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The Note
When the unthinkable happens . . . En route from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Tampa International, Flight 848 bursts into flames and crashes into Tampa Bay. All 261 passengers and crew are killed.
390 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
89 people are currently reading
1976 people want to read
About the author
Angela Elwell Hunt
271 books1,964 followersChristy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who have learned to expect the unexpected in novels from this versatile author. With nearly six million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 165 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to novels.
Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Turner and Hooch and Sandlot too many times). This affinity for mastiffs has not been without its rewards--one of their dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest canine in America. Their dog received this dubious honor after an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for the dog and the Hunts, complete with VIP air travel and a stretch limo in which they toured New York City.
Afterward, the dog gave out pawtographs at the airport.
Angela admits to being fascinated by animals, medicine, psychology, unexplained phenomena, and “just about everything” except sports. Books, she says, have always shaped her life— in the fifth grade she learned how to flirt from reading Gone with the Wind.
Her books have won the coveted Christy Award, several Angel Awards from Excellence in Media, and the Gold and Silver Medallions from Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. In 2007, her novel The Note was featured as a Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel. Romantic Times Book Club presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, and American Christian Fiction Writers bestowed the same award in 2019.
In 2006, Angela completed her Master of Biblical Studies in Theology degree and completed her second doctorate in 2015. When she’s not home reading or writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences. And to talk about her dogs, of course.
Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Turner and Hooch and Sandlot too many times). This affinity for mastiffs has not been without its rewards--one of their dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest canine in America. Their dog received this dubious honor after an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for the dog and the Hunts, complete with VIP air travel and a stretch limo in which they toured New York City.
Afterward, the dog gave out pawtographs at the airport.
Angela admits to being fascinated by animals, medicine, psychology, unexplained phenomena, and “just about everything” except sports. Books, she says, have always shaped her life— in the fifth grade she learned how to flirt from reading Gone with the Wind.
Her books have won the coveted Christy Award, several Angel Awards from Excellence in Media, and the Gold and Silver Medallions from Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. In 2007, her novel The Note was featured as a Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel. Romantic Times Book Club presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, and American Christian Fiction Writers bestowed the same award in 2019.
In 2006, Angela completed her Master of Biblical Studies in Theology degree and completed her second doctorate in 2015. When she’s not home reading or writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences. And to talk about her dogs, of course.
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December 28, 2021
It's the unwritten rule that a bookish person read the novel before watching the movie but in this case I didn't know of the book when I watched the movie a few years ago. I really liked the movie so I was excited to find this at a library book sale. I need to watch the movie again but at this time, I'm going to say I was a bit disappointed in the novel. It started slow, came off a little "cheesy", the highlight a little predictable and the ending feeling a little unfinished. I know there is a follow up novel and I have seen the second movie so I suppose the open-ending was intentional but I would have liked it wrapped up a little stronger.
With a copyright date of 2001 and publishing date of 2006, you will definitely notice some outdated technical references and the mention of an office in the World Trade Center tower. For some of us, that will be a reminder of how fast time goes by, but possible confusion to a younger generation although this story is perfectly suitable for them.
With a copyright date of 2001 and publishing date of 2006, you will definitely notice some outdated technical references and the mention of an office in the World Trade Center tower. For some of us, that will be a reminder of how fast time goes by, but possible confusion to a younger generation although this story is perfectly suitable for them.
October 2, 2023
The Note has been sitting on my to-be-read shelf for some time. It is highly recommended by others who love contemporary fiction, which speaks to the quality of the book considering it is more than twenty years old (more on that at the end of my review).
The Note follows Tampa newspaper columnist Peyton MacGruder on her quest to discover the rightful owner of a mysterious handwritten note that miraculously washed ashore following a devastating airplane crash off the Florida coastline. The note is addressed to “T.” and signed simply “Dad.” Peyton quickly whittles down the possible recipients to three, and each one has a very different reaction to the offer of the note.
It took me about halfway into the book before I realized The Note is an allegory about how people receive the “note” God has left for us: the gospel. I’m convinced I didn’t realize it because Hunt’s primary objective was to write a really good story, and that she did. I sped through this book like it was cool water on a hot day. Rich attention to detail, compelling dialogue, a bit of romantic tension that doesn’t overpower the essence of the story, and a good, strong tug at the heartstrings. Hunt is a masterful storyteller who keeps you hanging on every word. The end remained unpredictable, and I enjoyed discovering right along with Peyton. Although the story ended in a way I thought was “doing too much” (as the kids say these days), I respect the allegorical aspect to Hunt’s choice.
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a superbly written contemporary novel.
Fair warning: This book was published in May 2001, mere months before Sept. 11. For those of us with vivid memories of that day, this may bring those vivid recollections rushing to the forefront, especially because some scenes are set in the World Trade Center. Unfortunate timing for a book of this ilk to release back then, but today, the story’s core message resounds.
The Note follows Tampa newspaper columnist Peyton MacGruder on her quest to discover the rightful owner of a mysterious handwritten note that miraculously washed ashore following a devastating airplane crash off the Florida coastline. The note is addressed to “T.” and signed simply “Dad.” Peyton quickly whittles down the possible recipients to three, and each one has a very different reaction to the offer of the note.
It took me about halfway into the book before I realized The Note is an allegory about how people receive the “note” God has left for us: the gospel. I’m convinced I didn’t realize it because Hunt’s primary objective was to write a really good story, and that she did. I sped through this book like it was cool water on a hot day. Rich attention to detail, compelling dialogue, a bit of romantic tension that doesn’t overpower the essence of the story, and a good, strong tug at the heartstrings. Hunt is a masterful storyteller who keeps you hanging on every word. The end remained unpredictable, and I enjoyed discovering right along with Peyton. Although the story ended in a way I thought was “doing too much” (as the kids say these days), I respect the allegorical aspect to Hunt’s choice.
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a superbly written contemporary novel.
Fair warning: This book was published in May 2001, mere months before Sept. 11. For those of us with vivid memories of that day, this may bring those vivid recollections rushing to the forefront, especially because some scenes are set in the World Trade Center. Unfortunate timing for a book of this ilk to release back then, but today, the story’s core message resounds.
April 15, 2009
If you check my Goodreads account, you'll see that I have very few five star books. You'll see the same thing if you check my Amazon reviews. I rarely give five stars to a book because I think if I do so very often, there is no rating for the exceptional book. The Note by Angela Hunt is a five star book.
It is sometime prior to 9/11/01--because a small part of the action takes place in the World Trade Center in New York (and the book was copyrighted in 2001). A jet went down near Tampa. As the media frenzy is dying down, Peyton, a newspaper columnist, is given a note in a ziplock bag. Someone who lived next to the water recovered it, and thinks it was from one of the crash victims. It is from "Dad" to "T" and offers forgiveness. Peyton searches for the child to whom the note is addressed and learns about herself in the process. I don't want to give away too many details but when the story about the note breaks she ends up competing with a rising TV network news star so their relationship is part of the story, as is her relationship with an attractive co-worker and former boss. Another character is a somewhat eccentric former reporter turned prison minister.
The book is classified as Christian fiction. The message is forgiveness, which of course is an important Christian concept. However, I really think this is a book that anyone could read and enjoy. Other than the theme of forgiveness, I really can't think of any particularly Christian elements in the book. One of the characters is a Christian minister, and it is within that context that he thinks about the Note, but again, unless you are anti-religious, I don't think you should have a problem with it.
I case you couldn't tell, I loved this book and highly recommend it!
It is sometime prior to 9/11/01--because a small part of the action takes place in the World Trade Center in New York (and the book was copyrighted in 2001). A jet went down near Tampa. As the media frenzy is dying down, Peyton, a newspaper columnist, is given a note in a ziplock bag. Someone who lived next to the water recovered it, and thinks it was from one of the crash victims. It is from "Dad" to "T" and offers forgiveness. Peyton searches for the child to whom the note is addressed and learns about herself in the process. I don't want to give away too many details but when the story about the note breaks she ends up competing with a rising TV network news star so their relationship is part of the story, as is her relationship with an attractive co-worker and former boss. Another character is a somewhat eccentric former reporter turned prison minister.
The book is classified as Christian fiction. The message is forgiveness, which of course is an important Christian concept. However, I really think this is a book that anyone could read and enjoy. Other than the theme of forgiveness, I really can't think of any particularly Christian elements in the book. One of the characters is a Christian minister, and it is within that context that he thinks about the Note, but again, unless you are anti-religious, I don't think you should have a problem with it.
I case you couldn't tell, I loved this book and highly recommend it!
February 27, 2021
The premise of this book is very interesting. A note of forgiveness and love from a father to a child is found among the wreckage of a plane crash. It is written to “T” and signed “dad”. A reporter tries to track down the recipient of the note as she writes a column regarding her progress.
I think I would have rated this book higher if it would have kept its focus on the premise. But so much of the book is about the reporter. And she has lots of baggage and issues. If the book would have had a few more prospects as to the recipients of the note and a lot less angst regarding the reporter, I would have enjoyed it more. It was almost like two stories meshed together.
I read that this book has been made into a Hallmark movie. That seems to be a perfect pairing.
I think I would have rated this book higher if it would have kept its focus on the premise. But so much of the book is about the reporter. And she has lots of baggage and issues. If the book would have had a few more prospects as to the recipients of the note and a lot less angst regarding the reporter, I would have enjoyed it more. It was almost like two stories meshed together.
I read that this book has been made into a Hallmark movie. That seems to be a perfect pairing.
March 26, 2016
SUMMARY: When the unthinkable happens . . .
En route from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Tampa International, Flight 848 bursts into flames and crashes into Tampa Bay. All 261 passengers and crew are killed. For one week, newspaper columnist Peyton MacGruder and her fellow reporters cover one of the nation's worst air disasters in years with overwhelming and numbed emotions.
Then a woman Peyton's never met gives her a plastic bag that has washed up behind her house. The bag contains a note, almost certainly from the doomed flight, with a simple yet wrenching message: T- I love you. All is forgiven. -Dad
Combing through the passenger list to find the victims whose children's names begin with T, Peyton is determined to deliver the note to its proper owner. A quest which will prove as important to Peyton's own life as to the mysterious T.
REVIEW: Angela Hunt is a consummate storyteller, and The Note is no exception. Focusing on the theme of struggling relationships, forgiveness, and reconciliation, Hunt gives a story that reminds us we all fall short in our relationships, there isn't always a tomorrow and forgiveness and healing are possible through Christ if we only allow it.
Peyton was a wonderful main character as she had many hurts in her past. The storyline allowed her to break open the shell around her heart and within her writing as a journalist to see more deeply inside people as well as herself. I loved how King was there to guide her without being overly pushy. He could see her potential and the person she could be if she opened up to herself and others. Julie St. Clair represented so much of what we see in journalism today - a story at any cost.
The storyline revolving around the found note from the airplane crash is full of poignant moments, varying attitudes towards the discovery, and finally a general realization by the readership of the newspaper that it gave meaning to all of them.
This book will definitely make my 2016 Favorites list. I would recommend this book to readers who like modern Christian fiction without a focus on romance.
FAVORITE QUOTES: (A few of the many I highlighted)
"Some things.....you have to accept by faith. After all, I've never seen Pluto, but I trust the people who have evidence of its existence....This note is evidence of one father who cared enough to say good-bye to his child."
"The most precious gift you can give a hurting soul is the freedom to express pain and pleasure."
"TOO LATE. Those had to be the saddest two words in the English language."
"But you can't force someone to receive a gift they're not willing to accept."
En route from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Tampa International, Flight 848 bursts into flames and crashes into Tampa Bay. All 261 passengers and crew are killed. For one week, newspaper columnist Peyton MacGruder and her fellow reporters cover one of the nation's worst air disasters in years with overwhelming and numbed emotions.
Then a woman Peyton's never met gives her a plastic bag that has washed up behind her house. The bag contains a note, almost certainly from the doomed flight, with a simple yet wrenching message: T- I love you. All is forgiven. -Dad
Combing through the passenger list to find the victims whose children's names begin with T, Peyton is determined to deliver the note to its proper owner. A quest which will prove as important to Peyton's own life as to the mysterious T.
REVIEW: Angela Hunt is a consummate storyteller, and The Note is no exception. Focusing on the theme of struggling relationships, forgiveness, and reconciliation, Hunt gives a story that reminds us we all fall short in our relationships, there isn't always a tomorrow and forgiveness and healing are possible through Christ if we only allow it.
Peyton was a wonderful main character as she had many hurts in her past. The storyline allowed her to break open the shell around her heart and within her writing as a journalist to see more deeply inside people as well as herself. I loved how King was there to guide her without being overly pushy. He could see her potential and the person she could be if she opened up to herself and others. Julie St. Clair represented so much of what we see in journalism today - a story at any cost.
The storyline revolving around the found note from the airplane crash is full of poignant moments, varying attitudes towards the discovery, and finally a general realization by the readership of the newspaper that it gave meaning to all of them.
This book will definitely make my 2016 Favorites list. I would recommend this book to readers who like modern Christian fiction without a focus on romance.
FAVORITE QUOTES: (A few of the many I highlighted)
"Some things.....you have to accept by faith. After all, I've never seen Pluto, but I trust the people who have evidence of its existence....This note is evidence of one father who cared enough to say good-bye to his child."
"The most precious gift you can give a hurting soul is the freedom to express pain and pleasure."
"TOO LATE. Those had to be the saddest two words in the English language."
"But you can't force someone to receive a gift they're not willing to accept."
September 28, 2011
I began this book just prior to the 10th anniversary of September 11, and found it fitting, an appropriate touchstone of remembered grief and healing surrounding that day of remembrance. That wasn't the reason why I read it, however. I picked up the book after seeing and enjoying the Hallmark Movie Channel adaptation and hearing the author speak about bringing the story to life. After loving the movie, I was drawn to discover the author's original intent as the book was published first.
The novel tells of a seemingly insignificant note that may have survived a tragic plane crash and finds its way into the hands of a struggling newspaper columnist. At first, she sees this as merely a way to save her job, but in the end finds its message of forgiveness touching many lives, including her own. The book is not afraid to delve deeply into the lives of all the characters and even shares shifted POV observations of secondary characters to reveal more about the main character herself.
I was pleased to learn that the movie was true to the book in all the essential ways, with only some minor character changes. After reading the book though, I can see that Hallmark did sweeten the movie and flatten the characters a bit. I felt all of the novel's characters were far more real. Even the antagonists were not wholly "bad". I also truly appreciated the book's realistic treatment of adoption. The Hallmark version of that scene is a little too "sunshiney".
I suppose if I had read the book first, I would not have appreciated the movie as much as I did. Once again, my experience bears that out... see the movie, then read the book... or risk disappointment.
The novel tells of a seemingly insignificant note that may have survived a tragic plane crash and finds its way into the hands of a struggling newspaper columnist. At first, she sees this as merely a way to save her job, but in the end finds its message of forgiveness touching many lives, including her own. The book is not afraid to delve deeply into the lives of all the characters and even shares shifted POV observations of secondary characters to reveal more about the main character herself.
I was pleased to learn that the movie was true to the book in all the essential ways, with only some minor character changes. After reading the book though, I can see that Hallmark did sweeten the movie and flatten the characters a bit. I felt all of the novel's characters were far more real. Even the antagonists were not wholly "bad". I also truly appreciated the book's realistic treatment of adoption. The Hallmark version of that scene is a little too "sunshiney".
I suppose if I had read the book first, I would not have appreciated the movie as much as I did. Once again, my experience bears that out... see the movie, then read the book... or risk disappointment.
July 20, 2013
Over the waters of Tampa, Florida Flight 848 bursts into flames. Everyone on board is killed. After a week of many news outlets covering the story and believing the people are tired of the subject a woman approaches The Heart Healer for the Tampa Times, Peyton MacGruder, with an artifact that has washed ashore from the wreckage. It is a note from a father to his child declaring all is forgiven. To T, signed Dad.
Given a two week notice because Peyton's Heart Healer has shown no heart in her writing and is nothing like the previous Heart Healer's column, she hopes the search for T can help her find her heart. Along the way she finds something she never dream she'd come across.
There is real emotion in this story. Fighting Peyton over the note is a national newscaster wanting to be first. After the first Heart Healer article on the subject she tries to upstage Peyton in everything she does. I really felt anger toward this character. I wanted to give her a punch in the nose.
The story was turned into a Hallmark Channel Movie starring Ted McGinley and Genie Francis. I try not to hold that against the novel. :p Hey, it was an okay movie but nothing comparable to Angela Hunt's book. This is another fabulous piece by one of my favorite Christian authors.
I read this for pure pleasure. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review in any way.
Given a two week notice because Peyton's Heart Healer has shown no heart in her writing and is nothing like the previous Heart Healer's column, she hopes the search for T can help her find her heart. Along the way she finds something she never dream she'd come across.
There is real emotion in this story. Fighting Peyton over the note is a national newscaster wanting to be first. After the first Heart Healer article on the subject she tries to upstage Peyton in everything she does. I really felt anger toward this character. I wanted to give her a punch in the nose.
The story was turned into a Hallmark Channel Movie starring Ted McGinley and Genie Francis. I try not to hold that against the novel. :p Hey, it was an okay movie but nothing comparable to Angela Hunt's book. This is another fabulous piece by one of my favorite Christian authors.
I read this for pure pleasure. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review in any way.
January 1, 2008
Not as bad as Lolita, but I have to tell you, the fact that I finished this one is a testament to the sheer power of human determination.
En route to Tampa from NYC, a flight crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, killing all on board. Several days later, a note reading "T, All is forgiven, I love you. Dad" washes up on a beach and a woman gives the note to struggling journalist Peyton MacGruder, who uses the note to jumpstart her failing career as "The Heart Healer", a sort-of-advice columnist. MacGruder finds three survivors of plane crash victims who potentially fit the bill to be the recipients of the note. Word gets out and a TV journalist wants in. So not only is MacGruder struggling--you know what? I'm bored writing this synopsis. This book sucked. Plain and simple sucked. At the end, the absolutely ridiculous twist in which Peyton's family struggles are revealed just make the whole thing insipid and dumb. Don't bother with this one. Really. I'm saving you a lot of time.
En route to Tampa from NYC, a flight crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, killing all on board. Several days later, a note reading "T, All is forgiven, I love you. Dad" washes up on a beach and a woman gives the note to struggling journalist Peyton MacGruder, who uses the note to jumpstart her failing career as "The Heart Healer", a sort-of-advice columnist. MacGruder finds three survivors of plane crash victims who potentially fit the bill to be the recipients of the note. Word gets out and a TV journalist wants in. So not only is MacGruder struggling--you know what? I'm bored writing this synopsis. This book sucked. Plain and simple sucked. At the end, the absolutely ridiculous twist in which Peyton's family struggles are revealed just make the whole thing insipid and dumb. Don't bother with this one. Really. I'm saving you a lot of time.
December 6, 2016
This book has a very good message. It is part of the women of faith fiction series, which I didn't notice when I bought the book. So I was somehow afraid that it had a religious agenda which I am not a fan of. It did not. It just had a an agenda of humanity. The way things connected were just a tiny bit corny but this is a novel after all and it was a great way for the author to fully develop the main character and allow her to be transformed and deliver the message to the reader. I may look into other novels from this series when I need to be uplifted. 3.6 stars ✨
September 10, 2016
I watched the movie before I read this book, which I don't recommend doing because they are very different. That doesn't mean that either one was bad though, just that most of the events were totally changed. I really enjoyed both. The message was inspiring, the characters were likeable, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys uplifting books.
October 15, 2008
Don't think you know what is going to happen just by picking this book up. It is an awesome book and should be on everyone's book list! Angela Hunt weaves a story that is filled with questions until the end and then leaves you with an AHH! Great Book!
recommended
April 15, 2009
August 7, 2010
The book began very slow. Nevertheless, as interviews began to pick up, so did the pace of the book. The message intended to impress readers was a bit too contrived. But as a summer novel, I rather enjoyed the story and the surprise ending.
May 27, 2011
Found this quite a heart-wrenching novel. Great unexpected ending that brings the book full circle. Second book that I've read by this author and I think I'll really enjoy reading more.
February 25, 2019
The beginning of this book was a little slow then finally started to pick up halfway through. The ending was a little over the top but it was sweet in its own way. It ended exactly the way I like for a story to end. Leaving hope for a bright future in the aftermath of a disaster. It was an easy read and had a great message about forgiveness and the unfailing love of a good father.
July 25, 2020
The storyline intrigued me and I like to explore the writing styles of various authors. I listened to this through my local library and enjoyed it. The ending surprised me and I always like it when I didn't see the twist on the horizon.
February 15, 2023
This book is written as an allegory about God's love and forgiveness, but that escaped me until I was reading end notes in the book. I felt the book was weak on actually giving the gospel message.
I also thought the immorality of one character was a bit more descriptive than necessary.
However, I did think it was an interesting, as well as unusual, plot.
I would give this 3 1/2 stars if I could.
I also thought the immorality of one character was a bit more descriptive than necessary.
However, I did think it was an interesting, as well as unusual, plot.
I would give this 3 1/2 stars if I could.
March 13, 2024
This ending brought happy tears!
November 4, 2024
A new Author to me ~
A little slow at the beginning but kept getting better and more interesting.
A good story about God's love and forgiveness . A good message for everyone.
A little slow at the beginning but kept getting better and more interesting.
A good story about God's love and forgiveness . A good message for everyone.
July 29, 2021
Overall very good book, loved the ending. I checked 4 stars because it did have some slower harder to read parts in the middle
August 1, 2019
Really enjoyed this book. Loved the twist at the end.
February 28, 2015
Peyton MacGruber is a columnist for “The Heart Healer” in the Tampa Times, who strictly writes facts with no nonsense. She is about to lose her job as a columnist if she can’t find a way to gain more readers – she has the lowest readership of all the columns. When PanWorld Flight 848 goes down in the bay, Peyton witnesses the loss and sorrow and does her best to help out. When a woman, who reads her column, gives to her a handwritten note of a father’s forgiveness that was salvaged by a plastic zipped baggie, Peyton knows her next column should be about searching for the person whom the note was meant for. This note may or may not be a hoax but in a time full of sorrow and tragedy, the hope of finding the recipient drives Peyton to write from her heart. With only a first initial to guide her, Peyton must investigate all of the passengers and their children to deliver a message of forgiveness and love, while she deals with her own feelings of neglect from her father.
I absolutely loved this book and I’m curious to see what Hallmark did with the story as a movie. I loved the character of Peyton – she was so real and had to deal with sensitive situations in her life. The story of forgiveness is beautifully written into this incredibly interesting “what-if” story. I was in tears by the end because of how emotionally attached I became with Peyton’s character. The note:” T- I love you. All is forgiven. -Dad” was truly life-changing for the characters and the story will touch your heart.
I highly recommend this book! (I received this book through Goodreads Bookswap)
I absolutely loved this book and I’m curious to see what Hallmark did with the story as a movie. I loved the character of Peyton – she was so real and had to deal with sensitive situations in her life. The story of forgiveness is beautifully written into this incredibly interesting “what-if” story. I was in tears by the end because of how emotionally attached I became with Peyton’s character. The note:” T- I love you. All is forgiven. -Dad” was truly life-changing for the characters and the story will touch your heart.
I highly recommend this book! (I received this book through Goodreads Bookswap)
February 20, 2011
So the book is about this plane that crashes just before landing in Tampa FL but just before the plane blows up (a loose screw sparked the fuel line) one of the passengers wrote a note on a napkin and slipped it in a plastic bag and stuffed it in a fold of the seat in front of him. The Note says: T- I love you, all is forgiven. Love Dad. almost 2 weeks after the crash the note washes up to a lady's backyard and she takes it to this reporter for a local newspaper to find who it belongs to. Peyton the reporter starts out on a search to deliver these last words.
I wishI knew how to make the rating be 2 and a half stars because the story was moving but just really dry I felt so it was a quick and yet tedious read. The major theme is this story is forgivness, of yourself, of others and of the world. it is about moving on and being happy. When I finished the book I sat and thought about if I was going to die in a plane crash would I have the presence of mind to try and leave a note and it I did who would I write to and what would I say? I love you just seems like not enough in those situations and yet they are. This was a sweet story and a decent read.
I wishI knew how to make the rating be 2 and a half stars because the story was moving but just really dry I felt so it was a quick and yet tedious read. The major theme is this story is forgivness, of yourself, of others and of the world. it is about moving on and being happy. When I finished the book I sat and thought about if I was going to die in a plane crash would I have the presence of mind to try and leave a note and it I did who would I write to and what would I say? I love you just seems like not enough in those situations and yet they are. This was a sweet story and a decent read.
January 19, 2016
WOW!!!
This book hooked me right away, but I never expected it end like it did. The raw emotion you felt when reading this book at times was so much that you had to stop reading for a moment to collect yourself. Through the years there have been many devastating airplane disasters which effect hundreds of people. This book starts out with airplane crash, a possible lost of position in at a well known newspaper, and a past that Peyton wanted to forget. Angela takes you through Peyton's though process and as you read you are amazed to see the transformation that becomes her. Once a hard working, keep to yourself, don't let anyone in type person is changed to an out-spoken woman, who wants to reconcile and become closer to those around her.
I must say that this is a book to read. I am so glad that I happened upon it. It certainly has changed my thoughts about things that have happened in my past that I just have pushed under the rug. It is time to bring those things to light, to forgive myself and others and to move on.
This book hooked me right away, but I never expected it end like it did. The raw emotion you felt when reading this book at times was so much that you had to stop reading for a moment to collect yourself. Through the years there have been many devastating airplane disasters which effect hundreds of people. This book starts out with airplane crash, a possible lost of position in at a well known newspaper, and a past that Peyton wanted to forget. Angela takes you through Peyton's though process and as you read you are amazed to see the transformation that becomes her. Once a hard working, keep to yourself, don't let anyone in type person is changed to an out-spoken woman, who wants to reconcile and become closer to those around her.
I must say that this is a book to read. I am so glad that I happened upon it. It certainly has changed my thoughts about things that have happened in my past that I just have pushed under the rug. It is time to bring those things to light, to forgive myself and others and to move on.
June 11, 2012
This is a book that I started a long time ago, and then gave up on before I finished it. So when I put together my list for Kate's summer reading challenge, and one of the books to read, was a book you'd started but never finished. I grabbed this one from my shelves, and gave it another go. And finished it!
My thoughts;
I found that the book started off really slow, I didn't really get into the story. However it does pick up pace towards the end.
I liked the general idea of the story, however the ending to me was just a little bit too cheesy, and a tiny bit unbelievable, which bothered me.
The actual writing was good, but I don't think the story was great. I thought this would be a really good read, but in the end it was just OK, because even though I am all for a happy ending, this one was just a bit too overly sentimental, and far fetched.
My thoughts;
I found that the book started off really slow, I didn't really get into the story. However it does pick up pace towards the end.
I liked the general idea of the story, however the ending to me was just a little bit too cheesy, and a tiny bit unbelievable, which bothered me.
The actual writing was good, but I don't think the story was great. I thought this would be a really good read, but in the end it was just OK, because even though I am all for a happy ending, this one was just a bit too overly sentimental, and far fetched.
March 28, 2020
I picked this book up around 10 last night, expecting to read a couple chapters then go to bed. But I couldn’t put it down!!! (I put it down after I finished it) It was interesting to me because the main character, Peyton, had been through a lot in life, the loss of her husband, then her husbands baby, and it was kinda about her learning to put that in the past. And also the importance of father/daughter relationships was a strong theme by the end of the books which I also enjoyed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2012
While I have not actually read the book, I have watched the movie dramatization and really enjoyed it. This was one to make me really feel about the characters and connect. I laughed and I cried and I'm eager for the sequels.
February 14, 2024
So well written. Peyton is trying to keep her dying newspaper column alive and receives a note from a passenger on a doomed airplane. She sets about finding the recipient and the journey changes her immensely. I love this book. I did cry.
March 4, 2008
Allegory. Plane crash, note found, journalist wants to find who wrote it and why.
August 7, 2022
This was a good one, which I doubted would be after I saw the very Hallmarky movie version, but then was reminded why I shouldn't have doubted it when I remembered that Angela Hunt is just a good writer. The story is sentimental and something that you can make cheesy, but the book is compelling and the writing style has a subtly to it that draws out the profound simplicity of what's going on.
The main character is flawed yet smart, and I enjoyed seeing the perspective glimpses of those around her as we move throughout the story. Her unraveling backstory is done pretty well, and the conclusion feels right.
My one qualm is a small moment that is maybe too vague for me to be bothered by... but according to the note-writer's daughter, she and her parents had a fight because she was interested in finding out about her birth mom, and her parents interpreted that as her somehow being ungrateful for her adoptive mom, and so they fought about it. Then in the note, he doesn't say "I'm sorry", he says "all is forgiven". Which is a good message, and I'm sure it's because they said things in the fight that were mean and harsh and he wanted her to know that didn't matter. But an adopted child has every right to want to find out about her birth parents, and it makes me uncomfortable that the parents interpreted that as ungratefulness and then didn't apologize for it, as if she was the true one at fault. I would've felt better if the note had said "I'm sorry" as well, or if the argument had been all on her. Obviously we don't know exactly what happened, but it doesn't sit super well with me.
But aside from that, I liked Peyton and the way she handled things, and so her story and conclusion was a good one.
The main character is flawed yet smart, and I enjoyed seeing the perspective glimpses of those around her as we move throughout the story. Her unraveling backstory is done pretty well, and the conclusion feels right.
My one qualm is a small moment that is maybe too vague for me to be bothered by... but according to the note-writer's daughter, she and her parents had a fight because she was interested in finding out about her birth mom, and her parents interpreted that as her somehow being ungrateful for her adoptive mom, and so they fought about it. Then in the note, he doesn't say "I'm sorry", he says "all is forgiven". Which is a good message, and I'm sure it's because they said things in the fight that were mean and harsh and he wanted her to know that didn't matter. But an adopted child has every right to want to find out about her birth parents, and it makes me uncomfortable that the parents interpreted that as ungratefulness and then didn't apologize for it, as if she was the true one at fault. I would've felt better if the note had said "I'm sorry" as well, or if the argument had been all on her. Obviously we don't know exactly what happened, but it doesn't sit super well with me.
But aside from that, I liked Peyton and the way she handled things, and so her story and conclusion was a good one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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