lisa

If you know someone who suffers from anxiety or you yourself suffer from it, this is a good read to explain why. People who are "too nice" suffer from a form of social anxiety. They want to be loved but do not believe that they deserve love and in fact often feel unlovable. They are sometimes referred to as "people pleasers" and live a life of quiet desperation pretending that everything's well with the world. This anxious attachment disorder often leads them to stay in unhealthy relationships and are prone to sabotage good relationships. This book is about helping those people to gain confidence and be the person they were meant to be.

No

Not really. The genre was not the problem. The writing was poor.

The narrator was very poor. Her attempt to do character voices made a tragic situation laughable. It was like listening to a poorly performed puppet theater without being able to see the stage. I think almost anyone could have done a better job.

Sarah's story was good but was only a small part of the story and ended way too soon. I did not care about Julia at all.

There are 2 stories in this novel. A tragic story of Sarah who was a Jewish girl in 1942 and a self absorbed one deferential American woman living in France with her philandering husband sixty years later. If the whole story had focused on Sarah's story, this would have been an excellent read. Unfortunately the author spent too little time on Sarah's story and a great deal of time on Julia's sex life with her French husband.

The first chapter was great and then it went downhill. The characters were so boring (except Pasquale) that I did not care what happened to them. The disparaging characterization of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor seemed contrived and uncomfortable. It reminded me of the trashy supermarket tabloids.

No. The problem with this book was not the genre.

If I had been reading the book, I would have never finished it. Edoardo was very entertaining easily switching between the different characters voices. He was superb. His Italian is flawless.

Parts of it were funny which Edoardo made even funnier. I really liked Pasquale especially in the first chapter.

I think Linda Shapiro told her story well and showed remarkable insight into the world of mental illness. She did not preach or whine about it just wove it into her autobiography.

George. While George did not narrate this book, I have listened to him many times as the narrator of other books and he is one of the greatest narrators I have ever heard. Also Linda who had the grace to hold herself above the family problems.

When they were in the theater and George was on stage. The mother had a funny albeit embarrassing reaction to the kissing scene.

I loved "The Good Earth" and this book is the 2nd generation of those characters.

Pearl Buck's writing is suburb. I loved finding out what happened to the characters especially Pear Blossom.

The narrator was great but I do not think it was better than just reading the book for yourself. I just enjoy listening to books as I am driving around for my job.

Pear Blossom and "the Poor Fool"

I think that although this book is not as good as "the Good Earth" , it is worth the credit.

Maybe but read it don't listen t to it.

Mark Twain & Huck Finn

The main narrator with a fake accent was bad enough but the dialogue was "dramatized" with fake accents that came and went in the middle of sentences.

It is a good story but read it or maybe try a different narrator.