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Let's all move to Australia!

Revisado: 08-04-15

After "A Town Like Alice" and "Trustee from the Toolroom", I had great hopes for this book. However they were not realized. The story is thinner, yes, but Shute's gung-ho chauvinism toward Australia truly trips up the story. Surely not *everything* in England is hopeless and *only* Australia offers hope and opportunity? However, that is how this story is written -- and it's not even subtle. He keeps knocking you over the head with it; everything from cars to kitchen appliances is better down under. (And I really like Australia!) If you can get past this element the story is decent, mild and unsurprising, and has at its core two likable characters.

It should be noted that the narrator is much better than one would think from the sample clip. She handles male voices well and does a very good job with the Czech doctor. She actually improved my perception of the story; had I been reading as text it I probably wouldn't have finished it.

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I wanted to like this

Revisado: 06-06-15

I've really enjoyed many Wendy Holden titles over the years, but her books are definitely up and down. (eg I liked "Wives of Bath"; disliked "Marrying Up") and this story falls in the dislike pile. The satire in this outing feels tired and the story itself does not hold together very well. Something Holden usually does well is that even in an outrageous plot situation the characters motivations seem believable. In this book, Isabelle -- who is a central character -- creates very little tension in the choices she makes; she's an automaton. If she had been a more believable university student the entire book would have been more enjoyable.

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Slow and unsurprising

Revisado: 06-06-15

The reviews gave more promise for this title, which is competently written but not truly engaging.The characters fall along predictable lines with limited character development. The writing style reminds me of Mary Higgins Clark -- if you have that expectation, and not a true mystery, you may find this more more enjoyable.

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Loved as a teen, but even more as an adult

Revisado: 03-08-15

This is of the rare books that had a big impact on me as a young person and did not diminish as I grew older. I have re-listened to this audiobook, just as I reread it as a kid, and enjoyed it each time. When I read this in eight grade I *was* Francie Nolan. Now I see the richness of the story from the adults' point of view--especially her mother, Katie.

This is a book that will stay with you. The characters are wonderfully drawn and the story lurches along in the same somewhat haphazard way real life does. This is not a great novel from the aspect of plotting, but one that is great because you care tremendously for the characters, flaws and all.

Kate Burton's measured narration is perfect for this novel. She does not overdo the accents and her voice has exactly the right amount of introspection. Although it's set in pre WWI Brooklyn -- which is a pulsing character itself-- the story is fresh and relatable, made more so by the telling.

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A meandering journey

Revisado: 07-10-14

I only "discovered" DE Stevenson recently, but I have enjoyed many of her books several times over. This offering will not make my re-listen list. It seems as if DE collected scrap ends from different stories that just didn't make it into a more robust novel. It's not to say it's not gentle and somewhat enjoyable, but the heroine has almost no character and her foray in the hat-selling business seems dated, even as it was written.
A better DE Stevenson book about a young woman leaving a sheltered life is "Listening Valley."
If you're looking for something not terribly hard to follow with no big surprises or alarming plot turns, this could fit the bill. (And I'm not being sarcastic, sometimes a quiet book is needed.) It should be noted that this book puts forth a few more stereotypes and recycled characters than usual.
The narrator, Hilary Neville, does her usual excellent job.

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Believe In Yourself is theme of this comfort read

Revisado: 01-04-14

I am a new fan of the long-established DE Stevenson, and this offering is one of her best as far as main characters go. The development of Tonia -- from her beginnings as a shy school girl into her young adulthood -- is believable and satisfying.

The story itself is a bit choppy, and seems like two stories mushed together. It's either that the WW II aspect of the novel that is plunked into place after the middle, or the school days are glued on to the beginning -- I can't decide. Despite this bit of a disconnect, the story held my interest, overall, and Tonia is a thoroughly decent character with a pure heart.

The narration is smooth as silk and unwinds effortlessly. It's a good bedtime listen, from both content (nothing too rousing) and narration.

While characters and settings are used repeatedly in Stevenson's works, this book functions as a stand-alone novel.

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Listenable -- but not much else to recommend it

Revisado: 12-07-13

This book is built on over reliance of period detail. The author seemingly took two events that were easy to research (San Francisco earthquake and JFK inauguration) and built stories outwardly from that, rather than upon interesting characters. Claire's story in particular is full of endless minutia about the food, the clothes, the furnishings of the early 1960s that the resulting story is very thin. Anchored by their settings, the characters fail to become interesting on their own.

As others have noted, narration is a coin toss. I didn't mind her but she is. very. precise. and. enunciates. every. word.

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As a "comfort read," I just love this book

Revisado: 10-19-13

I was surprised how much I loved this book. The story is old fashioned and a little choppy, but the main character is so decent and likable it's hard not become engaged with her life decisions.

When I was young, I was a big fan of boarding school stories this book is from the perspective of the head of such a school. Another plus for me.

If you're looking for a gentler type of book, but not one that's insipid, I highly recommend this.

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Too light AND too derivative

Revisado: 05-27-13

If you have ever read Nancy Mitford's wonderful "Pursuit of Love" you'll find a clumsy homage in this book -- and some elements are practically identical. Other inspirations for this book seem to be the mediocre "Maisie Dobbs" series, the "Poor Relation" series and Dorothy L. Sayers. I'm not saying that authors cannot be inspired by other works -- but these echoes distract from what could be a more singular experience.

Regarding the book itself, the mystery takes too long to get going and Georgie isn't a strong enough character to carry the novel part of the book. If I hadn't read the above books, I'd probably like this one more.

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Choppy narration spoils good story

Revisado: 05-13-13

I found the reader very hard to listen to. Regardless of the book's action, all the dialog and narration seems to have the same choppy, semi-intense cadence. This is the first time I've encountered this phenomenon but it made the book almost unlistenable, for me at least.

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