Customer Comments

What a fun story. Though many tragedies occur (the story begins with a pogrom), the testimony to human determination, the power of hope, and resilience in the face of obstacle is a powerful one.

After reading the synopsis, I was afraid this would be derivative of The DaVinci Code, but am I ever glad I tried it out. The story is a mystery, a love story, and historical fiction all rolled into one. Can't wait to read more Zafon

What a great story! I had a hard time putting it down. Hints of what was to come just kept me turning the pages.

OOOOhhhhh, what a great book! Sort of a historical fiction, with a thriller thrown in for good measure. A fantastic read.

I have enjoyed Connelly books in the past, and this one was okay, but way too predictable. I knew within the first three chapters who the "bad guy" was, and that spoiled a lot of the fun.

For anyone who likes historical fiction, this is a great read. The author captures the need to emigrate because of political and economic realities, the struggles to find one's place in a new world, and the selling of one's soul for financial security. A wonderful book.

What a great sea story! The book is short, but spares the reader none when it comes to a rescue effort in stormy seas.

Mercilessly short, when there are so many 600-700 page novels out there. The size of the manuscript does not cheat the reader of any essential details. The story reflects the emotional disconnection within some families, and the consequences that can result.

I picked up this book under the title, Fateless, in the UK. It's an intriguing novel about the experience of a Jewish Hungarian teenager who is taken to Nazi concentration camps. When he becomes sick, he receives medical treatment, and he survives to return home. This outcome is very different from most of the Holocaust stories I have read, thus, I found this book to be a fascinating twist on a difficult time in our history.

This book covers almost every human twist of fate and dilemma, except maybe childbirth. Benioff accomplishes this with humor, horror, and pathos. A great read!

Two brothers. Multiple mysteries, not all murder. A fresh approach for Kellerman, which is refreshing for a big name author who could just coast on his reputation.

I picked this up because it was a prize winner, and I am glad I did. Generic enough to apply to any sort of conflict, and the aftermath and consequences therefrom.

And he scores again! Petterson has written another book that I will keep near to my heart. Spare writing, telling the story of sister and brother, before, during, and after the Nazi invasion of Denmark. More a story of family than the war.

Prepare to be transported to another time and place. The mystery of who killed the trapper is entwined in the worst of small town life (gossip, suspicion of differences) and exposure of the seedier side of Canadian authorities. I read this book during the heat of a Dallas summer, and it definitely cooled me off. The Canadian cold is vivid. A great story.

By the second paragraph, I wanted to quit my job and stay home and read the book in its entirety. The last time that happened was when I read "Lonesome Dove." How can a man understand a woman like Sheilagh so well? Johnston does a fantastic job of pulling us into her world, and her search for answers to unanswerable questions. I recommend this book highly to anyone who likes historical fiction, written well enough to seem real.

Father and daughter, their stories alternating, and each story enough to hold one's attention. Daughter committed at a young age to not ask about her father's past, yet now actively seeks it as she prepares to adopt a child. Father's story is based in 1940, as he tells of his plight via letters to Eleanor Roosevelt. He is a youngster sitting on a ship in a Virginia harbor, wondering if the USA will allow him to disembark, or if he will be sent back to Europe. He has come alone due to a myriad of circumstances. The urgency of each set of circumstances, the parallels of selfishness, guilt, and yearning, even though the stories are 60 years apart, make this book hard to put down. We do not know till the end what will happen for each character, and I, at least, developed my own feelings about the events as they unfolded. A delightful book!