Customer Reviews
Beautifully written story - By: Love Books, 18 Jun 2008 
Maggie O'Farrell is a fantastic writer & this is another great, modern love story with some fantastic history & detail thrown in. As the two main characters find one another while they're both looking for something else, thier stories unravel, particularly the history of the sisters at the heart of the novel.
There is a mystery thrown in for good measure - like After You'd Gone the main character, Stella, sees something at the very beginning of the book which disturbs her so much she runs away & we don't find out why she was so upset until the very end. I actuallly thought we didn't need this, it was the only part of the story that didn't ring true & it stands on its own perfectly well without that gimmick.
Still this is a very good book, a great story, some compelling characters & alll very beautifully written.
The Distance Between Us Begs For A Movie and A Sequel! - By: Christine Bode, 11 Jun 2008 Maggie O'Farrell has become one of my favourite authors & I've only read two of her books: After You'd Gone & The Distance Between Us are both exceptional stories written in O'Farrell's striking, quixotic, subdued but passionate style, slightly reminiscent of another of my favourite authors, Edna O'Brien. Within this story there lies something slightly sinister just beneath the surface of things that threatens to reveal itself constantly but doesn't until almost the end of the story. O'Farrell specializes in complex relationships & love as pain & in The Distance Between Us, we are alllowed to peak inside the paralllel lives of the main characters, Stella Gilmore & her older sister Nina & Jake Kildoune as they desperately try to find themselves & each other amidst the confusion of their complicated lives. Nina & Stella, Scottish-Italians from Edinburgh, have an uncommonly strong, co-dependent bond that no man has been able to come between & in Hong Kong, Jake has found himself trapped in a loveless marriage that he never thought would last. The Distance Between Us is the secrets that both Stella & Jake have to uncover about each other before they can put their pasts behind them & seek a future together. This is a highly engaging, riveting, smart read that I never wanted to end, although when it did, I felt as if I'd just watched a gorgeously bittersweet movie that left me breathless & craving more.
Perfection - By: M. L. Hughes, 31 May 2008 
This was my first Maggie O'Farrell novel, & I absolutely adored every page of it. The story itself is brilliantly told, & highly compelling, but the real prize is in her description; simple, subtle & perfect. I couldn't put this book down once I'd begun it, & read it in a day. If you like an intriguing storyline & brilliantly told human interaction, then this book is a must.
Engaging - By: gerty guinea, 18 Jun 2007 Another great book from this excellent author, beautifully descriptive, intelligent yet effortless to read. I love the way she weaves back & forth in time. Above alll, this was the story of Nina & Stella & their relationship as sisters, but alongside this was family drama & an unfolding love story. Highly recommended.
Not really 'there' but OK - By: Anonymous, 09 Apr 2007 
This is my first Maggie O'Farrell book, one of a quick grab from the Copenhagen Airport book stand as such, I don't know what to expect.
After reading through the first chapter, I must say I was a bit confused with trying to keep track of different events running through Jake & Stella's life. The flash backs & the currents experienced by both characters don't seemed to gel seamlessly. Nevertheless, I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to see how the two were connected to each other.
At one point, I could sympathize with Jake, laugh at the quirkiness of Evie, identified with both mothers - Caroline & Francesca but it took a long time to understand the issues between Stella & Nina. I felt the issues between the two sisters were important however the length it took to reach that point seemed a bit of a "dragged on". At the same time, I was a bit disappointed with the ending or the climax when Jake finallly found Stella in Hong Kong .. it's too unreal for a well thought off relationship between two people.
Overalll, I felt some characters were not well developed, or maybe not necessary at alll.
