Victoria

A fresh account of Japanese soon-to-be wives coming to America to find a better life, with the intention to send money back home to the families left behind. It didn't work out the way they planned. Some of the women married and worked on farms, while others worked as domestic help, and yet other women lived under slave-like conditions with no immediate means to alter their circumstances. The narration enhanced the story, and I found it to be compelling.

I read this book year's ago, in paperback. Can't believe how much detail I forgot, but then again, the unabridged version just has so much more to offer. For those of you who don't know, this story is a coming of age story, with a few magical twists we Stephen King fans are used to, and love. Aside from the storyline, Steven Weber, the narrator, was fantastic! He brought so much energy to the book, and it was great listening to his variety of voices as he became each character. If you choose to get this audio book, and it truly is a worthwhile one full of entertainment, be prepared to commit to a long sit, as it is typically longer than others I've listened to, and in fact, may be the longest. Still, it was engaging, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Intriguing story about a scientific and experimental dog which was bred to have extreme human-like thinking capabilities. The experiment exceeds expectations and the dog, named Sirius, has also achieved human personality traits. One might say, in fact, he is a missing link between dog and human, while he is still in dog form. The narrator did a fine job, and brought much of his gift to the story. I found myself liking Sirius, and he became my friend much as he was to some of the other characters in this book.

This book reminds me of the soldiers creed, "I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade." The dedication and hard grit of the main character, Court Gentry, is what this book is all about. He is a soldier of sorts, but you'll need to read it to see what I mean. Some may say it's against insurmountable odds that he'll succeed in this mission, but that's what I like in the story, and that's what I want in a hero. This hero is a class act. Action packed, and a quick, engaging read. The narration was absolutely great, and I felt like I was really inside Court's head as he is going through all of these actions and emotions. Will be getting the next book!

What can I say besides that I loved this book! Each page brought me closer to finding out what this mystery was all about (but that was part of the fun in reading it in the first place). The book has a lot to do about money and ambition, family, and doing the right thing. Kept me guessing until the very end. What a ride!

For me, this story did not take flight immediately, but that was quickly overcome by the splendid narration, or should I say, enactment, of Barbara Rosenblat and Cassandra Morris. These two ladies added a fine layer of storytelling that would have sorely been missed had I simply bought the hardcopy. I felt like these characters were people I knew personally, and was sad to have the story come to an end. Of course this lovely creation by Muriel Barbery was superb. It is one of the best books I've listened to, and will hold a treasured place in my audible library. Thank you so much for this audible version. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Most enjoyable novel about a stodgy, prim and proper Major Pettigrew, who is most definitely set in his ways. The "proper" way of life is like a code of excellence in everything he does and thinks. Yet, you can see him changing throughout the story through a variety of events, but mostly due to a female shopkeeper he meets. Preconceived notions in how he views life start to fray and at first he doesn't see this "change" in himself, but other people do. The story is full characters who are interesting and the narration by P. Altschuler is superb, as he brings the characters to life.