Range of Motion - by Elizabeth Berg (Paperback)

About the Book

From the bestselling author of "Talk Before Sleep" and "What We Keep" comes "the love story of the year" ("Detroit Free Press"). A woman waiting for her husband to awake from a coma discovers the meaning of love, friendship, and faith.

Book Synopsis

In this exquisite, emotionally rich novel, New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Berg offers a deeply satisfying story about the bonds of love and the balm of friendship. A young man named Jay lies in a coma after suffering a freak accident, and his wife, Lainey, is the only one who believes he will recover. She sits at his bedside, bringing him reminders of the ordinary life they shared: fragrant flowers, his children's drawings, his own softly textured shirt. When Lainey's faith in his recovery falters, she is sustained by two women, Alice and Evie, who teach her about the endurance of friendship--and the genuine power of hope. Filled with beautiful writing and truths about life, Range of Motion is hard to put down and impossible to forget.

From the Back Cover

He walked past a building, and a huge chunk of ice fell off the roof, and it hit him in the head. This is Chaplinesque, right? People start to laugh when I tell them . . . In this exquisite novel, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Pull of the Moon, Jay Berman lingers in a coma after a sudden, shattering accident. His wife, Lainey, thinks that he'll recover -- though sometimes she fears she's the only one who believes. She sits at his side as he lies motionless. Determined to reach him, she offers reminders of the ordinary life they shared: sweet-smelling flowers, his soft-textured shirt, spices from their kitchen. And through this ordeal, she is sustained by two women who will teach her about the endurance of friendship -- and the genuine power of hope.

Review Quotes

"The day you open this book you will miss all your appointments because . . . you will read it straight through."--Entertainment Weekly

"A simple but intensely moving story about the redemptive power of love . . . [Elizabeth Berg is] a writer whose luminous prose is likely to stay with you a long, long time."--Chicago Tribune

"A stunning, believable, funny novel that celebrates the unassuming invincibility of the human spirit."--Minneapolis Star Tribune

"A luminous, bittersweet, almost mystical meditation on the unexpected, often hidden, joys found in the least likely of places."--San Francisco Chronicle

"The terrifically talented Berg at her best."--People

About the Author

Elizabeth Berg is the author of many bestselling novels, including Open House, an Oprah's Book Club selection, Talk Before Sleep, and The Year of Pleasures, as well as the short story collection The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted. Durable Goods and Joy School were selected as ALA Best Books of the Year. She adapted The Pull of the Moon into a play which enjoyed sold-out performances in Chicago and Indianapolis. Berg's work has been translated into twenty-seven languages. Three of her novels were turned into television movies. She is the founder of Writing Matters, a four-times-a-year quality reading series dedicated to serving author, audience, and community. She teaches one-day writing workshops, and is a popular speaker at venues around the country. Recently, some of her most popular Facebook postings were collected in Make Someone Happy. She lives outside Chicago.