A tragic, beautiful story.
594243
We the Living is one of the most engaging books that I have ever read.

Set in Soviet Russia, it is a story about those who want to live in a society that forbids living.  We the Living is a story of romance, struggle, and most of all, of the sanctity of life.

The main characters are admirable and heroic.  We the Living is a beautifully developed story, with every word and dialogue advancing the plot and character development.  Each character serves a very distinct purpose, and represents a very distinct idea.

This story also serves as a cautionary tale.  As the author has stated, it is not a story merely against the evils of Soviet Russia.  More broadly, it warns against the evils of totalitarianism and exposes the ideas that make it possible.

This novel can be enjoyed by itself; the writing is enjoyable, and the plot and characters are engaging and fascinating.  However, if one wishes to think, there are philosophical implications in every character and every scene.  This book is for anyone who understands the importance of human life.
643984
This story was based on one young girl's journey with leprosy. The stigmas, hate, and fear these people live with is very troubling. The story was sad, tragic, yet very uplifting in many ways. I will read this again someday.
3633646
Beautifully written! A true story from the heart. Told from the point of view of a 14 year old girl who is traggically raped and murdered. From begining to end, the details of events unfold like tragic poetry on the pages. I cried through most of this book. The journey that this family takes with their greiving is very difficult to swallow. And the direction that the writer chose to fullfill the plot is unexpected but still very satisfying.
2782842
I was hooked right from the start! What a masterfully told, beautiful story about the hidden tragedy behind a risky international adoption. The characters are complex and real; their determination, fears, courage, and love resonant. And the evil ones are truly frightening. Sheehan's description of life around Lake Atitlan in Guatemala is both heart-breaking and gorgeous.  Not only did I love the story, I learned from it and felt its present relevance in our world of wars and refugees.  It brought home to me in human terms, the domino effect of everything we do individually and as a country.
1932858
A magical story, that will bring tears to your eyes at times.
4689452
This was a tragic but beautifully written book. The beginning was just slightly unusual but I was assured by those who had read it that it was excellent and they were right
1999519
I find this story to be interesting, sad, inspiring and tragic. Interesting at how the rich live, sad at all the abuse and affairs between these two, inspiring at how hard ann worked at "bettering herself" and tragic for how it ends.
4912513
Leaving Paradise is a tragic, yet beautiful, love story. Day to day, Maggie and Caleb constantly struggle with poor self image and the dirty remarks made by their peers, while deep down try to find a way to accept the horrible past and move on.

Being locked up for a year changed Caleb, and when he goes home, he realizes that it also changed his family. His mother his like a robot (she's there physically, but not mentally), his father can't stand up for himself, and his twin sister, formally Maggie's best friend, has turned Goth - always dressing in black and never leaving her room. But not only has his immediate family changed, his best friend started dating the girlfriend he left behind, and everyone at school and in town, thinks he's a dangerous criminal.

Things are not any easier for Maggie. Because of the damage done to her leg by the accident, she has been out of school for a year. She can't play tennis, she has lost all of her friends, and is still trying to deal with the divorce of her parents. But when Caleb comes back to school, Maggie gains an anger problem because she feels Caleb is sliding back into his normal routine and giving no attention to what he did to her.

I love the way Elkeles created this story - a story that could very well happen in real life. But there is so much more to it than just a love story and Elkeles did a great job weaving it all together. One of the great things about this book, is the alternating 1st person POV. Each chapter switches between Maggie and Caleb and I love being able to see how each of them is thinking and feeling.

Although the ending is a little upsetting, I understand that some of the best stories have to be tragedies. That is just the way the world works; accidents happen, and love (no matter how strong and pure) can be lost, but in the end, life does go on. Thankfully, there will be a sequel coming the summer of 2010, so I'm not too worried about the ending of Leaving Paradise...yet. I can't wait to see what will become of Maggie and Caleb.
4669051
This is a beautiful and sad story set in the late 19th, early 20th century in the Northwest. It tells the stores of the lives of 3 girls, and a man, Talmadge, who becomes their protector. TV and movies give us some ideas of the difficulty of live on the frontier, but hide some of the ugliest parts of it. In this story, life is difficult, at times rewarding. The characters are deeply bound together, but never speak of their love for one another. It is a land co-inhabited by the Nez Perce, rough itinerant men, and exploiters.
The narration was superb and though it was at a slow pace, I was never tempted to speed it up. I am not sure this is historical fiction although it tells the story of a time and place. The female characters are extraordinarily strong, and survivors. All in all, it is a book I am glad that I read.
3226117
I loved the twists and turns of this beautiful story! The ended was the perfect amount of tragic and beauty.
4236241
Quite a delightful read. A tragic story of love,loss and abuse. From the perspective of group people and the ghosts that they come across. I would recommend this book.
4631709
What a beautiful and tragic story. It is a short book, but the pages packed. I found myself wanting to race to find out what happened and how the story would reveal itself, but at the same time wanting to savor slowly the images created by the writing. Characters all richly fleshed out, shaped by sorrow. I shall have to go back and read this again, for the pieces I know I rushed past. This could have been a totally maudlin tale, but is instead skillfully told. Lucy, her parents, Ralph, Bridget and her husband Henry (who had the one line in the book that made me laugh out loud--"As often it was, his face was empty of expression even when he spoke. 'More happens in a ham,' Bridget's father had once said about Henry's face." I read that and hooted, for it's exactly as I had pictured him.)

This book was Shortlisted for the Booker Prize. I need to go see what beat it out that year.
4908095
This was a beautifully told story. Taking us through the quiet, sedate, protected childhoods of Solange and Marie Chagall and their Papa in Marseille was idyllic. Papa was a sea farer away from home all the time and despite the lack of a mother, both girls were very ell brought up, well educated far beyond their times and had an understanding way beyond young women of their era.

Being of Jewish ancestry the girl's father knew hat troubles were coming. Persecution of Jews had started and he knew he had to protect his daughters at any cost. In the meantime WWI breaks out and Marie much to the dismay of family decides to volunteer as a nurse and with their support joins the nursing hospital attending to victims from the Battle of Verdun. Surviving the battle against all odds, Marie returns to a world changed. Marie herself has changed.. She seeks solitude, is depressed and when faced with the news that her father has decided to consolidate his assets and move to New York and that Solange has decided to go with him, Marie realises that she must decide on an independent future.

The Lavender House bequeathed by her mother proves a welcome solace though at the onset Marie feels that she has been abandoned by her family. Using the house as a base and a protection, the environs of the house and the opportunities it provides, proves a balm to Marie's spirit.

Beautifully written, sensitive to human emotion and feeling specially to the despair of Marie's spirit, I was very touched by this book. Descriptive of its surroundings it captures the essence of this part of France, evocatively.
2717183
What a beautiful and tragic story. It tore my heart apart and made it swell with joy- all within a few chapters. SL has a gift for writing truly beautiful stories and capturing our hearts with her amazing characters. Wonderful read!
1000795
The detailed descriptions of the natural world and of the human characters who inhabit it were so beautifully written. This tragic yet lovely tale set in the most brutal of times captivated me as few other tales have been able in recent years.
3561260
This is a heart-breaking, tragic, yet beautiful story of two women coming-of-age in a time of human conflict that has yet to be truly resolved.  Their parallel lives contrast starkly, in that they are raised in the same household with entirely different futures envisioned for them, by their parents, peers and themselves.  Both are victims of slavery yet both attain freedom-but not without great cost, loss and sacrifice.  The triumphant human spirit prevails in both cases, to bittersweet resolution for both women.
4418490
While Im not overly fond of jumping back and forth in history, this book was captivating despite that. Its a tragic tale of love and loss on a gigantic scale with the overriding spirit moving on towards what has become the only reality.  Well done!