Vince

"It's Like hearing a Hallmark Hall of Fame story"

Revisado: 05-21-16

I read and reviewed this book on Amazon when it first came out in paperback. Then I read it again on my Kindle some years later. And now I have just listened to it as an Audible book.

Listening to the book creates a very different experience. While listening you can close your eyes and just let the story wash over you. There is no reading effort. The job of interpreting the emotional context of each scene is in the hands of the narrator. There is still the 'theater of the mind' creative experience but it is far different than it is when reading. I enjoyed this book most as an Audible book listening experience. But then I had read the book twice before.

I give the narrator very high marks for this Audible version because of her use of multiple voices. With an Audible book it is very important for the voices of the major characters to be different and to sound like the sex they are. Male voices have to sound like males and females, females. The narrator also needs to get the emotions correct. As such the narrator must perform the book, not just read the words. This book is excellently performed and I give the narrator my highest marks.

That said, I'm going to post some of my print review as it is quite detailed and the book is worthy of serious commentary.

Simply telling what "One Imperfect Christmas" is about does not do the novel justice. It would be like saying that "Tom Sawyer" is simply a story about 19th Century boys growing up in the Midwest. "One Imperfect Christmas" is a serious book and warrants a serious review.

In good novels the characters change in significant ways as the story unfolds. In serious works, like "One Imperfect Christmas", not only do the fictional characters change but the reader changes as well. This potential for growth in the reader's consciousness is what gives great literature its universality and its timelessness.

Serious literature has the potential to impart experiences, knowledge, and sometimes even wisdom. More importantly, literature can enlighten the reader in a way which might not be possible in any other fashion.

Here's what I mean:

Have you ever lamented: `If I only knew then what I know now'?

I think this lament is common to all mankind. The desire to learn from our mistakes, before we make them, is so prevalent that some have even said that `youth is wasted on the young'.

This is because young people usually lack the life experiences necessary to view life `now' as they will eventually view it in the future when they are older (and hopefully wiser).

Why mention all this in regard to "One Imperfect Christmas"? Because reading this book reminded me, in a most forceful way, that there is a way to bring the future into the present. This can be achieved via the vicarious experiences provided by serious literature.

"One Imperfect Christmas" is serious literature. The situations covered in the story span three generations. Therefore the reader `sees' and `feels' the story from three distinct perspectives.

When reading "One Imperfect Christmas" the reader will experience what it is like to be a middle aged mother overwhelmed by the guilt and anger she feels towards her incapacitated mother while at the same time having to deal with her wayward teenage daughter.

The reader will feel what it's like to be a husband who is trying to do everything within his power to save his marriage and help his beloved wife. And the reader will suffer his anguish when nothing he does works and when, time after time, he is rejected by the one he loves most.

The reader will also experience what it feels like to be the teenage daughter who has no idea of the depth of her parent's problems. The reader will watch helplessly as this loving daughter tries simple and naive solutions to the complex problems facing her family. The reader will feel the good daughter's sorrow when her `foolproof' plans come to naught.

Life often does not provide simple solutions to complex problems. The reader will also experience what it is like being a helpless parent in her sixties seeing how her problems are causing serious discord to the ones she loves most. Indeed, the reader will feel the angst of being powerless to do anything about problems that seem self-induced.

"One Imperfect Christmas" is a drama that calls for faith. It is a faith based story that is full of hope and challenge. The story features a beautiful fifty-year romance and what might yet, with God's help, become a second fifty-year romance. While the story has `Christmas' in the title, the action spans the period between two Christmases a year apart. It is a timeless story that can be read at any time of the year.

The story shows that sometimes the stresses of life can be too much. Given enough stress, a personal crisis may cause even a well disciplined life to spin out of control. Since this loss of control can be hidden from everyone else, at least for a little while, the victim is likely to suffer without any support. Others may even think the suffering victim is causing his or her own problems.

"One Imperfect Christmas" is not always easy reading but it is always worthwhile reading that is both rewarding and heartwarming. It's not easy because it is so true to life. It's not easy to watch and experience the obviously self-destructive behavior of the mother who is trying her best to get professional help but who is too fragile to find traction. It's not easy reading but it is always enjoyable reading. I loved every minute reading "One Imperfect Christmas" from the first page until the last.

"One Imperfect Christmas" is serious literature. After reading the book I felt wonderful. I felt I had seen God's hands in action. I also felt like I had done something good for myself: that I had learned things that will make me a more understanding and sympathetic person in the future. Reading "One Imperfect Christmas" was like watching a memorable Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. I believe most readers of "One Imperfect Christmas" will feel the same way.

I not only give "One Imperfect Christmas" my highest Recommendation - I consider it the Required Reading for One's Christian Heart.

"One Imperfect Christmas" Will Make A Keepsake Christmas Gift!

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Story Style Ideal for Listening Enjoyment

Revisado: 06-07-15

What did you love best about Love's Promises?

I liked the location which is just like I also experienced it at the time.

What did you like best about this story?

The narrative shows that the author was writing about what see knew.

What about Rachel Fulginiti’s performance did you like?

Reading was flawless; emotional inflections were spot on. Loved it.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It was emotional in that I have been on both sides of the issues covered in the book.

Any additional comments?

I've read all three books in the series and listened to all of them. I enjoyed them all best as Audible books and I liked this last book the best. This is a series to be listened to with total enjoyment.

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Unique POV Perfect For Telling This Story!

Revisado: 05-29-15

Where does The Wives of Los Alamos rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I've listened to over 1,500 audio books and this is one of the best books that I've heard that were written to be ideally presented as audio books. The unique format is perfect for the way this story is told.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The wives of the men creating the atom bomb. They each are part of the group-POV. With this story you get to feel what it was like to be a wife in that place in that time. You get to experience what it was like thru the eyes and ears of all the first wives who first came. This story has the best use of a Group-POV that I've ever experienced. I loved it.

Which scene was your favorite?

The best scene is when the wives first find out what their husbands were doing all those years and how they were always trying to find out what was going on. These wives were truly an important part of the Greatest Generation.

Who was the most memorable character of The Wives of Los Alamos and why?

There was no one character. There were the first group of wives taken as a whole. It is an amazing book to listen to. I think it will always be the most memorable audio book I'll ever hear.

Any additional comments?

Yes, by all means, listen to this book. I've read reviews of the written book where some readers found it hard to figure out the Group POV format. I can tell you with the great reader used to present this book, I knew for the first words what was going on with the Group POV and I was delighted. The author made this POV work and work as well as I think it can be done. This is a book best heard.

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First Vietnam Story I’ve Ever Been Able to Finish!

Revisado: 03-23-14

If you could sum up Love's Miracles in three words, what would they be?

Realism ups the emotional ante to the highest threshold in "Love's Miracles". This is far more a genuine mainstream psychological drama than a genre romance. The attention to detail, the slow rate of the healing process, the relapses, the reality based ethical conflicts, and the traumatized past of both the hero and heroine combine to make this story a tour de force. This is not a fluffy genre romance. It is the first Vietnam era story I’ve ever been able to finish – not that I have started that many. To be frank, I did give up on reading the book but I liked it enough to buy and listen to the audible version. I just thought that if I didn’t have to read it, it would be more ‘out there in the world’ and not so much inside my head. It worked. The reader’s great ability to bring the story to life and make the emotions live in the characters' souls gave the story an interpetation I could finally experience. Audio books are very, very different than reading the same story.

What other book might you compare Love's Miracles to and why?

I have not read any other Vietnam era book so I will compare it to Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms”. Both books have very realistic combat scenes and both seem to deal with the problems of identity and an entire generation. Hemingway had the lost generation. Zane in this book, like many vets my age and in my generation, came back from the war not lost but rather invisible and wanting to become lost. Lost in their own world. Lost in love. Lost in drugs. “Love’s Miracles” really does speak to a whole generation.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the scene where the heroine has to confront her fear of the dark and how the power of love overcomes this lifelong fear. Love performs many miracles in this story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

War is a hell that can reverberate for a lifetime – baring a miracle.

Any additional comments?

I think this book is better listened to than read. The emotions emanating from the spoken words by this fine reader surrounded me in a way reading would not have. It’s like the difference between scratching your own back and having someone else do it for you. It always fees better when someone else does it. I’m so glad that I purchased this audible book. This is a book that speaks to a generation in a voice of compassion and love and hope. I would not have wanted to miss it.

I must add one caveat: this book went from being a resounding 5-star experience to becoming a potential 3-star disappointment in the Epilogue when I missed hearing one word! That one word is Zanelli and if you don’t hear it, as I didn’t, the ending of “Love’s Miracles” moves far closer to being emotionally like “A Farewell to Arms” ending than to the satisfying love story it really is. Don't miss 'Zanelli'.

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Heartwarming! Great Voices! Enjoyable! Loved it!

Revisado: 03-17-14

If you could sum up Love's Refuge in three words, what would they be?

Great story telling.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the setting and the characters.

Which character – as performed by Rachel Fulginiti – was your favorite?

The hero. He was the perfect hero for this heroine.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Of course, it was the climax. But can't give that way.

Any additional comments?

I've listened to over 1000 audio books over the last 20 years and this reader is one of the best I've heard. The author also seems to have the ideal voice for writing a book that is going to be read out loud. A perfect combination. The narrative kept me entertained from the first few words to the last sentence. This is an ideal story to become an audio book.

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