Cheryl

Did I make a mistake?

Revisado: 06-03-20

More than a few reviews I read of this book made me think I ought to return it to Audible without listening. But I gave it a try, now on Chapter 10, am pretty much enjoying the story, and things are just getting dicey now, so I hope it gets even better. Characters are well-developed and storyline has taken a while to get to the conflict, but everything previous was nicely setting the atmosphere for who these people are and what their values are. Like I said, I'm only on Chpt.10 but looking forward to see what's going to happen.
Here's my personal measuring stick of how interesting a book is: part of my listening is done while walking the dog which is 15-20 min. When back in the house I stop the book, take off the earphones and go about my business. A book that's very interesting has me linger outside longer with the dog (he say Arf Arf!! to that!) or, when I come inside, I have to keep on listening. This book has made me want to keep on listening.

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Enjoyable and ultimately heartbreaking

Revisado: 03-17-20

Engaging from start to finish, at times like a travelogue, but also an autobiography of the adventurer and the biography of his son from birth to the final, heartbreaking adventure. This book is one of personal stories of the author and his wife, and their children from birth to adulthood. It's one adventure after another, with Roman and son, and with wife and daughter. Sometimes it caused me to pull out my maps to see exactly where these people were traveling, and some animals I had to look up so I could see for myself a Bushmaster snake and monkeys of Costa Rica. The maddening search for Cody Roman and all the memorable people who joined in or thwarted the search are so clearly defined, you'll feel like you're there in the hot, humid, wet jungle and you'll remember people like Jenkins who was earnest and forthcoming and the last person to see Cody Roman alive and many others as well. I cried when the final, real evidence was found and I cried as the author talked about coming to terms with the death of the son he raised to also become an adventurer. Well written, emotional but not maudlin, a story of a loving family.

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Compelling story. What would you do?

Revisado: 01-29-20

The reader is privy to every thought of Sr. Johanna, from youth to beyond maturity. She is a victim of living at a time in history when being true to herself would mean being a social outcast. She has to decide what she's willing to sacrifice and questions God and the Church's (as represented by proud, haughty men) infallible wisdom on the topic. She carries on through life at times resenting what she perceives as the injustice of God that she cannot argue with, until she encounters an ultimate decision of good vs. evil-- will she now be true to herself and disobey God and her "infallible" priest-superiors in the Church?

Wonderfully written, an intelligent story with sympathetic characters and made me wonder what I would do in this situation. My only complaint was this recorded issue was often hard to follow, as the book jumps back and forth in time. Since I'm listening while driving, I can't glance at the phone all the time to see if a new chapter began, and sometimes I couldn't perceive when or if a new chapter began, signaling a change in time or place. Often I had to rewind and listen to a chapter again to figure out what was going on, although that was OK- it made this delicious book last longer. Perhaps the reader should have stated "Chapter 1...2, etc" although that may have interrupted the "flow" the author wanted to maintain. I deducted one star overall for this reason but the story itself was wonderful and intelligent.

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Felt like I was in the story, watching it happen

Revisado: 12-20-19

initially I found story a little hard get into but wait just a few minutes and you'll be right there in the dark and freezing cold of Alaska. Background sounds add to the mystery of the story, along with the native accent of the narrator/author and tales about the Inukun and Inupiaq. At some point I felt I was in those homes and buildings that offered shelter from snow and cold and dark. I dont want to give away any of the story, but one incident just had me shivering and sure I was going to die. And in the end I was glad I was in a warm place listening to this story and not part of the story in a remote Alaskan town.

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Loved the stories & characters but (mild spoiler)

Revisado: 02-05-19

Characters all fleshed out so well I knew every single one of them after their initial appearance and loved or hated them appropriately--they made me laugh and wince and appreciate their integrity. (Give an award to Ed, can we?)
As for how the story plays out, (mild spoiler-alert) it was a "happy" ending of sorts, a really very-convenient ending for everyone. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad it ended the way it did but in real life, I think victims of abuse would be left feeling "I should have been so Iucky."
Nonetheless--- I enjoyed every minute of this book. The reader was excellence-- Madeline esp was superb. Big Little Lies fit my personal criteria for a really good read- I can't wait to get to the end bec it's so good but I don't want it to be over!

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Maybe I'm missing something...

Revisado: 12-01-18

Have to admit this was my 1st-ever Agatha Christy book, and maybe it would have been a better read than listen-while-driving-a-car event. It was difficult to keep all the characters straight during first part and the murders seemed fairly tame. (Perhaps this is so only in comparison to books, movies, and yes, video games, of this current age where deaths are portrayed with much blood and gore.)
I've read that this book is "masterful" and suspenseful and brilliant and I agree that Agatha Christy was one of the great authors of our time. However for me, this was lightly entertaining, not greatly mysterious, although it was a mystery as to the disappearance of the last few Indians-- I liked that technique. As stated earlier, I feel this would have been a book better read than listened to.

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needs some sound engineering

Revisado: 06-16-18

Good story. I'm not a S. King reader but wanted some fiction to take my mind away from the world and it did that-- one of those books that at some point, you can't wait to get to the end to see what happens, but then you don't want the book to be over.
I had a little trouble w/the narrator, or maybe it was the sound engineering, but it was very difficult to hear at certain times (no spoilers). I kept turning my volume up and up but still was barely audible. Also, I don't know Holly at all (did she appear in other King stories?) and even tho' I understand her shyness and timidity, I thought her voice was excessively feeble. Give the poor woman some breath!
All in all I enjoyed the story and all the characters, felt horrible for the Maitland family. Every now and then a gratuitous comment was uttered by someone, but I suppose that happens in life too.

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Incredible, cult-like family dysfunction...

Revisado: 03-11-18

Escape from a cult can be difficult and dangerous but in this autobiography the cult is the author's own family. Her father is the Godly-but-irrational leader. Her mother and siblings are supportive at times and later deny what she says, which is "crazy-making."

Congratulations to Tara Westover for finding the courage to relate this intense story of her upbringing and family members. Just an incredible, true story of family dysfunction handed down to the current generations.

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Instruction for faith

Revisado: 10-08-17

In the end, this earthly life requires we live in faith and that's the short story. We aren't going to get the proof we so desparately seek, because "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen."

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Don't know much about...

Revisado: 07-15-17

This story lays out so many emotions of personal, familial, and inner and outer pain that it was difficult to listen to, from the very first chapter. Yet I was compelled to listen on--the mark of a really good book, eh?
I guess the moral of the story is every person is subject to the exquisite pain of living. But what we have, who we think we are, whether physical or emotional, can change in the blink of an eye. "The Widow of Wall Street" suffers all these losses and is able to make a new life for herself by reaching out for new relationships which is what untold numbers of others have also done after wenching loss (think of Holocaust survivors, war widows, etcl).
This was a great book conveying the life-wide spectrum of emotions. It left me in tears. It also leaves me wondering about Ruth Madoff and how she is doing now--I wish her every blessing GOD has for her.

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