books_plants_hikes's review against another edition
4.0
I had been so looking forward to reading this book for a long time. The book is beautiful written by intertwining the stories of two families over the course of the several generations. I had read a few reviews that suggest that the book is predictable, I must strongly disagree here. Yes, you may have a gut feeling that something isn't right or that something bad might happen. What you cannot predict is how the author will weave the story together perfectly and surprise you with the bad thing or the twist. The author does a wonderful job of developing the story through Aurora. Each character is well developed, some characters - most of the characters have a bit of the "darkness" shall we call it written into their roles, some more so than others. This "darkness" helps to develop important themes of forgiveness, empathy, and self reflection through the story that I believe we are all capable of learning from.
juliereadslots's review against another edition
3.0
The story is enough to keep reading, however I found the narrator's breaks to be ridiculous and I truly hated one of the main characters--Grania. She is a complete shiner and frankly, her man, Matt, comes off as a jerk. The liberal use of the terms honey, hon, and baby used by him and the terribly transparent Charley, are annoying.
hannafhb's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lottie_c's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
emiiisen's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
carls_d's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Twee families vinden hun lotsbestemming onlosmakelijk met elkaar verbonden door een tragisch verleden. De loop der gebeurtenissen herhaalt zich onontkoombaar...
Verlies nooit je geloof in de schoonheid en de goedheid van de menselijke natuur. Je moet soms alleen wat harder je best doen om die te zien.
Het spel met tijd vormde een doeltreffende manier om het verhaal te ontrafelen. Op een zeker punt werd het echter voorspelbaar en het einde had beknopter gemogen. De manier waarop Grania zich aan het einde gedroeg, stoorde me vanwege haar onvermogen om haar gevoelens te uiten. Ook deden de hoofdstukken van Aurora naar mijn mening afbreuk aan het verhaal. Over het algemeen was het een plezierig boek dat vlot las. Heb zelfs een paar tranen gelaten.
Thematiek in het boek: liefde, familiegeschiedenis, oorlog, sociale klasse
kiki_99's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sonia_reppe's review against another edition
3.0
I liked one of Lucinda Riley's newer books so much that I sought out one of her earlier books; it wasn't quite as good, but I enjoyed it. Do all of Riley's books start in the present and then jump back to historical times to tell a long-ago character's story? The writing was pleasant but not as tight or impressive as the other book I read; also, this ending went on way too long. This was four stars until the last 50 pages--too drawn out! 3.5 stars. I will read more of Lucinda Riley--her newer ones.