Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
I think I liked this book . . . I felt very neutral about it the whole time I was reading--didn't love it, didn't hate it--but now that I've finished it, I guess it was fine. Not sure I'd recommend it, really, but I didn't dislike it, either. The main character is incredibly flat and boring and sort of hard to understand, and I was annoyed by her unpredictable moods/reactions (for instance, she would be having what I thought was a rather normal discussion with her husband, then storm out of the room in anger when I had no idea that she was even getting angry). Her thoughts and emotions were kind of weak overall. I did find the circumstances interesting, and of all the books I've read set in WWII (which are quite a few), this is the first I've read that mentions the Japanese internment camps, which were interesting to read about. I felt like the author thought she was making a host of political and philosophical statements that I don't think were sufficiently made. Overall, I guess it was pretty decent.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
Always watch the movie before you read the book. This was absolutely lovely and a perfect companion to the film.
got a bit bored but I might finish it next time. I actually only wanted to read this because I've watched the movie
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
I've read this novel twice now (and reread portions of it a few times more), and find it's one I have mixed feelings about.
I love the exploration of the difficult situation Olivia and Ray (the two main characters) are thrust into. And I appreciated learning a little about life for Japanese American citizens during WWII, as well as families left behind while their loved ones fought - and died - on the war front.
What I didn't like at times was the story being told in first person. It felt like too much time was spent inside Olivia's head. There were times when I would have liked to be reading from Ray's point of view.
At times I also found Olivia difficult to like. She referred to Ray as being ignorant and prejudiced, but I think she was too in certain ways. After all, how can anyone fully understand another person's life without having lived it, or walked alongside them?
Perhaps though, as a reader, I just need to be more sympathetic towards Olivia as a character, particularly in light of the situation she found herself in... such a situation does make many of her thoughts and feelings understandable.
Ray's manner and behaviour towards Olivia reminded me of the "love passage" in 1 Corinthians 13. (Love is patient, love is kind...). By no means was he perfect, but he accepted and loved Olivia unconditionally.
At times I also found the writing style challenging, though perhaps this is just a matter of taste.
For me, this is a good read. A story that I love, and that gave me plenty to contemplate... but certain aspects of the way it was written prevent it from being one of my all time favourites.
I love the exploration of the difficult situation Olivia and Ray (the two main characters) are thrust into. And I appreciated learning a little about life for Japanese American citizens during WWII, as well as families left behind while their loved ones fought - and died - on the war front.
What I didn't like at times was the story being told in first person. It felt like too much time was spent inside Olivia's head. There were times when I would have liked to be reading from Ray's point of view.
At times I also found Olivia difficult to like. She referred to Ray as being ignorant and prejudiced, but I think she was too in certain ways. After all, how can anyone fully understand another person's life without having lived it, or walked alongside them?
Perhaps though, as a reader, I just need to be more sympathetic towards Olivia as a character, particularly in light of the situation she found herself in... such a situation does make many of her thoughts and feelings understandable.
Ray's manner and behaviour towards Olivia reminded me of the "love passage" in 1 Corinthians 13. (Love is patient, love is kind...). By no means was he perfect, but he accepted and loved Olivia unconditionally.
At times I also found the writing style challenging, though perhaps this is just a matter of taste.
For me, this is a good read. A story that I love, and that gave me plenty to contemplate... but certain aspects of the way it was written prevent it from being one of my all time favourites.
So the TV Movie adaptation is one of my favorites. I didn’t even know there was a book until now. Book and movie follow closely together except for one plot twist that is radically different in the movie from the book (but not integral to the main story of Livvy and Hank), but both book plot and movie plot are reasonable options for that sub-storyline. And once you read the book, you can see why that point was changed in the movie (for a happier ending).
I really enjoyed this book. I had checked it out from the library but will be buying it to have on my own shelf.
I really enjoyed this book. I had checked it out from the library but will be buying it to have on my own shelf.
Such a unputdownable (if that’s a word) book. I skipped Sunday school to read a chunk of this.
I loved all of these characters, and found them to be incredibly charming. They were all so relatable; I found myself cheering for all of them and understanding their plights. Such a sweet story.
I loved all of these characters, and found them to be incredibly charming. They were all so relatable; I found myself cheering for all of them and understanding their plights. Such a sweet story.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
This book was incredibly boring. I kept waiting for things to happen, but they never really did.
2.5 I don’t know how to rate this book. Here’s the deal: I watched the Hallmark movie first (it’s now one of my favorites!) and upon finding out it was based on a book I was eager to read the story. On one hand, the story was great. It was very real and also much more intense than the Hallmark movie. The rawness and historical accuracy about it made it a fantastic read as a whole. My personal problem was first—it just wasn’t what I was expecting after the movie (my own fault). And secondly, it was not squeaky clean like the Hallmark film, which personally was a big problem for me. It dealt some very real and very serious topics, but the author just went into more details than I needed, the main reason I personally cannot five this 4-5 stars. So yes a fantastic story. But keep in mind that it is not clean Christian fiction novel and that serious topics are delved into.
I really did not like this book. I found the plot and the writing to be too simplistic, the characters to be too one-dimensional, and the relationships between characters to be poorly developed. The choices made by the characters felt contrived and I did not find myself caring in the least what would become of them. I especially disliked the main character, Livvy, and found her to be self-centered and lazy. You live on a farm during WWII and you complain that you don't have enough to do? Really? I would imagine that taking care of a home without all the modern conveniences must have been a full-time job in and of itself, not to mention farm work and maybe contributing to the war effort in some way. But no, she instead spent her time on leisurely driving, using the gasoline which they were allowed only because it was necessary for farm work. I guess I should have realized that a book which was the inspiration for a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie might somehow miss the mark in terms of literary quality, but I was sucked in by the promise of Livvy's unwitting involvement in some type of crime, which I thought must contribute some intrigue. Unfortunately, the crime occurs only in the last 30 pages of the book and was a big let-down in the intrigue department. Did you ever wish you could get a couple of days of your life back and do it all over again? Maybe read something good? Sigh.