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After a series of very enjoyable listens, I read the reviews for this book and thought that it sounded good. Despite a number of starts and stops, I just could not engender any interest in the story. I kept thinking that it would get better, but for me, it did not. I gave up just into the second part.

Not only did I not like the narrator, he made me mad! I had to turn the volume way up to be able to decipher the mumbling, uninflected reading. I nearly gave up on it a number of times.

But, I continued, and found it to be a sensitive, interesting portrayal of an impossible family situation. The characters were, for the most part, well-drawn and depicted. The ending is a tear-jerker, and I wept for all the losses and poignant dilemmas. The book did move me, and was well written.

I listened to my first book by this author, and didn't realize that it was the second in a series of three books. (Shadow of the Wind; The Prisoner of Heaven; The Angel's Game) The Spanish names of streets and characters can be confusing at first. But, I love the use of language and beautifully crafted dialogue, as well as the complicated plot. So, I started over, and read all three in the right order.

There are many questions to be answered, and I found myself going back and listening to previous chapters. The intricate story web is not to be taken lightly, and the characters are so finely drawn, and with wise observations of human nature sprinkled in. What a joy it was to read, and reread these books! I plan to let it rest for a few months and then listen to all three all over again. I know that there are nuggets in there that I missed this time. It was kind of like reading the Count of Monte Christo, or the Man in the Iron Mask. Weighty, wonderful literature and skilled story telling.

All three books were read by different narrators, but each was wonderful. Of all the Audible Books that I have listened to over the years, this is my favorite and most admired series.

I listened to my first book by this author, and didn't realize that it was the second in a series of three books. (Shadow of the Wind; The Prisoner of Heaven; The Angel's Game) The Spanish names of streets and characters can be confusing at first. But, I love the use of language and beautifully crafted dialogue, as well as the complicated plot. So, I started over, and read all three in the right order.

There are many questions to be answered, and I found myself going back and listening to previous chapters. The intricate story web is not to be taken lightly, and the characters are so finely drawn, and with wise observations of human nature sprinkled in. What a joy it was to read, and reread these books! I plan to let it rest for a few months and then listen to all three all over again. I know that there are nuggets in there that I missed this time. It was kind of like reading the Count of Monte Christo, or the Man in the Iron Mask. Weighty, wonderful literature and skilled story telling.

All three books were read by different narrators, but each was wonderful. Of all the Audible Books that I have listened to over the years, this is my favorite and most admired series.

I listened to my first book by this author, and didn't realize that it was the second in a series of three books. (Shadow of the Wind; The Prisoner of Heaven; The Angel's Game) The Spanish names of streets and characters can be confusing at first. But, I love the use of language and beautifully crafted dialogue, as well as the complicated plot. So, I started over, and read all three in the right order.

There are many questions to be answered, and I found myself going back and listening to previous chapters. The intricate story web is not to be taken lightly, and the characters are so finely drawn, and with wise observations of human nature sprinkled in. What a joy it was to read, and reread these books! I plan to let it rest for a few months and then listen to all three all over again. I know that there are nuggets in there that I missed this time. It was kind of like reading the Count of Monte Christo, or the Man in the Iron Mask. Weighty, wonderful literature and skilled story telling.

All three books were read by different narrators, but each was wonderful. Of all the Audible Books that I have listened to over the years, this is my favorite and most admired series.

This is such a well-crafted plot. It kept me guessing for the whole book. I loved the reader and went to the Audiobook website to try to find another book read by David LeDoux, but most of them are short stories, or science fiction. Not my cup of tea. But, in my opinion, both the author and the reader are first-rate, and I will watch for further offerings by either of them. I did see that Amazon has a new book by Mizner available for pre-order that will come out in May. I hope that it has the same narrator, and that it will be available as soon as published.

I am about to do something that I have never done. I finished "Fallen Angel" this morning, and I am about to start it all over again. George Guidall was a wonderful narrator (as always), and I felt as if I was just eavesdropping in on conversations.

Now, that I have the plot and storyline down, I want to go back and listen for all of the wonderful details and historical facts in Rome and Israel and other European settings in the book. Silva's writing is so colorful and descriptive and interesting, and this time through, I can concentrate on that.

Overall, a wonderful book!

My favorite books are historical fiction. (Michener) I love to finish a book with a new sense of culture or history. So, I am new to Bryce Courtney, and have loved the Australian Trilogy, starting with this one, followed by Tommo and Hawk and then, Solomon's Song. The narration is outstanding, and such a pleasure to listen to.

Then, I moved on to The Power of One, and Tandia. Again, a marvelous listening experience.

Humphrey Bower deserves 5 stars and more. He differentiates the characters beautifully.

The only reason that I didn't give the overall books 5 stars, is that I thought that some of the beating scenes, and boxing scenes were unnecessarily long or redundant. But, the observation of human nature and well-developed dialogue made these books very memorable and worthwhile.

I just loved this book! Of course, I have seen the movie versions, but had never read it. John Lee is a marvelous narrator, and even though it is VERY long, I was disappointed to have it come to an end. I found it totally engrossing, clever, beautifully written and couldn't put it down. When I finished it, we downloaded the original movie, and I enjoyed comparing it with the much more detailed book.

I have read or listened to all of Adriana Trigiani's books. I thoroughly enjoy her writing style, her descriptive language and the intermingling of Italian culture.

The MOST memorable moment in listening to this book was when the excellent narrator, Annabella Sciorra was replaced toward the end of the second part, and was replaced by the author.

Annabella Sciorra has an effortless way to speak for the various characters, and is very pleasant to listen to. Trigiani writes beautifully, but her narration is terrible. At that point, I began to lose interest and listened to the third section just to see what happened.

It really is a talent to be able to narrate without getting in the way of the story, and it is not for everyone. Trigiani reads like a grade-school teacher or a librarian would to a class. Just not a professional narrator. She should stay with the writing and leave the rest to experienced narrators.

up to a point, yes.

The story is charming, and the slice of life of the early immigrants is portrayed in an interesting and credible manner. I would have given it more stars if I had chosen to