Customer Comments

At this time in America, we must remember our rich tradition. A combination of belief, song, spirituality and poetry that resonates from the beginning of the USA until today. These song poems have thrilled me since I first read them at age 15 in high school. I have been reading, re-reading and reciting them ever since. Italo Calvino one remarked about a classic:"A CLASSIC IS A BOOK THAT HAS NEVER FINISHED SAYING WHAT IT HAS TO SAY"

Men, take note...rejecting this book because it is the story of two girls would be a big mistake. It is true, that the two principal characters are women, but it is so much more. OK, now that I have addressed men and other reviewers have addressed women, allow me to address another possible audience: Italophiles, i.e., people who love Italy, people of Italian descent whose ancestors are Italian or those who are interested in their Italian familial heritage. Firstly, the book is set in Naples and moves to other places nearby, Ischia, Florence etc. It is not a travel memoir per se, but, the place descriptions of Naples are spot on accurate and you may want to take some time to google the streets and monuments and landmarks that are part and parcel of the story. This slowed down the reading of the book, but, for me, made it immeasurably richer. PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT THIS TITLE IS THE FIRST OF A TRILOGY, SO, WHEN YOU GET TO THE END OF THIS BOOK, IT IS NOT OVER WITH YET. OH WAIT A MINUTE, THE TRILOGY DID NOT FINISH THE STORY, SO, IT ENDED UP BEING FOUR BOOKS. YOU MUST READ ALL FOUR. All four books are FIVE STARS. Also, for those who are not Italian, the names of the characters have associated nicknames and the families of the characters are extended. For Italians too, even friends who are not blood relations are part of La Famiglia, The family. Do not let this deter you because each of the four volumes has a listing of the characters and their families in the front.

This is an older book, small, but a must read for every Christian. I consider it a Christian classic. Very accessible and easily read.

Do not judge this book by its size. It is incredibly rich in scope and depth. Written by a priest, yes, but a priest familiar with pop culture? Father Rolheiser draws on some theologians AND on pop culture, songs, novels, stories, etc. to amplify his points about loneliness. Yes, there is some scripture in here too. This book is very accessible, easy to read and will get you contemplating LONELINESS in your own life and the ROLE that loneliness has played in your life. Has loneliness driven you in one direction or another? Has loneliness caused you to do something you might not have ordinarily done had you not been LONELY? These and many other aspects of loneliness are explored in this book. Buy this book. Its one that can be and should be referred to again as loneliness and a RESTLESS HEART can creep up on us sometimes when we least expect it.