I loved the characters and I’m glad we met two of the characters as childrenI read this as a buddy read with Hilary.
Wow!
This book was a page-turner.
I loved the characters and I’m glad we met two of the characters as children, Sam and Sadie. l also love Marx (a really special man!) and Sam’s grandparents and Sam’s mother and Zoe, and some others too. They are three dimensional characters who always feel authentic and I really cared about them.
I wondered if Sam and Sadie were on the spectrum. It would explain some things. Trauma could account for a lot of those things though.
This is a story about friendship and there were many times when I felt sad about the up and down relationship between Sam and Sadie, but everything seemed believable and I loved how it ended. All the bad and all the good things that happen to the characters and how they dealt with them made perfect sense to me.
I had to look up the definitions of the words cicerone and kenophobia. This is a beautifully written and well told story. There are many great quotes.
One particular chapter (view spoiler)[ Marx’s perspective from before being shot to dying from his gunshot wounds, especially since it seemed he might survive, would survive (hide spoiler)] was excruciating to read. It was wonderfully written but emotionally difficult. There is another chapter toward the end whose style deviates from the rest of the book. It’s an interactive game sequence and I might not normally enjoy this but I actually loved that chapter. I was as engrossed in the storytelling as I was the whole way through the book.
There were a few flaws. One dog and a few human characters that seemed important were there and then they weren’t, one with some explanation, however inadequate, but the others just dropped off the pages never to appear again. Maybe that is also true to life but I thought it was a weakness in the storytelling. Also, at one meal one of the main characters said they no longer eat meat but at the next meal they’re eating oysters and for many of the subsequent meals they are eating meat. There seemed to be no point to include the original comment in the story. I know some people change their minds about their dietary choices but no reason was given for them not eating or eating meat. It was a throwaway pointless inclusion. These things were not enough for me to lower my rating though.
I’ve never read quite anything like this story before and I thought it was brilliant.
I thought I’d enjoy this book in spite of the gaming/games parts but I actually liked those parts. This story made the content relatable.
There were so many great quotes and I’m sorry that I didn’t make a note of most of them. I might do a search and hope that other readers on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ â€œlikedâ€� some of the same quotes in this book that I liked. (I might add some of them if I find any I particularly like.)
“Other people’s parents are often a delight.�
� To return to the city of one’s birth always felt like a retreat.�
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, the book’s title, is a from a soliloquy in the Shakespeare tragedy Macbeth but I like the take here: that with games you can always start over and play again. You play and you lose/die but you can play again and again and again until you might win/live. As long as you’re alive in the real world you can keep trying for happiness, success, etc.
Trigger warnings: gun violence, sexual partner cheating, power imbalance between lovers, hospitalized children, loss of a parent when young, characters with depression and anxiety, physical injury & disability. There are probably many more. The story is so superb and unusual (and most of it is about other things) so I suggest that most readers give it a try even if they normally avoid this sort of content.
This is a lovely and heartwarming story with memorable characters. 5 full stars. I am in book hangover territory. I think books I read in the near future are sure to pale in comparison....more
The illustrations are charming and fun and fit the poems well. I like the art style and find the pictures aesthetically pleasThis is an adorable book.
The illustrations are charming and fun and fit the poems well. I like the art style and find the pictures aesthetically pleasing.
The poems are entertaining and will be appreciated by those who know and love dogs. I didn’t completely “identify� with all of them but each one will have dog loving readers who will identify with them.
I was going to just read bits of this book every day, a few poems at a time, but once I started reading I didn’t read anything else until I’d finished it, the same day that I started reading it.
I want to share this book with children who love dogs, whether or not they have dogs as a part of their family. I haven’t had a dog companion for many years but I found myself wanting some more poems where I recognized my dog and others� dogs even more than I did in these poems. That gave me an idea that one great and enjoyable activity for children (and adults!) who read this book would be to encourage them to write a poem or poems, about dogs or any other subject that interests them if they don’t have anything to say about dogs. They could also illustrate their poem the way these poems are illustrated.
I love the photos in the back, of the author & her dog and the illustrator & his dog, and then of each of their two dogs/muses. The book is dedicated to those two dogs.
I really liked it. I will say though that the poems are too sickly sweet for my personal taste but I tried to put myself in the place of a very young child and I could see the appeal.
I won this (autographed) book at LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review....more
This was hilarious, especially in the first third or so of the book. It’s heartbreaking at times too, but I laughed out loud much of the way through tThis was hilarious, especially in the first third or so of the book. It’s heartbreaking at times too, but I laughed out loud much of the way through that first third. It definitely went from hilarious to sad but there was no jarring transition and it was fun and serious throughout, and any shift was due to the characters revealing more about why they are the way they are and each of them (usually gradually) dealing with their life situations.
It has been a while since I read a young adult book. This is a good one.
This is the second book I’ve read consecutively where a main character/person has OCD or OCD-like tendencies/behaviors. I hadn’t known that about either book until I started reading them. As far as the hypochondria, though mine wasn’t as severe as it was for this book’s character, I feel as though this book could have been written for 11-11/12 to 17year old and even older me.
I love the cats� names. I love the book’s dedication: “To all the other crazy cat people. You know who you are.� I do wonder though whether one of the cats was in dire need of veterinary attention!
While I’m tired of ya books that feel as though they have to have high school aged kids have sex in this case it seems to be only one girl and one guy who are girlfriend/boyfriend but the girl having sex is the one who’s scared of germs and even touching anyone and so that made the sexual contact feel less realistic, in a way. I do like the relationship here. I like all the relationships. This is a great story about friendships.
I like that not everything is wrapped up 100% neatly though it is wrapped up in a satisfying way.
The setting is Vancouver and Stanley Park is mentioned. One of my favorite cities and I love that park.
The story has something for almost everyone. I don’t want to say anything more about it in this review though I am happy to answer any questions.
There could be some triggers for some readers. (view spoiler)[ Those who’ve had a child or a sibling die at a young age, drunk driving deaths & serious injuries, marriages that don’t work out, those who’ve experienced homophobia, those who’ve had experiences of unsupportive families/families kicking them out as minors, etc. etc. etc. The story does sometimes have a The Breakfast Club kind of feel. (hide spoiler)]...more
This is a fabulous book for children and for readers of all ages. It’s actually not exactly a picture book. It’s a biography and an art book and it’s This is a fabulous book for children and for readers of all ages. It’s actually not exactly a picture book. It’s a biography and an art book and it’s done exactly how it should be done. The “pictures� are the artist’s actual art (and not some illustrator mimicking it!) and photographs and one other meaningful real life image.
I love this artist’s work. I hadn’t remembered that he’d designed the Yukon Pavilion for the Expo �86 World’s Fair in Vancouver. I spent a lot of time at that Fair and remember loving the Yukon exhibit. There is a photo in this book of the entrance to that exhibit, beautifully and creatively designed & painted by this artist. I recognized it right away.
I like that the artist wrote a short Foreword for this book. He is an interesting person and has contributed a lot, especially through his art and his teaching. I enjoyed reading about his loving and supportive family of origin and about his travels and about the family he created. His wife is also remarkable with her accomplishments in the field of education.
I love that he was so observant and noticed how much sadness in the world and appreciated that he made a deliberate choice that “his paintings would show only positive images.� His quote: “There’s enough sadness and misery in the world without hanging it on our walls.� And a related quote: “We should all try to spread a little happiness wherever we may be."
This is a text heavy book but there are plenty of paintings and photos included.
I love all of his art, from everywhere he was, and his Yukon art in particular. I smile when looking at the colors and shapes of his paintings done in the Yukon. I love the subject matter that he chose.
I applaud his quote: “Art must be part of every child’s education. Painting is the last great freedom. You can paint what you like.�
At the back of the book there is a page of Sources & Resources and there is also a one page Index.
I shelved this on August 30 but I can’t remember how I found it. None of my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friends have this book shelved. I was motivated enough to read it that I ordered it from my library’s LINK+ program, a free service where I can borrow books that my library doesn’t have from most other public and university libraries in California and Nevada. Even though the books are free to borrow I’m anxious when I have one at home. They have to be returned to the desk and handed to a library staff member, if late the late fee is $1.00 a day, and if lost there is a $115.00 charge. I use the service only very occasionally. It was worth it for this book and I’m grateful that I could read it. Highly recommended!
ETA: The one thing about the book I didn't love was how the reader is invited to notice things about the art. It's instructional. It might be great for some readers but I wanted to look at the art on my terms and being asked to notice certain things (which might be appealing for many!) took me away from what I was viewing....more
I read the hardcover edition and sometimes I simultaneously read the audio edition. In the audio edition the gaps of hearing that were shown was done I read the hardcover edition and sometimes I simultaneously read the audio edition. In the audio edition the gaps of hearing that were shown was done magnificently.
The book’s dedication at the beginning of the book led me to looking up information about the author and she is deaf was diagnosed with a progressive form of hearing loss at age 16 and when she was an adult had a cochlear implant in one ear. When I got to the end of the book there is a heartwarming, informative and helpful author’s note that gives personal and general information. In the back a list of support groups for the Deaf and hard of hearing is included as are a list of discussion questions, and a lovely Acknowledgments section. That latter has the most amusing line that made me laugh. (It’s about using generic dog names vs. the one she uses in this book. Ha!)
She knows a lot of what she writes in this book. It’s a novel with a fictional character but a lot of it is based on her life.
I love this story and most of it felt realistic to me.
I could feel all of Rayne’s feelings, her desperation, her frustration, her loneliness, her fear, her anger, her sadness, her guilt, and her hopefulness, excitement and happiness, and the love she does feel for others.
One quibble is that at only 12 years old a boy and girl are shown not just in a situation where someone has a crush but as potential real love interests. Yes, I know it happens but it seems so young to me to be “dating for a few months� however innocently it’s done. I know kids this age do this but this story is fiction and I’d rather these two had just stayed friends or had the crush stay a crush. The boy in particular seems a tad too mature. In some ways the kids seem overly mature in other ways too. Overall is that this is a minor quibble offset by the model of the healthy communication that occurs, including communicating about their relationships. My friends and I had some deep conversations at that age but I don’t think quite as maturely or with such self-awareness. The disagreement Raine has with her parents and even the drastic actions she takes because of it seem realistic and understandable for her age. Her naiveness about how clinical trials work was also absolutely spot on for her level of life experience. I did ache for her.
I would have loved this book when I was ages 9-12. I’m sure it would have been a favorite book of mine when I was the targeted age. I loved it reading it now too. It’s an excellent book. I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages who enjoy children’s novels and I think it could be especially useful to readers who feel uncomfortably different in some way(s). I appreciate and enjoyed the Deaf & hard of hearing education that I got from reading this book.
It’s extraordinarily rare when almost immediately I know when I’m reading a 5 star worthy book. This is one of those very few books. I knew right awayIt’s extraordinarily rare when almost immediately I know when I’m reading a 5 star worthy book. This is one of those very few books. I knew right away with this book. I wish I could give this book 6 stars. It’s one of the best books that I’ve ever read.
Excellent! Well written, great storyteller, engaging, Thought provoking. Horrifying. Humorous at times. A wonderful variety of topics about the same basic subject.
I’d like to read more books by this author so I’ll look at her novels and if their stories appeal to me I’ll definitely add them and hopefully get to them and read them.
There is a list of works consulted included at the end of the book.
I thought that she might lose me in the last 10 pages but nothing could diminish the impact of the thoughts the author puts into these essays and I enjoyed even these last pages.
In spoilers because this is NOTHING to do with this book and I hate to take attention away from its contents but (view spoiler)[ the musings here reminded me that much is the same for Native Americans (re the book The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee by David Treuer that I read recently, and the Buffy Sainte-Marie songs I’ve known since I was 13) and other groups that have faced discrimination and violence against their peoples. (hide spoiler)]
Brilliant book and I’d like to recommend it to all readers or at least all non-fiction readers or at least all who have Jewish heritage or know anyone who’s Jewish, but really almost all readers.
The author is a LibraryThing author. I would like it if she also became a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ author member.
ETA: This is the text of the first chapter and maybe my favorite chapter. I think that it's brilliant and thought provoking:
I do love John Green. I have enjoyed his young adult novels and this book is wonderful. His thoughts are smart and profound and so relatable. He is kiI do love John Green. I have enjoyed his young adult novels and this book is wonderful. His thoughts are smart and profound and so relatable. He is kind and bright and authentic. His writing always draws me in and emotionally moves me.
For this book of nonfiction essays book I read a Kindle e-book edition and simultaneously listened to the Overdrive audio edition, both borrowed from my public library. The narration by the author was first-rate. I can’t see anyone else doing the narration. I would have had zero interest in the audio edition if it had been another narrator. One thing I appreciated about the audio edition is where there is an asterisk in the e-book, maybe pointing to notes in the back of the paper edition?, John Green expounds on the topics. The extra words are right there and every time I thought they deserved to be read and read in those exact places in the book. I also appreciated that for one essay a tape of bird sounds played. I love his narration!
I love these short essays.
Almost everything in these essays is quotable so I wasn’t going to any quotes but there are two I want to remember:
“For me, reading and rereading are an everlasting apprenticeship.�
“For humans, there is ultimately no way out of the obligations and limitations of nature. We are nature. And so, like history, the climate is both something that happens to us and something we make.�
Musings and this book is good for that sort of thing: (view spoiler)[ Even though I love the audio and the e-book too, I’d love to own a paper copy of this book. Unfortunately, not am I not buying books but I’m culling and in a major way. My 15,000 books are now fewer than 2,000, I think that number must go lower. Honestly this is one I probably wouldn’t keep indefinitely. I’ve been ruthless about letting go of many favorite and sentimental books.
My place looks better and I feel some load off of me but I feel the loss too.
I had multiple major traumatic incidents of the loss of books when I was young. Ages 12 and 13, age 15, and a couple of times in young adulthood, and I was afraid that this letting go process would compound the trauma. It is hard but not as difficult as I’d been expecting. Having it be my decision (given my circumstances) and having some measure of control does help.
But there wasn’t enough rhyme nor reason to my cull since the collection left does not exactly feel like me anymore � some books I gave up I should have kept and I see books still on shelves (at least all the books now do fit on bookshelves and are no longer on the floor, on the extra desk, doubled or tripled up!) that could probably go and be easier to relinquish than some of the books that are now gone. This is the hardest part about this process.
I was able to give 2 family members� prayer books that I’ve never and would never use to newly found long distance cousins, and that feels gratifying.
But I am missing a vegan cookbook and it’s driving me crazy and if it’s not found I might have to buy it again
And library books I wish I owned (like this one, as a paper book) I want to buy. There are many I’d like to buy. I have not bought many books for many years and I shouldn’t be buying any books at all, not even friends� books.
The other thing driving me crazy is that my books have always been in excellent to good order and now they’re all over the place. The only exceptions are my large bookcase that has all my vegan and animal rights and some related books on it and my small bookcase that is being populated with books I’ll keep no matter what, if at all possible.
I think of people who lost all their books (and all their possessions! � I also gave up all my record albums, some games, and many other items including decorative and sentimental including photographs, my mother’s paintings, and other such thing, and collectables) due to fire and other natural disasters, the Holocaust, a downsizing move, etc. etc. etc. One of those could still happen to me. I’m grateful for the books that I still have. I’m incredibly grateful for having access for fairly good libraries and going forward having use of a good library will be one of my top priorities.
I’m taking photos of many of the books that I’m giving up in the hopes that I will eventually get them all on my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ shelves and at least rated if not reviewed. Early in the process I got rid of many books without doing that, including an entire bookcase filled with dog books, and I do regret not making some sort of record of what I’ve given up. I had no good ways of doing that with my earlier losses of books.
All this said, I wish I was wealthy and that I owned a house and that I could keep a magnificent and very large library of owned books.)
I was thinking that if anything would give me useful perspective and keep debilitating grief & depression away it would something like reading this book but the fact is if anything it worked as a trigger and I felt more depressed although interestingly not more anxious, at least not in general. (hide spoiler)]
Included in the audio but not the e-edition were the essays titled: Mortification, The Kaua’I o-o, The Smallpox Vaccine. I hope that all the essays are included in the paper edition but I got the most out of both a print and an audio edition.
In summary, this author and these essays are brilliant and relatable, and I can recommend them to just about every reader. I’m happy that this book won “best nonfictionâ€� in the 2021 Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Awards. (view spoiler)[ And yes after giving up all but maybe 1,500-2,000 of my 15,000 books and not having bought many books for many years, and trying hard to buy no more I would love to own a paper copy of this book. *sigh* Thank goodness for libraries! (hide spoiler)]
Highly, highly recommended to all readers no matter what their typical reading taste....more
I love this author’s storytelling and writing style. I love this author’s characters. It’s easy to care about them, one way or the other.
I enjoyed reI love this author’s storytelling and writing style. I love this author’s characters. It’s easy to care about them, one way or the other.
I enjoyed reading about all sorts of places I know in the San Francisco Bay Area! Many of them were real and even the made up ones did a good job of describing the areas around the San Francisco Bay Area.
The town in this book is fiction. I still tried to guess where it was supposed to be. I ended up thinking Hillsborough, or maybe Woodside, or maybe even San Mateo. I don’t think Palo Alto or Menlo Park because they were in the wrong direction. The author mentioned other real towns that were not it so I knew they were other towns. Included were Burlingame, Atherton, and Belmont.
I love the “wonder test� questions at the start of every chapter. What a hoot! Also, fun that they gave a faint hint of what was to be in that next chapter.
I get a kick out of when this author makes subtle references to her own previous books. In this book I noticed it on page 95 of the hardcover edition. It’s always fun when she does this.
Just FYI: On page 72 there’s a huge spoiler for the short story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. I didn’t appreciate that. I first read that story when I was 13 and in 8th grade but I know adults who’ve read it for the first time just recently.
I love this author and I love that she dedicated this particular book to her son, but I will say I had to suspend disbelief big time that she would do the activity she did with her son, no matter what the circumstances, and what she chooses to do and to not do after the event seems even less plausible. I did enjoy the entire story anyway and also liked how it ended, even though much of the happenings were too hard core for my usual taste in entertainment. This book was less "out there" than her last book The Marriage Pactand I liked this one better than that one. I really liked this one, but The Year of Fog and No One You Know are the novels that remain among my all time favorites. I think this one will stick with me though, in a good way. I’d love to know what will happen with these characters and I wonder if there will ever be some sort of sequel.
Much of the time I felt as though I didn’t know what was going on, and I couldn’t even always remember or know how some characters were related to othMuch of the time I felt as though I didn’t know what was going on, and I couldn’t even always remember or know how some characters were related to other characters, but I enjoyed the book anyway. I just decided to read and enjoy and figured by the time I reached some point or at least the end that it would all come together and I would understand what was happening/had happened. It did and I did. I enjoyed it as I was reading it. I genuinely came to care about the characters. One part of the central premise though left me a tad disappointed and by the end I couldn’t do more than like it so 3 stars it is.
It took me ages to read. I don’t regret reading it but I’m not sure I shouldn’t have spent the time on a book I would have enjoyed even more.
It was an interesting book though. I appreciated it while I was reading and got pleasure from reading it, but I was very glad to be finished reading it.
Pros:
Lovely and at times poetic writing.
Complex characters I cared about, whether or not I liked them.
Coming full circle and answering the mysteries/questions.
Made me think about all sorts of fascinating things especially morality and adaptation.
Cons:
A bit ambitious for what it was?
I definitely did not like the more than hint that there were such things as (view spoiler)[ ghosts and an afterlife. (hide spoiler)]
It was a well-constructed story but still left me more than a bit less than satisfied.
Note: I read a Kindle edition borrowed from the library. I read it on an old iPad.
Quotes I liked:
“Memories are always bent retrospectively to fit individual narratives�
“It is possible to leave so much out of any given story.�...more
I wanted to love this. I love the idea of seeing all sorts of colors in what appears to be a gray day. For me though the “story� was plodding and didaI wanted to love this. I love the idea of seeing all sorts of colors in what appears to be a gray day. For me though the “story� was plodding and didactic. It consists of one friend saying everything is gray (or black � I didn’t like the black cats are bad luck part not really being challenged) and the other friend pointing out all the colors truly there if viewed carefully. That’s pretty much it, or 95% of it. The illustrations were pleasant and interesting (especially some of the nature scenes) but I didn’t love them. 2-1/2 stars For me it was disappointing but don’t listen to me. I’m not a young child and perhaps I was not in the right mood to read it....more
This is a wonderful book, an excellent combination of personal biography, family biography & history, medical science history, with some g4-1/2 stars
This is a wonderful book, an excellent combination of personal biography, family biography & history, medical science history, with some general history and current events included. It contains some basic information about the ramifications of having inherited Lynch Syndrome. It’s a lovely family/families story and coming of age story. I love how the narrative goes back and forth in time, following various people and events. The account is easy to follow because each mini-section has its year included in the title. I recommend it to all readers interested in any of the above types of books. I was extremely interested in this book because I do have Lynch Syndrome. I particularly recommend it to others with Lynch Syndrome or those having any genetic mutation that makes them prone to develop cancers, or perhaps other ailments as well.
This is not a depressing book. At times it is sad but despite the difficult subject matter it is life affirming and fascinating in every way, at least it was to me.
I have great admiration for the author and particularly for some of her ancestors. Her family members greatly contributed to the discoveries made about genetic reasons for some cancers in some families. I’m in awe and jealous that family members knew Dr. Lynch and important researchers.
I hadn’t known the relationship between the eugenics movement in the United States and conditions such as this, though I did know about its ties with Nazis in Germany. I could have actually done without mentions of the current U.S. President and some other celebrity figures and current events, though I do understand why they were included, especially the 9/11 terrorism acts.
This was a holiday gift from a good friend who knew how much I wanted to read it. It’s a Canadian book and there is no United States edition. I requested it but my library couldn’t order it for that reason. They have to order from certain vendors. It can be purchased on Amazon or from Canadian bookstores, and perhaps also from bookstores in other countries as a special order. I’m grateful that I got the chance to read it not too, too long after it was published.
I haven’t seen another book like it and I highly recommend it particularly for those with Lynch and those who know anyone from a “cancer family� also.
Most with Lynch Syndrome gene mutations (and other gene mutations that also increase risk for cancer and other diseases) do not know that they are affected. Lynch Syndrome is not exceedingly rare. I’ve heard the stats 1 in 300 and 1 in 279 probably have one of the 5 known gene mutations mean Lynch Syndrome. If you’ve had 3 biological relatives who’ve be diagnosed with cancer, particularly before age 50, and particularly with the most common “Lynch cancers� of colon, rectal, uterine, ovarian, stomach, small intestine, bile duct, pancreas, kidney, and also maybe breast, skin, brain, but the mutations can lead to all forms of cancer, then I’d suggest getting the simple test. Those who have it can be proactive and get screenings and prophylactic treatments to avoid it or catch it early.
No need for others to read the text in spoiler tags. Tons of repetition and few lucid or logical sentences, in a hurry to get something down while it is still 2019: Some personal jumbled musings not really part of the review � I’ll try to come back someday to edit and perhaps to also write a more worthy review:
I might come back and clean up and organize these notes. I might at least get rid of the repetition and try to form some coherent sentences. I finished the book on 2019/12/31 and wanted some review posted while it was still 2019.
Everyone on my mother’s mother’s mother’s side of the family has died of cancer. Even before I knew what Lynch was, it was obvious there was something hereditary going on. Before I reached my teens I expected to get cancer when young and expected to die from cancer. Never did I expect to reach my current age still cancer free, a previvor. Of the relatives I know about on that one fourth of my family, I’ve outlived all the women and all but two of the men (dead at 83 and 72, both diagnosed in their late 60s) by more than a decade and oftentimes by half a lifetime. I would have gotten tested had there been a test when I was twelve, and definitely at the “permitted� age of 18. I’d thought I was tested early on but I guess not. The author was tested four and a half years before I was. When I was tested they could test for only three of the now five known mutations, and the genetic counselors couldn’t tell me exactly what my mutation meant. My gastroenterologist at the time told me it didn’t matter the test results; she knew I would get colon cancer. She just couldn’t tell me when. I had figured the same. I have a different mutation than the author does. Different mutations are associated with different risks regarding types of cancer and ages at diagnosis, to some extent.
By the time I got tested I was the only survivor I knew of from that family line so I was the only person tested. I know that my mother, my grandmother, my and my great-grandmother had it, also my mother’s brother, and all (or maybe all but one) of her uncles. It’s supposed to be a 50/50 chance to pass it on parent to child (assuming only one parent has it and not both; that’s another story) but in my family it seems to be 100%. I have to only guess that my ancestors had the same mutation I do. There is no way to know for sure.
I’d love a full battery of tests and some genuine genetic counseling, but it wouldn’t really change anything except to satisfy my curiosity. I wish I could see a Lynch specialist and not have to keep educating doctors or having them having to educate themselves in only a basic way when they’re dealing with me. I have not been able to get all the recommended screenings, though I certainly get more than most people do. It took three decades of every doctor trying to convince me (I’d had a really, really bad experience with surgery at age 13 and had avoided all surgery after that) before I finally submitted to a hysterectomy. I was lucky I got that done not too late. Extremely lucky given my family history!
I knew that this book would be a tough read for me. Except for online people, and I don’t really know any, but just read posts, I don’t know anyone else with Lynch Syndrome. I was so eager to read this book. I’d love to chat with the author. Our experiences are so different though, except that we’re both thankfully still cancer free. I’m 15 years her senior so my situation seems amazing to me. The book did not depress me or scare me in the ways I most feared. I simply enjoyed the story. What was hard for me is that unlike the author I do not have many relatives and very few family stories. I couldn’t write a book like this. I’d have to rely on records and not on other people.
As I was reading I found and pulled out my genetic test results. They tested for only 3 mutations MLH1, MSH2 (the author’s), and MSH6 the only one I am tested positive for, but now they know of others too: EPCAM and PMS2. I got myself tested on April 11, 2006 and the report came back on June 20, 2006. I’ve never seen a Lynch specialist. I’ve known since my mother died when I was 11 though, already knowing about previous cancer deaths, that I was likely to die young from cancer, even before I knew anything specific about genetic mutations or knew of Lynch Syndrome or knew about genetic testing. I thought I’d done the genetic testing much earlier, partly because other Lynch people seem to have been tested for more variants and because it seems like much longer ago, but that’s because I’d already assumed I had the “cancer gene� that had decimated one quarter of my family. I’d love to be able to get the full battery of tests and would love to go to Dana Farber’s Lynch Center or another major cancer center, or to at least see a doctor who has extensive knowledge about Lynch rather than be the one who has to education my doctors.
Lynch Syndrome isn’t incredibly rare. I’ve heard stats of 1 in 279 and of 1 in 300. Anyone who’s had a few relatives die before age 50 of cancer, particularly one of the “Lynch cancers� should be tested. If positive insurances will pay for possibly lifesaving screenings, much more than they approve for the average person.
I feel sad because I could never have written a family memoir like this. My mother died when I was 11. The only other relatives from that one fourth said left by the time I was born were my mother’s brother (never had a good relationship with him) and some cousins of my mother’s generation and young from Wales, England, Israel. I met one a few times and a few from Wales when I was 10 or 11 but never knew anyone other than my mother and uncle. My mother told a few family stories and my father could give a bit of information after my mother died, but I really know so little. I have very few “family stories� and virtually none from my maternal grandmother’s (and great grandmother’s) side of the family. (hide spoiler)]
I’m happy to lend this book to any local person who would like to read this book. If the library (SFPL � San Francisco Public Library) will make it available for circulation (vs. what they usually do which is putting it in their library sale or making it for library use only) I plan to eventually donate the book to them....more
I won this book at LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. It didn’t arrive before publication date (but about a week after) so I don’t consideI won this book at LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. It didn’t arrive before publication date (but about a week after) so I don’t consider it an advance copy.
The illustrations are lovely and they are soothing and good for a bedtime book. The colors and style are appealing, if a bit busy in the sense of it being activating if kids want to see everything. But overall great for getting into a relaxed state.
I’m an adult so not this book’s targeted audience, but I found myself wishing for a similarly short non-rhyming story to say the same thing, and I’m not sure if all of it was even meant to rhyme. I was a bit confused. But I appreciated the gist of what it was trying to do. I think that the poem tries a little hard to rhyme, in my opinion, but I think the rhyming works well enough, and some fun words are included, including just a few more advanced words. But some of the rhyming doesn’t quite work.
I think for some children ages 3 to 7 or 8 this could be a good last book to read at bedtime. I liked it. I think when I was a child I’d have liked it more than I do now.
As with all for bedtime books I think about kids who have nightmares who might not want to think about what they see when they dream, but this book could be a springboard to encourage kids to think about pleasant things, and perhaps their dreams would be more pleasant and fun.
Between the time I’d shelved it and reserved it at the library and picking it up from the library, I’d forgotten than this was a historical fiction noBetween the time I’d shelved it and reserved it at the library and picking it up from the library, I’d forgotten than this was a historical fiction novel and not a non-fiction book. I had two others borrowed from the library novels at home with more expected soon. But this looked good enough to start. This definitely read like a novel and at the start had me realizing how much I was in the mood for non-fiction, but to its credit I ended up loving it. 4-1/2 stars
The titled chapters, many very short, did help make this a relatively quick read. It’s in 4 parts with the 2nd part being by far the longest: Part I The Time Before December 1936, Part II The Time Between March 1938, Part III The Time After January 1939 � the dates being just the start of the sections, and then Part IV And Then�(just 2 pages long, and non-fiction)
Alternating multiple stories with several sets of characters I just knew would be connected by the end and they were. Very satisfyingly and skillfully done.
Despite being a “before� the Holocaust book, there is an awful lot of atrocities and persecution that happen. I could feel the fear and the relief and the love and the sadness and the horror.
I loved so many of the characters. I especially loved Žofie-Helene the math genius and Stephen Neuman the playwright and wonderful older brother and Tante Truus, and many others too. I could say so much more about these three well developed characters and the other characters too.
There are some good villains too, including some heartbreakingly young, and Eichmann plays a chilling role.
I have an audio edition on hold, specifically to learn the correct pronunciation of many names. (I’d loved to have read the paper and audio editions simultaneously but the audio isn’t yet available to me.) I particularly want to know how Žofie-Helene is pronounced. Also Truus and her full name. Hopefully the narrator will correctly pronounce the German, Austrian, and Dutch names. I did get a kick out of Adele Weiss being pronounced edelweiss like the flower (and later the song in the The Sound of Music) but I want to make sure I understood that correctly.
The story and characters touched my heart. There is incredible suspense. Harrowing! It’s a page-turner. I did stay up to the middle of the night to finish it. It was predictable in some ways yet not at all in other ways. My emotions ran the gamut as I read. It’s an excellent novel.
I loved the dedication at the beginning and loved and appreciated the acknowledgments section at the end. The author does explain a bit about what in the story is non-fiction and where she took liberties for the sake of the fictional story. I am grateful for that, although much would be easy to look up. I was too mesmerized by the story to take time to fact check even though I was curious at times. One sentence in the acknowledgments broke my heart. I have read a fair amount about the Kindertransport but learned more about a part of it from this novel.
This is a fine addition to the historical fiction Holocaust genre.
For some reason I thought friends here had already read this (I’ve seen so much about it here) but I’m now seeing this is not the case. I highly recommend it. I’m glad I read it instead of the non-fiction book I’d thought I preferred.
I’m going to check out this author’s other books and if any of their topics appeal to me I will add them to my to read shelf....more
I loved this book. I was interested in Esperanto in college but never found a way to make space to take it. But I’ve learned a lot from this book becaI loved this book. I was interested in Esperanto in college but never found a way to make space to take it. But I’ve learned a lot from this book because I hadn’t realized it is been around for as long as it has. I was under the impression it was a fairly new language circa the early 1970s. This is a lovely story about the man who created this language and why he did. It’s a wonderful picture book biography and includes interesting historical information. Wonderful illustrations! I loved them. There are Interesting and useful extras in the back of the book although they are not lengthy. Very touching! four & one half stars...more
I really liked this book. (Thanks, Laura, for suggesting it.) Such great storytelling, such two endearing, wonderful main characters, and many other iI really liked this book. (Thanks, Laura, for suggesting it.) Such great storytelling, such two endearing, wonderful main characters, and many other interesting and well-drawn characters. I read it quickly because whenever I could I read; I didn’t want to put it down, including choosing it over all other free time recreational activities.
There were some unbelievable and unrealistic events, and a few large story/plot holes. And not just toward and at the end but from the start through the end, but I don’t feel like listing them all. The characters & story were so good that they didn’t matter to me as much as they probably should have.
This book was made for me. Issues of financial troubles, homelessness, lack of family/support, etc. etc. etc. and mostly I loved that one of the main characters is vegan, and while she is definitely a health food vegan she is also an ethical vegan, vegan for animal cruelty reasons, and she sticks to her ethics, despite often being in many difficult to eat situations. In most books with vegan characters the books are message books and they’re not usually very good books. This is definitely not a message book and, despite its flaws, I think it’s a very good book.
Pure pleasure reading but not at all dumb. It made me think, a lot. Is it chick lit? Maybe, but if so it’s sans romance, and I appreciated that.
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