Susan Day

Significant Hustory in a Nutshell

Revisado: 07-25-24

I wish I had discovered this BEFORE I visited Ireland. This is a very readable history of the Irish-Anglo Catholic-Protestant conflicts over the centuries right up to the 21st century. It happened to add insight into my own family's history and attitudes long after they came to America just before the Potato Famine.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A Jaqueline Winspear Surprise!

Revisado: 03-23-24

This was unlike the other Winspear books I have read. There is no mystery or intrigue just a solid story about two young British girls who were best friends and came of age as WWI was unfolding. The character development is solid and the story melancholic. It's a well done "stand alone" in the way William Kent Krueger's stand Aline's stand out from his serial mysteries. It will make a nice Book Club choice.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A Moving Chronicle of The Women Who Served in the Viet Nam War

Revisado: 02-22-24

This was a book that was hard to set down. In hindsight, I wish I had taken it in bites rather than in two sittings! Frankie is a well developed character and her change from the beginning to the end is orchestrated well. There are places where the plot seems overdone, yet when the book is completed it all fits together. I lived through this period of time as an age peer and the indicators of that period are very accurate (and moving). I would recommend this to anyone wanting to learn more about women serving in Viet Nam as nurses, and what many experienced once they returned.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A Wonderful piece of Historical Fiction

Revisado: 06-24-23

Urrea has written a unique WWII story that captures the day to day experiences of the American Red Cross women providing "sinkers and coffee" as well as morale and reminders of home for the grunts on the ground in Europe's war front. It's a little bit of Hemingway in plot and a lot Faulkner in richness of description and character development. You will fall in love with these two amazingly gritty and very unique women as they move from one battle site to another to another, experience some of the same traumas as the men carrying rifles. I could not put this book down; as soon as I finished it I started it over again to savor all the rich description of detail. Thank you, Luis and Cindy, for a sharing the results of so many years of research and for honoring these amazing women.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A Real Character Study

Revisado: 12-19-22

This is a first-person narrated story by a retired man who has recently been divorced by his wife, had to sell his farm, and lost his dog companion. He takes you on "an adventure" across the US as he contemplates his life choices and reflects on his life. The author has done an excellent job of creating a vivid yet annoying (in my opinion) picture of an aging man who spends a lot of time thinking about sex, his lost opportunities, and what truly makes him happy. The writing is such a pleasure to read, even if Cliff is an annoying, whiny character.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A wide sweep novel about much more than a Horse

Revisado: 10-07-22

Geraldine Brookesa' writing never is a disappointment. Her topics are diverse and extensively researched, her characters in the novel are both real people who existed at the time they are portrayed, or imagined and inspired by other real people of an amalgam of people. Like many novels these days, the story crosses times and characters, keeping readers on their toes. It offers so many topics for good discussions, both contemporary and historical. Other than Lexington, the HORSE, my favorite character is Jerret.

There are times to celebrate and times to cry.m, as well as times to exercise "hindsight". I recommend this book for book clubs, horse lovers, people interested in the history of American horse racing, readers seeking a quality read (listening, too), and those who love Geraldine Brookes.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

You Won't Be Able to Put This Down

Revisado: 08-21-22

I have enjoyed all of Jamie Ford's books but this one is decidedly different in so many ways it is stories within a BIG story; it is a romance of sorts, it is speculative and extends from the mid-1800's into the future (2086). It features the intersecting lives of seven Chinese women, one who was real (Afong) and six who are imagined progeny. Folded into the stories that shift back and forth in time are related subjects as climate change, technology/social engineering, pandemics, religion, WWII, cultural exploitation, and thought modification. The reader cannot help but wonder how the lives of these 7 women are connected and how events of one generation will influence the events of another.

There are pearls of wisdom tucked into paragraphs that may cause you to pause and absorb. There are phrases of description that fill multiple senses as one reads. Tthere are moments that trigger a tear or two.. overall, it is an enjoyable story that prompts reflection.

I am intrigued by the depth of character that Mr. Ford had created in the seven women. He is able to get "into their respective heads" and at the same time develop distinctly different characters that are reflective of the period of time in which each lived.

This will make a great book club discussion. I look forward to seeing the TV series that has been optioned for production.

The Audio version of this so well done that I am ready to start all over again so I can fully appreciate Mr. Ford's prose. Don't miss his narrated notes at the end.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

Outstanding Production of an Outstanding Tale

Revisado: 07-08-22

This may be one of the best audio productions I have listened to...right next to Jim Dale's Harry Potter Audio series. It's like listening to "old-time radio" productions. I could not stop listening and moving from book to book! I had just visited Oxford for a month (where I finally bought the first book) and could imagine so much! These audio books make great listening ( and discussing) across generations and beliefs.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Erdrich at Her best!

Revisado: 03-22-22

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Louise Erdrich read The Sentence, a complex tale of the lives of a number of characters in the time of COVID and the chaos of community dissent in Minneapolis. It’s about love and ghosts and connections between and among people who have historically suffered in the hands of others. Strong, livable characters. I had to keep driving in order to finish it!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Engaging story within a Story

Revisado: 02-28-22

Unlike anything Guterson has written to date, this story has courtroom drama, speculation, deep contemplation and reflection and the contrasting states of two families living their lives under the rigors each has embraced as “true”. Terrible and sad, yet filled with warmth and love, it is a book that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona