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samarie04's review against another edition
5.0
Unbelievably good book
Unbelievably good book
This book will definitely tug on your heart strings. It is a very well-researched novel that contains several facets of history. From the polio epidemic to WWII to the holocaust, this book delves into a side of history that people today don't want to think about. Tag is such a richly drawn character...you can almost put yourself in her shoes. Great novel!
Unbelievably good book
This book will definitely tug on your heart strings. It is a very well-researched novel that contains several facets of history. From the polio epidemic to WWII to the holocaust, this book delves into a side of history that people today don't want to think about. Tag is such a richly drawn character...you can almost put yourself in her shoes. Great novel!
susanp's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the first half of this well-written book, a story about polio in the summer of 1948 in Minnesota, particularly because I have a relative who contracted polio before the Salk vaccine. The book tried to cover too many topics, really dragging in the middle, but I'm still glad I read it.
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
2.0
This could have been so much better and truly memorable given all of the interesting elements at play. There are several aspects here that I liked: Nova and Dewey's close sibling relationship, the ties to World War II and how its events shaped the person that Josef became, and how the story is set in the midst of the polio epidemic. However, the story never fully came together for me and I failed to be completely invested in the fates of the characters. Tatlock spends a maddening amount of time during the first few chapters introducing everyone and laying the groundwork for future events; I far prefer being thrown right into the action and catching up later. The flashbacks feel disjointed and far too lengthy, and a more skilled writer would have found a way to include this information without sacrificing the book's precious flow. I did appreciate how the religious details fit within the story and never felt overly forced or pushy.
bethgiven's review against another edition
3.0
It was interesting to read about the polio epidemic -- I can't say I'd read a book about that before. Interesting enough to put this book up at three stars.
And maybe this had the potential for an even higher rating from me -- the storyline here was complex enough to hold a lot of promise -- but I felt like the author did her readers a disservice in the way she presented that storyline. There was way too much telling instead of showing, especially for the back-stories of the characters -- and I can't say I felt like the characters were very fleshed out very well or even particularly likable. It does get a little preachy in places ... but I don't mind the preachiness so much, I guess, as I'm usually looking for a "moral" in the books I read.
Not a bad read, but nothing special, either.
And maybe this had the potential for an even higher rating from me -- the storyline here was complex enough to hold a lot of promise -- but I felt like the author did her readers a disservice in the way she presented that storyline. There was way too much telling instead of showing, especially for the back-stories of the characters -- and I can't say I felt like the characters were very fleshed out very well or even particularly likable. It does get a little preachy in places ... but I don't mind the preachiness so much, I guess, as I'm usually looking for a "moral" in the books I read.
Not a bad read, but nothing special, either.
catmama18's review
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
evamadera1's review
4.0
Just like the first time I read Ann Tatlock's books, my love for her works grows with each book I read.
This is a beautiful story, a beautiful love story. As Tag (Nova) explains in the beginning of the book, it's not a love story in the sense of telling how a man and woman fell in love and lived happily ever after. It's a story that shows the complex, myriad forms of love in some of the toughest circumstances.
Tatlock doesn't sugar coat the harsh realities of life (infidelity, German death camps, polio, sexual abuse) but she does not dwell on them either. Instead she describes love's (as a picture of how God loves is) power to transcend the darkness.
I highly recommend this book.
*Update*
A certain few of Tatlock's books continue to capture my attention. This book is one of them. Tatlock has a certain magic with which she weaves the words. Unfortunately, this magic seems to have run its course and not make an appearance in some of her later works.
This book survived the second "purge" and will remain on my shelf.
This is a beautiful story, a beautiful love story. As Tag (Nova) explains in the beginning of the book, it's not a love story in the sense of telling how a man and woman fell in love and lived happily ever after. It's a story that shows the complex, myriad forms of love in some of the toughest circumstances.
Tatlock doesn't sugar coat the harsh realities of life (infidelity, German death camps, polio, sexual abuse) but she does not dwell on them either. Instead she describes love's (as a picture of how God loves is) power to transcend the darkness.
I highly recommend this book.
*Update*
A certain few of Tatlock's books continue to capture my attention. This book is one of them. Tatlock has a certain magic with which she weaves the words. Unfortunately, this magic seems to have run its course and not make an appearance in some of her later works.
This book survived the second "purge" and will remain on my shelf.
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