Kathy

For some reason, this is a difficult review to write partly because I don't want to include spoilers and because it is an unusual book. I finished it very quickly, as I was intrigued by both story lines, and I couldn't wait to see how the main characters' lives intersected. It was in a most unexpected way but it really worked for me. This was not an uplifting, happy read for the most part, but it did offer hope for a better future for both characters. It is a fascinating character study.
Both narrators did an excellent job of bringing their characters to life and both immensely added to the telling of a story that for me is unforgettable.
I highly recommend this book.

I didn't really dislike this book--it just failed to grab me on any level. The narrator was okay given the material he had to work with. I guess it was just too light and fluffy for me with no meat on its bones at all.

I got a few laughs from the dog but the weak plot just killed it for me along with the stereotyped evil Russians. I really didn't care if the girl got rescued or not. I never got to know who she really was, certainly not enough to worry about her being returned. I didn't even get a feel for Bernie, the main character. Oh, sorry, the dog is the main character. His doggy character was developed and we did get a feel for who HE was.

I just don't feel that I got enough from this book to recommend it.

Other names for this review I considered are "Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk", or maybe "Drowning in Irish vitriol and angst", or more simply, "Ouch".

I really enjoyed the two previous Tana French books. This book was a different story for me. I found this mystery novel had very little action, and I knew who-done-it early on. The great majority of this book involved conversations that went on and on and involved the most bitter dialogue and vitriol I have experienced in a book. First off, if I had grown up in such a sick and bitter family, I would not want to listen to these diatribes for nearly the entire book. Luckily, I did not grow up in such a family, and I still did not want to listen to such animosity for so many hours. I could feel my blood pressure, which is usually very low, rising as the family members spouted hatred at each other. Enough is enough! The story, the mystery of it, was lost in dialogue and character development. Interestingly enough, our main character, Frank, who thought he escaped his family's grip for 22 years, exhibited just as much hostility as his parents and older brother had toward one other.

Despite my complaints, I did listen to this book all the way through. I am not sure if I kept coming back to it because I enjoyed it in an odd way or I just wanted to have it be finished. I do think French is a master of character development and dialogue, but she got lost in both here to the detriment of the story, which purports to be a mystery. The ending was very abrupt. I was actually shocked that it was done and so much which would have tied up loose strings was just left out. But again, this book really is not about what happened.

On a more positive side, the narrator, Tim Gerard Reynolds, did a masterful job of capturing the vitriolic dialogue. I can just imgine him coming away from each narration session with a splitting headache.

I enjoyed watching the TV series and the book was great, too. I think the narrator did a commendable job and I don't have an complaints about her.

The author paints a very vivid picture of childbirth and midwifery in mid 20th century England, and it seems we certainly have come a long way since then. Her experiences with the birthing mothers, their families, and particularly the nuns make for delightful stories.

I would recommend both the book and the series.

This is more than just a dog story. It is a tale of two emotionally and physically wounded beings, a dog and a man, who find each other and heal together. As I have not read any of Crais' books before, I can't compare this to them. For me, this was a great listen, well-narrated and well-written. I will definitely look for more from this author.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I spent nearly 20 years working for Child Protective Services and saw so many children who appeared to be beyond help. I am talking about the seriously disturbed children who reside in group homes, as they can not be safely maintained in foster care. I have also done alot of reading about the problems adopted children with unknown backgrounds present. Bruce Perry's case histories and his brain development theories certainly offer hope that there may be a way of helping these children function in the real world.

Each child he wrote about was at the extreme end of the spectrum of neglect/abuse and with most of these, he did make progress. He clearly explained how the abuse or neglect affected the brain and the techniques that might be used to treat the "brain deficiencies" and therefore, the children themselves.

Perry treats and writes about a variety of children that have suffered circumstances that are hard to even imagine. They are fascinating stories, sometimes hard to comprehend or believe. I think perhaps that this book should be mandatory reading for anyone who is prepared to adopt a child, particularly from foster care or from overseas. It offers a great deal of promise for those that either unwittingly or knowingly, adopt a damaged child. Even if you are not adopting, I think this is a fascinating subject.

In addition, the book was very well-narrated. I highly recommend it.

I loved everything about this book--Marcus' amazing story of going from Ethiopian orphan to Swedish adoptee to a world-renowned chef. I also really appreciated the fact that he narrated his own story--it makes a memoir so much more enjoyable. So a few words were mispronounced--who cares, really? It happens with the most professional of narrators.

I was so impressed with his drive for success and his true love of food--especially his continuing quest for the most wonderful mix of flavors. In listening to his story, you just know that Marcus HAD to succeed, there couldn't be any other outcome.

I wish him all the best and wish New York wasn't so far away from California, as I would love to hang out at The Red Rooster!

A few spoilers, perhaps.

Mary Ingles' escape from the Shawnee Indians in 1755 is such an incredible true story. The beginning of her story is a tough read, as it describes an Indian massacre in detail. Although I thought I was prepared for this telling, it was still disturbing. Mary's time spent in captivity, although only several months, also is a fair chunk of the story, very interesting yet not quite as disturbing.

I was fascinated her trip to freedom. It is written in a manner that you feel you are right there with her day after tortuous day. The relationship that progressed between Mary and her companion, in all its developments, rang true and certainly seemed believable. It seemed the obstacles would never cease as Mary plodded along following various rivers, starving and naked. While the story sometimes seemed beyond belief, I have read other true survival tales and continue to be amazed at what a human body can go through when determined to survive.

I especially appreciated the author's comments at the end of the book.

Highly recommended.

I don't want to list all the superlatives that come to mind right now after just finishing this book. If you are interested in nature and wildlife, it is a must read. I don't know how you could listen to this book and not come away feeling deeply affected and changed. I don't know how you could listen to this book and not want to visit Thula Thula.

Other reviews have already described the story. I just want to say that you need to download this book and set aside 11 hours as soon as possible, for you will be wanting to do little else than listen to it.

This is a sequel to A Girl Named Zippy, which I just finished. I immensely enjoyed it and couldn't wait to start this one.

This second book continues in the same light as the first Zippy story, with "essays" or vignettes of Zippy's early life story, as narrated by the author, who in reality is Zippy. She does an excellent job of capturing the child, Zippy's, voice. Again, lots of laugh out loud moments, incredibly funny experiences, but here we feel more of the bittersweet aspect of Zippy's memories. As she gets older, you get more of a feel of the lack of parenting and neglect suffered by the child, who never complains or even knows as a child what she is missing.

This book focuses a bit more on the relationship Zippy has with her beloved father and her mother, who finally gets up off the couch to make a better life for herself (and perhaps for Zippy, but this doesn't seem to be a direct goal.) I enjoyed this book immensely and got a real feel for Zippy's exuberant personality. This book ended for me with a little touch of sadness but much hope.

I highly recommend both books for a truly enjoyable, light-hearted listening experience!

I knew I wanted to get the two Zippy books, and then they went on sale recently. Perfect opportunity, and I downloaded them both.

I just want to commend the author, Haven Kimmel, on her wonderful writing and narration skills. All in all, it was a truly fun listening experience! Kimmel's Zippy voice was amazing--obviously, no one could do it better than her, as she IS Zippy! This book is very funny and had me laughing out loud many times. Zippy tells of her childhood in short "essays" and you really get a feeling that she was an amazing child who made her own way in the world by necessity, as her parents were lacking in many parenting skills. There was just a touch of the bittersweet in this book if you "listen" between the lines, as parenting Zippy was not a priority for her parents. Zippy quickly became her own person and she had quite a memorable childhood despite what was lacking in her parents. I felt I could listen to Zippy's stories endlessly and was sorry when the book ended. Luckily for me, I had the sequel, "She Got Up Off The Couch" waiting in my library.

Highly recommended.--not a child's book but a book for the young at heart.