After re-reading The Prince of Tides (a classic), I went to my "To Be Read" pile and grabbed The Great Santini. Although, it did not 'capture' me in the way The Prince of Tides did, it is definitely a great read. Pat Conroy once again, through his lyrical words, proves what a great writer and story-teller he is. The Great Santini is a powerful story about military life and a very complex father/son relationship. I both loved and hated Colonel Bull Meecham (who is the Great Santini). I have spent over 20 years as a military wife and Conroy really "knows his stuff" as he tells the story of the complexities of a military family. Bull is a typical military officer who finds it difficult to separate the way he behaves on duty from the way he behaves as a husband and father. He wants and tries to run his family life in the disciplined, hard-fashioned way he commands his "troops." Lillian is his devoted wife who plays the "role" of a military wife perfectly (I found her relationship with her son very touching--the letter she wrote him on his 16th birthday is a tear-jerker). Ben is Santini's son who is coming to terms with life as an adolescent and his feelings about his father; he is an extremely well written character who I grew to feel sorry for and admire at the same time. Maryann as Santini's sarcastic, wise-cracking daughter was my favorite character who has her own unique way of dealing with her father that makes the reader laugh out loud but, at the same time, realize how much she is hurting and craving his love and attention. It is a great story of the very good and also the very, very bad times of the Meecham family. It is funny, touching, emotional, sad--it has everything!! I highly recommend The Great Santini or any of Pat Conroy's books. He is the best!!

I read this wonderful book over 10 years ago and, for some reason, recently decided to read it again. What a difference 10 years makes in one's perspective!! It was always on my top ten list, but after the second read, I now place it in my top 3. I loved this book, and especially loved the writing. It is written with deep emotion, wonderful characters, and a great sense of humor!! The story is about the Wingo family from the low-country of South Carolina and their troubled journey through childhood into an even more troubled journey into adulthood. I love Tom Wingo, the principal character; he has become real to me. Pat Conroy brought this character to life as no author has ever done for me before. Tom Wingo wonderfully depicts the attitude and character of the southern male. He is flawed, yet so lovable. Tom is trying to save his troubled sister, Savannah, who has been placed in a mental institution. In doing so, he must re-live many, many traumatic and repressed childhood memories, but in the end, it's all about love and forgiveness. Chapter 9 tells of Tom's mother (a great character in this book) and how as a child he loved the way she wore gardenias in her hair only to throw them in the trash when she overhears the "women of the upper crust society" making fun of her. It is the shortest, sweetest, most well-written chapter I think I've ever read. This book has you wrecked with emotion in one chapter and laughing hysterically in the next (Tolitha picks out her coffin springs to mind as an example). The writing is so beautiful, I was just sobbing at the end (it's been a long, long time since a book stirred my emotions as much as this one did). I would love to see the book re-surface for the present generation's enjoyment!! Pat Convoy deserves tremendous praise for the wonderful writing in this book, as well as BEACH MUSIC (another wonderful read). There were no Oprah's around when this wonderful book was written; it sure does deserve the attention and praise any of her selections have received!! I urge anyone who has not read this book to please pick it up; you will not be sorry!! This book is a classic and one that I hope will be on everyone's bookshelf. Please don't skip the book and opt to see the movie. The movie is good, but in no way does it do the book justice.

Yes, it could have been written, and yes, she lived a life of privledge in her formative years, but the fact remains this was NOT of her choosing. To live through this incredible ordeal and survive it is awe inspiring. It is so hard to imagine these things happening in our lifetime; but they do. The fact that Malika Oufkir had the courage and insight to write about what she and her family endured pays homage to the human spirit. I think about this family all the time and wish them peace. The book moves slowly in the beginning, but is a real page-turner after the story gets started. I highly recommend this book to those who love stories of the strength of the human spirit. God bless the family!!

Fortune's Rocks is set at the turn of the 20th century in the small beach resort town of the same name on the New Hampshire coastline. The main character, Olympia, is only 15 years old when she falls in love with an older man and their relationship has dire consequences. Olympia and Haskell (her lover) go through quite a lot of twists and turns along the way and, although it is an old-fashioned story, it is interesting to see Olympia come to terms with herself and her 'modern' day values as she grows into a mature, independent woman. I enjoyed the writing and the complex relationships. The history of the town and surrounding area is also of interest. This is my favorite Anita Shreve book; I liked it much better than Oprah's pick _The Pilot's Wife_ and would definitely recommend it as a great summer read!

Amy and Isabelle is an excellent book which tells the complex nature of a mother/daughter relationship. Both Isabelle (mother) and Amy (daughter) are very well developed characters who are both searching for their own place and meaning in the world. They appear to have absolutely nothing in common, but eventually come to terms with their differences and discover the love they truly feel for each other. The characters in the small town of Shirley Falls are all involved in their own small dramas that make the book highly entertaining. I would like to read more by this author; it is a very well written book.

Plainsong is "any simple or unadorned melody" and that aptly describes the characters in the book. It is small time life at it's best with honorable and hard-working people. I enjoyed all the characters, especially the McPheron brothers (worth reading just for the meeting these two guys :). I felt sorry for Bobby and Ike and do wish the author would have spent more time detailing the 'how and why' of their mother's behavior. All in all, Plainsong is just about 'plain' people with problems, joys, and sorrows just like all of us. The characters have to come to terms with loss and rise above it. Haruf does a good job showing how these characters grow and learn some hard lessons. An enjoyable read!

I was so looking forward to reading this book, even though I knew it was not the next one in the series. I knew it was to be a book about the wedding, but I am really disappointed and surprised at the 'lack' of story. I have to agree with fellow reviewers; the short pages and the margins make it appear as a 'short story' rather than a book. For the price, it is very deceiving!! You can easily read the book in a little over an hour's time. Although, it was nice to be with old friends again (Father Tim, Cynthia, Dooley, Emma, Uncle Billy and Rose, etc.), they only appear in very minor ways. I want my Mitford friends back! I want the strange ending of A New Song wrapped up and let's go home to Mitford for the next adventure in the series. This book seemed like it was just written on a whim without much thought put into it. I'm a huge Mitford fan and have loved every book in the series; I am really disappointed in this one.

I fell in love with Mitford and the characters therein. This book came along at just the right time in my life. Recent events in the news and the everyday hustle-bustle of life makes one want to escape to Mitford where life is as it should be. It is a wonderful, feel-good read and I fell in love with all the characters from Father Tim to dear ole Barnabus. At Home in Mitford is like a return to childhood when the days were simple and worries were few. I absolutely loved this book and am hurrying off to read the rest of the series. This is a book that remains with you the rest of your life. P.S. I had this review tucked away in the "private" review section for some reason, so I decided to bring it out into the public because I've been singing the praises of Mitford for 3 years now!! Since this book, I've read the entire Mitford series and it only gets better!! When life gets me down, I return to Mitford and I always feel better. I can't wait for the next book!!

When I first started the book, I thought~~~~~hmmmmmmm this is definitely different, and wondered if it was a book that would hold my interest. After a few chapters, I was completely hooked! The story is told by Dinah, who is only briefly mentioned in the book of Genesis. She tells the tale of her mother (Leah) and her mother's sisters (Zilpah, Rachel and Bilhah), all wives of Jacob and all mothers to Dinah in her eyes. Through the author's words and eyes, it is so interesting to see the names of Bibical women come to life and their stories told in such a compelling manner (I especially enjoyed the author's depiction of Rebecca, mother of Jacob and grandmother to Dinah). Dinah's life story is told from the moment of her birth until her death with an entire cast of wonderful, well-written characters. Although, some may take offense to the departure from well known Biblical characters being written about in such different light, I found the book fascinating. The reader gets a true sense of what life may have been like for women during Bibical times~~especially interesting are the stories of pregnancy, childbirth and the rituals surrounding the passages women go through during life's journey. The author does an excellent job describing the day-to-day lives of the women by writing of the various herbs and oils they used for medicinal and cooking purposes, the way they dressed and "spun" wool for their garments, and their pride in the making of bread and beer, and their days spent in the Red Tent. What a wonderful idea for a book; the author has done a great job telling it!! I apologize for this much too "wordy" review, but I highly recommend this book and find it rewarding to talk about it~~~~~a book not easily forgotten!

I enjoyed The Blind Side of the Heart and the characters within. How many of us are confronted with terrible, gut-wrenching "secrets" (even if they are rumors) about someone we love; we most often turn to our "blind side of the heart", which is what Maggie does in this novel. Maggie is a wonderfully written character and I liked her immediately. She finds herself confronted with circumstances that, at first, she finds unthinkable, but as the story unfolds she has those little nagging doubts and a lot of "what if's" ~~~ The reader must dig into their own minds and hearts and decide what they believe to be true. I finished the book two days ago, and I'm still not sure what I believe. It will be something to ponder for some time to come. That is why I believe it would make an excellent discussion for any book group!! At times, the author got just a little too "wordy" for my taste or I would have given the book 5 stars. It is definitely worth reading and I plan on reading more by this author.