Very thought provoking and great discussion book!

Our group actually reviewed several of Anita Shreve's previous works. Seaglass was a favored one. The Pilot's Wife was praised highly and we all remembered reading it and enjoying it. The Weight of Water was read and the reading guides were used by our group.

We noticed the recurring themes in Shreve's work. Women, water, family, grief. She tends to work in several directions through the novels but winds them up at the end and ties up any lose ends.

Testimony by Anita Shreve grabs you from the first page. I could not put it down. It is one of the greatest books I have read in a long time. Shreve keeps you wanting more and unravels the story in a masterful way.

Our group had a lot of great discussion from this book. Our group has a wide age group, so it was interesting seeing the different (and similar) opinions of young vs old. It deals with the issues of how emotions can override logic and also challenges gender biases. Although I enjoyed this book, I found Shreve's writing to be less like her normal style (which I love) and more like Jody Picoult. However, this worked out since I think that Picoult's style is more enjoyable to a wider range of readers than Shreve's. This is an important book for

Definitely a page turner that will lend itself to much discussion in any book club. Quite thought provoking to see how these characters relate to a traumatic life-altering event.

This is a brilliant book club choice as it lends itself to much discussion of controversial characters and issues alike. Easy to read and a page turner at that!
Kristi Bryant, UVA Sisters Book Club

This was the first book I have read by Anita Shreve, and I have not been inspired to read another. The characters lack depth and did not educe any empathy from me; they were mere sketches. Her attempt to convey different voices failed in that most of them sounded the same regardless of point of view (what 20 y.o. male uses "whom", let alone correctly?). It read like a sociology students interview notes albeit not very insightful, just descriptive.
It's a quick read, and I might have enjoyed it more as a read for a long plane ride. But not a train ride- I'd rather watch the scenery.

We liked this book as a vehicle for discussion but did not feel it was a striking piece of literature. Still, it was a good story that raised relevant issues.

The headmaster's attitude was a bit unrealistic in the beginning. He acted shocked that boys could do this "terrible" thing. It was an uncomfortable book to read and tragic in it's aftermath.

It was very well written. It made me think.

The fragility of our lives and how easily they are destroyed by one reckless act - frightening stuff and disturbing. The book is a quick read, well done and stays with you. Made me want to hug my 15 year old daughter, who is way beyond hugs.