Painful but endearing
587820
The Return is packed with powerful drama that sweeps readers into the developing saga of this unforgettable tale. Whether or not you have read the first two books in the early Amish settlers series set in colonial Pennsylvania, you will be captivated by the struggles between peace-loving Amish and the Indians who may attack, and by the two young women who care for the same adventurous young man. The talented author develops the characters extremely well and makes you care about their lives and future. Insights into Native American life offer another viewpoint and add weight to the scales that cannot balance between the First People and the encroaching pioneers. This novel deftly demonstrates that not all Indians nor all European immigrants are either good or bad. I stayed up late to finish the gripping story. One potent quote that stood out summarizes how the book may affect readers: A sea captain once told me something very wise, something Ive never forgotten. What life does t you depends on what life finds in you. So also how a touching story resonates within. I received this book from Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.
2818025
I was deeply enthralled by the story of a young mother lost in the wilderness, fighting to save herself so she could in turn save her daughter. The images of baby Elisabeth treating the whole ordeal as one big adventure were vivid and wonderfully written. I don't want to give too much away, but this book is gut-wrenchingly, bone-grindingly sad. I would have sobbed out loud had I not been at a playground surrounded by strangers. With all respect to the author, I wish I had never read this book which has left me in a funk. I get the central theme of the story, which is the study of an unbreakable bond between mother and daughter, and after some reflection I suppose it had to be this way. Still, my tender, young mother's heart almost couldn't bear it. Yes, it was very, very good, but you'll be needing two boxes of hankies for this one, and perhaps the counsel of some sympathetic friends!
727256
I would rate this around 3.8, not quite up to a four star.  This is a very depressing story.  It was excruciatingly painful to read.  It concerns mental illness among a few family members and the impact of this disease on the whole family.  There is no short term solution here and the novel in my view gave a fairly realistic portrayal of those with the disease as well as how it impacted all of the other characters throughout their lives..  The characters were all very well defined.  The only reason I hesitated in giving a higher rating is that I thought the ending was very contrived.  I do not want to say more as it might be a spoiler.
4626206
Have your box of tissues ready.  This is a sad story of one young boy who needs a liver transplant and the problems and obstacles both he and his parents face.  When nine year Ethan is diagnosed, his mother Delanie is overwhelmed and is soon also dealing with a distracted husband, a mound of bills, overbearing mother-in-law and more.  She does have a tight knit group of friends whom she can lay her burden on. But as time is dwindling, one wonders if Ethan will survive?  Like I mentioned, this one is a tearjerker and emotional.  As the reader, I can feel her pain and frustrations with doctors and social workers.  I received an ARC from the author and do recommend this book.
1131216
This follows the journey of a man who discovers he's dying and then tries to make up for lost time with his young son and also with others he has put off having real relationships with.  It;s a beautiful, but painful story.  Worth the read.
3014077
Not exactly your typical HEA ending.  But an enjoyable read once you get past the heart ache you know is coming.
2166962
thoughtful, well written, difficult to read (the history and story is painful) but wonderful historical fiction
2980163
If you have ever lived with someone who has a mental illness or loved someone from a distance, you know how little your world can get. How the every day things get out of proportion and overwhelming. Fig is a strong character who has to deal with so much with a schizophrenic mother. While this was hard to read at time, it is worth the effort and struggle to see the world from a different perspective. Heartbreaking and frustrating at times. I found myself wanting to step in and be a parent to her.
3464071
For someone who has walked somewhat the same path, this book is both painful and irresistible. I believe it to be a well-written tutorial, a less painful journey for anyone who prefers to be forewarned where there's potential for politically unrecognized injury to be inflicted upon oneself and one's child.  Strongly recommended.
1690083
A devastating book. Some of the descriptions in it made me ache in sympathetic pain. The book itself is clear and well written, with functional prose devoid of unnecessary flourish or ornamentation. You feel for the protagonist in this book, it would honestly be hard not to. There are some twists I won't spoil the book with, but be aware this book goes beyond the strictly realistic body-horror elements and touches on both the spiritual and supernatural. A definite recommend if you can get past some of the torture elements in the book.
3134001
Delightfully painful to read, in the way that it's poignantly painful to read about a social misfit in high school, and all those emotions that high school misfits don't quite know what to do with.  Funny and creative.
3041379
I really enjoyed this book, but this review is difficult to write. The writing in this book is almost poetic. Maybe musical is a better definition. It's beautiful. Contrasting this is a diamond hard story. Even when the writing becomes simple, and I believe intentionally so, the story is painful. It is a side of WWII not explored often. There are good and bad people here, but mostly it is a story of decent people led to do evil, and also reluctant people deciding to do good. There is triumph and sadness; destruction and resurrection. I won't forget this story and how it is told.
328883
What a melancholy tale! Halfway through the book, I honestly didn't know if I'd be able to finish it-I was too afraid that something even more devastating was going to happen. But Bohjalian's writing compelled me to carry on, and I'm glad I did.
Like life, this novel is not neat and tidy, but bittersweet. Certain loose ends do not get tied. The characters are complex and likeable-even though Terry is cheating on his wife you feel a certain empathy for him. Both he and Laura are just doing what they can in order to deal with the indelible grief that afflicts them.
Ultimately, this is a story about healing, about perservering. If you take the time to work your way through the painful stuff, you will feel rewarded by the end.
4754667
This was so good. Sometimes  i had to put it down because her hurt was so painful.
1471768
(Full disclosure: Mr. Felperin mentions me in non-glowing terms--easy to accept 45 years later.  His comments on my mother's cooking...now, that's another story!)  This is a painful book, ending with a splendid two chapter meditation on coming apart and dying...if you have not given up before then in the face of a relentless rehearsing, even in these fine chapters, of his obsession with not getting tenure at Yale.  This Primal Wound was, it appears, so deep and untreatable that it haunted every day of Felperin's impressive and lustrous career.  To imitate his style (on every page): who could have imagined the old Yale had so much poison in him.  Felperin is an important figure; if only he could have passed on to pastures new outside New Haven and enjoyed his life.  But instead the Primal Wound seems to have always hurt him, sometimes to have paralyzed him.  That is very sad, and narrows the relevance of the final chapters to us more ordinary folk.  That the Wound seemed to require Mr. Felperin's looking down on every later colleague he had and every university he taught at (an impressive list to most eyes) is worse than sad--it's just a damned waste.  The profession, like the world, did indeed change during his years in academia, and for the worse.  But there is always work to be done with what remains (maybe "what remains" is all we ever have--as Felperin himself might say).  The pain that drove Felperin out of the profession was both his and its loss.  I hope writing this memoir did its therapeutic work for Felperin, but the endless reliving, anger and all, of an event decades past narrows the relevance of his analysis of changes in the reading and teaching of literature that might have been very clarifying.  Like his second wife, you may finally just want out from his fantasies of pain and revenge.
1874524
I don't really have any complaints with this novel. It's not a five star simply because I wouldn't want to read it again. That is not a reflection of the writing, just that this story is so painful.

Ms. Smith did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. I felt like she did them justice, presenting their strengths, weaknesses, struggles, and victories without prejudice, without bias. As a result, it really showed me the condition of my heart. I've always known I have an unforgiving spirit, but I'd thought I'd been getting better. Not so. Watching the sisters struggle, I heard my own heart responding in kind, taking up arms, and thinking about how I would feel, what I would do. And it was never to my own sacrifice, never for the good of others over myself. At least Rachel felt occasional guilt and eventual repentence and remorse. I have a long way to go.

In addition, this retelling really made me aware of how differently this story could have gone. Every step of the way, if they had chosen another path, things could have been so different. From the getgo, if just one of the sisters had chosen to love the other, regardless of how they were treated, I don't think Leah could have done what she did. I wonder if Rachel could have refused the marriage? I know she wouldn't have wanted to, but if she was trusting God and his ways, and I wonder if she would have been allowed to break her own marriage contract since Jacob had taken her sister by mistake? Hm. What a different story that would have been.

I completely understood her fear of allowing Jacob and Leah to spend any time together, to be close. How different it would have been, if she had even just chosen to love her sister herself- respond in kind words, compliments, companionship, encouragement, and ultimately forgiveness.

And I don't know if this part was accurate (will have to reread the Bible story myself now) but I noticed that Rachel did not turn to God much, except to beg for a child. But like so many of us, instead of trusting His silence (and perhaps pouring herself into her nephews), she attempted anything she could to make the decision herself. When will we learn that we cannot force God's hand?

Though so painful to read, this story was full of hard-earned wisdom. It was a colorful, vivid retelling.
2921368
While this book is a very good piece of literature, its story line is often stark and painful--love complicated by misunderstandings, deaths, subterfuge.  Not recommended for the faint-hearted.  But a great read.