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bunnyb11's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bahogan's review
2.0
I never give up on books but I had to give up on this one . I know it got a lot of wonderful reviews, but I struggled to make myself read it. I finally gave up, it was just too cliche for me. Moving on.
ronita_roy's review
3.0
I’ve learned I can’t do romance genre novels but overall this wasn’t a bad read at all! What kept it endearing to me was how refreshing it was to see a book heavily influenced by southern culture to also bring up some very feminist themes. I would give it a higher rating if there weren’t some areas which I felt were fluff, but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it.
rebleejen's review
4.0
A compelling romance, a ham-fisted feminist treatise and a sentimental primer on overcoming adversity. I'm only a little bit embarrassed to admit I loved it.
milkamilka's review
5.0
Deborah Smith's "The Crossroads Cafe" suprised me positively. It is a story of Thomas and Cathryn, a couple of people who has suffered a lot and who find peace and comfort from each other.
Thomas, an architect from New York City has turned to a drunkie. He lives in a cabin at North Carolina and spends most of his time with a whisky bottle. He once had family, a wife and a beautiful son, but it all was destroyed on the morning of September 9th, 2001 when his wife jumped out of the burning North Tower of the World Trade Center with their son Ethan on her arms.
Cathryn had it all. She had money, power and her looks. She was known as the most beautiful women of the world until the day of her tragetic accident. Cathryn crashed her car and her whole body was on fire for a couple of seconds. When she wakes up on a hospital she is in huge amount of pain and she feels that she is so ugly and no worth of life. Half of her face, her other arm and other parts of her body are burned and she knows she will be scared for the rest of her life.
In those couple of seconds she is on fire her life changes extremely. She is not that beaufiful Hollywood starlet anymore, she feels like she is the Phantom of the Lost Angeles. Her husband leaves her because she looks horrible and the only job offers are for roles of burn victims. Cathryn feels like she has hit the rock bottom.
One day, Cathryn hears a voice of a man from her phone. It is a warm, friendly voice and it talks to Cathryn about things she has wanted to hear about, especially about her Granny Nettie's house, which is now her property. She has never had time to visit that house on the mountains of North Carolina, but now she feels like it is time to go there. She has talked on the phone with her cousin Delta, who has sent Cathryn her famous bisquits and cravy. Delta, bisquits and cravy and especially the owner of the warm friendly voice, Thomas, are reasons for Cathryn to pack her bags and go to North Carolina.
It is amazing to follow how Cathryn and Thomas grow apart from their pasts together. They have a great support net around them; Delta and her family and especially 11 year old Ivy and 8 year old Cora, but in the end it is the trust they share which makes then whole again.
This book made me laugh and cry. It created so much feeling inside me and it made me think of what is really important in life. Smith beautifully describes the rumbling feelings of Cathryn and Thomas and the beautiful landscape of North Carolina. The use of language is so vivid that you almost feel like you are there, at North Carolina, at Crossroads Cafe eating bisquits with Cathryn and Thomas. I am so happy that I picked this book out from the library shelf because I can honestly say that this book changed my life -- it made me open my eyes and realize that there must be a person for each of us who see the inner beauty in us and who loves us unconditionally.
Thomas, an architect from New York City has turned to a drunkie. He lives in a cabin at North Carolina and spends most of his time with a whisky bottle. He once had family, a wife and a beautiful son, but it all was destroyed on the morning of September 9th, 2001 when his wife jumped out of the burning North Tower of the World Trade Center with their son Ethan on her arms.
Cathryn had it all. She had money, power and her looks. She was known as the most beautiful women of the world until the day of her tragetic accident. Cathryn crashed her car and her whole body was on fire for a couple of seconds. When she wakes up on a hospital she is in huge amount of pain and she feels that she is so ugly and no worth of life. Half of her face, her other arm and other parts of her body are burned and she knows she will be scared for the rest of her life.
In those couple of seconds she is on fire her life changes extremely. She is not that beaufiful Hollywood starlet anymore, she feels like she is the Phantom of the Lost Angeles. Her husband leaves her because she looks horrible and the only job offers are for roles of burn victims. Cathryn feels like she has hit the rock bottom.
One day, Cathryn hears a voice of a man from her phone. It is a warm, friendly voice and it talks to Cathryn about things she has wanted to hear about, especially about her Granny Nettie's house, which is now her property. She has never had time to visit that house on the mountains of North Carolina, but now she feels like it is time to go there. She has talked on the phone with her cousin Delta, who has sent Cathryn her famous bisquits and cravy. Delta, bisquits and cravy and especially the owner of the warm friendly voice, Thomas, are reasons for Cathryn to pack her bags and go to North Carolina.
It is amazing to follow how Cathryn and Thomas grow apart from their pasts together. They have a great support net around them; Delta and her family and especially 11 year old Ivy and 8 year old Cora, but in the end it is the trust they share which makes then whole again.
This book made me laugh and cry. It created so much feeling inside me and it made me think of what is really important in life. Smith beautifully describes the rumbling feelings of Cathryn and Thomas and the beautiful landscape of North Carolina. The use of language is so vivid that you almost feel like you are there, at North Carolina, at Crossroads Cafe eating bisquits with Cathryn and Thomas. I am so happy that I picked this book out from the library shelf because I can honestly say that this book changed my life -- it made me open my eyes and realize that there must be a person for each of us who see the inner beauty in us and who loves us unconditionally.
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