Customer Comments

Peace..... that is the word that comes to mind when this book is mentioned. After hearing about how wonderful this book for a long time, I was thrilled to find it was our Book Club selection. This story met all my major qualifications for a 5 Star rating. Good character development, extensive location details and set in another country. And most importantly a deep love between the characters. I highly recommend The Art of Hearing Heartbeats. The minute i finished this book i ordered the sequel, A Well Tempered Heart. I cant wait!

Completely fell in love with this deep and moving WWIi story. I have never read an author that can paint such a remarkable picture of life during this most difficult time. I could visualize everything i was reading. I read alot, and Ive read alot of WWII storys. I read this story in April 2012, its stayed with me like a song you cant get out of your head. I would easily say this was the best book I read in 2012.

Wonderful family saga. Would make an awesome movie. This is my 10th book by Alice Hoffman. Its now one of my favorites. It had been a year since ive read one of Alice's. Her writing is as comforting and easy as an old worn sweatshirt on a cold winter day. I would highly recommend this book, and this author.

One of the best authors I have had the pleasure of reading in quite some time. I highly recommend this quick read. A difficult and heart breaking story about this war torn city. A wonderful example of the what the gift of music truly means.

I really enjoyed this oddly unique, yet charmingly lovable little story. I love this authors style of writing. She does an amazing job of developing the characters, making you fall in love with each one, for a different reason. I would highly recommend this author to anyone who is looking for a escape from reality. Church of the Dog was the first novel by Kaya McIaren that I have read, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I hope she keeps writing, I cant wait to read another.

LOVED IT.. wow Cathy Lamb did it again. This story has all the great elements we love to love. Powerful family drama, funny, heart warming and touching. I will highly recommend this story to everyone I know. This is my third Cathy Lamb book. I can't wait to read the next one.

I really enjoyed this lovely little novel. What a great escape this author allows the reader to take. She Paints a very accurate account of rural life in the west, without seeming hokie. The characters were well thought out and easy to bond with. I would highly recommend this to anyone who might need a fresh outlook on life. Can't wait to read another by Kaya McLaren.

One of THE very best books I have ever read about WWII. Extremely well written, it had me from the first page. A great mix of history, tragedy and love. Would highly recommend it to any history buffs looking for a twist. Can't wait to read another book by Simon Mawer.

I absolutely love really well written historical novels about London. The Tea Rose did not disappoint. I couldn't put it down, from start to finish it kept my interest. Never a boring moment. Would highly recommend it to any lover of history and a good story teller. I can't wait to read the next one.

Almost gave up on this one. So very glad I didn't. A little over half way I was ready to throw this book, literally. SOOOOO glad I stuck it out. Like anything in this life, the good stuff is worth waiting for. The last quarter of the book is THE best part. This story will mean different things to different people, at different times of your life. This story has a strong message, for those who are willing to open their hearts and minds. To all those skeptics out there, this is NOT theology, it's a story. it's an escape.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I first read , which I recommend, "Stones from the River" by the same author. It was really great to expand on the characters I had first met in the "Stones" novel. Although this story would stand well on its own. This story is a moving and engrossing story that grabs you from the very beginning. It spans four generations of a proud German family, from pre WWII to the late 1980's. It truly is a well told lesson in history.

What a journey, this book is a gift indeed. . Completely fell in love with this book. What a beautiful escape from reality. I love learning history while following a really good storyline. This well written story follows two women centuries apart in a journey of self discovery. I Would highly recommend this to anyone that loves learning about other cultures and religions, history , travel and romance. It's the perfect mix.

I really enjoyed this story. I have read many stories of WWII, but this story was told from a different angle. A Catholic-German Dwarf and her father that helped out their Jewish friends. They didn't agree with their own government, in a time when making the slightest remark against the government could get you killed. The author did a wonderful job of describing daily life in a small German town, during their worst time in history. I can't wait to read the follow up books to this. It's a good read, difficult at times, but one of the best historical drama's I've came across.

I would give this story a 10 !!! Positively one of THE best books I have ever read. An unforgettable tale of an extraordinary family. Deeply moving, truly touching tale that will remain with me for years to come. Thoroughly enjoyed the authors writing style. At the end of a paragraph I found myself rereading it, not because I didn't get it. Because I absolutely loved the way the author painted the picture in my mind. Really enjoyed learning about Ethiopia, a country I knew little about. Truly a first rate read, I highly recommend it !!!

Another winner for Cathy Lamb.. I was Completely absorbed in this story, from beginning to end.. Lamb does an amazing job with character development. She makes you feel like you know each character like an old friend.. Truly one of the best storytellers around, I laughter, I cried. A story that will stay with me for a very long time.. Keep writing Cathy Lamb.

Looking for the 6 star rating on this one.. I can not even begin to express how much I LOVED this book. Fantastic job of mixing history with drama. Absolutely the best I Have read in years. At times very difficult to read the details of what Sarah and her family has to deal with, but I am so very glad I did. I will be anxiously awaiting more books from Tatiana De Rosnay. This is a story that will remain with me for years to come. A must read.

Alice has done it again. This was my 8th Alice Hoffman. I'm a huge fan of her writing style. She pulls you right in from the beginning. She paints such an detailed picture I always feel like the characters are family by the end. This is a must read. Once again Alice does an excellent job dealing with family struggles and the emotions that we all deal with.. Loved it and would highly recommend it.

If I only had one word to describe this story it would be "Powerful"... Absolutely loved it... beginning to end. A complex tale of two women in two different centuries dealing with real life stress. In trying to decide if I might like this story, I started reading the first page.. next thing I knew I was on page 17. Couldn't put it down. Anita Shreve has such a beautiful way of weaving a very tangled web..Fans of Anita Shreve's work won't want to miss this one.

Alice has another winner in my book..LOVE,LOVE,LOVE her writing style!! This is the seventh novel of Alice Hoffman's I have had the pleasure of reading. This is a very dark and haunting tale of sister-love, that will stay with me for a very long time. This story deals with some extremely difficult topics that a lot of families are dealing with. That is why I love her storytelling. . She deals with topics that generally wouldn't interest me, but was definitely a page turner. Kept my interest through out the entire book, never quite knowing where the story was headed. Alice does such an amazing job of character development that I feel like that I have known this family for years. This really needs a part 2.

Another magical journey by one of the best storytellers ever... I was worried it wouldn't be as wonderful as Garden Spells, but she delivered again.... i highly recommend this to anyone who needs an escape from reality.. Keep writing Sarah I'm a huge fan!!

If I had to describe this story in one word, it would be...Disappointing.. Alice is such a good storyteller, draws you in and explains the setting vividly.. This is the sixth book of Alice Hoffman's I have read. Unfortunately The River King is my least favorite. It had great potential, but just didn't deliver.. Keep writing Alice, I'm still a fan.