Well-written and poignant
344844
I read this book a few months ago and loved it. Sometimes we do stupid things and get ourselves into ridiculous, impossible situations, then make it worse by trying to do whats best rather than whats right. Thats really nothing new, but Lexi has taken a good look at this and written a very poignant story showing the seriousness of the potential consequences.
A very well-written story that has me aching to read the rest of the series.
4587147
This is a poignant and interesting story.  It was hard to put down.  I have had trouble finding something interesting to read among the piles of trash that currently occupy the Amazon Kindle store, and this was definitely not trash.  While some people might hesitate because the story does dip into the cancer experience, it is done in a creative and humorous way so that you don't find yourself wanting to slit your wrists 12 pages in.  I very much enjoyed the style of writing and the pacing of the book.  The characters were extremely memorable and didn't have that annoyingly phony or stereotypical air about them.  It felt very real and down-to-earth but had a supernatural lilt to it that was just very enjoyable.
225359
I had no idea the desperate lives of the French during WWII, the abandonment of Paris, and the true story of this author who was killed in a concentration camp. I am not a fan of the WWII soldiers' perspectives (like "Band of Brothers"). But I like to think of this as a feminine counterpart, telling the woman's side of the same events. It is well written, in an old style that modern novelists don't really use, which I enjoyed. The structure is very appealing. The book is really like novellas, and you start to see how the characters are connected. There is no ending, but the author's notes are reprinted. (She was, sadly, taken by the Nazis before she could finish, which makes the book all the more poignant.)  A friend of mine complains that this is too tragic, but I think I learned so much historically-speaking that I didn't mind the tragedy.

If you like family sagas that are not 8,000 pages, and good writing, this is a good book for you.
934086
This story is engaging and skilfully told. Rachel and Lacey, despite a significant age difference, are drawn together by circumstance and life events. They form an unlikely but believable friendship. Both have a past littered with loss and each shoulders a burden in the present. The narrative POV switches easily from one to the other; snapshots of life events allow the story to unfold, keeping the pace lively and weaving past and present seamlessly.

The writing is powerful, often poignant and heartfelt, with the vulnerability of each laid bare. As a reader, I was keen to know what made these individuals the people they are. Parts if the story are really emotional; in turn heartbreak and pleasure, sadness and regret, happiness and laughter.

There's a strong sense of location, the descriptive passages are evocative with a real feel for country living in a tight knit and introspective community. I found I cared about both characters. There are a couple of final twists which carry the story through to a very satisfactory conclusion. It's a book that haunts you after you finish reading; it calls you back to think about some of the issues raised. What more could a reader ask for? A little gem and I loved it. Thank you.

Copy of my amazon UK review.
4592158
Beautifully written, poignant, heart wrenching  and ultimately life affirming- I loved this novel.  It will stay with me for a very long time.
4434246
This is a well written novel which was easy to read yet poignant. I have already recommended it to many others
1186268
This is a lovely, poignant book about the relationship between two sisters whose lives are irrevocably changed by an accident. The magic of the book is that the relationship itself is what keeps you turning the pages and leaves an impression long after you are done. All the characters are beautifully drawn, as is the Connecticut setting. I initially resisted my 12-year-old daughter's suggestion that I read this (it's one of her favorite books), as I thought it would be too sappy for me. And I suppose it IS sappy, but in the best possible way. My eyes were teary for the last third, but the book earned it -- never once did I feel that I was being unfairly manipulated. Well done, Ms. Rice!
2569529
What a beautifully written account of this place and time.  Bea makes this all the more poignant by showing the disturbing truth and subtle self deceptions of apartheid policy from the innocent view of a young child.  It is telling that her child's heart knew that 'something was wrong' while the grown-ups were pretending that all was well.  This is a wonderfully written view into the world of accepted social separation and the heartache it inevitably causes.  Well done!
402073
Weihua Zhang's fine memoir tells the story of her "journey across two continents" and invokes poignant and painful memories of the people and nation she left behind.  The chapters on China's Cultural Revolution are especially good. The writer owes it to herself and her readers to write a book-length autobiography of those years, when the private and the political intersected in new and strange ways.

Among my favorite moments, and representative of how the writer lovingly portrays her mother: "During the Great Famine, Father often lamented over meals that there were two children too many in our household.  One day, Mama decided that she had heard it enough. She raised a meat cleaver and calmly asked Father, 'Just tell me which two you don't want.' Father shut up right then and there."
500592
Meaningful, authentic and poignant. Picoult wrote  a story about what it means to be African American in white America accurately and respectfully. She allowed for many perspectives and helped this much needed conversation to progress. The writing is superb and I love Picoult's style of the multi character narrative.
2976643
I don't usually review fiction in any form because one's enjoyment of it is subjective, but this book was poignant and merits a recommendation, for whatever it is worth. Short and sweet, then. The author, Martha Hall Kelly, does a beautiful job giving voice to each of the main characters. Each of these women has a unique tone and point of view, easily distinguishable from the others. The harrowing stories of Kasia and Zuzanna (and their fellow camp prisoners), in particular, were gripping and heart-wrenching, their strength and compassion for others inspiring. As with all WWII stories, a bittersweet ending.
4366364
I am acquainted with the author through business and must admit that I would not otherwise have selected a book to read whose plot deals with relationships and emotions. The image in my mind of such books was something hastily written, sloppy with sentimentality, and a poor treatment of the subject. This book is none of those things. It has an energy that draws you in and compels you to finish it. It is very well-written (a bonus criterion of mine for a good book is that it makes me look up a word in the dictionary, which I had to do with this one), descriptive, and the plot is well-paced. Background information, reminiscences, and insight are revealed in a natural and masterful way that lead one very appropriately to the ending. The very human and poignant subjects of death, family, and forgiveness are treated with sincerity and grace. I was not disappointed I chose to read this and I highly recommend this book.
1182002
I think this story is wonderful- clearly written, poignant, and compelling are descriptions that come to mind.

I'm so impressed with how well the reader gets to know this woman...her life, her sorrows, how she is handling aging, how honest she is with herself and how well she understands the world around her.

Seemingly ordinary stream of thought brings us such heart-ful insights such as: I wouldn't know how to cope with an entire world; He was scattered all over Asia; It's not her fault I don't like her; Enough light and peace and comfort to last me forever.
2317078
The story started slowly, but was well written.  The characters are fully relatable as actual people; in a way that the reader could develop feelings for them throughout the course of the novel.  The story itself was poignant and thoughtful with a steady pace.  There were a couple of inconsistencies in the story line, but nothing too glaring.
2011235
A lovely and thoughtful read -- honest, brave and insightful. This is not a How-To book about navigating the crushing requirements of a loved-one's journey through Alzheimer's.  Rather, it's a very personal story, told through letters and journal entries, of an enduring love that persevered under such challenging circumstances. I was moved to tears, but despite the underlying sadness of it all, at times I also often laughed out loud. Well done.
3737255
A poignant book -- short but not too short -- that alternates between past and present, until a story emerges with blunt-force and funniness at the same time. The voice is authentic, the insights original and wrenching.

If, however, you're looking for pathos or sentimentality or a cliche condemnation of addiction, this book may not be for you.
2863827
Well written, interesting style, heart-wrenching subject matter