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Wow just why on earth did I not read this YEARS ago? I love this book! The structure, the characters. The messages of it! All of it. I love it all.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Don’t recall where I read a blurb somewhere about this novel, but I got a copy and picked it up this weekend on a whim and WOW! Love the writing, the characters and the story. Finally, something as good as All The Light We Cannot See or City of Thieves. It’s been difficult for me to get into any WW2 fiction since those two fantastic novels, but here’s hoping!

Maybe this should’ve been called Varina’s Odyssey...

Eh. Definitely an homage to the Brontës. I enjoy the use of antiquated vocabulary that fits the time period (“mithering” “candent” fleam”). However, while I like a plucky heroine, I find Annaleigh’s behavior and word choices to be a bit anachronistic. It’s a first person narrative, and I’m often confused by her. Sometimes, she’s very much the innocent foundling. Other times, she’s NOT.

I am LOVING this book. At this point, I might be able to say it’s my FAVORITE book of the year. Absolutely exquisite writing. The whole scene (THE BEACH wLydia and Mr Styles) is in front of me and I’m crying...

10% in but I’m really enjoying this one. I love a novel that’s researched and lovingly crafted, and that’s the impression I already have of this one. Anna’s helping to build the battleship USS Missouri and both the NYC setting and this particular scene are reminding me of my dad—a machinist who also made parts for battleships and airplanes for the US in his shop in our basement on Long Island.

I like Perotta and picked this up as something "fun" for a background read when I needed a change from my other heavier read. Not exactly my cup of tea, but typical Tom Perrotta!

A very strange story. Very unsympathetic narrator and difficult to read because of some of the disturbing imagery in many places. Maybe in all the places! Plowing through. Not a happy book.

In danger of being abandoned...

Not much to recommend this one at this point. Rather dreary.

It's about 200 pages, so...
Very interesting storytelling.

That's it. I've completely abandoned this. It's just not for me. Too sappy, characters are unbelievable and stereotyped and/or too good to be true. And I simply didn't care for one of the central premises of the book: a young woman with an amaaaaazing palate (can you hear my eyes rolling?) refuses to cook. Please. I just can't go on. I know this book is for someone, it just isn't me!