Beautiful and touching
349798
Aimee Bender's first novel is a masterpiece. I loved it as much as her collection of short stories THE GIRL WITH THE FLAMMABLE SKIRT.  Ms. Bender takes you inside the hearts and minds of her characters reveling their humanity with such wit and passion that it made me sad to finish the book. Mark my words Ms. Bender will someday be considered one of American's best writers. Knock. Knock. You heard it here first.
4848061
I read this to my nine year old last week.  Before I knew it, my wife and twelve year old were rivited.  It is beautiful and touching.  Most books you put down and forget a day later.  The images from this book stay with  me and my family.  We are going to run out and buy some more stories by  this author.  You do not have to love dogs or dogsledding to truly enjoy  his writing. Suggestion: Read aloud by the fire.
587650
This is such a beautiful story and so heartwarming. The emotion and feeling was perfect and so well written.  I loved the story line and both characters.  They were real and this story showed that life after death is possible and so is another chance at love. It was beautifully written and even made me cry at times.
3951432
Kristan Key is a talented writer. Her gift for putting feelings and emotions into words is quite touching. Reading through this book of poems I have seen myself and others in the beautiful and sometimes painful words that she has written. It is as if Kristan opened up her heart and poured it onto paper. This collection of poems is both touching and challenging, reaching deep into a beautiful, but sometimes hurting soul and challenging social norms. I definitely recommend reading this book.
662168
This is one of the most beautiful books I've read in a very long time. Sarah Hagerty is a particularly gifted writer (she has the most lovely writing style!) and her story touches the deepest of places. I found myself stopping many times while reading and just staring off as I pondered the truth of what she had to say. Inspiring, convicting, and touching. I highly recommend this book.
1839013
"Remember This" is the story of Lucy Kellogg, an elderly lady - once independent and dynamic - whose grip on reality slowly slips away as she surrenders to the unforgiving talons of Alzheimer disease.

Bits of sound medical advice are skillfully threaded through the fibers of this beautiful, touching story, and allow the reader to come a little closer to understanding the seriousness of this tragic condition.

Lucy Kellogg loses things, confuses reality and fantasy, gets lost herself, but ultimately remembers those who hold a special place in her heart.

The pain Lucy's son feels as he watches his mother slowly losing her connection to reality, and reversing back to being a child, is almost tangible.

Nana Lucy's story is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, and is delivered with a soft and gentle voice, which comforts the reader with its delightful, spellbinding tone.

As for the characters, they appear so real that the reader needs to self-remind they are fictional. Nana Lucy's granddaughter -named Lucy herself in honor of her grandmother - is a delightful young lady who indirectly describes, through the power of her actions and feelings, the inner struggle teenagers suffer when they are forced to add the anguish and confusion of losing a loved family member to their already overwhelming agenda of growing pains.

If ST Underdahl set out to write a page-turner, she certainly achieved her goal.

I highly recommend this book to those who are dealing with the loss, physical or mental, of a loved one, and to those who are just looking for a wonderful story to warm their hearts and enlighten their souls.

[...]
3087086
I watched this dvd tonight. It has been a while since I cried my eyes out during a film, like I did on this occasion.

Beautiful story and wonderfully acted.  The scenery is breathtaking and the musical score is haunting. This film has a lot of messages apart from the survival aspect. This is a special story about human bonding between two people who would  normally not have crossed paths.

I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. This moving story has left its mark on me.
2815227
From the gorgeous cover, the couple on the front, take you with them into the book and through the stories of their lives. Its a tale touched with sadness and poignancy, tragedy and loss but also one of self discovery and second chances. It made me feel sad and wistful but the language was so beautiful, I was carried along and got to care about the two lead characters and their friends.

Its a simple tale of boy meets girl at first sight, but pull back those layers and its so much more  Puglia plays its role in being a mix of old and new, white architecture and old town  mixing two worlds which seem separate but which on closer inspection are very similar. The writing was very lyrical   like an ode to a time gone but, a memory and of course this story is told by the one person who can tell it all as it happened, or at least how he thinks it all took place.

Th e writing  flows like a river and it was comforting despite the sad events. It soothed me as I read and engulfed me as I immersed myself in the young love of a couple in Puglia and the events which follow.

The descriptions of food, flowers, the old town and the seaside town of Vilanova were particularly enchanting and really gave this novel a keen sense of place. One character even compares the tomatoes from Tesco and the Ostuni open air markets  life now and memories of a time gone by. Such simple images which conjure so much.

Calm and quiet, this novel will linger with you.
2896056
Beautiful imagery and beautiful language bring this emotional and touching story to life. I read an ARC of this book with no expectation of a review and really loved it. Leigh is a wonderful character, and her family dynamics are so understandable. Too often people don't talk and in silence, misunderstandings happen. That's at the crux of this story, with protagonist Leigh trying to unravel a lifetime of hurts caused by silences. I'm so looking forward to reading Emily's future books.
654596
As I reached the end of this very touching and lovely book, I suddenly felt saddened that I was saying goodbye to people that I had "lived" with for what seemed like a lifetime, although it was only for the few days I had spent reading it. While the story is ostensibly geared toward 9-12 year old young adults, and while it serves this group admirably by its rich use of language that respects the intelligence of these young people, it is the richness of the characters as they journey through the various travails, joys and sadness of life that left it's effect on me for many many days afterward. The story reaches through generations, and as the tale extends through the deep American south to the battlefields of Europe and the terrible and wide impact of the holocaust, it is these people, young and old, whose thirst for life and happiness keeps them so vivid in our minds. Aunt Netti involves us, amuses us, touches us and finally teaches us. As a reviewer, I was terribly moved by the story, particularly as it builds towards its conclusion. Something touched me deeply reading it, although I'm not quite sure why....cynical me has to admit that I even teared up from time to time. In truth I resisted putting it down at all until the necessities of life forced me take the occasional break. And as the story passed as a panorama before my mind's eye, I couldn't help but think what a lovely movie this would make; hopefully some appropriate person will recognize this as well........Highly Recommended.  EarlC.
406124
This book is heartbreaking, heartwarming, and just beautiful. It surprised me in places and made me ache and want to hug these girls in so many others. The prose is so very beautiful and it's such a great character study of what could happen to children in a really awful, strange, and messed up situation. This is a story that will resonate and stay with you, but honestly, it's also worth reading for some of the gorgeous descriptions and language alone. Highly recommend!
2490443
Tuon does a wonderful job of conveying his unique life experiences in a direct and beautiful way. I really enjoyed this touching book of poetry.
2801932
Thank you for this beautiful yet immensely emotional story of life, death and return.  The out-of-body experience was heartwarming and heartwrenching.  The tears I shed were of the love and the rekindling of love of the different characters, those of Cora, Matt and Peter, but especially Sophie and Kirk.  I look forward to reading more of your work.
756569
Charla's story touched my heart in a profound way.  I can't even imagine what it would be like to lose touch with a child in this manner.  Her journey to finding her son is so beautiful.  I applaud her for the courage, strength and faith to be reunited with her son and praise her for helping others in the same situation.  This book was eloquent and I loved every word on every page.
4607051
Moving and beautiful representation of the human spirit . The powerful love of a mother and the heartbreaking of letting go
1959087
I found this book while trying to find a book to explain the loss of my father to my 3 children.  After stumbling across it in the bookstore, I believe I found a gem.  It really told a beautiful, very touching story about Grandy who is suffering a loss.  It really shows the different stages of grief one goes through and it really hits home.  I had my kids and sister read it, and then I gave it to my mother.  I highly recommend this book to those who are grieving.  I think, I too, will be handing this out to those who are suffering a loss.
867110
This book touched me in so many ways. It is at once a memoir of the author's somewhat hidden and tumultuous gay life, as well as a beautiful but achingly honest tribute to both of his parents, as he watches his mother's life wind down. There are many funny, beautiful and poignant moments here...definitely a worthwhile read.