine is forced to face long-buried demons, come to terms with the missing pieces of her own family past, and learn what it means to truly love and to forgive."

Acquired through PaperBackSwap.com (Unabridged on 6 CD's; read by Ann Marie Lee)

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.

Placing into booklady331's audio box.

I am taking this from booklady331's Audio Bookbox. I read "How to be Lost" a few years back and liked it quite a bit.

Forgive Me by Amanda Eyre Ward

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I liked "How to be Lost" better. This book is mainly set in South Africa around the time Apartheid was outlawed, it would have been better if the story had gone more in depth about what was going on in South Africa rather than her inability to sustain relationships.



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I am sending this in BigJohnLefty's audio book box.

Picked this out of BigJohnLefty's Another Audiobookbox. I haven't read anything by this author and the description sounded too good to pass. Going to give this one a listen. Thanks for sharing!

Overall, I enjoyed this story by Amanda Eyre Ward and thought that the reader, Ann Marie Lee, did a fine job telling this story. The main character, Nadine Morgan, is one of those driven journalists that seems to like to live life on the edge or really enjoys that adrenaline high. It causes the ones that love her to question her lifestyle after she is beaten severely on an assignment in Mexico. But her trip to South Africa, to cover the story of the death of an American student at the hands of angry young youths, becomes life changing for Nadine. As she gets to know the families of the victim and accused murderer, she finds she is also examining her self. Not only is Forgive Me a story of the atrocities of apartheid and the violence that has boiled up but also a soul seeking journey. I found this worth the listen. My only complaint was that the timeline jumping from Nadine's past and present world threw me sometimes. But don't let that stop you from experiencing this story.

I am putting this into Booklady331's CD Only Audio Bookbox so for others to enjoy.

on a certain level, this one grabbed me in a way that many other books haven't.... and telling the stories of South Africa (I'd put that aspect of the book right up there with Cry the Beloved Country for helping to understand that culture) and Mexico, as well as the growing pains of a wayward journalist.
The interpolated story a little boy was a bit abstract for me till it tied in at the end - kind of surprised me when I found out who he was. this is my first encounter with this author, and I must say I'm impressed.....

will release soon.....

Am making this available to BookObsessed's AudioVBB... hope somebody picks it up!

going to aceofhearts for BookObsessed... enjoy!

going to ace of hearts as part of VBB - enjoy!

received in the mail. Thanks!