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beth_lanae's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
t33_'s review against another edition
medium-paced
4.0
Love, death, grief, recovery, family and of course MAGIC.
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓈!
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓈!
sam57's review against another edition
Not enjoying the story. Too slow. Too repetitive in descriptions.
stevo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.5
lurker_stalker's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book a long and but there are a few things that keep me from rating it higher. The biggest of those things is what I felt to be a very dissatisfying ending.
I’d still recommend it to friends, though. I’d give it a 3.5 stars but rounding down.
I’d still recommend it to friends, though. I’d give it a 3.5 stars but rounding down.
katymorsony's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lastpaige111's review against another edition
5.0
Patchett quietly wows in this enigmatic story of grief, recovery, and awakening. Magic!
skepticcurmudgeon's review against another edition
4.0
A good solid book with interesting characters that I cared for. The main character embarks on voyage of self discovery after the death of her gay husband. The plot is driven by her own recollections of their life together as well as revelations from his concealed past. Through this she learns to let go, live, and love again. Unlike other reviews I don't see any of the characters as stereotypes, and I didn't see the descriptions of small town life in the Great Plains as negative. I'm looking forward to reading this one again.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Digital audio book performed by Karen Ziemba
3.5***
From the book jacket: Sabine – twenty years a magician’s assistant to her handsome, charming husband – is suddenly a widow. In the wake of his death, she finds he has left a final trick: a false identity and a family allegedly lost in a tragic accident but now revealed as very much alive and well. Named as heirs in his will, they enter Sabine’s life and set her on an adventure of unraveling his secrets, from sunny Los Angeles to the windswept plains of Nebraska, that will work its own sort of magic on her.
My reactions:
The first book by Patchett that I read was Bel Canto, and I was struck with how masterfully she portrayed those characters. Once again, I marvel at Patchett’s skill in drawing fully realized characters. Even the deceased – Parsifal, Phan, Albert – are alive in the way they are remembered by Sabine, by Dot, or by Kitty.
The story unfolds in bits and pieces, much as it would in real life. You don’t tell everything at once to someone you’ve just met, and likewise Sabine keeps some things to herself in describing her years with Parsifal to his mother, and Dot keeps key bits of information from Sabine in relating Parsifal/Guy’s childhood. In this way, the reader feels the same hesitancy as these characters. And yet, their ultimate decisions seem correct and reasonable, even when relayed as abrupt and hasty.
I also really liked how the environment affects their actions. Sabine is a different person in sunny Los Angeles than she is in snowy Nebraska.
Karen Ziemba does a fine job performing the audio book. She has good pacing and a facility for voices that made it clear who each character was.
3.5***
From the book jacket: Sabine – twenty years a magician’s assistant to her handsome, charming husband – is suddenly a widow. In the wake of his death, she finds he has left a final trick: a false identity and a family allegedly lost in a tragic accident but now revealed as very much alive and well. Named as heirs in his will, they enter Sabine’s life and set her on an adventure of unraveling his secrets, from sunny Los Angeles to the windswept plains of Nebraska, that will work its own sort of magic on her.
My reactions:
The first book by Patchett that I read was Bel Canto, and I was struck with how masterfully she portrayed those characters. Once again, I marvel at Patchett’s skill in drawing fully realized characters. Even the deceased – Parsifal, Phan, Albert – are alive in the way they are remembered by Sabine, by Dot, or by Kitty.
The story unfolds in bits and pieces, much as it would in real life. You don’t tell everything at once to someone you’ve just met, and likewise Sabine keeps some things to herself in describing her years with Parsifal to his mother, and Dot keeps key bits of information from Sabine in relating Parsifal/Guy’s childhood. In this way, the reader feels the same hesitancy as these characters. And yet, their ultimate decisions seem correct and reasonable, even when relayed as abrupt and hasty.
I also really liked how the environment affects their actions. Sabine is a different person in sunny Los Angeles than she is in snowy Nebraska.
Karen Ziemba does a fine job performing the audio book. She has good pacing and a facility for voices that made it clear who each character was.