Review by Anna Bookowski -- Filling Up a Hole

[Anna Bookowski]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Filling Up a Hole" by Jerry A. Greenberg.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Filling Up A Hole. The Business Of Life by Jerry A. Greenberg is a story of a family crisis. We get to know Boyce Phillips at the moment of a breakdown – he's been sitting on the roof of The City Café for three days, not speaking to anyone and not reacting to anything around him. As the story develops, we learn what circumstances had brought him here.

We read how Boyce met his wife, Dodie, a woman who used to have ambitions and dreams, but got lost in a family life and forgot what was the reason why she ever wanted to leave her small town life. We get to know their two sons, Tommy and Paul, which are so different, it's hard to believe they're brothers. The first one is a smart sixteen-year-old, loving, caring and with an inquisitive mind. The second one – two years older, is withdrawn, quiet and with no social skills. He communicates with the world through piano music. The book shows how each of them deals with the family drama in their own ways.

I really liked how all the characters were described and developed. The author did a great job showing all the personas' backgrounds, and he made them all not only realistic, but also easy to relate to. Mostly because the source of their unhappiness is so universal – 'a hole' deep inside. I guess that's something that we all feel, if not most of the time, then certainly at least from time to time. Greenberg displayed a wonderful sensitivity and understanding of human soul.

Even though each of the presented characters was so different, I could easily feel for them all. I could understand why Boyce was so unreactive, and how he avoided any responsibilities and decisions making all his life. I could relate to Dodie and her feeling of emptiness and disappointment. Furthermore, I could imagine why Paul found communicating with his close ones so hard, and chose to escape into the music. I could feel Tommy's despair and will to understand and fix what was happening around him, even though there wasn't much he could do.

There was nothing I disliked in this book. It was a second title of Greenberg I've read (the first one was Dreams Are To Be Lived) and I liked it a lot. The previous book, in my opinion, was missing something, but this one was very good. It was realistic, poignant and heart-touching. All the personas were interesting and emotionally engaging. Obviously a family is an important subject in Greenberg's prose, and everything is centered around it. But there was more than this – important issues like racism, feminism and courage to fight for one's rights, were also brought up in the story. The book showed not only the impact that our actions have on others but also the consequences of lack of the actions. It showed how inability to make decisions can be just as harmful as making bad decisions.

There were some minor editorial errors but none of them serious. Some vulgarisms appeared but all of them justified and used just in a right amount. There was also a sex scene, so the book is not appropriate for younger readers. I'd like to rate it with 4 out of 4 stars. It was hard to stop reading it. I found narration very smooth. I can recommend the title to all the fans of family dramas and psychology. It was definitely a good story, and the author showed high sensitivity, observation skills and understanding of human nature. Any person struggling with a sense of emptiness or 'a hole' inside, will find this book interesting and valuable.

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Filling Up a Hole
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[Gemjay]

The book sounds mysterious and unique. I'd love to read it. Amazing review!

[Mercy Osmond]

Sound like an interesting family story. Thanks for great review.

[Anna Bookowski]

The book sounds mysterious and unique. I'd love to read it. Amazing review!

It surely is, I recommend it! Thank you for your kind comment.

[Anna Bookowski]

Sound like an interesting family story. Thanks for great review.

Thank you! You will certainly enjoy it if you like interesting family dramas.

[jomana_3]

I've read this book a while ago, and I liked the character development a lot, too.