nurseann7161's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Graphic: Police brutality, Classism, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, and Slavery
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Violence, Medical content, Gun violence, Alcohol, Child death, Death, Excrement, Sexism, and Police brutality
marybsimp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Gun violence, Death of parent, Classism, Death, Racism, Grief, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, and Slavery
circe813's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Slavery
filipa_maia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book broke my heart so many times and in so many ways: the tragedies that Elsa keeps encountering in her life are endless. How can someone be so resilient? I love the way Elsa is described, always so fragile, someone from whom people don't expect much in life... but I loved her since the day she bought that piece of red fabric. So many times, throughout the entire book, I feared so much for that family's survival... I was always on the edge. I understood how much I was "living" this story when that hairdresser gave Elsa and the kids some clothes... I felt that act of kindness as if it happened to me.
I can't stress enough how much I love Elsa's character. A woman who was put down and beaten up by life (and everyone around her) but somehow pulled trough. I don't feel like she was happy for one moment her entire life, but that never stopped her. She raise her kids and gave them the most important thing - love - and with that a future. This is what a truly strong female character looks like!
I can't wait to read another Kristin Hannah's book!
P.S.: Historical fiction is not very easy to read. If you're not interested in history, this might not be your kind of book. But I love to discover more about other countries' past. The way Kristin Hannah ends the book is brilliant: reminding us that we've faced bad things in the past and this will too pass, but we should never forget the old saying "When we forget the past we are doomed to repeat it".
Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, and Blood
sks123's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Child death, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, and Slavery
ks19's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Moderate: Child death, Grief, and Slavery