Christina Bornn

Emotional

Revisado: 02-15-25

What an emotional story, unusually told from the viewpoint of a 9-year-old boy. What does he know of the politics of international borders, and the rights or wrongs of traversing them with illegal coyotes? He just wants his parents. It begs a reconsideration of the whole immigration saga.
My biggest criticism is the abundance of Spanish. Yes, this is a novel written by a Spanish-speaking immigrant, and much of it takes place in countries where Spanish is the primary language. But this is a book written in English, for an English-speaking audience. Too often there were words, phrases and even significant dialogues in Spanish - without translation. There were several moments of such confusion I was ready to set the book aside.
In heartfelt moments, the author described how distinct Spanish accents from other regions, or spoken English, prevented the desperate migrants from understanding key principles or instructions. Well, the author is doing the same thing to his English-speaking audience.

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Disappointed

Revisado: 11-09-24

The new narrator perfectly captures French names, places and phrases. However - where did Armand Gamache go? The stately man educated at Oxford, who speaks in a refined British accent? Many times the voice of M. Gamache was indistinguishable from the impetuous Jean-Guy, or the monks in the secluded abbey, making too much confusion, and taking away from the flow of the story line.
This story was without the usual in-depth research to teach the audience something new and intriguing. The development and mechanics of the crisis was side-stepped, merely playing out in the action scenes at the end and eluding credibility. Political corruption was alluded, but not explained.
The voice of Ruth was painful. Most of the beloved characters of Three Pines merely made brief cameo appearances, and so many old characters resurfaced, that the plot would lose coherence if one had not read the previous books.
This is the first book that ends in an unresolved plot. I hope that the next book follows the successful formula of the first 18 in the series, and that the choice of narrator is revisited.

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Wow! Wow! Wow!

Revisado: 06-12-24

The meticulous research of detail from Michael Crichton (with enough subtle explanations to allow civilians to understand high science and the American military) plus the high thrill of suspense from James Patterson (with characters who cling to one’s heart, and just don’t survive) equal a fast-paced drama, credibly happening within our world and in our lifetime.
The descriptions of the personal experiences within a huge volcanic eruption are emotionally shattering - and the folly of man too relatable. The best and the worst of people come forth in war.
This is a remarkable story of an unbalanced war between omnipotent nature, the folly of wo/man, and the inherent bravery of people to save their world. Brilliantly narrated!

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Good Germans did exist

Revisado: 03-28-24

I like to explore the stories of the German people who resisted Hitler - and there are not enough published to gain their recognition as a viable resistance force in WWII. The people did resist, and were very afraid. This close-to-life story about ordinary people tells the world that many Germans also hated Hitler.

The fact, revealed in the post-script, that this is a real family history is remarkable!

My criticism is only for the speaking voice used for the children- particularly Maria. Surely no child who has ever lived talked with that voice. I was grateful she had very little to say in this story.

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Okay. Just okay.

Revisado: 03-28-24

I really wanted to love this series. I gobble up a novel series with characters who continue to evolve and enhance the story lines. Josie Quinn let me down.

She is a smart police detective-turned police chief in a small town in Pennsylvania USA. I have lived in these small towns in Appalachia, so the details of small-town PA is accurate, including what law enforcement, medical examiners and hospitals can, or cannot do. Well done!

Yet, Josie Quinn is not the heroic female police chief we need her to be. She has too many moments of overwhelming vulnerability simply due to being the stereotypical female. As a female reader I fought back at many of her decisions- why would you DO THAT? Someone strong enough to be police chief should not be in these circumstances. And, after Book 2, I can predict who her next love interest will be in Book 3 or 4.

The reader was, as many have mentioned, not the best voice in an American story for an American audience. There were some mispronunciations to American ears, but understandable for listeners accustomed to foreign speakers. There were a few mispronunciations that need closer scrutiny. “OB/GYN” ( physicians who take care of pregnancy and female needs) in American lingo is pronounced by alphabet letter just as it is written- yet hearing “objin” threw the storyline off. What exactly did they say? Why? What does it mean? It was important to the storyline - and missed - if one did not have “international hearing”. I thought Book #1 had fewer linguistic issues than this one.

Josie Quinn is the female lead with too many incongruent female traits (bursting into tears) (loving impossible men) (drinking too much, sleeping too little, eating nothing) to be believable as a strong Chief of Police. Yes, they are human and vulnerable. But someone with that many obvious flaws should not be in charge.

I see that the series continues to 20+! I’m not sure if I will pay full price for another audiobook. It was an easy listen, predictable, not riveting but enjoyable for entertainment while doing something else.

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A story long overdue

Revisado: 02-18-24

Too many war stories focus only on male soldiers and their heroic deeds. Even before women were part of active military, female nurses were there, mending wounded soldiers, assisting with putting shattered bodies back together or holding hands so soldiers would not be alone when they died. This, is also heroic.
I worked as a trauma OR and ICU nurse for 30 years, and the accounts here are both accurate and emotional. I have relived nightmares from some horrific experiences, I can’t imagine how these nurses managed without emotional support.
Well done.
The voices are authentic and enhanced the story. Highly recommended.

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Not what I expected

Revisado: 02-14-24

I really wanted to love this book, as the story seemed to complement the other books recreating Hawaii’s history (including Mitchener’s “Hawaii”) but it was one of the few that I struggled to finish.

There were too many subplots that never quite resolved, muddied the story and dragged the main plot, such as why the Japanese immigrant field workers were so dedicated to the ancient Hawaiian god Pele. The volcano, as experienced by “locals”, was more surreal than believable.

While local dialect adds character to conversations, the addition of “Yah?” at the end of every sentence uttered was grating!

It was tedious and I was glad when it was finished.

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A Master Storyteller

Revisado: 08-12-23

Sit back and savor the delightful prose and motley characters in a great tale. As told through the eyes of the cast and crew, the excitement, the rush, the secrecy, the pain and grief, the jealousy and utter boredom experienced in the making of a “Major Motion Picture” in a small segment of time, with strangers who would become soulmates, deliberately unfolds from conception to premier screen viewing. Each section is vital to comprehend the next.
The characters are well developed and believable with convincing voices. Having so many actors made it easy to differentiate who was who.
The only exception of the early portrayal of Alicia as she is introduced as hostess at the Garden Inn. The background provided does not account for her style of prose and stilted grammar - I found it grating and incongruent. As she evolved into “Al” that speech pattern went away, and I liked her much better.
This is a great tale in the manner of a great storyteller. Enjoy.

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Where’s Lucy?

Revisado: 05-16-23

This is another great story tackling difficult subjects, only like Jodi Picoult can. The voices of Zoe, Vanessa and Max were very well executed.
Like others, I did not enjoy the singing voice that began new chapters, and after the second one just fast-forwarded through the music. The lyrics were meaningful to the story, but I wish they had been spoken by Zoe’s character.
There have been criticisms that the Christian Church in the story was overplayed, exaggerated and its members cast as villains for the sake of the story. I can tell you that I have met the essence of these characters in real life, and they are true, as is the havoc they wreak on people in the “name of God”.
I wish Lucy’s story had closure. She became an important element in the plot and character development, and then just disappeared after a life-changing crisis. I imagine the horrible things that could have happened to her after losing Zoe.
It was a thoughtful read, but not my favorite Jodi Picoult.

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Some Things to Think About

Revisado: 11-15-22

Three out-of-the-box life stories of people in miserable circumstances without fairy tale happy endings. There is some peace and justice at the end - but not what one would expect.

Each story was complete in itself; one did not need to read anything else to fully grasp the storyline, and the tales were not progressive. A superb throwback to classic short stories! The narrators suited the storylines and was easy to understand.

These in-depth studies describing out-of-the-ordinary lifestyles were compelling; a child who fell into all the cracks and ended on death row as a minor, to the extreme opposite of privileged and arrogant men who literally lost everything while trying to maintain their status quo.

Audible: please improve your presentation. In the recording there is scant notice that one story is ending, and another beginning. Please inject a significant pause or introduction to
the next story.

Also - all chapters are progressively numbered. One cannot find the first chapter of the second or third story without a lengthy hit-and-miss of over 80 plus chapters. Please please divide the Table of Contents into the 3 distinct stories!

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