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A remarkable collaboration!

Revisado: 04-26-25

Writing tends to be a solitary endeavor, which makes this collaboration between numerous leading authors so remarkable. Someone had the vision to pull this tapestry together - it would be fascinating to hear the back story.

As the other reviewers indicated, the beginning can feel confusing and unclear. But just go with it and ride the wave! Hard to put down!

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Inspiration for Dark Times

Revisado: 01-20-25

It was enlightening to see how US progress occurred in fits and starts. There always seemed to be a third of the population fighting forward progress toward what is right, fair and consistent with America’s core values. That is still true today.
In history, those people come out on the wrong side of history (and they will again).
But the US was blessed with bold and principled leaders who could guide us to the right path. Sadly, that is no longer true. I hope some better angels arise to help guide us during these dark and difficult days.

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Mid-life crisis exacerbated by making all the wrong choices

Revisado: 01-10-25

I don’t get the hype. There was definitely some good aspects - the author’s evocative writing made it feel as if you were there. It was interesting to get inside the head of a highly creative person and her associated lifestyle. The shock value of her choices made it a unique and surprising journey. But I couldn’t relate to the protagonist’s desperate single-minded focus on sex and orgasms. Her short-term focus on sexual gratification led her to take non-sensical actions that damaged the truly meaningful relationships in her life. Many of the main character’s values, decisions and actions made be feel uncomfortable (was that the point?). She seemed quite depressed (and the author’s near monotone narration heightens that conclusion). She would have been better served by seeing a shrink rather than chasing orgasms. The lifestyle choices of the characters reinforces the overly liberal LA stereotypes - morally bankrupt characters, lesbian sex-capades, all while referring to her seven year old child as “they”???

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Strong characters, fascinating history and a medical mystery!

Revisado: 10-07-24

The story was remarkable, revealing a culture and lifestyle I knew nothing about. In addition to the sweep of history with compelling and complex cast of characters, there a medical mystery to be solved. The descriptions of the locations and characters were so fully brought to life that they painted a strong picture in my mind, I felt like I was really there. Finally, when I saw that the narrator was the author, I inwardly groaned. My past experience was that great authors do not usually make great narrators. Not so here! Verghese did a fantastic job! When I learned that he is also a renowned physician, I was even more impressed. Then I went back and read his first book - also excellent!

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Enlightening historical fiction

Revisado: 10-07-24

This book is an excellent example of how historical fiction can both entertain and educate the reader. I was not familiar with the female-led diving society which was fascinating to understand from a sociological viewpoint. Then, I learned about how worldwide events and concerns affected the island and its inhabitants, sometimes with tragic consequences. Layered on top of all of that, adding richness to the story, were the personal lives of the protagonists and the universal opportunity for, and power of, forgiveness.

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Touching Tale of Polish Life During WWII

Revisado: 06-11-24

This book brought to life what life was like during the German (and later Russian) occupation of Poland. It’s a tale of courage, inspiration, commitment to “family” (however it is defined), perseverance and resilience. I had tears in my eyes at the end. Note that despite the cover photo, our central protagonists are teenagers. The narrators did a superb job.

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Spycraft, bravery and USA

Revisado: 03-28-24

It is exhilarating to learn about “the secret world” and the brave people who put their lives at risk. The author does a great job explaining the spycraft behind the mission, the danger involved, the courage of the agents, and the brilliant CIA team that makes it all possible. Tremendously well researched, fascinating and fast paced, it drew me in and I felt compelled to listen whenever I could.

I would give the first half of the book five stars. Then it went to an unexpected place and it took me a while to wrap my head around it. It was still enthralling but less believable.

I have mixed feelings about the narrator. He did do a good job of capturing the brave and cocky personality of our hero. However, the protagonist is from Florida and the accent sounded more like a Texas or Oklahoma, dropping the “ing” at the end of words. It was disruptive at first but I got used to it. There were also some strange British pronunciations (e.g., aluminum). His female voices aren’t great, but that is true of most male narrators so I can overlook that.

All in all, I would recommend the book to those who enjoy the espionage genre.

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Untold Story of Women Who Served

Revisado: 03-08-24

Primarily, this is a story about the women nurses who bravely saved lives and healed both soldiers and local villagers. The difficult situations and dangerous conditions of the war are movingly brought to life.

But it is also a trip down memory lane for those of us old enough to recall the Vietnam years - the daily casualty numbers on the news, the protests, POW bracelets, the music and clothing of that time. And sadly, the memory of a nation who turned its back on these vets, many who were unwillingly drafted.

It is also a story of personal struggle - love, loss, anger, shame, addiction and sadness.

As the daughter of an Army officer who served in Vietnam when I was in first grade, this story truly spoke to me. But if you remember this time, it will speak to you too. And if you don’t, this is a wonderful opportunity to learn about this sad and difficult time when America attempted to fight Communism in Asia and failed.

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History Can Be Thrilling

Revisado: 01-09-23

The history of this expedition reads like an adventure novel, rather than non-fiction. The story of these brave men has been researched and conveyed with compelling detail. We experience the rollercoaster of highs and lows along with the men, and marvel at their bravery, perseverance and stamina. It is quite long and detailed, but the writing and narrator are excellent, and make the time investment worthwhile. Not to mention the inspiration you will feel - if you ever face challenging odds in the future, this story will make you believe it is possible to succeed.

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Detailed Account

Revisado: 12-09-22

This book covers the topic in great detail. If you are a history buff interested in this topic, this could be up your alley.
The original French effort takes up almost the entire first half - including many detailed specifics about the political intrigue and controversy that were challenging to follow (and frankly, not that interesting to me personally). As an American, (and because it was the US who successfully built the canal), I was more engaged during the second half.
Some have complained about the reader’s pronunciation of foreign names. That didn’t bother me as much as his pace - which was slow! When a book is this long and detailed, sometimes you gotta speed things up! I listened at 1.3x speed (which trust me, was not too fast).
One point was clear, building the canal was a monumental effort and a triumph of 20th century engineering and technology. It has made the world “smaller” for all of us and enabled world trade. My appreciation for the accomplishment and the impact was heightened by reading this book.

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