What a beautiful swan song for Belva Plain. I loved this finale to the Werner Family Saga. Plain will remain one of my all-time favorite writers. This novel is beautiful and touching. I'm going to miss this family. ( )

I just didn't like it. ( )

Iris Stern considers herself to be a thoroughly modern woman, although she still holds steadfast to her old-fashioned sensibilities. She has a successful career in academia and a happy marriage. But as the mother of four adult children, each with their own lives to live and burdens to bear, Iris often finds her sensibilities called into question when confronted with the choices her children have made.

For Iris' daughter, Laura, the choice is a fresh start in New York City - and a last chance to save her troubled marriage. While Laura and Robbie cope with their impending separation and its effect on Iris' young granddaughter, Iris herself must come to terms with the discovery of a long-held family secret. However, it's an emotional parting of another kind that looms most prominently on Iris' horizon - as neither her beloved husband, nor the solidity of her own marriage, is immune to the ravages of time.

Through the inevitable separations and reunions, the changes one cannot avoid and the love that sustains, Iris will weather whatever lies ahead with a faith that cannot be shaken. With an inner strength like that of a tree that abides through the generations, she will be as strong as heartwood.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I was completely drawn into the story and engrossed in it until the very end. I had also read Harvest - the fourth book in the Werner Family Saga - back in July of 2011. I've probably said this before, but in my opinion Belva Plain is a truly gifted storyteller. Heartwood: A Novel was her last published novel and I give it an A! ( )

An enjoyable story about a family and its ups and downs as all of Belva Plain's books are. The main characters fits the mold of the "good girl" - the woman who spends most of her life doing the right thing and thinking of others while not necessarily making the right choice for her - and all of the pressure, guilt, and sadness that goes along with it. By the end of the book, she finally gets to the point of making the right choice for her. ( )

I have not read Belva Plain for decades, and I thoroughly enjoyed Heartwood, her final book. This is a story of a Jewish family centering on the women. Most of the story focuses on Laura and her quest to find herself. Iris, Laura's mother, must also learn many of life's lessons and know that love exists in many forms. The male characters in the book are undeveloped. Laura's husband seems like a weak, self-centered boy. His own mother admits Robbie's shortcomings. Theo, the patriarch, needed more detail. But in essence, the story highlights the many trials and joys that each family encounters. ( )