D. Maurillo

Light read for any fan of trivia

Revisado: 11-22-23

The stories given in the book are interesting. Some of them are quite surprising, and they go against conventional beliefs. It was interesting to hear all the things that happened in history, and in business that happened quite differently from what we were led to believe. Many of them were strictly random acts that affected the course of armies, businesses, criminals, and many other things that we take for granted. Not everything is as it appears to be. the delivery on the story is good, but it was difficult to tell the transition from one tale to the next, and so I often found myself confused about whether the following paragraph was related to the previous one or if the narrator had gone on to a new story. I think this removed some of the enjoyment for me because sometimes it became a little difficult to follow. But if you enjoy light reading, and you are a fan of trivia, this is a good light book that won’t require a whole lot of thought.  I often listened while I was doing my housework, while I was out walking,  or while I was in bed falling asleep. 

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And engaging story

Revisado: 11-06-23

I always wanted to know what it would be like to live in Italy. This family gave me a great insight. It takes about 10 minutes to get used to her Australian accent, but it’s worth getting past. It was especially interesting to see how they got through all the pandemic restrictions during their stay. I was in Italy myself at the start of the pandemic, Fortunately I got out in time. It was interesting to hear what her experience was.

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Kind of whiney and uninteresting

Revisado: 05-29-23

I love Sally Field, so I expected more from this book. It became a litany of “poor me” anecdotes that the author read in an irritating whine. Perhaps it would have been better if read by someone else. Other authors have had big challenges, and yet they never come across as still wallowing in it. I expected Sally to come out stronger and more confident. Nope.

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I’ve read it three times

Revisado: 05-29-23

This book is funny in that droll kind of way that makes you laugh at the familiarity of life’s situations and how we can always laugh at them… even if it’s months later. I always return to it while working in the yard or on a road trip. Kristin has a way of making me nod in agreement over all the nuances in a marriage, in family life, and even in the stupid situations that make our lives worth plodding through.

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Much better than I expected

Revisado: 02-14-23

This book touched me. Harry’s frank honesty about his feelings, his failures, his joys, his struggles, his happiness as a married man and a father… It’s all here.

I expected it to be full of complaining because of how the news media have presented it. All they did was print excerpts of the worst parts. But really, it’s a book of how a young prince grew up and grew into himself. He will never overcome the shock of losing his mother, certainly a lifelong trauma for someone so young. But he details how he reacted, or more precisely how he did not react. He attributes that fact, hiding all his sorrow, to the reasons that he had so many mental struggles as he grew up.

He obviously found some kind of salvation in meeting Meghan and falling in love with her and protecting her and in finding release through therapy and love.

He obviously adores his children and his wife. He obviously loves his family of origin. But like many non-royal families, there is conflict and unresolved issues. I think he really does want to reconcile with his family, but he could not do that as long as the news media are still allowed to malign him and use him as the whipping boy. I totally understand how frustrated he was that the palace never came to his defense when terrible things were said about him and his wife. I really believe him when he says that many lies were told about them because the palace needed to divert attention away from the direct heirs to the throne. He felt that the duty of the palace was to preserve the monarchy and to put family second.

This kind of dynamic is seriously detrimental in any family and particularly detrimental to a family with such a high public profile. But I think Harry has found answers for himself, and he hopes to build a successful life for his family, both as a husband and as a father. And maybe at some point, with his own father and his brother.

At times I wanted to cry while reading this book. At times, I grew agitated myself in reading about how the media pursued them relentlessly and even bribed neighbors to set up cameras aimed directly into their windows. The British people may be happy to be rid of him, and I believe they have their own reasons because of loyalty to the royal family… King Charles, Camilla, and the others. Harry has finally found freedom of some measure. I also realized that the paparazzi are so relentless that they should not be believed. I put absolutely no faith in their stories. Harry even complains about their treatment of William and Charles. But he has very little empathy for Camilla, who he believes has used him in negative ways to rebuild her own reputation with the British people

So what should we believe? I know that I should be much more skeptical of the tabloids because they are far worse than I ever thought they were. Harry is so honest and so forthright in his feelings, and even in his honesty about himself and his own failings. He goes into heartbreaking detail about how the paparazzi destroyed his relationships with other women and then mocked him for not being able to maintain romantic relationships. He was afraid that they would even destroy his relationship with his wife.

Again, I liked the book much better than I thought I would. It helped me better understand not only Harry, but also the positive and negative dynamics between the palace and the paparazzi … and even within the palace walls.

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Incredibly informative

Revisado: 12-28-22

I really enjoyed this book because I have a great interest in science, and what exactly makes us human. The narrator is quite knowledgeable about what he has written. He gives a lot of food for thought as we examine how this marvelous thing that we call ourselves actually works. It’s almost miraculous, not to sound trite about it. But it really is. When you stop to think about all the things that have to harmonize in order to make us who we are. And yet we still do not know what makes up what we called the soul or the spirit behind the workings of our bodies. I guess that is something for another few centuries of discovery.

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A fun short story, better than I expected.

Revisado: 12-07-22

What if your mother was a witch? How would you react? This delightful little tale recounts experience of a young woman whose mother claims to be a witch. Is she really? Or is it all ruse? Is her mother really off her rocker? That’s for you to decide. It’s a perfect little bedtime story.

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Enchanting story beautifully told

Revisado: 09-17-22

Take a flock of blackbirds, a secret pie recipe, a little café, and a town full of stereotypical southern people. Toss in three young women whose lives across in unexpected ways. And you have the makings of a story about finding purpose in life, friendship, community, forgiveness, and love. One of the best things about this book is the narration. Rather than simply using a single voice for all of the characters, the narrator convincingly uses many voices that you can identify perfectly with each character. I don’t know how she does it, but it comes across spectacularly well. I fully intend to enjoy this book again and again.

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A compelling story from a compelling woman

Revisado: 08-04-22

At first I was unsure about the book because some of the reviews mentioned that she had used four- letter words. I think these people have missed the point. These words were essential to the story that she was telling about her childhood. Her childhood was very rough, harrowing, cruel, and something that would beat down anybody else. That she was able to rise up out of the ashes of her childhood is a testament to the strength of this woman. Throughout her life, she has never forgotten that life is not perfect for everybody. She has drawn upon her trials and her difficulties and has conveyed them as an actor into the characters that she has played. You can’t do that if you start with a perfect life. You can’t relate to people if you do not know how to overcome challenges. I found it quite inspirational to read her story. She has no self-pity at all. In fact, she is grateful for her difficult start because it has forged her into a person who knows how to breathe life into the characters that she plays. Her voice has a bit of a hard edge for me, and that is my only criticism. But given the struggles that she has faced and the lessons she has learned, her voice is true to the person that she is.

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Surprisingly good!

Revisado: 09-01-21

I expected an instructional book on fashion, food, manners, etc. Instead I got a wonderful and engaging story about one woman’s year in Florence as she tried to adjust her life and set new goals. She met local people, struggled to understand a language she didn’t speak, learned how to appreciate the slower pace in Italy, and even how to fall in love a couple of times. She also learned how to distinguish authentic people and those who live merely on the surface of life. This is a delightful and engaging book that even includes a few recipes. I have even started taking a spoonful of olive oil now and then during the day. I just love all the delights that she brought back to my own memories of Florence. Definitely recommend this book. It’s a book of soul-searching and finding ones bliss. The author does the reading herself, and she is perfectly suited to tell her own story.

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