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The Barter
Forfeiting a legal career to raise her daughter within a circle of stay-at-home moms, Bridget senses a malevolent presence in her house, which is tied to the intimate sacrifices of an early twentieth-century city bride and her farmer husband.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 4, 2014
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1,459 people want to read
About the author
Siobhan Adcock
5 books89 followersSiobhan Adcock is the author of the novels The Barter and The Completionist. She lives in Brooklyn.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
April 3, 2020
when is a ghost story not a ghost story??
why, right here!
this is another one of those books that is decent enough, but i am the wrong audience to appreciate it fully.
this book is comprised of two different narrative threads set in the same part of texas, one hundred years apart, following the domestic/maternal struggles of frustrated women.
the modern-day story is mostly great - bridget is a woman who has sacrificed her successful career in law to stay home and raise her daughter julie while her husband mark becomes the sole breadwinner. bridget misses the routine of the office and the path she thought her life would take. she loves her daughter with all her heart, but she is becoming very bored and tired, feeling isolated and unchallenged with the dulling routine of naps and baby talk. she has a social circle comprised of other women who have devoted themselves to their children - neighborhood women who have turned the martyrdom of motherhood into a philosophy akin to a religion. she is them but not-them; she feels superior to them and their small concerns, and is terribly lonely, as her husband works long hours to pick up the financial slack and they see each other infrequently. in his absence, suspicion and marital discord grows. also in his absence, a ghost grows.
you would think this would be the storyline to leave me flat - suburban mommy angst and marital strain is not something i have any context for personally, but i think she did a good job skewering the cult of mommyhood with bridget's disdain while not necessarily making us sympathize with bridget overmuch, with all her complaints, woe and snark.
plus, a ghost.
but the other storyline, set a century before bridget's, is ultimately less successful, even though it has all the elements that usually intrigue me. rebecca is a city girl, a doctor's daughter, who marries her longtime friend; a farmer named john, and must acclimate both to the demands of marriage and the harsh realities of farm life. her mother died when rebecca was just a baby, and she was half-raised by her father's cousin frau, who filled her little head with dark fairytales, weaving in stories of rebecca's mother, and the sacrifices she made so rebecca could live - the "barter" of the title. rebecca does not take well to married life, she is full of sexual discomfort and rage, and after she gives birth to her son, she allows him to dominate all her time and focus, inexplicably shutting her well-meaning husband out entirely and becoming a fury of motherhood. this was a more difficult plot to follow and rebecca's coldness to john and the ultimate trajectory of their relationship seemed underdeveloped. also, the fairytale element was distracting as we don't know what is fabrication and what is true, which affects the entire tone of the book and how the reader is supposed to interpret what comes later.
which is the ghost. this ghost is more metaphor than scary, or even spooky. bridget and her daughter are the only ones who can see her, or sort of see her, and she is more of a stand-in presence for dissatisfaction than a true haunting. like the maybe-supernatural elements in rebecca's storyline, the ghost is a distraction included more to make a point than to be a truly meaningful addition.
i liked the way the two stories eventually merged, but i felt it didn't go far enough, and i didn't understand what adcock was trying to do with the story. like bridget, i half-see the ghost, or the point, but it requires some work. i get the big picture - all the raw frustration of modern womanhood; the equally strong desire to be a good wife and mother, and still have a successful career, and i understand that motherhood is a glad sacrifice, where the fierceness of a mother's love overrides all other concerns, and makes the hard choices easier, and i understand the frustration, across time, of the supposed limitations of women's roles.
but one thing that really stuck in my craw was something she did on the very last page. it is this amateurishly weak writer-trick designed to create tension in the reader, but it is so cheap and transparent, it really irritated me.
the book was fine-not-great, but i am positive other readers will enjoy it more than i did. i have just seen ghosts and fairytale elements used more successfully and chillingly recently (Gretel and the Dark!!!!), and this one didn't incorporate them as well as it could have. if you like women's fiction with a twist, give it a shot!
come to my blog!
why, right here!
this is another one of those books that is decent enough, but i am the wrong audience to appreciate it fully.
this book is comprised of two different narrative threads set in the same part of texas, one hundred years apart, following the domestic/maternal struggles of frustrated women.
the modern-day story is mostly great - bridget is a woman who has sacrificed her successful career in law to stay home and raise her daughter julie while her husband mark becomes the sole breadwinner. bridget misses the routine of the office and the path she thought her life would take. she loves her daughter with all her heart, but she is becoming very bored and tired, feeling isolated and unchallenged with the dulling routine of naps and baby talk. she has a social circle comprised of other women who have devoted themselves to their children - neighborhood women who have turned the martyrdom of motherhood into a philosophy akin to a religion. she is them but not-them; she feels superior to them and their small concerns, and is terribly lonely, as her husband works long hours to pick up the financial slack and they see each other infrequently. in his absence, suspicion and marital discord grows. also in his absence, a ghost grows.
you would think this would be the storyline to leave me flat - suburban mommy angst and marital strain is not something i have any context for personally, but i think she did a good job skewering the cult of mommyhood with bridget's disdain while not necessarily making us sympathize with bridget overmuch, with all her complaints, woe and snark.
plus, a ghost.
but the other storyline, set a century before bridget's, is ultimately less successful, even though it has all the elements that usually intrigue me. rebecca is a city girl, a doctor's daughter, who marries her longtime friend; a farmer named john, and must acclimate both to the demands of marriage and the harsh realities of farm life. her mother died when rebecca was just a baby, and she was half-raised by her father's cousin frau, who filled her little head with dark fairytales, weaving in stories of rebecca's mother, and the sacrifices she made so rebecca could live - the "barter" of the title. rebecca does not take well to married life, she is full of sexual discomfort and rage, and after she gives birth to her son, she allows him to dominate all her time and focus, inexplicably shutting her well-meaning husband out entirely and becoming a fury of motherhood. this was a more difficult plot to follow and rebecca's coldness to john and the ultimate trajectory of their relationship seemed underdeveloped. also, the fairytale element was distracting as we don't know what is fabrication and what is true, which affects the entire tone of the book and how the reader is supposed to interpret what comes later.
which is the ghost. this ghost is more metaphor than scary, or even spooky. bridget and her daughter are the only ones who can see her, or sort of see her, and she is more of a stand-in presence for dissatisfaction than a true haunting. like the maybe-supernatural elements in rebecca's storyline, the ghost is a distraction included more to make a point than to be a truly meaningful addition.
i liked the way the two stories eventually merged, but i felt it didn't go far enough, and i didn't understand what adcock was trying to do with the story. like bridget, i half-see the ghost, or the point, but it requires some work. i get the big picture - all the raw frustration of modern womanhood; the equally strong desire to be a good wife and mother, and still have a successful career, and i understand that motherhood is a glad sacrifice, where the fierceness of a mother's love overrides all other concerns, and makes the hard choices easier, and i understand the frustration, across time, of the supposed limitations of women's roles.
but one thing that really stuck in my craw was something she did on the very last page. it is this amateurishly weak writer-trick designed to create tension in the reader, but it is so cheap and transparent, it really irritated me.
the book was fine-not-great, but i am positive other readers will enjoy it more than i did. i have just seen ghosts and fairytale elements used more successfully and chillingly recently (Gretel and the Dark!!!!), and this one didn't incorporate them as well as it could have. if you like women's fiction with a twist, give it a shot!
come to my blog!
August 5, 2014
Two women, living one hundred years apart, both unhappy with their lives for very different reasons. I thoroughly dig a good ghostly tale, but this one did not strike a chord with me. In present day, the mommy groups and playdates for the kiddies were cloying and an irritant in a book that should be at least a bit on the eerie side. The house that, er, houses the ghost is virtually brand new. Suffice it to say, the ghost of whomever did not expire in that location. The story in time past worked somewhat better, but did not do enough to make a viable connection with the present. There was a tendency to repeat a handful of phrases too many times, and the plot simply made no sense to me.
This was a Goodreads giveaway, thank you. I did think the cover art was striking.
This was a Goodreads giveaway, thank you. I did think the cover art was striking.
November 12, 2020
Beautiful writing makes this debut novel a joy to read.
That being sad, the plot was thin in places and the 'ghost' weakly portrayed.
The dual storylines were well rendered - my favorite was the historical storyline featuring Rebecca, a doctor's daughter who marries a farmer in 1902.
Essentially women's fiction, the novel explores the issue of whether you can really 'have it all', or whether something has to be 'bartered' to achieve it...
My FULL REVIEW of this novel can be found on my blog: https://fictionophile.wordpress.com/2...
I received a paperback copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my review.
That being sad, the plot was thin in places and the 'ghost' weakly portrayed.
The dual storylines were well rendered - my favorite was the historical storyline featuring Rebecca, a doctor's daughter who marries a farmer in 1902.
Essentially women's fiction, the novel explores the issue of whether you can really 'have it all', or whether something has to be 'bartered' to achieve it...
My FULL REVIEW of this novel can be found on my blog: https://fictionophile.wordpress.com/2...
I received a paperback copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my review.
October 26, 2014
This book was beautifully and hauntingly written, the latter description being especially apt. I've read other reviews claiming this is not "really" a ghost story, but it's enough of one that I would not read it in the house alone at night, and that the image of the spectral woman haunting the protagonist continues to linger in my mind weeks after I've finished the book.
Rather than say that this isn't "really" a ghost story, I feel that it is really much MORE than a ghost story. And that's why it held my interest throughout.
There are essentially three threads interweaving to tell this story: in one, a new mother struggles with her shifting identity and her marriage after she decides to leave a successful career as a lawyer to stay home with her first child. Another story follows the story of a woman in a German-American community in the late 1800s. And the third, that of the ghost, vaguely connects them.
I found the modern-day, new mother's--Bridget's--story most compelling, and I was probably about halfway into the book before I didn't resent it every time the narration panned away to the historical characters. Still, that aspect of the story grew on me as well. The writing and the characters in both eras are incredibly vivid, and as I read I could feel their longings and insecurities, see the world as they saw it even though, as an outsider, their choices often frustrated me. Still, it never stopped seeming "real," ghost and all. Adcock is especially good at capturing the nuances of marital love and resentment and the overwhelming devotion coupled with troubling ambivalence new parents face. Her descriptions of the 10-month-old baby were spot on and triggered all five senses, not just the dominant sense of sight.
There were some characters I wanted to get to know better -- Bridget's friend, Martha, who only appeared in one scene, or her mother, who I couldn't quite get a handle on, or her husband, who remained fairly elusive to me up to the end. I also had a little trouble with the plot of the "ghost story" -- I never really did truly understand the "barter" for which the book is named, nor did I feel like I truly "got" the ending. I wondered a bit about the book's message when it comes to the choices women make on the career-motherhood continuum.
So, if this book was "just" ghost story, I don't think it would have been enough for me. It was because Adcock so masterfully captured the real world around the ghost that I was able to overlook what might have otherwise been fatal flaws.
Rather than say that this isn't "really" a ghost story, I feel that it is really much MORE than a ghost story. And that's why it held my interest throughout.
There are essentially three threads interweaving to tell this story: in one, a new mother struggles with her shifting identity and her marriage after she decides to leave a successful career as a lawyer to stay home with her first child. Another story follows the story of a woman in a German-American community in the late 1800s. And the third, that of the ghost, vaguely connects them.
I found the modern-day, new mother's--Bridget's--story most compelling, and I was probably about halfway into the book before I didn't resent it every time the narration panned away to the historical characters. Still, that aspect of the story grew on me as well. The writing and the characters in both eras are incredibly vivid, and as I read I could feel their longings and insecurities, see the world as they saw it even though, as an outsider, their choices often frustrated me. Still, it never stopped seeming "real," ghost and all. Adcock is especially good at capturing the nuances of marital love and resentment and the overwhelming devotion coupled with troubling ambivalence new parents face. Her descriptions of the 10-month-old baby were spot on and triggered all five senses, not just the dominant sense of sight.
There were some characters I wanted to get to know better -- Bridget's friend, Martha, who only appeared in one scene, or her mother, who I couldn't quite get a handle on, or her husband, who remained fairly elusive to me up to the end. I also had a little trouble with the plot of the "ghost story" -- I never really did truly understand the "barter" for which the book is named, nor did I feel like I truly "got" the ending. I wondered a bit about the book's message when it comes to the choices women make on the career-motherhood continuum.
So, if this book was "just" ghost story, I don't think it would have been enough for me. It was because Adcock so masterfully captured the real world around the ghost that I was able to overlook what might have otherwise been fatal flaws.
November 4, 2014
I was left confused as to what the author may have been trying to accomplish with this story. I gave it my full attention to the very end and was left highly disappointed. This book covers the lives of two different women in different eras, with back-to-back chapters alternating between each story.
The start was slow moving with the life of Bridget who recently gave up her career as an attorney to be at home with her now ten month old daughter, Julie. The author brings a ghost into her home and the ghost does nothing but drag herself around the house terrorizing Bridget who leaves and comes back home a few times during the story. Throughout the whole story Bridget doesn't confide in her husband, who is not affected by the presence of this ghost, other than by her irrational moods which he attributes to her isolation and his late nights at work.
In the past you have Rebecca and John, best friends who end up married and it's not long after the wedding that Rebecca has second thoughts which she spews all over her newlywed husband. This causes a bitterness between her and her new husband, John.
I feel the author had a great story going on with the young city bride, Rebecca, who marries the farmer, John, in 1902. This part of the book was interesting. The characters were great and the story was leading. Even the magician was intoxicating and the story truly had me captured in a trance of wanting to return to the book just so I could continue with Rebecca's story.
Ironically, what actually kept me hanging on to the very end of this book, was the story of Rebecca and John. I didn't care at all about the ghost and Bridget. I felt the author should have done some research on the behavior of spirits/ghosts before attempting a ghost story, which in turn would have made it more credible and given it more life. I didn't feel the past and the present characters had any connection other than they both had a young child and were despondent and just plain miserable. I didn't understand the hour given, hour taken thing going on and how it connected with both women.
Giving advice to this author I say, Adcock has a true gift here in writing, she should continue her connection with historical fiction. I feel that although it might have seemed like a good idea for the author, this book was fractured. In the end, I was left with a yearning desire for what the story of Rebecca and John could have been.
The start was slow moving with the life of Bridget who recently gave up her career as an attorney to be at home with her now ten month old daughter, Julie. The author brings a ghost into her home and the ghost does nothing but drag herself around the house terrorizing Bridget who leaves and comes back home a few times during the story. Throughout the whole story Bridget doesn't confide in her husband, who is not affected by the presence of this ghost, other than by her irrational moods which he attributes to her isolation and his late nights at work.
In the past you have Rebecca and John, best friends who end up married and it's not long after the wedding that Rebecca has second thoughts which she spews all over her newlywed husband. This causes a bitterness between her and her new husband, John.
I feel the author had a great story going on with the young city bride, Rebecca, who marries the farmer, John, in 1902. This part of the book was interesting. The characters were great and the story was leading. Even the magician was intoxicating and the story truly had me captured in a trance of wanting to return to the book just so I could continue with Rebecca's story.
Ironically, what actually kept me hanging on to the very end of this book, was the story of Rebecca and John. I didn't care at all about the ghost and Bridget. I felt the author should have done some research on the behavior of spirits/ghosts before attempting a ghost story, which in turn would have made it more credible and given it more life. I didn't feel the past and the present characters had any connection other than they both had a young child and were despondent and just plain miserable. I didn't understand the hour given, hour taken thing going on and how it connected with both women.
Giving advice to this author I say, Adcock has a true gift here in writing, she should continue her connection with historical fiction. I feel that although it might have seemed like a good idea for the author, this book was fractured. In the end, I was left with a yearning desire for what the story of Rebecca and John could have been.
January 1, 2018
This book was horrible. Boring, banal and down right disappointing. The female characters are one dimensional and awfully portrayed. Did not finish this book, it was too painful to go on!
January 19, 2015
I stumbled upon this book while enjoying a rare afternoon alone, ironically. I wasn't sure I'd like it, but I decided to take a chance - and I'm glad I did. The title of this book is Barter ; I'd say the overwhelming theme is negotiation. It's' about the negotiations a woman makes throughout her life - through marriage, through career, through motherhood. What makes this a novel is it's about two women who make different types of negotiations given their historical and situational circumstances. And, yes, in Bridget's case the negotiations are negotiations she thinks she should make but not the ones that were actually good for her. That is common, I think, for many women today. So, the author juxtaposes Bridget with the ghost character of 100 years prior. She was a woman who made the wrong type of sacrifice and, then, was unable to undo it because of pride. I guess, then, the ghost comes to Bridget to help prevent her from making the same mistake. And the ending, then, is happy.
Not going to lie: this is a book with strong feminist themes. Bridget is a new mom who gives up her career to stay with her baby - but is terribly unhappy with the life she has chosen, even though she loves her baby terribly. So, Bridget, then, is a real feminist character. The other characters, however, her good friend who did not give up her career and her SAHM friends whose only vocation in life is motherhood are stock characters. The only complex women, then, are Bridget, the ghost, and Bridget's mother. That may be the intent. I can see, though, that this might annoy some women who do not identify with feminism. For those of us who do identify as feminists or interested in reading about women's issues, this is a thought provoking account. In many ways, it reminds me of "The Yellow Wallpaper"...but different. I would definitely recommend, and think it would be interesting for a Book Club that focuses on womens' novels.
Not going to lie: this is a book with strong feminist themes. Bridget is a new mom who gives up her career to stay with her baby - but is terribly unhappy with the life she has chosen, even though she loves her baby terribly. So, Bridget, then, is a real feminist character. The other characters, however, her good friend who did not give up her career and her SAHM friends whose only vocation in life is motherhood are stock characters. The only complex women, then, are Bridget, the ghost, and Bridget's mother. That may be the intent. I can see, though, that this might annoy some women who do not identify with feminism. For those of us who do identify as feminists or interested in reading about women's issues, this is a thought provoking account. In many ways, it reminds me of "The Yellow Wallpaper"...but different. I would definitely recommend, and think it would be interesting for a Book Club that focuses on womens' novels.
June 18, 2015
The ghost appears on page four. Bridget sits up with her fussy, ten-month-old daughter. First there is a swampy odor, and the the unstable white shape appears. Bridget sees that the ghost itself is a woman inside this shroud of static. She has dead black eyes and a mouth that opens onto a chasm of terrific hunger and need.
Bridget has given up her legal career to become a full-time mom. He husband works what she has come to consider suspiciously long hours at a game development company. They live in an Austin suburb where her friends are other moms who handle their new roles with varying degrees of irony and enthusiasm. Adcock sets the stage for a psychological horror story with the ghost as an embodiment of Bridget's fears and insecurities, but this thing is real. Alternating chapters tell a story from 1902 of a young woman in the country town of German immigrants that becomes Bridget's gated suburb. She will become the ghost.
The Barter is a good modern ghost story. Bridget's life of play dates, coffee breaks, summer art camp, and neighborhood cookouts all rings true. (Like I would know,) Her desperation and panic over marriage and motherhood, all of which she feels she must keep concealed from her husband, her mother, and her friends, doesn't need the added complication of this supernatural presence that moves from the initial confines of her daughter's and her own bedroom until it has the run of her house. Telling the tale of the ghost's origin and bringing the two stories together takes a bit longer than it should, but the final encounter has the elements of terror and tragedy that this sort of story demands.
Bridget has given up her legal career to become a full-time mom. He husband works what she has come to consider suspiciously long hours at a game development company. They live in an Austin suburb where her friends are other moms who handle their new roles with varying degrees of irony and enthusiasm. Adcock sets the stage for a psychological horror story with the ghost as an embodiment of Bridget's fears and insecurities, but this thing is real. Alternating chapters tell a story from 1902 of a young woman in the country town of German immigrants that becomes Bridget's gated suburb. She will become the ghost.
The Barter is a good modern ghost story. Bridget's life of play dates, coffee breaks, summer art camp, and neighborhood cookouts all rings true. (Like I would know,) Her desperation and panic over marriage and motherhood, all of which she feels she must keep concealed from her husband, her mother, and her friends, doesn't need the added complication of this supernatural presence that moves from the initial confines of her daughter's and her own bedroom until it has the run of her house. Telling the tale of the ghost's origin and bringing the two stories together takes a bit longer than it should, but the final encounter has the elements of terror and tragedy that this sort of story demands.
August 30, 2014
This book was slow to start but then it picked up. I loved the depth of the characters. Neither of these ladies is in a typical marriage and their stories are interesting, although a bit slow at times. The relationships between these two woman separated by decades have some things in common, they are both lost in their roles as mother and wives. I found The Barter an enjoyable read by about chapter 4. The ghost in this book was not very believable, but I guess everyone’s ghost story is unique.
These woman are both willing to give up something for their children. Bridget is our modern day mom. Bridget has the pressure of money woos and play groups. She has a lot going on as a stay at home mom. I believe a lot of new moms could relate to her story. She struggles to reconnect with her husband after a baby and fit in with the top moms of the neighborhood. Bridget gave up her job as an attorney to raise her daughter. Her husband is absent throughout most of the story, working double time to support his new family. The only thing different for this mom is that she has a ghost living her home. A ghost that her husband can’t see. She is alone in dealing with this thing invading her home.
Rebecca is a woman living in the early 1900′s. Her child rearing looks much different than Bridget’s. She is the daughter to a German immigrant doctor. Rebecca’s mother died shortly after childbirth, so Frau, Rebecca’s father’s cousin, helped raise her. Of the many stories Frau told her, the one of her mother’s bartering an hour of life for her daughter’s happiness troubles Rebecca the most. She contemplates what she would give up for her son’s happiness. Rebecca marries a man she doesn’t especially love and the whole relationship is strained right from the start. Her story was really interesting since her struggles are so different from the modern woman. Daily life is harder and child rearing in this time proves to be much more difficult. Her horrors about the Barter are passed on from her mother.
I was sure by about chapter 2 that the title had nothing to do with the story, and was all about the ghost. I was wrong as this book is all about a Barter. The Barter is with their love for their children. This story about a ghost haunting a new mother is scary. I got a bit sucked into Rebecca’s story as well. The last two chapters left me baffled. After all that these mothers though, went through, and wondered, the story ends abruptly. All the loose ends are tied up by a magician for Rebecca, and a night at a party for Bridget. What happens in these last two chapters is confusing and left me really disappointing by this book. If the ghost story was unbelievable, the ending is even more so. The Barter had some bright spots but I would not recommend this read. I am left wondering what the Barter in this story actually means and what the author was trying to do with this story.
These woman are both willing to give up something for their children. Bridget is our modern day mom. Bridget has the pressure of money woos and play groups. She has a lot going on as a stay at home mom. I believe a lot of new moms could relate to her story. She struggles to reconnect with her husband after a baby and fit in with the top moms of the neighborhood. Bridget gave up her job as an attorney to raise her daughter. Her husband is absent throughout most of the story, working double time to support his new family. The only thing different for this mom is that she has a ghost living her home. A ghost that her husband can’t see. She is alone in dealing with this thing invading her home.
Rebecca is a woman living in the early 1900′s. Her child rearing looks much different than Bridget’s. She is the daughter to a German immigrant doctor. Rebecca’s mother died shortly after childbirth, so Frau, Rebecca’s father’s cousin, helped raise her. Of the many stories Frau told her, the one of her mother’s bartering an hour of life for her daughter’s happiness troubles Rebecca the most. She contemplates what she would give up for her son’s happiness. Rebecca marries a man she doesn’t especially love and the whole relationship is strained right from the start. Her story was really interesting since her struggles are so different from the modern woman. Daily life is harder and child rearing in this time proves to be much more difficult. Her horrors about the Barter are passed on from her mother.
I was sure by about chapter 2 that the title had nothing to do with the story, and was all about the ghost. I was wrong as this book is all about a Barter. The Barter is with their love for their children. This story about a ghost haunting a new mother is scary. I got a bit sucked into Rebecca’s story as well. The last two chapters left me baffled. After all that these mothers though, went through, and wondered, the story ends abruptly. All the loose ends are tied up by a magician for Rebecca, and a night at a party for Bridget. What happens in these last two chapters is confusing and left me really disappointing by this book. If the ghost story was unbelievable, the ending is even more so. The Barter had some bright spots but I would not recommend this read. I am left wondering what the Barter in this story actually means and what the author was trying to do with this story.
September 5, 2014
I enjoyed this book. It kept me constantly thinking 'why the name?' which I didn't understand until the end of the book, which was a perfect ending.
The story is about 2 different women, separated by a century. Both women are not the generally accepted 'woman of the times' personality, although Bridget's choice is one many many women choose, but a same number of many many women make the opposite choice. Rebecca makes a 'standard' choice of marriage but what happens after that was a big shock to the story.
There's the part of the story from the turn of the 20th century that continues to grow and you can see how Rebecca is slowly evolving. Then there's the part of the story from today's times,and you see how Bridget is slowly made to feel she's going insane. Rebecca's story takes more than a year, while Bridget's story feels it's a fraction of that time.
In the middle of these two stories you have a ghost story, which kept me awake until I decided I couldn't read it at night alone. Ms Adcock's ability to somehow weave the two stories totally separate but also together is a tremendous work of art. Being able to write a true ghost story in this is just one more aspect of a great author. The fact that you go from one century to the other, then back again with the ghost aspect thrown in unexpectedly, will keep you reading to see what is going to happen next.
I'm not a very good review writer. I hope I am able to share the basics of the story, but leave questions waiting that a good read will answer. If you enjoy a good story, a good love story, and a good ghost story, The Barter has all 3 and is totally worth the time. You may want to think twice of reading it at night, by yourself.
Enjoy!
The story is about 2 different women, separated by a century. Both women are not the generally accepted 'woman of the times' personality, although Bridget's choice is one many many women choose, but a same number of many many women make the opposite choice. Rebecca makes a 'standard' choice of marriage but what happens after that was a big shock to the story.
There's the part of the story from the turn of the 20th century that continues to grow and you can see how Rebecca is slowly evolving. Then there's the part of the story from today's times,and you see how Bridget is slowly made to feel she's going insane. Rebecca's story takes more than a year, while Bridget's story feels it's a fraction of that time.
In the middle of these two stories you have a ghost story, which kept me awake until I decided I couldn't read it at night alone. Ms Adcock's ability to somehow weave the two stories totally separate but also together is a tremendous work of art. Being able to write a true ghost story in this is just one more aspect of a great author. The fact that you go from one century to the other, then back again with the ghost aspect thrown in unexpectedly, will keep you reading to see what is going to happen next.
I'm not a very good review writer. I hope I am able to share the basics of the story, but leave questions waiting that a good read will answer. If you enjoy a good story, a good love story, and a good ghost story, The Barter has all 3 and is totally worth the time. You may want to think twice of reading it at night, by yourself.
Enjoy!
August 30, 2014
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I received an advanced reader's edition of this book from Penguin through a galley giveaway for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
1 of 5 stars. As soon as I started The Barter, I knew, that it would not be a book that would not end up being my cup of tea. I liked how The Barter was 2 love stories told in 2 separate time periods, but felt the ghost aspect of the book was rather over exaggerated. I never finished the book.
My rating system: (I do use half stars.)
5 - I do not use the 5 star. Not because a book might not be worthy, but because a book is never perfect.
4 - I loved it! There weren't too many flaws, and I had no trouble getting through it. (A 4 star rating is the highest rating I've ever given a book.)
3 - I enjoyed the book, but there we're flaws that made me enjoy it less.
2 - I finished the book, but there were too many flaws for me to enjoy it.
1 - I could not finish the book, and I probably did not finish it....
I received an advanced reader's edition of this book from Penguin through a galley giveaway for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
1 of 5 stars. As soon as I started The Barter, I knew, that it would not be a book that would not end up being my cup of tea. I liked how The Barter was 2 love stories told in 2 separate time periods, but felt the ghost aspect of the book was rather over exaggerated. I never finished the book.
My rating system: (I do use half stars.)
5 - I do not use the 5 star. Not because a book might not be worthy, but because a book is never perfect.
4 - I loved it! There weren't too many flaws, and I had no trouble getting through it. (A 4 star rating is the highest rating I've ever given a book.)
3 - I enjoyed the book, but there we're flaws that made me enjoy it less.
2 - I finished the book, but there were too many flaws for me to enjoy it.
1 - I could not finish the book, and I probably did not finish it....
August 18, 2014
This is a ghost story that isn't at all scary. (So basically it's a ghost story for people who are pretty sure they don't actually want to read a ghost story.)
It's told from altering perspectives (Bridget in present day; Rebecca in the early 1900s) and each are women who are married with young children. Bridget's marriage is happy; Rebecca's much less so. The story deals with the sacrifices the women are (and are not) making for their families.
I think there's a lot here to discuss and I would especially be interested in how people view Rebecca. She's not a very sympathetic character (at all) but I found myself liking her almost against my will.
I enjoyed this book but at the same time, it was very much a middle of the road read. It's not something I NEEDED to read, the kind of book where I had to keep going (instead of stopping to eat or sleep) but at the same time, I very much enjoyed the characters and my time with them. Does that make sense? I'm interested to see what Siobhan Adcock does next; I have a feeling she's going to become a must-read author of mine but she's not there yet.
It's told from altering perspectives (Bridget in present day; Rebecca in the early 1900s) and each are women who are married with young children. Bridget's marriage is happy; Rebecca's much less so. The story deals with the sacrifices the women are (and are not) making for their families.
I think there's a lot here to discuss and I would especially be interested in how people view Rebecca. She's not a very sympathetic character (at all) but I found myself liking her almost against my will.
I enjoyed this book but at the same time, it was very much a middle of the road read. It's not something I NEEDED to read, the kind of book where I had to keep going (instead of stopping to eat or sleep) but at the same time, I very much enjoyed the characters and my time with them. Does that make sense? I'm interested to see what Siobhan Adcock does next; I have a feeling she's going to become a must-read author of mine but she's not there yet.
January 10, 2015
"Riveting." "Explosive." I really don't know what they're talking about. Because it seemed as if the book led me up to a climax—and then went completely flat. Okay, yes, there are moments of real tension in the book, those moments when you're glad there's someone else in the house as you read, but they can't stand against the disappointing ending. Not that I'm even sure what happens at the end. What was the ghost, thing, whatever you want to call it, haunting Bridget's home? And why? You never find out. Nor is Rebecca's fate totally explained. It's almost as if the author just got tired of writing.
To make matters worse, too much of the tension relies on people not speaking to each other. Even when they do, they end up talking in circles, rather than just explaining themselves! I felt like yelling, "Just spit it out!"
But by far the worst offense is the trite cliché at the end of the book that isn't quite the end. Really? How many times have readers been presented with this hoary plot devise? What started out as a decent book is undermined by its sudden and incomplete ending.
To make matters worse, too much of the tension relies on people not speaking to each other. Even when they do, they end up talking in circles, rather than just explaining themselves! I felt like yelling, "Just spit it out!"
But by far the worst offense is the trite cliché at the end of the book that isn't quite the end. Really? How many times have readers been presented with this hoary plot devise? What started out as a decent book is undermined by its sudden and incomplete ending.
February 16, 2015
Perhaps 3.5 stars.
I enjoyed this book, but was hoping for a better ending. I won't give any spoilers, but I'll just say I was disappointed because it had a lot of potential leading up to the end. My favorite parts of this book were actually the passages from the early 20th century about Rebecca and her farmer husband -- I both loved and hated their relationship and struggles. On the other hand, I found Bridget's story to be quite annoying. She was annoying, her husband got the blame for everything (even though he was pretty much never at fault), and Bridget's mother was obnoxious. I did not find these characters to be like-able, as much as I tried to like them.
Overall, it wasn't a bad read, and I enjoyed myself, (There were even a few times where I thought, "How lovely!" or "I was so engrossed... I can't believe I just read 30 pages!") but not a spectacular, blow-me-out-of-the-water book (unfortunately).
I enjoyed this book, but was hoping for a better ending. I won't give any spoilers, but I'll just say I was disappointed because it had a lot of potential leading up to the end. My favorite parts of this book were actually the passages from the early 20th century about Rebecca and her farmer husband -- I both loved and hated their relationship and struggles. On the other hand, I found Bridget's story to be quite annoying. She was annoying, her husband got the blame for everything (even though he was pretty much never at fault), and Bridget's mother was obnoxious. I did not find these characters to be like-able, as much as I tried to like them.
Overall, it wasn't a bad read, and I enjoyed myself, (There were even a few times where I thought, "How lovely!" or "I was so engrossed... I can't believe I just read 30 pages!") but not a spectacular, blow-me-out-of-the-water book (unfortunately).
February 20, 2015
Did I enjoy this book: I loved the back and forth. I loved reading about how much (and how little) changes for wives and mothers after a hundred years, and I liked Adcock’s characters (though at times I did want to reach through the pages and give Bridget a good slap). I did not, however, like the supernatural aspects of the story – they were distracting at their best and downright confusing at their worst. I love ghost stories, but I think this book would have worked much better without any actual ghostiness.
Would I recommend it: If you’re looking for a great novel about two captivating (if not always likable) women, give it a whirl. If you’re interested in a spooky ghost story, keep looking.
As reviewed by Melissa at Every Free Chance Books.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
http://everyfreechance.com/2014/09/bl...
Would I recommend it: If you’re looking for a great novel about two captivating (if not always likable) women, give it a whirl. If you’re interested in a spooky ghost story, keep looking.
As reviewed by Melissa at Every Free Chance Books.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
http://everyfreechance.com/2014/09/bl...
September 28, 2014
A dual story of a lady who is haunted by a ghost and the story of how the ghost came to be. A very tense novel of two troubled women from two different eras. What kind of loss did the ghost suffer to cause her to appear and harass a young lady and her child and what must the woman do to protect her family? This is a story about coming to terms with loss and how we cope with it. A highly charged atmospheric novel that will draw you in and not let you go until you have finished. A must read for fans of historically based ghost stories.
November 4, 2015
The 1902 story was more enjoyable that the present day one. However, I read to the end to find the connection between the two and either missed it or it wasn't clear. I kept waiting for the connection to be made and then the story ended..........It was spooky, but I couldn't figure out who that spirit was.
October 6, 2014
This was not a book to give you chills, or make you afraid of the dark. It was a dull, but fairly quick read of bored housewives. There were some nice thoughts motherhood, but on the whole, not a very good story.
February 14, 2015
Thanks to goodreads and dutton publishers who shared this wonderful historical ghost story with me. Modern day intelligent new mom Bridget is visited by a past spirit who turns her life and marriage upside down.
January 6, 2015
I wasn't sure how the two story lines that make up this book would come together, but once they did (at the end), I was quite pleased with the way the stories merged. Interesting choice, though, to have a story about female empowerment end with male perspectives
June 5, 2017
In my experience there are two types of books that make you feel a bit anxious as you reach the end: books that are so good that I dread when I've finished it because there's nothing left and books that feel like they don't have enough time to settle things in a satisfying way. The Barter, unfortunately, is the latter of these two.
And uh spoilers... I was right to feel worried.
So the story follows two women, mothers with troubled marriages, one in modern times and the other in the early 1900s. Bridget, a former lawyer now stay-at-home mother, deals with the terror of having a supernatural being in her house that she feels is a threat to herself and her baby daughter, Julie, who can also see it. Rebecca is a young woman from the 1900s who throughout the course of the book struggles to repair the marriage that she screwed up with her choices.
There are some thematic elements that connect the two of them together, but it's hard to see how. If I had to really make a guess I'd say it's kind of like the Babadook,
There are good things about this book. I was legitimately interested while reading it and I felt the characters were engaging. I particularly was frustrated with Rebecca and John, not because they annoyed me, but because I wanted them to overcome their problems together. Bridget's relationships with the various women in her life are dynamic and show just that little bit of her character that is looking for the opinions of others to help define her purpose.
This is a book that can be enjoyable. It's a book that had potential. But I kind of feel that it gets pulled down by the vagueness with the climax. It's good to not over explain everything in your book and make your readers think for themselves, but you still need to give enough to allow the readers to piece everything together. That just wasn't what happened this time.
And uh spoilers... I was right to feel worried.
So the story follows two women, mothers with troubled marriages, one in modern times and the other in the early 1900s. Bridget, a former lawyer now stay-at-home mother, deals with the terror of having a supernatural being in her house that she feels is a threat to herself and her baby daughter, Julie, who can also see it. Rebecca is a young woman from the 1900s who throughout the course of the book struggles to repair the marriage that she screwed up with her choices.
There are some thematic elements that connect the two of them together, but it's hard to see how. If I had to really make a guess I'd say it's kind of like the Babadook,
There are good things about this book. I was legitimately interested while reading it and I felt the characters were engaging. I particularly was frustrated with Rebecca and John, not because they annoyed me, but because I wanted them to overcome their problems together. Bridget's relationships with the various women in her life are dynamic and show just that little bit of her character that is looking for the opinions of others to help define her purpose.
This is a book that can be enjoyable. It's a book that had potential. But I kind of feel that it gets pulled down by the vagueness with the climax. It's good to not over explain everything in your book and make your readers think for themselves, but you still need to give enough to allow the readers to piece everything together. That just wasn't what happened this time.
April 15, 2019
I went into this book expecting a creepy ghost story (which this is not) and walked out of it with a strange pain in my heart and new appreciation for the duality that exists in parents. I've always been obsessed with dark fairy tales and their macabre feel and that's what kept me through this book. I read some reviewers on here say they didn't understand the point of the hour given to which I'm confused. It was easily the most fairy tale thing about the story. Of course there was some weakness. Bridget's actions during her climax of the book don't make much sense to me (why would you confront someone with an unfounded question then of all times???). Her friends were one dimensional and obnoxious. Rebecca's rage and anger were not fully explored or explained and the inciting incident in her marriage is silly and drawn out. I found myself rolling my eyes at her and her husband's interactions because they were so needlessly complex. But these were small gripes compared to the overall feel of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2017
The story line was fresh and unique, a woman from 100 years ago haunting a woman now, and the author even made it pretty believable. There were some really good scenes and times of anticipation where I was excited to find out "what would happen next", but there was also too much of the every day grind stuff. A bit too much on daily life with a baby from one woman, and too much daily life on the farm from the other. The book seemed to get more exciting on the last 100 pages or so and I was hoping for a big, dramatic ending, but it ended flat. I never did get the motivation of why the older woman chose the current one to haunt.
October 30, 2023
I really enjoyed this one. It took a bit to get going, and the end may have been a little...heavy handed...but the paired stories of Rebecca and Bridgit as they negotiate marriage and motherhood carry a lot of truth about women's lives and I wonder if those themes just lend themselves to sometimes corny moments. The ghost parts are legitimately haunting and the imagery does so much with relatively little. Scary, suspenseful, touching. I liked it a lot, but I admit that my current experiences as a wife and mother to a young child may play a role there.
September 6, 2019
I’m gonna give this three stars based on the chapters in the book that were set in present time. I didn’t care for the chapters set in the past, or really, any of the ghost story stuff which, come to think of it, was a lot of the book. I better just end the review now before I talk myself into knocking off a star.
August 29, 2017
I had to stop reading it was so bad....there was little character development and the plot development was so slow i didn't care to stick it out.
February 8, 2018
I don't know if I stopped listening or what but with about 10 minutes left to go I lost the thread. Also really don't get the whole give up an hour thing.
August 11, 2018
A ghost story and an allegory. I read this story straight through. The sub-story would be good for reading groups.
December 10, 2018
The writing far outpaced the story.
August 29, 2019
This is an interesting ghost story that takes place over many years. Many fun twists an turns.
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