A story worth remembering and a wonderful read
595107
I truly could not put this book down from start to finish. A must read for all people and for social in justices in the world. Do your self a favor and read this book. It will most definitely stay with you even after you have finished the final chapter.
3211710
This is the second time that I have to read this book and  actually enjoyed it so much. What a wonderful story. I would put it up there with Lonesome Dove , Captain & the Kings, etc.. It has a strength and artfulness that will place you back in time long lost. In a few years I'll probably read it again.there are many books but very few that will warm your heart and grab you from the first page. Thumbs up!
2445840
This is a great book - poignant, evocative, amusing at times, tear-jerking at others (yes, I admit it, I cried several times whilst reading it. Don't read it without a box of tissues close at hand!)

Told from the point of view of its central character, Katy, this story is as much about her voyage from childhood innocence to learning some of life's harsher truths as it is about 'the silent boy' mentioned in the book's title. And Katy's journey is told with such authenticity, it seemed to me as if it really was narrated by a child, rather than an adult writer. That's the joy of reading a really well written book - it makes you believe that its story could be true. In fact, at the end of this, I wasn't entirely sure it wasn't based on a true story, at least in part. To me, the characters in it just seemed too real not to exist.

Katy was a child who grew up in simpler times, when a game of pin the tail on the donkey was the highlight of a birthday party, and marbles and thimbles were prized treasures, and homemade dolls were wonderful toys, and playing on the beach with a bucket and spade was an adventure, and cake was a treat reserved for special occasions. Anyone over thirty will probably find that the book evokes poignant memories of their own childhood. Anyone under that age will no doubt find themselves marvelling that any child can grow up without all the bells and whistles and techno-gadgets and non-stop supply of sugary food treats that kids today all seem to have and take for granted.

I was moved to tears twice in this book, once by Katy's reaction to a large factory fire in New York that killed many of the women and young girls working there (an event that really happened), and also by the way Jacob 'the silent boy' was treated. Jacob was treated the way many people with intellectual disabilities were treated back then, which is sad, but the author clearly wrote this scenario for the character to highlight for the reader the harsh realities of the way society viewed and treated the intellectually disabled back then. It makes one glad that deinstitutionalisation is the norm for people with intellectual disabilities in our modern, comparatively enlightened age.

This isn't just a book for kids. It's definitely one I'd recommend for grownups. In fact, I think grownups will probably get even more out of it than kids, given that it will most likely make them all misty-eyed and reminiscent for their own long-lost innocent childhood, when the world was the street on which you lived, and there were still new discoveries to be made everywhere you looked.
1465820
I had the great pleasure of reading the book "Little Women," written by Louisa May Alcott, a story of real experiences and new feelings one experiences through the miracles of family and letting life take it's course; to live it to it's fullest. The March family is a true loving family who is as tightly woven as an old pair of blue jeans. In fact, they have as many stories to tell as old jeans that have been worn by so many. The March family had some hard times, but even burning of each others manuscripts can't put holes in their pockets. I believe this story is worth reading, because Louisa May Alcott defines si wekk in words how a family like the Marches can use their abilities for good and to learn a little more about life's true meaning. When I read this book I can see their life like I was a curious on-looker peering from behind a bookcase. I have become friends with these characters, and feel as if I had been a part of their noveled life. I became so engrossed in "Little Women," when it was time for the light to go off I just realized that in fact I was not touring Europe with the Carroll's,  I was laying on my old lumpy mattress with sleep nipping expectantly at my eyelids. To be truthful, the books I had been reading, such as "Babysitters Club" or "Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots" hadn't been keeping me up so late that my light bulb flickered off with a sputter.

There are not any faults in this wonderful story that my peering from behind the shelf could notice. It was as if Alcott wrote about her own real life and saw it from all her family's point of view.

This book may be sad in some parts, but the blue jeans threads held it together. This was so inspirational to me I decided I should be a Beth or Jo. Maybe even a Meg or Amy. This book isn't just entertainment for the young (or even old) person's mind, but it is a lesson written to fit 400 pages. It can teach you about life, I recommend it greatly.

I will not give away the ending, but here is the summary: a dear family holds on to each other through thick and thin, and with their friend's help they still are a family. The family gets smaller then bigger, and the book ends with one sentence, "Oh my girls, however long you may live, I never can wish you a greater happiness than this," and this is where I end.
627870
"The Language of Flowers" by Vanessa Diffenbaugh sat on my shelf for several months before I picked it up to read it.  That was a mistake.  The story of Victoria Jones is an unforgettable one, and her love for flowers and their Victorian-era meanings not only saves her hardened heart, but fascinated and tugged on my own heartstrings.  It is a wonderful story of love, redemption, forgiveness, and life in the foster-care system and most of all, the kindness of strangers' hearts.

Victoria was abandoned at birth and spent most of the first eighteen years of her life in foster care and group homes.  She was angry, defiant, mouthy, had no plans or direction to her life when she reached her eighteenth birthday and had to leave the system.  Victoria had never experieced being loved by a mother or father in her formative years, so she had no idea how it felt to be cherished and no clue how to love anyone else.  She only loved flowers and the meanings assigned to them long ago.

It is through her gift of love for flowers that she creates beautiful and wondrous things for people according to the meanings of the flowers that match peoples' wishes, feelings, and desires that Victoria starts to link the meanings of flowers to her own feelings and her heart.  She discovers that she is exceptionally good at listening to what others tell her about their lives and matching up flowers that have positive meanings for their bouquets, wedding flowers and arrangements in a floral shop where the owner has allowed her to work for a few hours a week.  When she meets a stranger in the flower market, they begin to exchange flowers instead of notes to express their feelings, but she isn't used to doing feelings.  Victoria has a terrible secret in her past that she will one day have to reveal, and she will need strength and forgiveness to tell it and little does she know to whom it is linked.

The story goes back and forth from a ten-year-old Victoria to the present day, but it does not confuse. Instead, it helps the reader to understand why the adult Victoria behaves the way she does.  This character is fascinating, heartbreaking and one that begs cheering on as the book moves through its story of this girl's life.

The topic of forgiveness looms large in "The Language of Flowers" and there is much for the reader to learn from this lovely book, and also a lot to learn about the meaning of flowers.  I enjoyed its steady movement and its well-written and obviously highly researched information about flowers.  A book to savor and a character not to forget.

Highly recommended with the warning that you'll want to either visit the florist or start planting flowers as soon as you finish the book.
1557608
I first read this book just after it was published in 2004--a time when I was busy writing my own memoir that eventually became my first novel. From that experience, I know that Cimarolli deftly did something that I now know is extremely difficult--she wrote her story and the story of her family and of an era with unvarnished truth, wrapping it all in a cloak of love. She writes not only about the worst hard times (the Great Depression) but also about how family love can overcome severe economic hardship and surpass our deepest character flaws. One reviewer said that her book is "farm life noir". I don't disagree with that characterization, but Cimarolli's memoir goes much deeper than noir. It strikes to the heart of a culture, place and time that is slipping from our memories. Do yourself a favor and read this touching story of things that should not be forgotten.<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/A-River-of-Stories-It-s-Been-Quite-a-Ride/dp/B00RN8J1B6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">A River of Stories: It's Been Quite a Ride</a>
3600260
I LOVED this story. It made me cry and smile and remember my youth and all of the pain of growing up in a world of the mid and late 60's. The writing was such that I felt all of emotional conflicts the characters were going through and could visualize the way that things looked, smelled, tasted and felt. I cared about some of these characters while hating others, yet understanding why they were who they were.  I have read so many books that are engaging but in this book I found the writing to be far above most. It was poetic and beautiful with an engaging story told with so much sensitivity and a feel for the times of that difficult period in our history that one hopes we will never return to in dealing with sex and some of events that people found themselves entrenched in with their human frailties and conflicted feelings.  I look forward to reading more of this author's work.
3286103
As I read The Weekend Getaway, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself involved in far more than just a story about other peoples problems, challenges, and lives. At times, along with being swept up in the story, I found myself lost in nostalgia. Right from the start images and memories from my own college years flooded through my mind, and I was instantly able to relate to the characters and the story as though Id known them during that formative time in my life. But while there certainly were moments given to my own bittersweet memories, it was Karens story that kept me turning the pages.

  Throughout The Weekend Getaway, Ms. Lenfesty gives excellent insights into the qualities, flaws, and motives of all her characters. They are human and believable, and the situations they confront are familiar to us all in some way or another. I found myself often liking them, sometimes sympathetic to them, occasionally admiring them, and even disliking a couple of them when they deserved it. It is no different in the real world, right? Just as we all do sooner or later, these people live with the consequences of choices made years earlier, and do their best to live with them. This story recalls for us the reality that we cannot run from the past forever. However, through her primary character Beth, Karen illustrates for all of us the value of self-worth and self-forgiveness.

  In this story, Ms. Lenfesty does an excellent job of foreshadowing Beths discontent with her life, and the obstacles that will be put in her path. We learn that she has not always made the right choices, but she is determined to face them, even if belatedly. We also learn that for most of her life she has been dealt a difficult hand to play, and so I couldn't help but rooting for her. Beth spends years patiently doing her best to shoulder alone the burdens that others have left her with, even when the cost seemed more than she could bear. This novel is about coming to terms with those costs, and getting on with life. Its also about doing the right thing, no matter how difficult, even if it seems too late. If you do, the surprise just might be that you get back more than you give up.

  For anyone whos ever had high hopes and expectations, only to have them dashed, there are lessons to be learned in this story. It is how we pick up the pieces and move on that determines the final course of our lives.  But there is far more here than a life lesson to be gained. Karen Lenfesty has a way of taking the routine trials of everyday life and making them relevant to the overarching themes of our lives. She does not need car chases, explosions, or salaciousness to hold the attention of her audience, or to point out that its how we live our lives in little ways that determines how we will live them when the big things present themselves. Its a beautiful, intriguing, heartfelt novel.

-Jon Anthony Hauser
2989148
I read this book years ago and it was as wonderful then as it is now. I'm so glad it's out on kindle. This is one of the most memorable books I've ever read. The story stays with you long after you've finsihed reading.
3148701
Truly a touching and moving, emotional story. A wonderful example of writing a memorable, memoir. This is a book that I really never wanted to put down. It left a truly lasting impression on me. I in reality, don't read many memoirs. So when I got the chance to review this one, it was a new experience. I have read memoirs, but the majority of my reading is fiction and so this was a different style. I have to say I really loved this book. The author Albina Hume did a fantastic job in writing her story, about her life and the struggle, hardships she has endured. She was born in the Ukraine, grew up and married a South African property developer and Rhino Breeder. This book details her life and childhood and the differences she faced. One of the sentences that describe the book showcases just what the story is all about: Who would think that my inability to pronounce the letter R, would turn my life upside down and lead me from Ukraine to South Africa.

A very touching and moving story that weaves her childhood and adulthood into a thought provoking story that you find yourself turning page after page to finish. I could not help but want to know what happened next in her life. From the horrors of jail, bad relationships, and the destruction of dreams, all come off the page as you read her plight. What I find amazing about this book is the beauty and wonderment of what Albina, and her husband do. They breed and protect African Rhinos. There activist trying to stop illegal trade, and killing of Rhinos which for that alone she gets my accolades.

You can finish my review here: http://www.classicbookreading.com/2015/05/albina-humes-miss-fortune.html
3895125
I seldom write reviews. Once a book is read, I move on. However, Last year I only read about 3 books worth remembering, and this was one of them, so I felt it was worth the time to stop and give it some stars. Touching and memorable. You will become a part of the story as you listen or read.
2052064
This is one of those rare books you will think of and remember, immediately after you have read it, and for a long time after. You will read this book over and over. The characters, the settings, the dialogue are so well described and defined you will picture the story in your mind as you read. I found myself caring about the main characters because I felt that close to them. Reading about the courage of others in life or death situations will force you to examine your own makeup and ability to make decisions that could either change your life or end it. You will remember Pino Lella...you will remember this book.
4288720
I decided to read this book because it has received so many accolades.  During most of the time I was digesting the inner turmoil of the story's protagonist, I wondered what all of the hoopla was about - until I reached the last few pages.  The denouement of this short and gripping story makes the journey well worthwhile.  Tony Webster, the protagonist, is frequently told throughout the narrative: "You just don't get it."  It took this reader a while to "get it," but this touching tale of a long ago friendship and a broken romance takes an unlikely twist that sears the heart.  The author reminds us once again that things are not always as they appear to be.
4355453
A good read for young and old alike.  Older folks may recall memories of their own, either ones lived or ones retold by relatives.  Younger readers will have the opportunity to step back into time during an important part of American (and world) history.

You will be able to truly experience what it was like to grow up in the Midwest during the Great Depression while also sharing the lives of the Porter family - a family who was cared for by their mother - a remarkable woman who never gave up and guided them through it all with her determination, perseverance, and most of all, love.  The author tells the story in a colorful way that allows you to feel like you are part of the family.  In fact, you will almost be able to smell the "bread on the table."
589277
This was one of the best stories I have ever read.  It was wonderfully told by Harry Bernstein, who has a great memory for details.  I am not Jewish, but I have always had an affection for the dedicated life they lead.  This personal story gave me much insight into that dedicated life and how it is viewed from the eyes of a child who had to live the good parts as well as the bad parts of being Jewish.  This story has kept me thinking of Harry and his family for a long time.  One may have heard that some books are hard to put down but this one is also hard to get out of your head.  I look forward to another story by Harry.
3357147
I must first start my review by giving some of my background. My in-laws were Polish Jewish Holocaust survivors. I started dating my husband in 1969, which in retrospect was only 24 years after their liberation from the camps. Growing up as a Jewish child of a mother who was born in Poland, and emigrated with her mother to Canada in 1926, 2 years after her father had gone to Canada, leaving family members behind who perished, was not the same as having this connection. However, through all these years, many of us only think about the 6,000,000 Jews who died in the holocaust, not realizing how this event affected all of Europe.

The story of Hitler and all his followers is one that has been told by many more recently, and this is an excellent example. All of these stories need to be told, and even though this is a fictional tale of what happened, the basic elements of the story are accurately told, and they are the important ones. What went on in Ravensbruck, the fact that Herta Oberheuser is a doctor who existed, and the experimental surgeries that she performed really happened, is something that people need to know about, and not deny.

Caroline Ferriday is a hero who's story also needs to be told more often. Her efforts may have begun during the war while helping the orphans in France, however her work with the Ravensbruck Rabbits is one that was told very well in The Lilac Girls.

For all those who think that the memories that Kasia and Zuzanna lived with should have been things that they could overcome, I can assure you that those who live through this never truly forget. The more I read, the more I realize why my in-laws always reacted to certain things the way they did. Martha Hall Kelly has done an excellent job bringing this story to us in a way that will have you remember it forever.
437834
Twenty years before the actual story gets underway, tragedy struck the small town of Petroleum. A beloved high school athlete died in a bizarre accident in a local mills grain elevator. This shocking incident forever changed Petroleum, as the mill closed down and a number of people became unemployed. The main culprit turned out to be the victims 14-year-old brother, Robert Golden. The residents of Petroleum were ruthless and cruel to Robert, and made him leave the town soon after.

Fast forward two decades later, and the town is in the same place as it was immediately following the tragedy --- in a permanent state of latent depression. But then Robert comes back; his mother is dying, and he wants to spend her final days with her. His return stirs the towns ghosts, but it also brings a positive change to the life of 30-year-old Mary Crampton.

Mary is an embalmer who works in her fathers mortuary. She has been a resident of Petroleum her entire life; her mother died while giving birth to her, and she didn't have the courage to leave her father. Both the children and adults find her to be strange and are mean to her. Like everybody else, Mary has dreams. Yet she has buried hers deep inside, and painstakingly tries to fit in with a town that refuses to accept her. Mary and Robert are the outcasts, which is what brings them together. Roberts return and their short-term friendship will force Mary to wake up from her dormant life and unearth her dreams.

Susan Hendersons latest novel is a poetic, melancholic and slow-paced story that focuses on relationships more than drama. It also touches on a variety of important topics, including the mentality of a small town, being different, the complex relationship between father and daughter, and pursuing your dreams versus living up to other peoples expectations.

The book is told from Marys perspective, so you almost feel as if you're reading her diary as she recounts her memories, dreams, fears and frustrations, along with recent happenings in the town. What makes this story especially beautiful is the writing, which is so good and so magical that it compelled me to think about my own life and even made me shed a few tears in public.

THE FLICKER OF OLD DREAMS is an absolute literary delicacy and already is one of my favorite novels of the year. This is a story that should be read, reread and enjoyed.

Reviewed by Dunja Bonacci Skenderovi