Once in a Lifetime

by Cathy Kelly

Book Overview

Warm, captivating storytelling from the heart - treat yourself to come Cathy Kelly time with this No. 1 bestseller. Something happens that changes you forever... Ingrid Fitzgerald is flying high. A... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416586253
• ISBN13: 9781416586258
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 5.3" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

LIFE LESSONS

Cathy Kelly has done it again! Her beautifully wrought Once In a Lifetime portrays a group of characters associated in some way with Kenny's Department Store in Ireland. At the center are David Kenny and his wife Ingrid Fitzgerald, a TV personality. Their children, their friends, and their past connections all make up the fabric of this lovely tale of interconnected lives. In the beginning, we meet Star Bluestone, who loved David Kenny long ago, when he was a poet. But he chose a different path. However, throughout the years, Star's connections with him have continued, without them ever meeting again, through others she knows and through her artistic tapestries that are showcased in the store. On the periphery of all their lives, Star is like a mystical presence that offers comfort and occasional advice. Something unexpected and tragic threatens to tear at the fabric of all their lives, but how each of the characters deals with this tragedy reveals their strengths and the force of their passions. What will each of these characters learn from these events, and how will they move on, learning the life lessons presented to them? Again, we see how Star's presence provides a comforting backdrop to all their lives. I totally luxuriated in this cozy, comforting read, and long after I turn the last page, I will think about these characters, which is why it definitely earned five stars.

Lots of interesting characters

This book really isn't about any one thing in particular, but about a lot of people. They are all connected in some way to Kenny's Department Store in Ireland, which sounds like a really fun place to shop. They don't sell your average department store things, but more like high end specialty items such as the tapestries one of the characters, Star Bluestone makes. The book moves from character to character and back and forth from the past to the present. It's almost a little random the way the book moves around, kind of like when you are daydreaming and one thought just kind of leads to another or something. At first that kind of annoyed me, but about 1/3 of the way into the book I was familiar enough with all of the characters and it wasn't that hard to follow. The best part of the book is that there are so many characters and really, they are all very likable. You get to find out about life as an artist, a famous news celebrity, the owner of a department store, the lives of their young adult children and the things they do and the past and present lives of their parents. There is no way I was bored at all reading this book because of the variety of characters and the different time periods the book covers. The book was a pretty quick read and I really enjoyed having it to look forward to at the end of each day.

Great Fresh Family Drama

What a great book! I truly enjoyed every minute of this amazing story! I bonded with most of the characters and of course couldn't believe the betrayal of one of the main characters; David Kenny of Kenny's Department Store. This small town has so many secrets and the author is really good at letting them out slowly, which caused me to keep turning the pages. And wow! Was I surprised at the end! An addicting must read! I can't wait to read the next book by this author. Well done!

Once in a Lifetime

This is an intricate story with many people involved. You become acquainted with each of them and then intrigued with their relationships. Although there are many individual stories, you learn most about Ingrid Fitzgerald, a TV political interviewer, and her husband David Kenny, who owns and runs 'Kenny's', an upscale dept store which was established in 1924. They've been married for 25 years and still are deeply in love. When he dies of a heart attack, she is devastated, and is unable to cope with anything! She takes a leave of absence and their two adult children come home to stay with her. After several weeks, she realizes that her kids need to get back to their own lives, and tells them she's OK. When she goes to her husband's office, she finds a locked drawer which she pries open and discovers that he has been having an affair. She is so angry that she quits mourning and goes back to work. She tells the young woman who had sat in for her while she was off that they're not enemies and that she'll be working for only another two or three years. A man who had been close to her husband tells her that David had broken up with the woman and was so sorry. He adored Ingrid and hoped she wouldn't find out. In a way, this makes her feel better. The employees at the store are extremely worried that it will close. The economy has affected it greatly, and with David Kenny dead, who's going to handle things? Ingrid realizes that morale is very low and finds an investor who is willing to step in and keep the store open. There are several other stories in the book, child abuse of a woman who grew up, conquered alcoholism, married and had a beautiful little girl. The best friend of Ingrid who met, fell in lust, then love, and married a much younger man. Others who also are part of the whole story, a woman who had been David's lover when they were young and is a 'white witch' and more! It's a great read. You really get involved with the characters.

Irish Mind Candy

First off, ignore the baffling cover art- I have no idea what a Carrie Underwood lookalike on a giant swing has to do with the plot. The title isn't at all clear, either, but it's so generic surely I could come up with a justification. The story is actually stories tangentially connected to Kenny's Department Store, a suburban Irish Henri Bendel or Barney's. Paths cross, but not all that much in some cases -- and the theme seems to be how women of various ages find a sense of self-worth and meaning in modern day Ireland, and in mid-to-late twentieth century Ireland through flashbacks and back story expositions. Several characters are (well) over 45, which seems to be more the real heart demographic of the book, despite the girl-model on the cover. Some are mothers, some are not. Some are married, but most are not. We find out some of how they ended up feeling how they do and what they do or intend to do about that. The writing carries you along, and there are insights along the way. Unfortunately there are really too many threads and characters who are only somewhat related to each other to get any real depth. I felt a bit unsatisfied at the end, as if I didn't find out enough about someone or other, but I couldn't really say who. I certainly would have preferred a focus on say Ingrid, Marcella and, maybe Star, although Star was a bit on the mystical Irish white witch side for my taste. All in all, it's a box of chocolates--many flavors inside, yet related because of the chocolate coating, hard to put down, yet not very sustaining in the long run. Great beach read or for Ireland lovers.