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arojo1's review against another edition
2.0
Unable to finish, I couldn't get past 17% of the book. I felt like I had to force myself to read. The beginning was dry and it took too long to get involved.
astraia_sun's review against another edition
1.0
If you're going to write about unlikable characters making bad choices, find a different plot than older married man sleeping with pretty young virginal boarder. This book had no point. There was no character development with anyone. Ansel was an incredibly selfish man and I can't decide if I was supposed to root for him and Aldine or not because the.prose was so bland and never really condemned him. Aldine was boring, I didn't really care for Charlotte, Neva was just there to be an adoring fan if Aldine, Ellie actually got crap done and I ended up liking her more than I thought I would. Clare interested me the most but his character ended up pretty pointless too.
I just don't understand the point of the novel. Yeah, the dust bowl was hard, but there was still no real plot or interest. I can't believe I read the whole thing.
I just don't understand the point of the novel. Yeah, the dust bowl was hard, but there was still no real plot or interest. I can't believe I read the whole thing.
suvata's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so different from what I expected. Now that I've read it I can't really remember what I had imagined it to be about. But, it is an exceptional story and very well written. The characters are colorful and I felt like I knew each one of them intimately. I'm definitely going to read more of her books.
ladydzra's review against another edition
2.0
With so many glowing reviews I expected to be swept up in this book, but after the first half I finished it more out of a sense of obligation to find out how the story ends, rather than any real interest.
The first half is engaging, following the hardships faced by a young Scottish woman as she adjusts to life as a schoolteacher in 1930s Kansas. The second half is choppy, changing focus between several members of the family that the schoolteacher boarded with, and the ending is a little more than predictable.
The first half is engaging, following the hardships faced by a young Scottish woman as she adjusts to life as a schoolteacher in 1930s Kansas. The second half is choppy, changing focus between several members of the family that the schoolteacher boarded with, and the ending is a little more than predictable.
allarminda's review
2.0
My second star is for the narrator, who did a great job with her accents.
Why did I even finish this book? is the question I keep asking myself. I kept waiting for something to happen to grab me, like character development, plot development, explanation for the completely inexplicable title, connection to ANY of the characters. None of these things happened ever.
I felt misguided from the onset because the book overview discusses two Mormon missionaries in Scotland in the late 20s converting one of two sisters and the two girls moving to America. I was very intrigued by this and it turned out to completely drop the storyline of the converted sister, leaving us with the second sister.
Okay, I made myself okay with that, following our now obvious main character Aldine's rocky road to living her own life, wanting to figure things out for herself. But Aldine's move to Kansas during the dustbowl of the 1930s and moving in with a family barely feeding themselves, AND with a teenage son, when there was a wealthy widow woman in a large house known to take in boarders seemed so unlikely to me, given the propriety of the time.
I'm not sure what happened with Ms. McNeal's writing of this story to warrant halfway through the book to switch to multiple first-person narrations?! So distracting and confusing and unnecessary. And shame on the editor for allowing it.
But I was letting that be okay, too, allowing for more perspectives in a story I thought was about our main character. What completely baffled me was the announcement 2/3 of the way through the (now very long) book that Aldine is pregnant. WHAT? With all the points of view and narrations happening, you'd think someone would have mentioned something beyond having seen Aldine and Ansel kissing in the barn before we cut to the next scene in which the entire family moves to California leaving Aldine as a waitress in a diner.
Even if I don't like a character I don't give low ratings, as long as there's a character for me not to like!
"The Practice House," as it turns out (not revealed until only three hours remained of a 14 hour and 20 minute narration) was a school in California for young women learning to be good homemakers. This school and its purpose in the storyline were nonexistent other than the fact that one of the characters became employed there. It had ZERO to do with Aldine's storyline.
To quote the book cover: "Laura McNeal's novel is a sweeping and timeless love story about leaving -- and finding -- home." REALLY? Because it isn't and doesn't.
Very disappointing read. I'm so glad I had access to it for free through my Amazon Prime membership.
Why did I even finish this book? is the question I keep asking myself. I kept waiting for something to happen to grab me, like character development, plot development, explanation for the completely inexplicable title, connection to ANY of the characters. None of these things happened ever.
I felt misguided from the onset because the book overview discusses two Mormon missionaries in Scotland in the late 20s converting one of two sisters and the two girls moving to America. I was very intrigued by this and it turned out to completely drop the storyline of the converted sister, leaving us with the second sister.
Okay, I made myself okay with that, following our now obvious main character Aldine's rocky road to living her own life, wanting to figure things out for herself. But Aldine's move to Kansas during the dustbowl of the 1930s and moving in with a family barely feeding themselves, AND with a teenage son, when there was a wealthy widow woman in a large house known to take in boarders seemed so unlikely to me, given the propriety of the time.
I'm not sure what happened with Ms. McNeal's writing of this story to warrant halfway through the book to switch to multiple first-person narrations?! So distracting and confusing and unnecessary. And shame on the editor for allowing it.
But I was letting that be okay, too, allowing for more perspectives in a story I thought was about our main character. What completely baffled me was the announcement 2/3 of the way through the (now very long) book that Aldine is pregnant. WHAT? With all the points of view and narrations happening, you'd think someone would have mentioned something beyond having seen Aldine and Ansel kissing in the barn before we cut to the next scene in which the entire family moves to California leaving Aldine as a waitress in a diner.
Even if I don't like a character I don't give low ratings, as long as there's a character for me not to like!
"The Practice House," as it turns out (not revealed until only three hours remained of a 14 hour and 20 minute narration) was a school in California for young women learning to be good homemakers. This school and its purpose in the storyline were nonexistent other than the fact that one of the characters became employed there. It had ZERO to do with Aldine's storyline.
To quote the book cover: "Laura McNeal's novel is a sweeping and timeless love story about leaving -- and finding -- home." REALLY? Because it isn't and doesn't.
Very disappointing read. I'm so glad I had access to it for free through my Amazon Prime membership.
erikars's review
2.0
The characters struck me as shallow. That may have been intentional: the characters as ungrounded as the dirt in Kansas literally blowing away. It still resulted in me not feeling any particular sympathy for any of the characters and their plight.
It's a pity, because Ellie's story of building a new life for her family despite hardships would have made for a better centerpiece than Aldine and Ansel's romance.
The plot was predictable and seemed to just plot along its course without the characters doing much to help it along.
The relationships are hollow.
I didn't hate the book, but I was glad to be finished with it.
Spoiler
One character this inconsistency showed strongly for was Ellie. Maybe it was just her way of showing disapproval for Aldine, but when they were in Kansas, Ellie was uptight and sanctimonious. In California, she was a completely different person. Not just happier, which is understandable, but almost unconnected from who she had been.The book used multiple viewpoints enough that this could have been handled by giving us just a hint of her perspective. Instead, we just see her change to a completely different person.It's a pity, because Ellie's story of building a new life for her family despite hardships would have made for a better centerpiece than Aldine and Ansel's romance.
The plot was predictable and seemed to just plot along its course without the characters doing much to help it along.
Spoiler
Aldine was especially disappointing. She seemed like she would be a compelling character who took charge of her own life, but once she got to Kansas, she just drifted along.The relationships are hollow.
Spoiler
As far as I can tell, Aldine falls for Ansel for little better reason than that he's an attractive and in her vicinity, the same reason Ansel and his son Clare both fall for her.I didn't hate the book, but I was glad to be finished with it.
loribulb's review
4.0
Almost a five...
If only this lovely story hadn't ended in a rather simplistic way. By the time I finished I felt like it was a moralistic warning tale about the "bad" sister. Disappointing, the way it all tied up.
If only this lovely story hadn't ended in a rather simplistic way. By the time I finished I felt like it was a moralistic warning tale about the "bad" sister. Disappointing, the way it all tied up.
suvata's review
4.0
This book was so different from what I expected. Now that I've read it I can't really remember what I had imagined it to be about. But, it is an exceptional story and very well written. The characters are colorful and I felt like I knew each one of them intimately. I'm definitely going to read more of her books.
monica_r_jae's review
5.0
Character impression:
Ansel - I pitied him.
Aldine - I pitied her. In turns liked and disliked her. While I consistently liked her sister.
Ellie - I pitied her.
Clare - Kind and forgiving.
Geneva - probably my favorite for all that she's not a main character.
Charlotte - I liked her best for the longest while.