Book Reviews of Blessings

A moving tale of a lonely old woman with many secrets looking back at her long life and a responsible kind ex-convict and the abandoned baby that connects them together. I didn't care much for the ending but the story is worth reading.

A wonderfully written book that I liked for its story of family, love, and friendship.

A well-told story of love and redemption. I enjoyed it greatly.

This book is a really sweet story with lovable characters. It is one of those books that I miss (the characters) after I have finished it.

Quindlan is a wonderful author. I loved this book.

Good writing, lots of details, very poetic and thoughtful. Also a good story with good morals.

Anna Quindlen tells tales from the heart. This little novel is one of them. You will fall in love with her characters.

Novel of the unlikely situation in which a baby is dropped on the doorstep of a rich old lady, and is found and cared for by her servant. Defies all reality of how adoptions take place in this country, but very heart-warming.

sweet story, a bit predictable, not anna's best work in my opinion

To me, a bland book. But apparently the New York Times calls it a Bestseller... you decide.

Excellent! Surprising!

A lovely cross-sectional look at a small town, and the influences of isolation and interaction.

Another "must read" by Anna Quindlen. Wonderful!!!!!!

Poignant story. Exquisitely and richly written. You'll want to read the whole thing in one sitting.

Started out a little slow but as I got into it all I wanted to do was read read read. The ending was not at all what I expected. If you find it slow as well stick with it. You won't be disappointed.

An unusual group of characters blend to create a "familly". Blessings is the name of the estate where the actio takes place. Lots of backfill in the story, but easy enough to follow.

Wonderful story and insight into the lives in the South. A GREAT read!

This was a pleasant book. A nice character study. The plot is somewhat silly, and the situations a little overblown (without giving anything away, I think I can safely say that the author manages to work in illegitmate pregnancies (2), homosexuality, bisexuality, suicide, abandonment by parent (2), depression, rejection of religious background, and racism) but still it does not reach of the depths of despair that a Wally lamb novel reaches.

One thing about real life is that there are many aspects of it that are unpredictable with twists and turns over which we have no control. Life does not always turn out the way we want. Some call it fate, others call it faith.
But an author…ah, authors hold the hands of fate and faith. Where one’s life is controlled by destiny, in a book one’s life takes on the whims and wishes of the storyteller, thereby making it possible for endings to be just as they should (or maybe as they shouldn’t), predictable sometimes and tragic others.
I love books, I guess, because life doesn’t always play out the way it was intended. It is many times predictable, but often times not so much. In Blessings, you can easily predict the “correct� ending: Skip falls in love with Jennifer, they raise an abandoned baby as their own in a huge estate left to them by the softening heart of a gentle old lady (who, by the way, hasn’t been gentle in decades), and they live happily ever after. Now it is up to you, the reader, to hear the loud whisper of life as the author redefines it to discover if that happily-ever-after actually occurs. Or does the author allow fate to determine the outcome. It’s a compelling tale of how one young girl’s decision so dramatically affects the lives of so many. You MUST read Blessings and give your heart a little exercise.

Anna Quindlen delivers another knock-out novel about families and how their dysfunctions function. This is a wonderful story about a "born loser" who breaks out to become a man and a father. Beautifully written.

Blessings begins when, late at night, a teenage couple drives up to the estate owned by Lydia Blessing and leaves a box. In this instant, the world of the estate called Blessings is changed forever. The story of Skip Cuddy, the Blessings caretaker, who finds a baby asleep in that box and decides he wants to keep her, and of matriarch Lydia Blessing, who, for her own reasons, decides to help him. Blessings explores how the secrets of the past affect decisions and lives in the present, what makes a person, a life, legitimate or illegitimate, and who decides; the unique resources people find in themselves and in a community. This is a powerful novel of love, redemption, and personal change. A very enjoyable read. I felt very close to the characters.

This book suprised me a bit in it wasn't as sweet as I thought it would be. There was more depth and character development to this book than some other womens fiction books read lately. The "family" that is created gives strong bonds to people who might not have otherwise become close.

This book is beautifully written. You end up appreciating all your "blessings".

I loved this story. It was a page turner. You want to find out what happens next to the characters. Great Read!!

Blessings begins when, late at night, a teenage couple drives up to the estate owned by Lydia Blessing and leaves a box. In this instant, the world of the estate called Blessings is changed forever. The story of Skip Cuddy, the Blessings caretaker, who finds a baby asleep in that box and decides he wants to keep her, and of matriarch Lydia Blessings, who, for her own reasons, decides to help him, Blessings explores how the secrets of the past affect decisions and lives in the present; what makes a person, a life, legitimate or illegitimate, and who deides; the unique resources people find in themselves and in a community.

"A well-told story of love and redemption." - Washington Post Book World

The story of Skip Cuddy, the caretaker, who finds a baby asleep in a box in front of the house, and decides he wants to keep her. The matriarch homeowner who wants to help him, for her own reasons. The book explores how the secrets of the past affect decisions and lives in the present; what makes a person, a life, legitimate or illegitimate and who decides; the unique resources people find in themselves and in a community.

Beautifully written.

A HEARTWARMING READ!

Fantastic book! I have read 1 other Anna Quindlen book and enjoyed them both. "Blessings" touched my heart.

Late one night, a teenaged couple abandons their newborn baby at the garage door of "Blessings", an estate inhabited by the elderly Lydia Blessing and her young handyman, Skip Cuddy.....

Late at night a teenage couple drives up to the estate owned by Lyidia Blessing and leaves a box. The story of Skip Cuddy, the Blessings caretaker, who finds the baby asleep in the box and decides he wants to keep her, and for reasons of her own matriarch Lydia Blessing, who for her own reasons, decides to help him.

If you've seen the tv movie, the book is better. As always.

Great story

Skillfully written, but it didn't grab my attention.

although a bit unrealistic, a heart-warming tale

Another great book from Anna Quindlen.

A beautifully written novel; I found myself drawn in to the characters, and was glad to find that the author let us meet them on a deeper level.

What a nice surprise to find a book that I couldn't put down! I recommend it for anyone who loves to read.

One of Quindlen's best, BLESSINGS is the story of a baby dropped off at an estate and kept there, raised with love and caring.

Short and very sweet! I really loved this one.

A touching book with lyrical descriptions, Blessings chronicles the unlikely convergence of several people through a single event which causes the gradual eroding of barriers. Struggling to reconcile their individual pasts and class differences, the characters struggle to transcend their insecurities and the unspoken judgments of others. A quick and enjoyable read.

well done

Oh, I enjoyed this book a lot! An excellent premise, execution, emotional level... the ending was not what I had hoped,but everything made sense the way it did turn out and I am really enjoying Quindlen's writing! I am hard pressed to say which of her books that I like the most, actually. I will definitely continue to read her work, that is for sure!

I loved this book, very real to life. It paints a really serene picture.

I really enjoyed this novel. It kept my attention from beginning to end but it does jump from one period in time to another back and forth.

A teenage couple leaves their newborn son on the property of an estate. The caretaker decides he wants to keep her. The book explores how secrets of the past affect today, what capabilities are needed to rear a child, how generosity changes lives, and how the aged are vulnerable. This is another book that is hard to put down.

Great story! Hard to get into but once you do it is Wonderful!

I loved this book! Highly recommend reading this one!

A desperate teenage couple drops a newborn on the doorstep of Blessings and a caretaker finds it. A heartwarming bond forms between a baby girl and an unlikely father with the help of Mrs. Blessing. Heartwarming and sad at the same time, and it was a great read!

Have not read this

FROM THE PUBLISHER
This powerful new novel by the bestselling author of Black and Blue, One True Thing, Object Lessons, and A Short Guide to a Happy Life begins when a teenage couple drives up, late at night, headlights out, to Blessings, the estate owned by Lydia Blessing. They leave a box and drive away, and in this instant, the world of Blessings is changed forever. Richly written, deeply moving, beautifully crafted, Blessings tells the story of Skip Cuddy, caretaker of the estate, who finds a baby asleep in that box and decides he wants to keep her, and of matriarch Lydia Blessing, who, for her own reasons, decides to help him. The secrets of the past, how they affect the decisions and lives of people in the present; what makes a person, a life, legitimate or illegitimate, and who decides; the unique resources people find in themselves and in a community—these are at the center of this wonderful novel of love, redemption, and personal change by the writer about whom The Washington Post Book World said, “Quindlen knows that all the things we ever will be can be found in some forgotten fragment of family.”

*taken from the Barnes and Nobel website

short and sweet,a nice story

I couldn\'t put this book down till i was finished. Great read