Linda

The narration was simply awful. I should have believed the other reviews and not wasted my credit!

Regarding the story itself: I found myself unable to care about the characters or what became of them, and the disjointed forays into various historical moments were not at all compelling. The few scenes that had the possibility to engage my interest were suddenly dropped and, without warning, we were elsewhere.

No, I have always been enthusiastic about time travel stories. However, I am now most definitely turned off to stories by Jack McDevitt.

The narration was almost unbearable. It was monotone, full of long pauses in the wrong places, and I couldn't even begin to identify which character was speaking. (Compare this to the superlative performances by Therese Plummer!) I finally used the book to help me go to sleep at night, and got through it that way. I will never buy another book read by Paul Boehmer.

I recommend not only this book, but the entire Virgin River series. I have listened to six Virgin River audiobooks, and have read several more on my Kindle. The town and people of Virgin River immediately became quite real to me, and remain so. As soon as I complete one book, I am swept right into the next.

In my profession as a mental health therapist, I spend my days with many clients who have been seriously damaged by domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes. I find that immersing in the Virgin River stories is healing for my heart. They remind me that no matter the enormity or awfulness of the challenges someone faces, we can reach out with an open heart and truly help.

The Gathering ended abruptly - so abruptly, that I actually thought the book was divided into 2 parts and that I had neglected to download the second part. This turned out to be wishful thinking, as there was definitely no Part 2. If a follow-up book is published, I would read it to satisfy my curiosity. However, I no longer trust the author. I wonder if she just ended the book in order to make a deadline.