- Choose your cover
- Recommend this book
- Should I read this?
-
Amazon.com- Find on Amazon.com
- Find collectible copies at Abebooks
Members with This Book
Most Helpful Reviews
see all reviews
Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “Anyone who has ever been involved with an alcoholic, or alcoholic recovery, will be familiar with the 9th Step: |
Newest Reviews
see all reviews-
“I'd really give it about 2.5 stars... it was ok, not one I'd recommend.”
FranCarnevale wrote this review Wednesday, November 21, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“It took a lot of guts for Cotton to make the choice he did years after what he did that made him run. What is the right thing to do for him after all this time? Our choices do affect others. What we do that starts it all and what we do in hopes of making amends. In some situations, there is no making amends; what do you do in those situations? Does anyone ever wonder whether one's sorrow and self-flagellation is punishment enough?
Elaine wrote this review Saturday, October 27, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I'd say 3.5 stars but it leans more toward 4 than 3 so there you have it...”1 of 1 members found this review helpful“Anyone who has ever been involved with an alcoholic, or alcoholic recovery, will be familiar with the 9th Step:
Julie G Hughes wrote this review Friday, October 26, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
[We] Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
It is one of the more difficult of the 12 steps, and is the underlying theme of this novel.
You see, 6 years ago, Cotton O'Dell left Olivia Saunders at the altar without a word. Oh, she did get a postcard, four days later: "Tell Livie it's not her fault. Tell her to forget me. Tell her not to look for me. I'm not worth it." Heartbroken, Livie grieved and moved on.
She buried her gown under the pond on her first landscaping job. The embossed linen napkins went under a clump of bog orchids. The matching table cloth found a new home in front of the local funeral home - under the fountain.
(Very creative, if you ask me.)
Livie lived, made friends, grew her business, and bought her little house in the country. So what if, every now and then, she put on a red dress and red shoes, drank too much, and went home with men she didn't know and wouldn't remember? She wasn't hurting anyone, was she?
Then, the letter arrived. Dear Livie, I'm sorry. And, with those four simple words, Cotton was back.
Or at least, on his way back. At a stop in New Mexico, he called his sponsor. She was worried about his sobriety, his state of mind, and the legal troubles he faced back in Texas.
But Cotton was fixated on step nine and determined to find a way to make amends for his mistakes. He had fled Texas after a horrible accident on his wedding day, leaving Livie alone, and a young girl without a mother.
As in real life, nothing is simple. Cotton can't fix what he's done with an I'm sorry, or a thousand. And when he gets tangled up with the young girl and her father, it may cost him everything to try.
The ninth step is a biggie, because of the last half: "except when to do so would injure them or others." People, like Cotton, become so focused on the amends part, that they often fail to realize their attempts are doing more harm than good. That they're acting to ease their conscience, not truly to make amends.
Ms. Sissel seems to understand and has created a cast of vibrant characters: those who caused harm, those who were harmed, those who are both, and those who are observers of the train wreck. Livie and Cotton feel real; their reactions and actions are believable. As are their families and friends.
It was a difficult read for me; some parts hitting a little too close to home. Especially, watching Cotton come to grips with the damage he'd done, then throwing himself into the path of the train.
I appreciated the realistic ending, as well. Reality isn't tidy; fiction doesn't always need to be, either.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary electronic galley of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com [http://www.netgalley.com/] professional readers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
”
“Dollycas's Thoughts
Dollycas wrote this review Saturday, June 2, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Barbara Taylor Sissel has written a very compelling story with some unexpected twists.
The character Cotton makes a split second decision that changes not only his life but the lives of others. It sends him into a downward spiral that lasts until he meets the right person to help him put his life back on track. Alcoholism is a terrible disease many people live with staying sober just "one day at a time". Part of Alcoholics Anonymous is their 12-step program. Step Nine is to "make amends". This step is hard when so many people are involved and you did something terrible when you were blinded by alcohol.
Livie life has been in a sort of limbo. You can't just stop loving someone if when they broke your heart. Then just when she is getting stronger and her life is moving forward the one she loved so much returns. She wants to trust him again but her friends and family do everything they can to keep them apart and protect her.
Both characters had rocky years growing up. As does a certain little girl that has a major impact on this story.
This an emotional story with multifaceted characters. A fine piece of fiction. Another author I want to read more from.”
0 of 1 members found this review helpful“kindle”
alison d wrote this review Sunday, May 20, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No0 of 1 members found this review helpful“This book was decent, I really liked the suspense at the beginning but then it kind of fell off for me simply because I had a hard time believing the storyline.”
Dena C wrote this review Sunday, April 15, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“An opening scene with flowers, pleasant countryside and the company of enjoyable people draws the reader quickly in Barbara Taylor Sissel’s The Ninth Step. Hints of mystery and past hurts are subtly drawn, adding depth. And then the deadly spiral starts. By now the reader is hooked and those pages have to turn. No matter how bleak the prospects, somehow the writing holds a promise of hope, and an attachment to these very real and wounded characters keeps the reader seeking that hope.
Sheila Deeth wrote this review Thursday, April 12, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The story covers abandonment, betrayal, drunk driving, guilt and healing—a powerful human landscape overlaid on small-town Texas scenery. Cotton, who failed to turn up at the altar, is quietly back on the scene. Wes who lost his wife to a drunk driver is holding things together. And Livie, still clinging to hopes long lost, is like a flower blooming in the wrong sort of soil, still struggling through, still beautiful, still worth rooting for.
There are no simple answers in this novel, and there are lots of very real, very complex issues. Grief doesn’t wash away, broken lives don’t magically mend, and confession might not be as good for the soul at it’s portrayed. The ninth step of the title comes from Cotton’s AA meetings, but the story comes from gritty reality and powerful imagination. In the end, even honesty might not be the best policy, but readers are left to draw their own conclusions while life moves forward into the promise of hope and future, with flowers, pleasant scenery and the company of enjoyable people.
Disclosure: I received a free ecopy of this novel from the author in exchange for my honest review”
“On Cotton's wedding day, hungover and still drinking, he runs a stop sign, and hits a car carrying a woman and her daughter. Cotton stops long enough to call 911, see the child is unhurt, and talk to the woman as she dies. Then he flees - the scene, the state, the law. His fiance Livie is left at the altar, knowing only because Cotton sends a terse postcard later that he is not dead.
Carol B wrote this review Wednesday, March 21, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Six years later, Cotton sets out to make amends. But are some actions too awful to be forgiven? Can love lost ever be recaptured?
In a novel reminiscent of Jodi Picoult, Barbara Taylor Sissel introduces us to each of the people impacted by that crash. The action and emotions are intense. The writing is excellent. I cared about the characters. I found myself standing at the stove cooking supper with my Kindle in hand. I just had to know how it turned out.”
“It took a few chapters to get into this book, but it turned out to be a good read. Forgiveness is a complicated issue to give to others and receive from others and this book explores both sides of forgiveness. ”
Mildred wrote this review Sunday, March 4, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Livie Saunders was left at the aisle and for more than 6 years never knew why. Cotton O'Dell, left without explanation and has lived with guilt for the whole time, knowing what he did to her and the family in the accident whose mother he killed. Recovering with the help of AA, he now tries to do the 9th step, make amends with others. Livie's dark side was a bit ridiculous but other than than, I enjoyed the book.”
Sue O wrote this review Sunday, March 4, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No