Elizabeth

Boring, repetitive and fawning

Revisado: 06-01-24

Okay. I get it. The author wants to redeem Carolyn Bessette's reputation. But the book is so fawning and repetitive, that it's almost impossible to listen to. Plus, I don't need to know the address of the salon she visited or the brand of makeup she used. Those details felt like product placements. It annoyed me how many of the names were mispronounced and how many times do we need to hear that she loved children, was kind and a wonderful friend, that she had grown up in a different mileu and found it difficult to deal with the spotlight? I got each of those points the first time. There was no depth, no insights. I'd hoped to learn more about Ms. Bessette-Kennedy but I couldn't bear to finish the book. Every potential flaw or outburst is explained away. She must have been a more complex character than she appears here. In comparison, I listened to Demi Moore's autobiography recently and found that despite her flaws, she was very likable. Her story and the challenge of her life were compelling. I wish this book had been as good.

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Slow and Sad

Revisado: 02-12-23

You know right from the beginning that this book explores the aftermath of Davy's death at age 12. It reverberates throughout the family, impacting each of them as they share the blame and guilt. It's a brave way to start a book, but it also made for a slow read. The timeline switches back and forth and the individual family members are plagued by other tragedies -- lost loves, broken love, estrangement, the trials of marrying or loving someone outside your faith. All good topics but I wish there had been a bit of joy in the lives of these fictional characters. I gave up before the end.

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Started off well, frustrating ending

Revisado: 01-02-23

This starts as a road trip, an epic tale that hints at the great stories and heroes of old -- Ulysses playing a major role. Towles does a good job with the mutiple character viewpoints, although Sally falls flat (I've noticed this with the female characters in his previous books as well). There's a lot of times where you need to suspend your belief and accept the myriad coincidences, the preternatural maturity of Billy (who is supposed to be 8), the fact that Woolly's family was wealthy enough and influential enough to get him into 3 top prep schools, despite being woolly and being expelled from the first two. Although the book is quite long, the ending is quite short. It all wrapped up in the last half hour in ways that I wasn't sure were in the character of the characters he took so long to develop. Not to mention some of the characters who go off into the sunset with no hint as to their fates or ultimate successes. So, in the end, I felt a bit cheated and frustrated. Perhaps this is truly a case where it's about the journey, not the outcome.

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Couldn't stop listening

Revisado: 11-13-22

I heard the author interviewed on Fresh Air and thought her book sounded fascinating. It did not disappoint. Can't wait for her to write another

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Not her best

Revisado: 03-01-22

I love Philippa Gregory's historical fiction and had high hopes for this one. Two plus hours into this book, I realized I couldn't bear another 13 hours of the story. It's more of a romance than historical fiction and I couldn't buy into the relationship with the priest. DNF

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Christian Romance, not just a Mystery

Revisado: 09-23-20

It was not clear to me when I started this book that it was a Christian romance as it was not in the description. I'm fine with some lighthearted romance thrown in with the mystery, but I would no have started the book at all had I realized this extent that religion played in the plot and outcome of the story. I'm sure that if it's what you're looking for, it's an enjoyable listen but not if it's a surprise. Edited to add: I only looked at the brief summary of the novel when I added it to my library. I suppose I should have investigated it further.

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Don’t waste a credit

Revisado: 05-08-20

The book was OK, not great, and very dark. However the ending was so stupid that it completely ruined any interest I had in the characters.

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Reads like a YA novel

Revisado: 11-11-18

Some interesting history here, but wrapped in a story that is so predictable and so unlikely that it takes away from the read. The story is based on actual events and the plight of the young women working in the mils of Lowell was very real. No need to add an implausible romance.

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Mostly enjoyable

Revisado: 10-24-18

This book had a great premise but, for me, had some holes in the plot. There is no possible way Inara could have completed the renovations on the estate in the time outlined. Not possible. Plus, I don't understand how the daughter of a shipping magnate would have so much student debt. I didn't really buy Inara's reluctance to 'fess up to Daniel and his family, in fact for the most part, I preferred the historical part of the novel. I had no idea how the Chinese in Oregon were treated. This part of the book was very interesting.

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Fans of His Dark Materials Don't Miss This

Revisado: 10-01-18

I loved His Dark Materials and found this prequel enchanting. Philip Pullman is a master story teller and you are drawn into the book quickly. I was sorry when it ended and am waiting eagerly for the next two in the series.

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