Search - Annie's Song

Sometimes I look at the titles that are put on books and wonder why they're named that. Half the time they have nothing to do with the story at all. Here, the title actually has meaning. Annie is not what people think. No one has made the effort to discover the real her. It takes a special, though regrettable, set of circumstances and a special man to look past the stigma and listen closely enough to hear Annie's song.

The book starts out with a very disturbing event. Annie, the childlike town "idiot", is raped. The worst comes to pass and Annie becomes pregnant. Alex, the brother of the rapist, marries Annie to provide a home and name for the unborn child. He has no expectation of making the marriage a real one. He plans to go on with his life and expects Annie's nurse to keep her out of his way. Before long Alex find his view of Annie shaken. Soon he sees Annie in a new light and finds a love he never expected.

This story was so beautiful. The people in it are not perfect and they don't always do the right thing. I hated some of them at times, but even then, they seemed like real people making real mistakes.

Annie's mother comes off as a harsh, cruel woman. By the time Alex is getting to know the real Annie, you would be pleased if her mom would just die. You won't understand how a mother can treat her daughter like that. We, the reader, see the truth. Why is she denying it? It's frustrating and emotional, but eventually you learn to empathize with Annie's mother (even if you never really like her). That's what's so special about this story. There is no black and white. You find yourself wondering, "would I honestly have done such-and-such differently?" Then no matter what you feel, you can't help but admire her as she moves past her beliefs and tries to help her daughter live her new life.

Alex was a hard man to read at first. He had a view of Annie and a feel of entitlement to her baby that was frightening at times. I'm glad that the things that bothered me the most: his plans for Annie after the baby was born, his contact with his brother, etc. were all discussed eventually with Annie. I thought that was very mature and even though I disliked him at times for his treatment of Annie in the beginning, I also recognize it as a very human reaction. From the moment when he asks her for that first dance I began to love him. The time and care he took with her and the determination to wait for her as long as it took... beautiful.

Annie was an object of pity and heartbreak at times, but by the end of the book you'll realize that no matter her disability, she is the strongest character in the story. Through her life she put up with horrendous things and she still finds it in herself to love her family. She doesn't love blindly, she sees the faults and weaknesses in her parents and loves them despite them. Her love of her father is almost a mirror image of Alex's love of his brother. Through Annie you'll see the things you take for granted in a different light. She has a strong character and she knows what will make her life complete. Even though she knows what she wants, she's willing to bend to another character's view if she thinks it will make them happier.

This was an awesome book and I strongly recommend it.

This was a fast, suspenseful romance which really kept me turning the pages. Set in turn-of-the century Oregon, the story revolves around Alex Montgomery, a well-to-do rancher, and Annie Trimble, a lovely young girl who is branded as the town's "moron". When Alex's brother rapes Annie and she becomes pregnant, Alex decides to marry her, and discovers some amazing secrets about Annie.

I don't often read romances, but I really enjoyed this one!

I have just finished this book in 2 days and it is one of the best I have had a chance to read this summer...not your usual girl-guy romance.She is the town idiot and he is trying to right a wrong his 1/2 brother committed.She is expecting after his brother forces himself on her and he is willing to marry her so that he can raise the baby as his.He never dreams that he will find a way into her life and that she will make his life worth living.A very good book...

I could read it a second time!

Awesome story , read it in two days. Couldnt put it down.

I had never read a romance novel by Catherine Anderson before, but based on the generally good or better reviews her work appears to receive, and particularly based on the glowing reviews for ANNIE'S SONG -- I frankly expected a much better read.

I had no problem with the plot; it's not without its charms. Two people who marry "of convenience" and learn to fall in love afterward are interesting to me (and a lot of other romance readers).

My problem is with the pairing of the cardboard-ish goodness of Alex and the dull-ish "fey" Annie, which simply struck no sparks with me. Alex's physical attraction to Annie happens a little too soon for my taste. Annie's parents are harsh disciplinarians one minute; too sorry over their harsh treatment of her the next - there seemed to be no stability to their characters. The parents' characters seem shallow; manipulated like puppets to serve a brief purpose.

And I have to mention the ease with which Alex finally makes love to the eight-months-pregnant Annie, the PHYSICAL ease, if you get my drift. You'd think Annie was taunt as a gazelle - no awkwardness or discomfort there. I'd thought the consummation would wait until post-birth, but Ms. Anderson surprised me, not too pleasantly... I hasten to add, I've got no problem with pregnant women having sex in or out of a romance novel, but the ultra-romantic, difficulty-free, plus multi-orgasmic scenerio, kind of made me want to laugh.

All in all - I was just not thrilled by the way this story is told, and will probably not read anything else by this author. Character development was neglible and there just wasn't anything especially fresh in her style that would persuade me to read another one of her books.