tiana

This was a long story and I listened to the whole thing. The narration was wonderful and the story kept me interested enough but not enough that I wanted to read or listen to the sequel. The author starts the book by warning us that the story might come off as anti-semitic but that it's not. Well he's wrong. I thought that half the time he brought up Ikey being Jewish, it was offensive. It is one thing if other characters are making Jewish stereotypes and comments but what made this offensive is that the narrator made sweeping generalizations about what it is like to be Jewish. It was annoying and I almost stopped listening because I lost so much respect for Courteney.

I loved this story and I loved the narration. Usually I delete a story off my Ipod after I am done but I've kept this one for months because it was so beautiful. The voices were outstanding. This was the best narration I've heard. The plot line was great. I loved the back and forth between the main character in his 20s vs. the main characer in his 80s. It was so powerful and I was deeply engrossed in the story in both time periods. This is everything that an audio book should be even down to the music that plays in the background.

I thought this was a great story. if you are looking for a book where something big happens, then this is not the book for you. If you like strong character development, then you will love this story. I felt like a fly on the wall, watching the life of this family unfold.