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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
so beautiful and melancholic but so hopeful; haven’t read anything that has captured the feelings and thoughts and processes on reflecting on love, past and present, so well. i feel like i finally know enough to understand this book, but i know it is something i’ll read in ten years and remember how i felt about it and wonder at how young i was. first ann patchett and i am very excited to read more WHAT a woman!
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wowowow I love this book. The past being retold in the present format. The characters. The development. A little women-esque family. Compelling story of youth and emotion told with the nuance of later-in life sense and wisdom. Beautiful. I even took pleasure in the COVID present day setting. I am VERY wary of media pieces that recognize COVID in the setting bc they so often come off as corny, but this was well done with minor inconvenience on the telling of the story, instead just acting as a driving factor for telling the story along with providing subtle nuances of the pandemic that you may have forgotten about. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about a book before, but I can’t wait to reread.
3.25 stars
Reading this book was like being given a molasses lollipop when you’re in the mood for a slice of pizza. Does that make sense? It was sweet and beautiful but was very very slow and had no plot. Even Meryl Streep couldn’t get me excited about anything that happened in this book. The prose is beautiful, and the descriptions of the farmhouse and summer stock theater campus were gorgeous enough for me to really feel like I was there (and enough to make me want to visit northern Michigan someday). But it felt like a chore to work out what the point of the story was. There’s a bit of a twist at the end that is satisfying — but by the time I got there, I was just ready for it to be over.
I’m glad this book made me read [b:Our Town|205476|Our Town|Thornton Wilder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442891231l/205476._SY75_.jpg|3119231] first though! I enjoyed that book much more.
Reading this book was like being given a molasses lollipop when you’re in the mood for a slice of pizza. Does that make sense? It was sweet and beautiful but was very very slow and had no plot. Even Meryl Streep couldn’t get me excited about anything that happened in this book. The prose is beautiful, and the descriptions of the farmhouse and summer stock theater campus were gorgeous enough for me to really feel like I was there (and enough to make me want to visit northern Michigan someday). But it felt like a chore to work out what the point of the story was. There’s a bit of a twist at the end that is satisfying — but by the time I got there, I was just ready for it to be over.
I’m glad this book made me read [b:Our Town|205476|Our Town|Thornton Wilder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442891231l/205476._SY75_.jpg|3119231] first though! I enjoyed that book much more.
I kept having to rewind the audiobook because Meryl Streep’s voice is so soothing, I kept falling asleep! The story is beautifully written and told.
This book is so rich in nostalgia, warmth, and cozy family dynamics. It just made me feel so good reading it and it still had mystery, love, and rich character relationships.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Maybe I’m ultra-sensitive these days, but this felt like trad-propaganda. I didn’t care for anyone involved and it read like a masturbatory fairy tale. The only redeeming qualities (why I kept reading) was the oldest daughter’s position on being child free (hoped that would come up more) and Meryl Streep. Perhaps I was not the target audience (fair) but I truly think it’s a poorly written book held together with gross over-sentimentality.
This book was an absolute delight.
I was fortunate during the pandemic. I kept my job, worked from home, didn't lose any loved ones, and saw my friends from a distance. I understand that I was lucky. When I reflect on that time, I feel nostalgic. I feel guilty for saying so, but if I'm honest, those were happy days for me. I had endless time with my children when we went on long walks, shared three meals a day, and did art projects. My daughters bonded in a way they never had before. I've never heard another person describe the pandemic in a similar way, and Ann Patchett has done a beautiful job of capturing it here. At the Nelson Farm, Lara's family is secluded in their own, beautiful world. They have work and a purpose. She's been given the gift of having her family together again in a way she never thought possible. What mother doesn't want an extension of her children's childhood? More time? Her daughters are struggling with the lives they feel they're missing out on, but in exchange, they get the story of their mother they never would have heard otherwise.
I loved this book and thought it was the perfect thing to read as I anticipate the coming summer.
I was fortunate during the pandemic. I kept my job, worked from home, didn't lose any loved ones, and saw my friends from a distance. I understand that I was lucky. When I reflect on that time, I feel nostalgic. I feel guilty for saying so, but if I'm honest, those were happy days for me. I had endless time with my children when we went on long walks, shared three meals a day, and did art projects. My daughters bonded in a way they never had before. I've never heard another person describe the pandemic in a similar way, and Ann Patchett has done a beautiful job of capturing it here. At the Nelson Farm, Lara's family is secluded in their own, beautiful world. They have work and a purpose. She's been given the gift of having her family together again in a way she never thought possible. What mother doesn't want an extension of her children's childhood? More time? Her daughters are struggling with the lives they feel they're missing out on, but in exchange, they get the story of their mother they never would have heard otherwise.
I loved this book and thought it was the perfect thing to read as I anticipate the coming summer.
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No