Gripping and beautifully written
580118
This book blew me away: It was intense, historical, funny and deep. Once you start reading, just try putting it down. I know I couldn't. I just wish Mr. Englander had more novels in bookstores. I'm eagerly awaiting the next one.
371932
This is an incredibly well written story of pain, struggle and the friendships and loves that help make life worthwhile. It surprises you but does get a little tedious at times.  I enjoyed the insights and the beautifully written prose. It is similar to Franzen's style.
2393584
This was a beautifully written and powerful story that I couldn't put down. From the very beginning the vividly crafted characters shone and captured me. Especially Leo, with a desperate and heartbreaking background, fighting to survive ~ and Charlie, a shining soul that guides him through it. The sensuality between them was simple and beautiful as they fell in love, and I didn't find the lack of explicit details detracted from the story, in fact it strengthed the fact this was more than a love story ~ it was a story of a beautiful family who pull together to help others,  and leaves you with a strong feeling that there are genuine, decent and wonderful people in this word. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
695030
Beautifully written and filled with tremendous characters, Overholt's book pulls one in from the first page to the last. The story is beautifully rendered, and the plot keeps one guessing until the very end. The historical detail is flawless and the streets of early New York portrayed so vividly and viscerally that I felt like I had lived there myself. The writing flows with ease and skill, and I often found myself reading for hours when I'd meant to read just a chapter. Overall, an engaging page turner filled with splendid and meticulous detail.
1258005
This is beautifully written and detailed.  The torment of duplicity is clear and the loneliness of being considered a part of a community to which you don't really belong is overwhelming.  To say that I enjoyed this book would not be accurate but it is a compelling story which made me read much later in the evening than I should have.
2090191
The writing is outstanding.  Beautifully descriptive.  The characters were believable and, although the events took place a century ago, the author was able to make the story relevant to issues we struggle with today.  Self-discovery, love, betrayal, secrets tightly held.  This is an unusually good book, and I look forward to reading more by this author.
3002717
I absolutely loved this book.  It hooked me from page 1.  I loved the way it was written, although I could see how some people might find it annoying. The characters were well-drawn and the story was gripping.  I chose this book for my book club and everyone loved it. I highly recommend it.
850463
This memoir is both heartbreaking and breathtaking. Written without the unnecessary flourishes that scream "MFA', it details the repercussions of a single night of violence. When the author was twelve, her mother was murdered just feet from the author's bedroom. She enters the insecure revolving door of an orphan's worst nightmare. She is sent to live with unstable, undependable relatives and friends from Maine to Texas and back again. Meanwhile she is grappling with grief, fear, fury, guilt and self-loathing. The police suspect she knows more than she knows and subject her to endless, increasingly unsympathetic interrogations. the mother's life is examined including the many troubled men and women who populated her circle. It takes twelve years before the killer is apprehended.

Despite some repetition, this is a riveting portrait. It is as much about the mystery of crystal- who she was, her relationship to her child and her killer- as it is the Maine town and the author's battle for both survival and peace. While most definitely not an easy or pleasant read it is a beautiful testament to the strength of the human spirit.
672562
This was one of those rare novels. It's beautifully and simply written. The story is gripping. The characters are heart wrenching. The author turns each encounter almost into it's own short story. The emotions are so raw and real they stay with you for days. I can't really say enough good things about this story except that if you have Eastern European Jewish heritage it is even more real and more poignant but that is definitely not a must.
2345846
This is a beautifully and intelligently written novel. I was hooked with the first few paragraphs, so much so, that I completed the book in one day. That is not to say that this work is a quick or easy read; there is a certain depth to the writing. The author expertly allows us to feel the bitterness of the snow or luxuriate in the warmth of a fur coat, to savor the smoked salmon, hearty soups and succulent vareniki, and harder still, to be gripped with fear and anxiety, but yet have the courage to fight on. There are moments of joy, nostalgia and achievement, but there is no escaping the dark and terrifying story of what happened to the people of Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. I am also of "Russian" descent, my Jewish ancestors lived in various locations of this vast empire. This was a moving- poignant- account that hit home for me. That being said, in the end, the Universal Truths evident in the powerhouse that was Luba, and those within her circle of family and friends, made this a story easily relatable to a wide and diverse audience. Congratulations to the author for bringing this story to light and honoring her ancestors.
3730968
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, though I was horrified at some Daniel's experiences.  The book was beautifully written, and was gripping from beginning to end.  I agree with previous reviewers who said they hoped there would be a sequel.  I want to see more of Daniel and his lions.
31838
A divorced couple, both in their forties, dealing with the loss of their 11-year-old son. Before he died, he became friends with a 104-year-old woman, Ona Vitkus. Afterwards, the parents and Ona are drawn together because of the boy. All three of them are engaging, but it was especially a pleasure to read about a very old woman who's still mentally strong, who thinks and feels deeply, and who dispenses hard-earned grace to the younger people who unwittingly look to her for comfort. The story portrays the parents moving beyond grief, but this beautifully written book is far broader than that. Ona in particular has such a rich history, yet she was strangely passive in her own life until something happens to shake her out of it, at an age when she was far from young. All three of the characters demonstrate my belief that, as long as we're alive and thinking, we can grow. It's a hopeful book, but I cried at the end, because it was so beautifully written I almost hated to lose these characters. Well done.
4900974
A beautifully written, empathic, compassionate view of an American girl's new understanding of the revolution going on in the mid-East, notably Egypt. Not only is the story gripping in and of itself, but it also gives not only young women but people of all ages an amazing insight into the cultural growth of another society, and at the same time, allows readers an epiphany as to the universal striving of the human race and the all encompassing desire for freedom. A wonderful read!
605273
Brilliantly written - felt as i was there on the island witnessing the story first hand. The story and flow is gripping and one cant put the book down without finishing it !
259354
I loved this book.  The story was captivating and powerful, but even more than that, Julie Cantrell's nearly poetic prose painted a picture that engaged all of my senses and emotions and drew me in from the first pages.  I highly recommend this powerful, captivating and beautifully written book.
4127146
It's very rare to find a combination of tremendous writing, complex narrative, and memorable characters. Erdrich has managed this. In a book that moves from one point of view to another, it is often easy to lose track of where and when you are. Not here. Erdrich's characters are so distinct, their voices so strong and individual, that I never got lost. This is a story of a family, a community, and a history, beautifully told. Definitely one of the top books I've read this year, and in years. I signed on to order more of Louise Erdrich's work, but wanted to give this book my enthusiastic recommendation first.
424528
This is a beautifully written, powerful description of a fragile human's interaction with a wild animal.  MacDonald rediscovered a childhood obsession with birds of prey as she was grieving the sudden death of her beloved father.  She tells the story of her relationship with her hawk alongside a  retelling of  T.H. White (author of _The Once and Future King_)'s tragic personal experience of hawking.  You are likely saying to yourself, "That doesn't sound compelling" -- but trust me, MacDonald's skill in interweaving these stories of human-animal interaction with sensitivity to the experiences of grief, pain, loneliness and death is, well, breathtaking, beautiful, and hopeful.  I couldn't put it down, can't wait to read it again, and recommend it highly.