Melissa

Engaging story and characters

Revisado: 04-06-25

This is my second Amy Harmon book. Like The Songbook of Benny Lament, this is a great story, Most of the characters are thoughtfully developed and engaging, and the plot has plenty of twists and turns and emotional hooks. I have only a couple of complaints. The resolution of one of the storylines at the end of the book was abrupt and stretched credulity a bit, and the voicing of male characters by the “Naomi” narrator in the Audible version was grating and distracting. She also mispronounced a few words, most notably “dishabille.” Otherwise, an enjoyable listen and memorable story.

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Refreshing perspective, deep research

Revisado: 02-16-25

Ellis’s argument that the “cause” was not enough to win a war or build a nation, that far more than patriotism was necessary. A house divided against itself cannot stand.

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Well-written story with subpar narration

Revisado: 01-06-25

Compelling parallel stories of a Native American girl stolen by a white woman and the impact of her loss on her birth family. Both narrators, however, detract from this audiobook, with odd cadences and pitch. Joe comes across as a jolly, innocent kid, even while he struggles with his personal demons, and the female reader portrays the people in Ruthie’s life as querulous children.

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Philosophical history of America

Revisado: 12-27-24

New way for me to see American history. Narrator seemed to add unnecessary menace to the characters.

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Excellent, compelling story

Revisado: 08-26-24

Narrator was outstanding, unusual plot line, blending the Mafia with interracial relationships. Characters convincing. The dialogue between Benny and Esther was particularly well done, beautifully capturing how two lovers sometimes talk past each other and have so much to learn about themselves.

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Entertaining but a bit of a stretch

Revisado: 07-16-23

The character of Evelyn, a beautiful and beloved film star with untold secrets, is initially interesting and compelling. However, I found it hard to believe she successfully hid her secrets for nearly 60 years despite her fame. In addition the story line of the 7 husbands eventually became old and repetitive. I spent the last one-third of the novel, with the exception of a handful of pivotal scenes, constantly on the verge of boredom.

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Maybe better on paper

Revisado: 06-29-23

Another enjoyable sojourn in Montana with Ivan Doig and his character, Morrie Morgan. For me, however, this narrator did not bring fully to life Morrie’s erudition mixed with his tendency to live one step ahead of danger. Also thought there was a richness and complexity to his relationship with Sandy that Doig could have explored in more depth. Nevertheless none of this will keep me from gobbling up more of the author’s generally excellent writing.

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Another solid entry in the series, with one exception

Revisado: 10-17-22

Smoke and Ashes is another creative but believable reimagining of India and Indian politics in the years immediately after World War I. Sam continues to perform top-notch detective work while fighting his opium addiction, while his partner, Surrender Not Banerjee, struggles to reconcile his deep loyalty to the British police force in Calcutta with his family’s devotion to Gandhi’s non-violent campaign for Indian independence. Mukherjee skillfully intertwines real events and personalities in Indian history with the lives of his fictional cast of characters. My only complaint about Smoke and Ashes is that all of Sam’s superior officers are drawn as so completely incompetent that they invariably have to turn to Sam for suggestions of what to do next in harrowing situations. It is not credible that both the head of military intelligence and the head of the police force would be so utterly clueless at several steps along the way about how to protect the Prince of Wales from a threatened attack. Unfortunately the storyline often depends on their ineptitude and Wyndham’s brilliance (which often looks like repeated insubordination) - a few too many times in my view. It seems to me that this is too easy a plot device for a good writer to rely on.

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Not outstanding

Revisado: 06-30-20

The plot is extremely predictable at times and the story has gaping holes in it, far too many coincidences, and only sparse character development of any character other than Lucien. However, the narrator was excellent and the ending was satisfying.

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This is life

Revisado: 09-17-13

There is a certain nakedness to Stegner's storytelling, in the sense that it doesn't shy away from uncomfortable subjects like death and troubled marriages. His characters are not always likeable, but they are very real and may even remind you of people you know. This is a book about the life of a friendship between two couples over many years. Stegner explores the joy and excitement of the young friendship, but he recognizes that friendships can die away to almost nothing for long periods of time, only to be reignited by a major event. Stegner's appeal (for me anyway) is in his ability to develop his characters as they age and deal with life's challenges -- as well as to describe their surroundings lovingly and vividly. This story is not predictable, nor does it offer any particular shocks or surprises. However, it is gut-wrenching in its honesty about human beings and the institutions of marriage and friendship.

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