Chiara

Ageism

Revisado: 03-06-21

Disappointed by this caricature of “old people.” I myself am an “elder” and resent the author’s viewpoint of us as cranky, ornery creatures “found in every cafe across the world...” we are certainly NOT in need tof being adopted by a ‘youngish’ person watching us with amusement!

Horrible story. So off putting that her obvious disdain for older people has now tainted my appreciation for her entire collection of stories.

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Disappointing… Presents a skewed view of the western feminist movement

Revisado: 01-31-21

From the “click bait “trailer offered by Audible, I believed this book was going to be a more scholarly look at the history of fiber arts. Instead, the author presents a long
account of her relationship to knitting — sprinkled with historical information.

The author presents a very binary view of the fiber arts for modern day women: either you buy into Women’s Lib and don’t knit versus you choose to knit, with the “permission”of the Women’s Movement. For the author to suggest that 21st century women can choose fiber arts for our own enjoyment, only because of some unspoken “permission” from people like Betty Friedan is absurd!

I will be 60 years old in two days. I grew up with my Italian grandmother teaching me to knit; she was illiterate and barely spoke English while living in the United States. She had raised three sons to become surgeons and worked more than full-time as a seamstress in a factory. She was the quintessential Maternal Feminist!

Just like she was a role model for my father and uncles to climb out of the Italian ghetto in New York State, my grandmother also spurred me forward to become a professional. Because of her maternal feminism, I became a physician, mother and homemaker.But this came at a huge price: I simply could not work 60 hours a week as a doctor and raise my children well at the same time. It is simply not possible.

I have been a knitter since before I could read. My 90 year old mother and my daughters continue to knit avidly. We knit,not to make a political statement or for personal vendetta. Rather, we knit for the love of the fiber arts!

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Powerful story and narrated by a strong and woman

Revisado: 09-15-18

This biography is fundamentally life-giving on so many levels. Deeply rooted in Scripture, Jackie Hill Perry weaves a story of inner turmoil regarding her sexual orientation. It is in her all consuming pursuit of God that she finds an elusive balance between her sinful predilections and healthy and and wholesome life choices. This story is written for all people, regardless of one’s sexual orientation. It is about the universal struggleto find redemption.

The author is so well spoken and written. My only criticism is her pronunciation of the word “sword” — The ‘w’ should be silent and because she repeatedly pronounces the ‘w’ in that word, it takes away from the eloquence of her narration.

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Contrived and “plagaristically” familiar

Revisado: 03-16-18

This book had a feeling that most of it was lifted from the famous “French Women Don’t Get Fat“ series. In addition, the American narrator had a horrible accident in French that was grating to the ear. I find it very hard to believe she spent time in France… Finally, I found the book and her concepts on elegance and sophistication to be vacuous.

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Horrific Narration and Copy-Cat concepts

Revisado: 08-11-17

Nasal, computerized-sounding American accented narrator whose pronunciation of French is embarrassingly juvenile and unstudied. The author should be fined for plagiarism -- lifting exact phrases and concepts from Mireille Guiliano's "French Women..." series.

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Not one male figure with a redeeming quality in the story!

Revisado: 08-10-15

The history of Italian immigration to Argentina, the marvelous details of conventillo life and the evolution of Tango all weave together masterfully to form a vivid tapestry in this novel.

My disappointment? That De Robertis broad brushed the entire male gender in her attempt to shed light on the plight of women in the very macho Latin cultures of Italy, Spain and Argentina.

As a woman whose father's family hails from Campania and whose mother's people from Buenos Aires, I am a product of these very complex cultures and social/religious mores. I promise you that not all men are mujeriegos, or raping and pillaging their daughters!

While delving into the mirky issues of sexuality, I believe that to have all the main female characters in her book take solace in lesbian relationships as a way to flee the supposed horrific influence of Latin men, is absurd!

For De Robertis to lay claim that her female characters were lust filled women whose desires could only be sated by the likes of "Dante" (aka Ledda) and her fingers? Ridiculous! As a heterosexual woman I found this demeaning of men.

Shame that the author was unable (perhaps due to her own past trauma?) to develop a male character who was fully integrated: kind, honorable, sexually loving and faithful, strong, loyal and with human quirks and foibles. If De Robertis had been able to create at least one redeeming male character like that, I would have found her exploration of sexuality more credible.

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Cliché and disappointing

Revisado: 07-29-15

Could this really be the same author who penned Sarah's Key? This novel read like a trashy and vapid tabloid novella.

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Compelling story of a bibliophile living a solitary life until he unexpectedly meets with authentic love

Revisado: 07-25-15

A bookworm hermit in his late thirties, owner of a fledgling bookstore on a small and remote New England island meets with a variety of local residents and visitors, some of whom bring life altering change to his rather bleak existence. It is at once a story of grief (journey through losing a beloved spouse) and starting anew despite that devastating loss.

I liked the pace of relationships unfolding. The "hiccoughs" of the protagonist trying to affiliate with new people allows the book to unfold in a very organic way. The relationships are not remotely contrived. Rather, there is a sense that these characters are very real: flawed and struggling to find meaning, connection and love.

The only criticism is the time lapses towards the end when the daughter is still in high school long after she should have graduated. That appears to be an editorial lapse which can be corrected with ease.

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