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Le ranch des trois collines
A sweeping new drama from the beloved, bestselling author of Roses.
Texas in the early 1900s, its inhabitants still traveling by horseback and barely familiar with the telephone, was on the cusp of an oil boom that, unbeknownst to its residents, would spark a period of dramatic changes and economic growth. In the midst of this transformative time in Southern history, two unforgettable characters emerge and find their fates irrevocably intertwined: Samantha Gordon, the privileged heiress to the sprawling Las Tres Lomas cattle ranch near Fort Worth, and Nathan Holloway, a sweet-natured and charming farm boy from far north Texas. As changes sweep the rustic countryside, Samantha and Nathan's connection drives this narrative compulsively forward as they love, lose, and betray. In this grand yet intimate novel, Meacham once again delivers a heartfelt, big-canvas story full of surprising twists and deep emotional resonance.
Texas in the early 1900s, its inhabitants still traveling by horseback and barely familiar with the telephone, was on the cusp of an oil boom that, unbeknownst to its residents, would spark a period of dramatic changes and economic growth. In the midst of this transformative time in Southern history, two unforgettable characters emerge and find their fates irrevocably intertwined: Samantha Gordon, the privileged heiress to the sprawling Las Tres Lomas cattle ranch near Fort Worth, and Nathan Holloway, a sweet-natured and charming farm boy from far north Texas. As changes sweep the rustic countryside, Samantha and Nathan's connection drives this narrative compulsively forward as they love, lose, and betray. In this grand yet intimate novel, Meacham once again delivers a heartfelt, big-canvas story full of surprising twists and deep emotional resonance.
656 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 2016
447 people are currently reading
4083 people want to read
About the author
Leila Meacham
18 books1,369 followersLeila Meacham was a writer and former teacher who lived in San Antonio, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 468 reviews
April 5, 2016
I really, really enjoyed this novel. This is what I would call 'light' historical fiction. It's nice being able to loose yourself in a nice easy story for a few hours. That is exactly what I've enjoyed so much about Meachams novels. 5 stars.
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July 17, 2018DNF’ed it at about 400 pages.
Even though the first chapter was promising, this book turned out to be boring and predictable. Leila Meacham likes to stop up her narrative every second page to explain the characters’ thoughts and reflections, and it becomes too much and to abruptive. Further on, the story keeps repeating its same points, and the plot seems to go nowhere.
I stopped reading because I grew too frustrated. I’ve read other books of Leila Meacham’s that I was okay with, but this one is definitely too weak for me to finish it.
Even though the first chapter was promising, this book turned out to be boring and predictable. Leila Meacham likes to stop up her narrative every second page to explain the characters’ thoughts and reflections, and it becomes too much and to abruptive. Further on, the story keeps repeating its same points, and the plot seems to go nowhere.
I stopped reading because I grew too frustrated. I’ve read other books of Leila Meacham’s that I was okay with, but this one is definitely too weak for me to finish it.
April 18, 2016
Having read all of Leila Meacham's books I of course had to read this one as well. If you are comparing this book to her previous books like "Roses" you will be sorely disappointed. Still a good read that kept me wanting to come back & read more.
Pros: Charactors that I could relate to. A well researched time period by the author. I appreciated the history & interesting subject matter of the book. Easy read with a well thought out plot line.
Cons: I didn't feel like the author did a good job of tying up the ending. All of a sudden it just ended & I felt like the most important relationship, that of Samantha & Nathan, wasn't even explored. I would have loved to read about the moment that Nathan found out that Sam was his twin. It was an important key element of the book that could have filled a whole last chapter. It was the moment the entire book was about & then it just wasn't there. Disappointing! I also prefer the authors format of a multigenerational time period saga like in "Roses." I wanted to read about offspring. This book missed that target audience Leila Meacham is known for.
Pros: Charactors that I could relate to. A well researched time period by the author. I appreciated the history & interesting subject matter of the book. Easy read with a well thought out plot line.
Cons: I didn't feel like the author did a good job of tying up the ending. All of a sudden it just ended & I felt like the most important relationship, that of Samantha & Nathan, wasn't even explored. I would have loved to read about the moment that Nathan found out that Sam was his twin. It was an important key element of the book that could have filled a whole last chapter. It was the moment the entire book was about & then it just wasn't there. Disappointing! I also prefer the authors format of a multigenerational time period saga like in "Roses." I wanted to read about offspring. This book missed that target audience Leila Meacham is known for.
December 16, 2018
“There’s oil in them thar fields” along with fossils, cattle, shady friends and family connections that may be best left buried.
This book read like a soap opera and I was not even a little bit in the mood for it. I knew going in that it would be like that but I didn’t think it would be as bad as it was. It was full of far-fetched scenarios and impossible coincidences that were extremely predictable and lame beyond belief. The fact that I didn’t like a single character made it even worse. I spent most of the book wanting to smack the ever-loving crap out of all of them for being so clueless. If they would have been honest with each other from the beginning, half of the stupid shit would not have happened.
There was another book written by this author that I added to my to-read list when I first started reading this book, and it took getting about halfway through this one for me to remove it.
Two stars to a book that irritated more than entertained.
This book read like a soap opera and I was not even a little bit in the mood for it. I knew going in that it would be like that but I didn’t think it would be as bad as it was. It was full of far-fetched scenarios and impossible coincidences that were extremely predictable and lame beyond belief. The fact that I didn’t like a single character made it even worse. I spent most of the book wanting to smack the ever-loving crap out of all of them for being so clueless. If they would have been honest with each other from the beginning, half of the stupid shit would not have happened.
There was another book written by this author that I added to my to-read list when I first started reading this book, and it took getting about halfway through this one for me to remove it.
Two stars to a book that irritated more than entertained.
May 27, 2019
Događaj o kojem saznajemo već na prvim stranicama okosnica je čitavog zapleta i naravno temelj raspleta. Na prvu dovoljno za odličnu priču koja se proteže na više od 500 stranica, ali kada je u pitanju ukupan dojam to ipak nije dovoljno da bi se dobio odličan roman. Previše je tu nategnutih slučajnosti kako bi se samo razvukla radnja. Nedostajalo mi je i istinskih emocija kojih je trebalo biti i koje bi izazvale empatiju što obzirom na temu nije trebalo biti teško. Ali eto ipak jeste... Ovako se po meni radi o samo vrlo dobrom romanu koji se lako i brzo čita, ali će se nažalost i vrlo lako i brzo zaboraviti. Šteta moglo je bolje...
May 22, 2016
Of all Leila's books this book was my least favorite! The characters were not developed strongly and were wishy-washy!! She repeated herself so much that half the book could have been eliminated. Even the story line was weak!!
January 18, 2022
Sve što sam očekivala od ove knjige sam i dobila.
Razgranatu fabulu, punu likova (nekih površno, a nekih dublje okarakterisanih), radnju sa obrtima, zanimljivu historijsku pozadinu...
Roman se brzo čita (za dva dana sam pročitala preko 500 str.).
Uprkos nekim klišeiziranim dijelovima, roman me razonodio i dajem mu visoku ocjenu 4.
Preporuka za knjigu za razonodu.
Razgranatu fabulu, punu likova (nekih površno, a nekih dublje okarakterisanih), radnju sa obrtima, zanimljivu historijsku pozadinu...
Roman se brzo čita (za dva dana sam pročitala preko 500 str.).
Uprkos nekim klišeiziranim dijelovima, roman me razonodio i dajem mu visoku ocjenu 4.
Preporuka za knjigu za razonodu.
May 12, 2016
Interesting setting, time period, and great characters. I liked the redeeming factor in all of them when their actions proved hurtful...... at least, five of the characters.
What I didn't like was the "lecture feel" of the story. As though my high school history teacher wanted to get in all the details of the time period even if they were trivial and wouldn't be on the final exam. And, those details were repeated "drilling" them in (pun intended) making the story drag.
What I didn't like was the "lecture feel" of the story. As though my high school history teacher wanted to get in all the details of the time period even if they were trivial and wouldn't be on the final exam. And, those details were repeated "drilling" them in (pun intended) making the story drag.
June 1, 2025
Leila k'o Leila, ne zna da skrati priču. Postoji jedna tajna, svi je doznajemo i sumnjamo da i ostali u nekoj meri znaju, ali niko od nas ne želi razgovarati o tome. Jako joj zameram zbog Rebecce, moglo je to drugačije da se završi. Sve u svemu, manja ocena jer ni u životu ne volim to hodanje po jajima.
July 4, 2016
If you want to read a really good Meacham book, go with "Roses." This one was okay, but I thought it dragged - too much emphasis on when, or if, the twins would find each other. And, the disappointing part, not having their first meeting as part of the novel. Instead, about thirty years was crammed into the final chapter and no details. I'd have liked to see less of the novel devoted to the buildup of their discovery and more devoted to the aftermath. I think it would have made the novel more enjoyable.
April 18, 2016
NO ONE writes like Leila Meacham!! She is an amazing writer! I loved this title as much as her other titles. I only wish she wrote more often!
February 4, 2017
A big book with lots of very predictable characters. To save you some trouble, everyone lives happily ever after.
March 31, 2020
Radnja je od početka predvidljiva, ali to mi nije smetalo.Možda malo razvučena, moglo je na manje stranica.
February 14, 2019
Deși face parte din seria cărților Iubiri de poveste, nu este o carte tip a acestui gen. În primul rând acțiunea se petrece în America, la sfârșitul anilor 1890, chiar înainte de nebunia descoperirii petrolului. Cartea chiar e structurată pe nararea acestor începuturi pt ca persoanjele sunt cele care, cel puțin la nivel de ficțiune, pun bazele acestor lucruri.
Lăsând la o parte faptul că îmi place mult cum scrie Leila, m a prins povestea încă din primele pagini.
În viata mea n am citit o carte unde sa fie atat de multe secrete. Dumnezeule.. aici toti aveau ceva de ascuns. Cred ca de fapt asta e ceea ce m a ținut cu ochii pe carte, voiam să văd ce se intampla cand va exploda bomba si toate minciunile vor ieși la suprafață. Am fost putin dezamăgită trebuie sa recunosc, pt ca pe cat de imbarligata a fost povestea, pe atât de fad a fost finalul... Sec! Fara multa vorbărie intr un singur capitol s a povestit cum s au rezolvat problemele, ceea ce mie mi s a parut suspect pt ca nimeni nu poate trece peste atatea minciuni si lucruri nespuse fără să reacționeze în vreun fel. Personajele n au avut nicio reacție. Mi s a parut nerealist. Mi a plăcut chiar dacă se citeste greut, din cauza detaliilor legate de fermă, animale, petrol, afaceri, dar n as recomanda o. M au fascinat relațiile de familie, legăturile dintre ei, poveștile de dragoste etc. (chiar dacă nu s a pus mare pret pe ele ci pe un tot unitar a tot ceea ce am enumerat). 3 stele. I as fi dat 4 daca autoarea n ar fi grabit finalul si ar fi facut sa fie putin mai multă energie la aflarea adevărului.
Lăsând la o parte faptul că îmi place mult cum scrie Leila, m a prins povestea încă din primele pagini.
În viata mea n am citit o carte unde sa fie atat de multe secrete. Dumnezeule.. aici toti aveau ceva de ascuns. Cred ca de fapt asta e ceea ce m a ținut cu ochii pe carte, voiam să văd ce se intampla cand va exploda bomba si toate minciunile vor ieși la suprafață. Am fost putin dezamăgită trebuie sa recunosc, pt ca pe cat de imbarligata a fost povestea, pe atât de fad a fost finalul... Sec! Fara multa vorbărie intr un singur capitol s a povestit cum s au rezolvat problemele, ceea ce mie mi s a parut suspect pt ca nimeni nu poate trece peste atatea minciuni si lucruri nespuse fără să reacționeze în vreun fel. Personajele n au avut nicio reacție. Mi s a parut nerealist. Mi a plăcut chiar dacă se citeste greut, din cauza detaliilor legate de fermă, animale, petrol, afaceri, dar n as recomanda o. M au fascinat relațiile de familie, legăturile dintre ei, poveștile de dragoste etc. (chiar dacă nu s a pus mare pret pe ele ci pe un tot unitar a tot ceea ce am enumerat). 3 stele. I as fi dat 4 daca autoarea n ar fi grabit finalul si ar fi facut sa fie putin mai multă energie la aflarea adevărului.
February 28, 2019
Am încheiat luna Februarie cu o carte pe care am amânat-o ceva timp, pentru ca am avut presimțirea ca nu se va ridica la nivelul lui Somerset si Trandafiri, care mi-au plăcut tare mult. Titans a fost cu totul alta poveste ... a fost, cel putin pentru mine, genul acela de roman tip tenelovela, previzibil, static, cu replici ieftine si personaje fade si plictisitoare, in care nu se întâmpla nimic in 500 de pagini. Nu pot spune ca a fost ceva ce mi-a plăcut. Nici atmosfera nu mi s-a părut bine conturata, deși autoarea se pricepe la aspectul acesta. Nu vreau sa intru in detalii despre poveste in sine, ca sa nu povestesc tot romanul.. dar mi s-a părut plictisitoare si am tras de mine de multe ori sa nu o abandonez. Ca si personaj, nu m-a impresionat nimeni si nici nu am reușit sa creez o conexiune cu cineva. M-au enervat la culme situațiile repetitive, replicile adolescentine si imaturitatea personajelor. As spune ca a fost un roman lipsit de substanța daca ar trebui sa il caracterizez pe scurt.
May 24, 2017
I have been invited to join a local book club, and Leila Meacham's Titans (2016) is the first selection on the reading list. The novel centers on family drama, involving two central characters, Samantha Gordon and Nathan Holloway, and a wide assortment of parents, siblings, friends, and more. We meet each main character separately, and then we experience the connections between the two. Beyond the endearing characters and the engaging plot, the novel also offers a captivating sense of time and place, and it does not hurt that the place is Texas. Samantha and Nathan live in North Central Texas in the year 1900. The novel works as historical fiction, and incorporated into the story are some of the innovations and changes that the new century was bringing, from telephones to oil wells, from ranching business to petroleum business. The author paints scenes of ranches and homes, snippets about Fort Worth and Dallas and their surrounds. The rich description of the novel even pictures the transportation at the time, from riding a horse to taking a train to boarding a raft to cross the Red River. I know it sounds clichéd, but reading the book gave me a feeling of being there. Leila Meacham's Titans is definitely a "good read," one that I look forward to discussing at book club. And another of her books, Roses (2010), is now on my To Read shelf.
December 2, 2017
The basic plot of "Titans" is alright, if unoriginal and clichéd. But I found the specifics of the piece extremely problematic. (Warning: spoilers and possible triggers ahead.) First, the author's handling of rape seemed disrespectful and dismissive to me. The allegation is quickly swept aside and dismissed, even by her own husband who declares that the other man "wouldn't have had to rape her." Additionally, mental illness was also poorly portrayed. Rebecca's death, coupled with her uncle's suicide, seems to give the message that it's impossible to live a happy, productive life with mental illness. And finally, few of the women had any agency, and Samantha, who did actually have dreams and aspirations, quickly gave them all up for the chance to get married and be a mother. I found this novel troubling to say the least.
March 3, 2019
Skipped to the end.... I couldn't stand how this was written, the characters did not talk very realistic and it drove me nuts! They kept say very obvious and fake things, over and over again.... The characters were annoying also. Why did Samantha care when her father wouldn't let her read his letter?? Isn't he allowed any privacy? Why would anyone care that much and become so suspicious about something so trivial. He is a grown man and your father so just leave it be! This book was basically a soap opera, plot and writing wise. The characters even have ridiculous names like 'Sloan Singleton', who was called by his full name basically every time they mentioned him which got very old, very fast. I think it could have had about 400 pages cut out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2016
I was quite disappointed in this novel. It was long and tedious. I kept reading waiting for something of interest to occur but it was a pretty much a letdown.
May 25, 2019
Lijepa priča, ništa previše nemam za reći . Mislim da knjigu Ruže ne može nadmašiti nijedna do sad prevedena. Ruže imaju definitivno najjaču emociju . Uživala sam čitajuci i ovu , kraj je predivan ... Možda sam ja očekivala previše...
September 19, 2016
4.5 I really like it. First thing I must say is COMMUNICATE PEOPLE!!!- There, I feel better :) I enjoyed the characters and love the setting (Fort Worth-where I live). Narration was very good as well.
June 10, 2016
Excellent! Great family saga with history of the oil founding in Texas. Fun to read of local places and imagine them in their beginnings.
June 26, 2017
Good vacation book. Easy, some substance, enjoyable.
April 17, 2021
Dafür habe ich jetzt echt ewig gebraucht... Nicht weil Leila Meacham schlecht schreibt, sondern weil ich zwischendurch wirklich nicht wusste, wohin sie mit dem Plot will? Man hätte locker 200 Seiten weglassen können, dann wäre für mich auch ersichtlicher gewesen, worauf sie hinaus will. Zudem war der Klappentext mal wieder mehr als missverständlich. Ich hab nicht das gekriegt, was ich erwartet habe.
Interessant fand ich dagegen wie Meacham Texas um die Jahrhundertwende beschrieben hat. Daran hatte ich Spaß. Es war sehr anschaulich geschildert und ich hatte richtig Bilder im Kopf. Wieso das Buch trotzdem nur 2 Sterne kriegt? Weil es zu lang war, weil ich es hasse wenn erwachsene Menschen meinen Probleme stillzuschweigen würde alles besser machen oder die Probleme dazu bringen, sich in Luft aufzulösen und weil so mancher "Plottwist" dermaßen vorhersehbar war, dass ich sehr kräftig die Augen verdreht habe. Grundsätzlich war es kein schlechtes Buch. Vielleicht einfach zu sehr Epos für mich... (Und ich habe Vom Winde verweht drei Mal gelesen! Ist auch nicht gerade ein dünnes Buch ;D)
Interessant fand ich dagegen wie Meacham Texas um die Jahrhundertwende beschrieben hat. Daran hatte ich Spaß. Es war sehr anschaulich geschildert und ich hatte richtig Bilder im Kopf. Wieso das Buch trotzdem nur 2 Sterne kriegt? Weil es zu lang war, weil ich es hasse wenn erwachsene Menschen meinen Probleme stillzuschweigen würde alles besser machen oder die Probleme dazu bringen, sich in Luft aufzulösen und weil so mancher "Plottwist" dermaßen vorhersehbar war, dass ich sehr kräftig die Augen verdreht habe. Grundsätzlich war es kein schlechtes Buch. Vielleicht einfach zu sehr Epos für mich... (Und ich habe Vom Winde verweht drei Mal gelesen! Ist auch nicht gerade ein dünnes Buch ;D)
July 8, 2017
Ik kreeg dit boek van Hebban, daar vind je ook mijn recensie : "het zwarte goud"
April 17, 2020
Wow! 600 pages is an investment of time but man, I loved this story so much. Beautiful. Engrossing. Captivating.
July 28, 2021
Why do I keep reading this woman’s awful books? Maybe because this one is set in East Texas at the cusp of the 20th Century oil boom, and I thought she would tell an interesting story. Wrong. Preposterous plot, unbelievable characters, and way, way too long. Just shoot me if I ever pick up another one of her books.
June 23, 2018
I stumbled across Titans in Barnes & Noble's bargain section. At first I was weary of the novel, considering its place and price at B & N. The book cover, which depicts a classic Southern old-fashioned country scene, caught my attention. I was looking for a historical fiction novel. I checked Goodreads, like I normally do before purchasing a book, and found that it got a solid 3.96 overall rating. Having that score I knew it must be good, so I went ahead and purchased it.
For the most part I enjoyed this 600 page novel and got through it relatively quickly- it took me 10 days to read. Although a bit lengthy and dull at times, Meacham is effective in developing her characters and painting a representation of them in her reader's mind. I think it may have been a difficult task at times for Meacham to take into account all characters- as there were a lot of them. I found myself having to concentrate more so than I normally do when reading in order to keep track of the characters.
The ending was simple and brief. Meacham's message of the importance of love and acceptance between friends and family was clearly communicated, if not directly stated.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a long summer read. It's not exactly a "page turner", but I found myself going back to it willingly during my free time.
May 13, 2019
Teksas početkom 20. stoljeća, dok ljudi još putuju konjskom zapregom i tek
uvode prve telefone, na rubu je naftnoga „buma“, koji će biti začetkom
dramatičnih promjena i gospodarskog rasta. Usred tog vremena preobrazbe
američkog Juga, pojavljuju se dva nezaboravna lika čije se sudbine nepovratno
isprepliću: Samantha Gordon, bogata nasljednica golema stočnog ranča Las
Tres Lomas nedaleko od Fort Wortha, i Nathan Holloway, simpatičan i šarmantan
mladić s farme u sjevernom Teksasu. U jeku društvenih promjena, velikih ljubavi
i slomljenih srca, njihova će neraskidiva povezanost zapečatiti sudbinu dviju obitelji.
U ovom grandioznom, ali ipak intimnom romanu, Meacham još jedanput je napisala dirljivu
knjigu punu neočekivanih preokreta i snažnih emocija.
uvode prve telefone, na rubu je naftnoga „buma“, koji će biti začetkom
dramatičnih promjena i gospodarskog rasta. Usred tog vremena preobrazbe
američkog Juga, pojavljuju se dva nezaboravna lika čije se sudbine nepovratno
isprepliću: Samantha Gordon, bogata nasljednica golema stočnog ranča Las
Tres Lomas nedaleko od Fort Wortha, i Nathan Holloway, simpatičan i šarmantan
mladić s farme u sjevernom Teksasu. U jeku društvenih promjena, velikih ljubavi
i slomljenih srca, njihova će neraskidiva povezanost zapečatiti sudbinu dviju obitelji.
U ovom grandioznom, ali ipak intimnom romanu, Meacham još jedanput je napisala dirljivu
knjigu punu neočekivanih preokreta i snažnih emocija.
June 3, 2016
Eve since reading Roses by this author I've excitedly picked up anything else she's written. None of her subsequent books have quite lived up to Roses but this one comes pretty close. However, it started out slow and is a bit wordy and should be a couple hundred pages shorter. We don't need several paragraphs to tell us exactly what each character is thinking and then several more paragraphs as they do just what we read they would do. The plot finally started to pick up at page 291. I actually remember the exact page number because I was hoping and waiting for the action to start! Meacham creates good characters and usually ties all loose ends together with a neat bow at the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 468 reviews