The House by the River

By: Lena Manta, Gail Holst-Warhaft - translator

Narrated by: Courtney Patterson

Length: 18 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

The first novel by acclaimed Greek writer Lena Manta to appear in English translation, The House by the River is an intimate, emotionally powerful saga following five young women as they realize that no matter the men they choose, the careers they pursue, or the children they raise, the only constant is home.

Theodora knows she can't keep her five beautiful daughters at home forever - they're too curious, too free spirited, too like their late father. And so, before each girl leaves the small house on the riverside at the foot of Mount Olympus, Theodora makes sure they know they are always welcome to return.

A devoted and resilient mother, Theodora has lived through World War II, through the Nazi occupation of Greece, and through her husband's death, and now she endures the twenty-year-long silence of her daughters' absence. Her children have their own lives - they've married, traveled the world, and courted romance, fame, and even tragedy. But as they become modern, independent women in pursuit of their dreams, Theodora knows they need her - and each other - more than ever. Have they grown so far apart that they've forgotten their childhood house in its tiny village, or will their broken hearts finally lead them home?

©2007 Lena Manta (P)2017 2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Translation © 2017 Gail Holst-Warhaft.

Brilliant

I loved every second spent listening to this amazing well written book so many lessons taught so many struggles overcome and at the end they found redeeming love forgiveness and a second chance at happiness..

Skillful, absorbing story!!!

I absolutely loved the way this book was written, and narrated. Each character was thoroughly described. The story was smoothly carried through to the end. I will never forget this book.

Beautiful

I really loved this book and enjoyed reading all of the daughters individual journeys. I would definitely recommend.

Great story

Very well written and very well performed. I would like to know what happens next in the life of these women.

Very lovely story

.. or should I say stories! The series of stories in this book are all heart-felt struggling tales. The personalities of each daughter is well woven into the challenges each faced and the loves and losses they endured. But with the wise kind words of their mother, they reunite as birds who have broken wings while mother welcomes each back to their nest.
Well narrated as well.

beautifully written, heartfelt, and depressing

I still don't know how to feel about it. I liked it, I hated it, I cried and I laughed

Wonderfully enthralling, but

This story is wonderfully enthralling. All the characters/sisters were interesting and I was anxious to learn more or what would happen next in their lives. The divergent paths they took and the description of them was beautiful. I wish the stories lives would have been told simultaneously instead of all the 1st, then all the 2nd, etc....

However, the author falls slay on her STORY development. By the time I go to the 3rd sister’s story a dawning of hokey “harlequin romanticism” awoke, accompanied by impossible coincidences/circumstances. Namely:

1. Mother and 2 of her daughters lose baby boys at birth
2. Mother and 4 of her daughters are left with only Girl children
3. Three of the sisters lose an older child.
4. Grandmother, Mom, Aunt and 4 of the sisters lose their husbands and/or lovers to death, 2 suicides.
5. All 5 of the girls have tribulations in life simultaneously that lead them back to their family home in rural Greece.
6. All women involved have amazing, fulfilling sex lives with their husbands/boyfriends.

Really, what are the odds of all that? The author has real talent for developing characters and keeping interest, even in a long story. The hokeyness of it made we consider closing the book but it was so well written I forged on. Kuddos yo the author on character development, just use caution with such outlandish stories on subsequent attempts.

Great!!!

I really enjoyed listening to this novel., the sister's lives were so different yet they each were alike in many ways, I recommend this book.

review

I loved the performance of the story and was very interested in the story line. The only reason I neglected to give five stars is because with a story this intense in sorrow, mistakes and being a factor to our own consequences, it seems like a stronger ending is entitled to the reader. As well just like in all the other chapters, it would have been nice for it to end "the house by the river". otherwise the story was good, touching even.

Drawn out

only given 3 stars because it was long and drawn out that I got bored at some chapters, repetitive too. ’d probably stopped listening after 3 chapters but I was intrigued with the narrators voices. The story was blah until after several chapters did I come to hear where the author was going with this book. So 5 children born, hardship, and lessons learned I found most laughter and joy at the ending. It’s a lesson to be admired and a well written book for parents to have their siblings read before taking the plunge and leaving the nest for bigger and better things. Remember “It’s not always greener on the other side”