1 to 14 of 14
Review Date: 8/9/2009
Alice has come to terms with her abandonment when her elderly mother shows up on her doorstep. The author then gives us a tumultuous history back to Alice's grandmother. In so, revealing how women in this family expertly close off their hearts.
The author spends most of the book telling us the story of Olivia's troubled childhood and the events leading up to Alice's abandonment. In the very end of this novel we finally realize how so much pain really can bring one to "The Arms of God"
The author spends most of the book telling us the story of Olivia's troubled childhood and the events leading up to Alice's abandonment. In the very end of this novel we finally realize how so much pain really can bring one to "The Arms of God"
Review Date: 6/29/2010
Helpful Score: 2
In typical Sandra Dallas style, the characters endure outstanding hardships and strength of character to overcome them. Her signature, unexpected twists and turns keep the reader gripped until the very end yet satisfied that the story has ended as it should. A great read.
Review Date: 7/4/2009
Helpful Score: 1
My daughter and I have been using this as aread-aloud book at bedtime. We both enjoy the silliness of the stories and they each come with a little "moral". One girl in the class was having problem when a monster moves into her messy desk!
Review Date: 7/4/2009
Helpful Score: 1
We follow the main character as she spends a year dealing with an unimaginable grief. She goes through the many stages of grief, but still holds onto herself and eventually finds a way out of despair. Through the book she escapes and goes on an adventure that truly leads to her ultimate healing.
Review Date: 12/29/2008
Helpful Score: 1
As a fan of historical fiction and a growing fan of Sandra Dallas I was engrossed in this book. The story follows the first three years of a newly married couple establishing themselves on their Colorado homestead in the mid 1860's. It references politics of the time as well as the trials of that life. We witness the inner thinkings and feelings of a woman in a man's world who battles with her own strong will and the "proper" way to handle herself. I laughed, cried, and sobbed uncontrollably, but felt satisfied at the end of the book. This is definitely a must-read!
Review Date: 11/1/2009
The story didn't grip and surprise as much as other Sandra Dallas novels, however it did have a somewhat surprising twist at the end. It helps to think of our definition of family and how learning about the past can often help us to learn more about ourselves. I alos liked reading Sandra Dallas historical fiction in a setting other than pioneering the Western US.
Review Date: 4/16/2011
Helpful Score: 1
This book contained diverse and interesting characters, but even more I was drawn in by the fact that it did not follow the standard "formula" of women's literature. These characters had much to overcome and I felt that this book highlighted the strength we can find in unexpected places. The story is set during the Depression, but does not have the typical feel of historical fiction, yet you get a strong sense of how the time setting has a huge impact on the characters' lives. Very interesting read.
Review Date: 7/5/2011
Helpful Score: 1
May Dodd is an energetic and exciting young woman in very interesting circumstances. As a was to escape committment to a mental institution, she embarks on the greatest adventure of her life. This book provides interesting perspective on the settlement of the Western United States and the implications of "civilization". Set in the 1870's with a Cheyenne tribe the unexpected thrills and horrors of life are exposed to white women placed in this great experiment.
Review Date: 2/8/2009
This book got off to a slow start for me. A lot of time was spent establishing the deep faith of the characters, however once the book got moving it grabbed me and didn't let go.
I was able to predict the events that unfolded in the book, but they were made interesting by the way the characters' faith and conversations with God influenced their reactions. I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series to see how this family's life unfolds and their faith helps them through adversity.
I was able to predict the events that unfolded in the book, but they were made interesting by the way the characters' faith and conversations with God influenced their reactions. I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series to see how this family's life unfolds and their faith helps them through adversity.
Stronger Than Dirt : How One Urban Couple Grew a Business, a Family, and a New Way of Life from the Ground Up
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
1
Author:
Book Type: Paperback
1
Review Date: 5/14/2011
What a fun and different read told from the perspective of both the wife and husband of this family as they break out of their comfort zone and start their farm. An enjoyable quick read about the adventure of stepping into the unknown.
Review Date: 10/22/2008
Helpful Score: 3
This is a touching story told from the perspective of a 13 year old girl growing up on the Kansas plains during WWII. Her life is changed when a Japanese internment camp is set up just down the road from her family's farm. Over the course of the book she learns about strength of character, right and wrong, and takes on more responsibility than she should need. I really enjoyed the perspective from which this book is written which helped certain events to unfold in the reader's mind. There were surprises that kept the book going while giving a glimpse of what daily life was like during WWII.
Review Date: 2/28/2009
I found this story completely engrossing and had trouble putting it down. There were some rather gory details, as would be expected from WWII Germany, but not so much as to turn you ocmpletely off. The author jumped across time, but it was done well to give you just enough of the story to make you want to see what was going to be revealed in the future. It helps us to ponder what we would do, given dire circumstances, to save those we love.
Review Date: 7/25/2009
Helpful Score: 1
Sometimes, when life gets dull and repetitive we look for ways and reasons to escape. Where the River Runs is a story of a 40 something woman who is beginning to question the life she is leading. A phone call from her mother brings up some old demons that must be beaten before she can realize that what she has and who she is is truly what was destined to be.
Review Date: 1/20/2009
Helpful Score: 1
This was required reading for a civil rights class I took in college. I have chosen to pick this book up several times since. I love the way it explores both sides of the incident. We see one family suffer and then pick themselves up again after the loss of their son. At the same time we see another family reeling from the trial and confused because the world has changed for them.
It is a great exploration of life in the South and a snapshot of changing justice during this tumultuous time.
It is a great exploration of life in the South and a snapshot of changing justice during this tumultuous time.
1 to 14 of 14
