Electronically Challenged

not as advertised and redundant

Revisado: 09-05-23

I would have given this book 3 stars had frequent repetition been the only problem, but I gave it one star for false advertising. While the story started with the heroine saving a few Jewish babies, this did not occur in the last 90% of the book - instead the Jewish babies were "terminated" - killed - prior to birth and this was treated as "heroic, helping women" - and it turned out that the heroine had been killing babies even before the Nazi era - and the author did not see this as ethically problematic. Again, tattooing moms and babies to be adopted by Aryan families (the adoption a Nazi plan, not a way to save babies), occurred only a few times at the end of the book.

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Tricked

Revisado: 04-01-23

WARNING: Spoiler alert that I wish I had had before purchasing this book. The first 11 hours of this book were about as advertised, but in the last 11 minutes, the reader is told that that it is morally commendable that the hero killed his wife - because she had cancer. The heroine passes this information off as just fine. The hero does not take up pharmacy after the war, not because he would be barred from licensure, but out of preference for another vocation.
The idea of a life not worth living comes directly from Nazi Germany, the enemy, but that is not discussed. At least in Canada in the 1930's, the man was legally culpable, unlike Canada today where physicians are being pressured to kill their patients instead of caring for them.
On the author's behalf, I will say that adultery, while condoned, did cause cause significant moral qualms in the heroine, both before and after the act. There were other evils in the book, but they were treated as evils. As a minor negative, the old woman's changed attitude was a little too thorough to be believable (but this is trivial compared to the propaganda for killing sick patients).

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Disrespectful main characters, yelling

Revisado: 04-11-21

Could not finish. Plot sounded interesting from blurb but held no interest; main characters always yelling at whoever they met. True to stereotype of NY, NJ that other parts of the country hold. Narrator had harsh accents that fit stereotype and grate on the ear. Gave me a headache to try to listen to. Hard to believe this series has sold well enough to have 18 books. Will avoid this author and this narrator in the future.

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Disappointing

Revisado: 04-04-21

Disappointing. Certainly not up to the standards of Dorothy L Sayers and not up to the standards that Jill Paton Walsh sad and yet in TheAttenbury Emeralds either. In fact it’s almost a parody.

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Nice to have a mystery without a murder though more a novella than a novel.

Revisado: 01-02-20

Nice to have a mystery for once that doesn’t involve a murder. This is more a novella that I’m novel and reads fairly slowly I found it easier to read than to listen to

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Disappointed

Revisado: 11-04-19

Although I have liked most of Jack Higgins Nazi era books this one was much gorier and it was difficult to follow as an audiobook. Why do all British performers think Americans speak with accents like they’re from Michigan or Ohio —very harsh and difficult to listen to?

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Too long and repetitious

Revisado: 10-19-19

This book covers Helen Keller's life only through college. Part I is her book. Part 2 are her letters, repeating much of what was already in the book. Part 3 is the perspective of her teacher and the editor (I presume). Each section is a bout 5 hours long. Part 3 does add to Part 1, but Part 2 could have been omitted. Nevertheless, the early story of an extraordinary woman. Will need to review a later biography/encyclopedia for her post-college life

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esto le resultó útil a 9 personas

The author's best

Revisado: 10-19-19

This was the first book by Nicholas Sparks that I read, and I loved it. Story of an ordinary high school kid in the 1950's and his character development as a high school senior. Unlike the move (don't see it), he was not a bad kid. The movie ignores the whole personality/motives of the other characters. Audio is true to the book.

While I loved this book, I have been disappointed in every other book I have read by the same author, so if you like this one, do not assume you will like the others. I would never have read/listened to this had I read the others first.

Highly recommend A Walk to Remember .

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Not like the sample

Revisado: 10-19-19

Sample (first conversation) sounds like a funny story -- it is not, but a very dark and weird one. Very disappointed.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

A story to read, not to listen to

Revisado: 10-19-19

Read this in the 70's and thought I would listen again; Remembered why the two survived but little else from 40 years ago. Narrator has a harsh voice, not pleasant to listen to, and things like countdowns are better in print than when read word-for-word. Might be worth re-reading, but not in audiobook.

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