Tara

I'm reading it off and on in the evenings when I get home from work. Somehow, it has a calming effect over this cough I have right now.

I read this when I was in elementary school, either 3rd or 4th grade, and loved it. I've decided to revisit books from my childhood to see if that love and excitement for the book is still there. I'm hoping that I enjoy this book as much now as I did way back then. Update to follow...

Library loan ended before I could finish.

I received a galley of this book from the publisher. I found this book very enjoyable and the characters likeable. The characters are all on their own journeys of grief and work through that grief in many ways, sometimes humorous and sometimes heartbreaking. This was an enjoyable read.

I started this book in the spring but had to put it down. I am a fan of Joyce Carol Oates and usually enjoy her work. This book spoke to me on many levels, as my mother became a widow in July 2010 and it was a sudden, unexpected event. That is why I had to put this book down and place it on my “To reread in the (near) future” shelf. The pain over the loss of my father came back over me as I read about Ms. Oates' days spent at the hospital and how the world seemed to crash around her when she found out her husband was gone. I plan on returning to this book and finishing it, but right now may not be the right time.