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sarahweyand's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-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
4.75
My mom recommended this book to me and I can't believe I was skeptical when I grabbed the audiobook from the library. The plot didn't really speak to me, but I new Meryl Streep was the narrator so I figured she could get me through anything. But I listened to and consumed this book gladly. I think it's the perfect book for winter when you need something to remind you of warmer, brighter times.
It's no surprise Meryl Streep knocks it out of the park when it comes to narration. On top of that, the writing was simple but impactful, and I cared about all of our characters both within the protagonist's family and the story she is telling. There are some emotional and difficult topics that are talked about, but it doesn't really bring down the energy of the story. Ann Patchett is clearly a masterful storyteller and I'm learning that I just need to trust that whatever she writes is going to be a banger.
I really can't say anything more about this book other than that it was wonderful and I couldn't recommend it highly enough. Even if the synopsis doesn't sound like something you'd enjoy, give it a go anyways if you like literary fiction.
It's no surprise Meryl Streep knocks it out of the park when it comes to narration. On top of that, the writing was simple but impactful, and I cared about all of our characters both within the protagonist's family and the story she is telling. There are some emotional and difficult topics that are talked about, but it doesn't really bring down the energy of the story. Ann Patchett is clearly a masterful storyteller and I'm learning that I just need to trust that whatever she writes is going to be a banger.
I really can't say anything more about this book other than that it was wonderful and I couldn't recommend it highly enough. Even if the synopsis doesn't sound like something you'd enjoy, give it a go anyways if you like literary fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Infidelity
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
lshinaberry's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-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
5.0
this was comforting and heart breaking in so many ways, it’s hard to describe. enjoyed every second of really beautiful storytelling. I think probably the only piece of Covid-mentioning media I’ve consumed that I actually didn’t mind mention of the pandemic in.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity and Alcoholism
Minor: Abortion
emitch12's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Minor: Abortion
maceydowns's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
feeling a bit like this book taught me the same lesson as everything everywhere all at once — but maybe that’s just the lesson I’m seeking right now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Addiction, and Medical content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Cancer, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Rape
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Grief, Infidelity, and Racism
adelita18's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child death, and Infidelity
Minor: Abortion
This is the first book by Ann Patchett I've read and I was fully captivated by her storytelling and writing style. Lara and her family are absolutely enchanting and I thoroughly enjoyed the glimpse into their pandemic lock down world. Ann Patchett did a masterful job of weaving Lara's life story through modern conversations with her family and in doing so points out the beauty, magic, and extraordinary nature of the parts of our daily lives we take for granted. The storytelling is so layered and rich, I look forward to picking up this book again and again. I read this in audiobook format and I cannot rave enough over Meryl Streep's interpretation of the story. If you love audiobook editions, give this one a listen!katietregs's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Quite sentimental. Not a lot of twists and turns. The writing is good, but most of the characters feel quite flat. Very pro farm. My main takeaway is that this woman loves farm.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Alcoholism, Addiction, Vomit, and Death
Moderate: Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Racism
Minor: Abortion and Animal death
savyelizabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Abortion and Death
jennyfromtheburbs's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.0
Ok, I hadn’t heard much about this book before reading, but kept seeing it pop up so I thought why not?
The plot hook is a woman named Lara telling her daughters about the summer she fell in love with a man who later became a major Hollywood actor….but did she?
I think I set expectations too high based on perceived hype and the interesting hook. This story does present the reader with the opportunity to engage in conversations btwn parent and child because both roles have their own experiences and opinions worth sharing with each other.
Spoilers Section:
Based on the hook I expected a whirlwind, consuming romance, but this was one of the most underdeveloped portions of the book. Half the time I’m like “did she even like him?” We knew nothing about Duke. Also some may argue that she’s telling her daughters the story so it won’t be too steamy, but present Lara had inner dialogue so she could say “I’d never tell my daughters, but ….” Like she did with the abortion, which btw I think she should have shared with the daughters. I appreciated the lack of guilt and remorse because Lara was a woman who made a decision - end of story.
The lack of development of the characters lead to lack of payoff. My low rating might be due to expectations, but this book was boring. I felt like I learned more about cherry farms and “Our Town” instead of Lara’s experience as an actress, her relationships with Duke, Joe, Palace and Sebastian and transition to motherhood.
The plot hook is a woman named Lara telling her daughters about the summer she fell in love with a man who later became a major Hollywood actor….but did she?
I think I set expectations too high based on perceived hype and the interesting hook. This story does present the reader with the opportunity to engage in conversations btwn parent and child because both roles have their own experiences and opinions worth sharing with each other.
Spoilers Section:
Based on the hook I expected a whirlwind, consuming romance, but this was one of the most underdeveloped portions of the book. Half the time I’m like “did she even like him?” We knew nothing about Duke. Also some may argue that she’s telling her daughters the story so it won’t be too steamy, but present Lara had inner dialogue so she could say “I’d never tell my daughters, but ….” Like she did with the abortion, which btw I think she should have shared with the daughters. I appreciated the lack of guilt and remorse because Lara was a woman who made a decision - end of story.
The lack of development of the characters lead to lack of payoff. My low rating might be due to expectations, but this book was boring. I felt like I learned more about cherry farms and “Our Town” instead of Lara’s experience as an actress, her relationships with Duke, Joe, Palace and Sebastian and transition to motherhood.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abortion and Alcoholism
careyyann's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Cancer, Addiction, Alcoholism, Abortion, and Sexual content
dev921's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cursing, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Cancer, Medical content, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Blood, and Death