This was a great read and an enjoyable story. Ms. Niffenegger's attention to detail keeps the book interesting. My only criticism of the book is that it needed better editing. Some of the more interesting characters never get developed and some of the characters that you meet over and over again remain one-dimensional. The first half of the book was long and slow and could have been shorter but the second half was much more exciting and flew by. All in all, it didn't change my life, it wasn't the best book I ever read but it was a good story that had me thinking about my family and my destiny in a different way.

How can you sum up the power of this book in one review? I was amazed that there were some in our group who hadn't read this book. My Dad taught writing and I read this when I was in high school. I found it a powerful read then but the experience of reading it again, this time as a parent, changed the book for me. Instead of reading this book through the eyes of the children, I was more interested in the adults and how they act/react to what is happening in their small town. Characters I didn't remember from when I read this as a child opened my eyes and made me see my world and myself in a new light. This book is timely, even today, when we look at all kinds of prejudice as wrong.

This is, now, one of my all time favorite books! The writing is so descriptive and vivid I felt like I was right there. I wheezed right along with Rubin and wrapped myself in a blanket to stave off the cold during the blizzard. This is an excellent book with lots of potential for discussion. Jeremiah Land is a compelling father figure, on par with Atticus Finch from "To Kill a Mockingbird" and the storytelling is similar. Do yourself a favor and read this book, it's excellent!

This book was a wonderful read. The essays, for the most part, are short and autobiographical. They follow the movements of the author from childhood through adulthood on the many travels she takes with her family and husband. She tells of travels to visit family in Palestine and of her childhood working in the family store. She describes all her colorful neighbors in Texas so vividly, it made me feel like I was living there again. This book will prompt some good discussion and some laughs. It will make you remember a time in your life, perhaps, when you had more time and weren't in such a hurry!

We actually won signed copies of this book from Book Movement (Thanks!) and when it came time to read it I didn't think I was going to like it. I was totally wrong. This book was impossible to put down. The characters came to life so vividly and knowing they were actual people from history made the book fascinating. I learned a lot about the history of Rome and the customs of that time and thought her added details were undetectable. We had a very good discussion about this book.