A Love Story with a Little Heartbreak

by Thomas Dunker

A Love Story with a Little Heartbreak is based on a true story of one woman's dream finally coming true not only against all odds, but after believing that her dream had been lost forever. The story takes place in Chilton, a hamlet in the middle of the farming community of central Wisconsin in 1945-1951. This is a moving tale with an unexpected ending that surpasses anyone's most hopeful expectations.

238 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I was not captive on a plane there is no way I would ever have finished this. I cannot recall ever reading such a hokey book with the possible exception of The Shack. The work screams for the tender, yet ruthless, ministrations of a good editor - or any editor at all, for that matter. The story itself wasn't bad. It is the supposedly true story of the author's mother overcoming serious adversity. The way it was written, however, made me want to scream - mostly at the end of every chapter. The entire tale was told in an "Aw, shucks, m'am" folksy tone which went out of style circa 1930 (and it took place mainly in the 40's). To add insult to injury, the author apparently fancies himself somewhat of a down-home philosopher so the end of each chapter is a little homily or life lesson enlightening the reader in the way one should think about life, always ending with the sentence, "But I digress". And, man, can he digress! This book was on my Nook and was 447 pages long. It should never have made it over 100, in my opinion. Mr. Dunker has several other informative tomes to his credit. As for me, I plan to stay far, far away from them.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very pleasant story to read; it just gave me a ... peaceful feeling. Even as we follow Connie through her horrendous accident and loss of her young husband, she drew me close with the sheer 'rightness' of enduring and
overcoming and continuing on with a quiet successful life. This story just transported me to a world where people lived unassuming but heroic lives; not constantly striving for more, better, successful accomplished lives, but daily living the lives that were before them. A happier more truly successful time than today's frantic lifestyle offers. Connie (the author's mother, we discover) marries her sweetheart and lives a wonderful happy life until her husband is killed and she is horribly injured in a car accident. Through sheer determination she overcomes her disabilities, meets and marries another 'soulmate' and lives a happy contented life in spite of further loss. This book revives a feeling of simplicity and hopefulness, and as I said before, peace. I'm glad I read it.

[Tasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took over 20 chapters for me to FINALLY be drawn into this book. I was determined to complete the book, only because I'd started it. If that we're not the case, I would have missed Connie's tragic accident and the resulting story. Actually, the book could have started there...the night of the party, as that is where the true story begins to unfold. Each chapter ends with a quick narrative note, followed by three words; "but I digress." This was overdone and unnecessary.

Although the book was a good read and quite interesting once the aforementioned issues were overcome, those issues were major enough that I would hesitate to recommend this book to someone else.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 8 chapters of this book was a slow read. I was finally drawn in at chapter 9. Also felt that the author was repetitive at times! The chapters, however, are short so you will run through it quickly. Overall, I enjoyed the book!

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a slow start and, if it weren't a true story, the end would have been hokey. What spoke to me, however, was Connie's toughness. She fought her way through in a way that was very impressive.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! It had tragedy, inspiration, and romance all in one book. Wonderful story and worth your time.

[Anne-Marie Stacke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was just so gripping. I couldn't put it down at all. So sad.

[Laura Schmidt]

ok

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay