The First Time

by Joy Fielding

Book Overview

Joy Fielding expands the scope of her storytelling as never before in this exquisitely moving New York Times bestseller -- a richly textured love story of astonishing emotional force. THE FIRST TIME After sixteen years of marriage, Mattie Hart discovers that her husband, Jake -- a high-profile Chicago attorney -- is involved in yet another love affair. But a far greater crisis descends upon the Hart family after Jake leaves home: Mattie receives devastating...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743407067
• ISBN13: 9780743407069
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Pocket Star Books
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Fielding's Bittersweet Story of Life and Love Is Awesome

Having enjoyed Joy Fielding's GRAND AVENUE so much, I was anxious to read another by this author. I secretly doubted she could duplicate the magic of the aforementioned book, but she did! The story is completely different, but the same compelling style of writing reels you in and makes you never want to put the book down.You will be completely involved in Mattie Hart's life from the opening line when she is thinking of ways to kill her philandering husband to the unthinkable request she makes of her mother. You will be struck by the inner strength this woman brings to her life as well as to that of her family and deeply touched by the graphic description of a terminal illness.Jake Hart, her husband, is an interesting creation. He doesn't love his wife, never has. He only married her because she was pregnant and Jake always likes to do the right thing. He constantly cheats on Mattie throughout their sixteen years of marriage and has never said "I love you" to her. So what's to like about a man like this? Amazingly, Fielding is able to present a side of Jake that touches every emotional note and leaves you rooting for this multi-faceted character.From a comical steak-throwing spree in a Chicago grocery store to a wildly romantic chase through a Paris airport, Mattie and Jake's story will leave you breathless. Add to the mix their daughter Kim who is experiencing her first sexual misadventure and Mattie's mother who could never love her daughter like she needed to be loved.THE FIRST TIME explores the ties that bind and the power of love to overcome the deepest wounds people can inflict upon one another. Inspiring and highly emotional, this book is one that touches the heart with its realism and poignant moments.

Fielding didn't disappoint!

It was her most recent novel, Grand Avenue, that got me interested in reading more of Fielding's books. And this one didn't disappoint at all!! It is refreshingly honest, gripping and delved into the myriads of familial relationships even before diaster strikes! Mattie Hart has spent almost 16 years playing wife to hot-shot defense attorney Jake Hart ~~ quietly ignoring the signs of his numerous affairs. She raised their daughter, the reason why they got married, Kim as best as she could. Not saying that Mattie is the perfect wife or mother ~~ she has made some mistakes in her lifetime as well ~~ but when she found out she was stricken with ASL or Lou Gehrig's disease, her whole world tumbled. Jake had already moved out and started living with his newest paramour ~~ only to move home to take care of Mattie. And this is their story. Theirs and Kim's. Families aren't always strong as it appears to the public ~~ Jake Hart's glowing image got tarnished throughout the story as he struggled with issues related to his marriage and childhood. Ultimately, he decided on one course and saw it to the end ~~ much to Mattie's great surprise. Kim, usually the perfect beautiful daughter, gets in trouble constantly at school or at home ~~ unable to totally understand what is really going on in her life and with her mother. She comes to realization later on as well ~~ accepting the fact that they all are human. Mattie ~~ the star of this book manages to live her life and lies gracefully ~~ though the disease ravaged her body. Some of the dreams she had never known she had held managed to come to the surface ~~ and she learns to deal with them as well as the fact that she is dying. This book strikes a chord in this reader's heart. Family relationships aren't always easy but if you stick them out, they turn out to be the greatest blessings. Fielding does a wonderful job of sharing her characters' thoughts and views as life they know it tumbles around them. And they manage to deal with Mattie's dying with grace and humor ~~ after a long, bitter fight.I have to admit, this is another book you can't just put down and forget about for a few days. You'll be grabbed by the characters' voices and dreams ~~ you'll know them as intimately as you know a friend or even yourself. And be prepared to have kleenexes nearby. It's a book you won't quickly forget!5-20-02

Excellent! Wonderful! Terrific! Emotional!

This is one of those books that made me feel like I knew these people and that I could actually experience the emotions stirred up by this story. This story gave me a better understanding of ALS/ Lou Gerhig's Disease. A very good book, easy to read and finish because it's so interesting right from the beginning, and the people are so "real". There's a teenage daughter that has to watch her mother go through her terminal illness, and the author made her so real to life. Excellent book......Pick this one up and read it, you'll most definitely enjoy it and learn from it. There was so much more to this story than an illness though. An almost exhusband who finally opened his heart to love. That part of this book is so touching. Another thing this book did is make me realize how a person's past can form the future if allowed. This is such a great story about much more than a terminally ill wife/mother/daughter. She's got spunk, hope, and faith.

wonderful and Joy's best work by far

I just finished reading this book and am stunned by how much it touched me. It was not only the best book Joy Fielding has ever written but one of the best books I have ever read. I like Joy Fielding books and have read all of them and this one by far is her deepest. Her others are a much lighter read and although they are enjoyable (especially See Jane Run) this one she outdid herself with and I feel it deserves recognition. It is a much better read than a Danielle Steele novel. It is worth paying hardcover price!! Each character was interesting in this story but Mattie and her daughter Kim were so heartfelt in their relationships and struggles. The way that the author explained Mattie's disease was so easy to understand as she kept it simple but explained it fully. I of course hated Jake and the way he was so selfish but by the end of the book I felt differently. I loved every part of this book, even the ending. If you like a heartfelt, meaningful story about family and tragedy, you will love this book.

A Moving and Wonderful Read

I have only read one other of Joy Fielding's works. This novel has convinced me I must try all of them. I read a lot of books, and this one was the best I've read all year. There are moments of stunning and surprising pure beauty. Many times, I had to stop reading, put the book down and take a breather. Other times I had to go back and re-read a scene several times, unable to absorb it all the first time, or maybe just reluctant to let the moment pass. This book is "that" good. The story revolves around the family of Mattie, Jake and Kim; their laughter, tears and fear. You fall in love with them, follow all of their daily actions and thoughts, never becoming bored or uninterested in a single detail. Mattie is in a seemingly unhappy and trapped marriage, her husband seeks comfort in other women, and their daughter Kim is struggling with being 15 and growing up. When Mattie finds she is stricken with ALS, a fatal disease, it changes everyone's perspective and lives. Somehow, they must figure out all their feelings for one another while time is running out.I must say this is the best book I've read in a long time, and I don't imagine another one to take its place for awhile. This book is powerful, graceful, touching and real. I can't give it high enough marks. It is a novel that must be read. I couldn't put it down until I reached the last page, late into the evening. Read it now, and you won't be disappointed.