REVIEW - After Annie

OVERVIEW

This is a beautiful book! 

The only way that I can describe this novel succinctly is that it is a love letter to a character. The title says it all - if is AFTER ANNIE. Annie is the character to whom the love letter is written so beautifully!

This novel focuses on the impact that the loss of Annie wrecks on those left behind - it was the loss of a wife, mother, and best friend. It is honest and real and shows the worst and best in people. Death can really make people do good supportive things and really mean hateful things. 

The novel was written beautifully and deeply - we get to know the back story of the main characters especially as they all grew up and lived in the same suburban town. Powerful and satisfying. 

This book could be triggering for someone who recently lost a significant person in their life so I wanted to put that out there as a warning.

Yes, ANOTHER 5-star book!!!

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

I have read a couple of books by this author and this novel reminded me why I loved her writing. It is so strong, beautiful, and rich. She is descriptive without being wordy. 

I had no clue that she was a journalist and won a Pulitzer. Her writing is nothing that I would expect from someone who has such a strong background in opinion writing and journalism. Anna is a real chameleon!!

Character development: 5.0 stars

The characters are fully developed in a lovely and beautiful way. There were a handful of main characters whose back story was thoroughly explored which added so much to the storyline.  

The main characters are Annie (wife/mother/best friend), Bill (husband/father), Annemarie (best friend), and the four children (Ali, Ant, Benjy, and Jamie). The characters show their different ways of grieving and how they work through the pain and anger that they feel. 

The secondary characters are their friends, family, town residents, school friends, and other people in the lives of the main characters. They were explored greatly as a whole, but some interesting tidbits were shared that made it all come together beautifully.

Storyline:  5.0 stars

This book was described as Contemporary Women's Fiction, but I think it is much more. As I said above, it really is a beautiful love letter to Annie. After she was gone, her family and her best friend had a difficult time grieving. The hardest part for me was the grieving that the children went through - it was so real to me. 

The main location was a suburb outside of Philadelphia. 

Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars

The story was so intense and real that it was as if Annie was a real person. I think that I will need a few days to mourn her passing.

Book cover: 4.0 stars

It was nice, but a little subdued.

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfection.

Gut feeling: 3.0 stars

I assumed that I would like this book as I have liked other books by Anna Quindlen.

Suggestions: 

I wish that the book had been LONGER!!

Highly RECOMMEND

BOOK INFORMATION

After Annie by Anna Quindlen

304 pages 

Random House 

Release date of 03/12/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Anna Quindlen

My Goodreads review

Random House

NetGalley

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next read is...

 Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My Next Read is...

 After Annie by Anna Quindlen

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

DNF - Good Fortune

I will not be finishing Good Fortune by C.K. Chau. I am definitely NOT the correct demographic for this book due to my age. The correct target demographic would be someone in their 20s or 30s. 

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next read is...

 Good Fortune by C.K. Chau

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

Review - The Women

 

OVERVIEW

OMG!!! This book is unbelievable! I read it in about 24 hours and could not put it down. It is another 5.0-star book! Unbelievable!!

This story focuses on the unforgotten heroes in Vietnam - the female nurses! All throughout the book, the female Vietnam Veterans are told that "there were no women in Vietnam" and dismissed when their PSTD issues come to the surface. They are the unsung warriors who made a difference so that many young men could go home to their friends and families. Heroes!!  

This novel focuses on in-country in Vietnam in 1967-1968 and primarily focuses on one specific nurse, Frances "Frankie/Frank". It starts with her enlisting through the dedication of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C. 

The story is brutal, horrible, and ghastly. The Vietnam War was horrible for both sides and so much went wrong to create a totally FUBAR situation. There are so many layers to what happened in Vietnam that it will never be fully understood. The young men and women who sacrificed so much were simply pawns in an old, white-man game of power.  

Definitely an outstanding novel, but what makes it so strong is that it tells the untold story of the women in Vietnam - the nurses!! 

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

Since this is the first book by Kristin Hannah that I have read, I was completely blown away by her amazing writing. It is like she is painting a picture for me with her writing, but it is so much more. I could not only see what she was writing about, but I could feel, hear, smell, and taste it! 

Normally, I am hesitant to read popular books and authors, but Kristin Hannah proved me wrong. All of her readers are not wrong, she is a phenomenal writer!!

Interestingly, Kristin Hannah and I are very close in age and were born in California. What she talks about in her Author's Note was very real-life for me as well. It was a scary time for kids as we didn't fully understand what was going on!

Character development: 5.0 stars

This was a contemporary historical fiction book as it happened less than sixty years ago. But there were the normal large numbers of characters in a typical historical fiction novel! All of these characters added to the story and were necessary to fully understand the detailed storyline.

The main characters are Frances "Frankie/Frank", Ethel, and Barb who are in the Army Nursing Corps (ANC) and are immediate best friends while they serve in Vietnam and throughout the book. 

The secondary characters are their patients, fellow medical personnel, and other service members in Vietnam. Back home, their parents, friends, and spouses are also big secondary characters.

Finally, the Vietnam War is the tertiary character. It negatively impacts the lives of everyone that it touches. There was no one who left Vietnam the same person that they were when they arrived. The war was a greedy and evil character.

Storyline:  5.0 stars

The storyline was about what happened before, during, and after the Vietnam War for the three best friends, but most focus was on Frankie. These three friends were "ride-or-die" friends who were there through the worst and best times for each other. 

It was a painful, heartbreaking story that these three women experienced, but there are many, many more who went through the same traumas during the war in Vietnam. Everyone from the Soldiers to the Marines to the doctors to the helicopter pilots was negatively affected by their own private, personal experiences. Then they all came home and had people spitting on them. Horrific!

The main locations were Vietnam, Kauai, Virginia, California, and Washington D.C. 

Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars

This was extraordinarily memorable and informative. I knew that there were nurses in Vietnam because I watched a few episodes of China Beach. But, I never for a second thought about the horror - Hollywood glamorized their roles which was an insult to what they endured and accomplished. I need to do more reading on the topic - it is a powerful story that must be told before all of these heroes pass on.

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Perfection.

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Very appropriate!

Gut feeling: 3.0 stars

I was very unsure about whether I would like this novel or not as I have never read any of Kristin Hannah's books. 

Suggestions: 

A map of the locations would have been a helpful addition.

Highly RECOMMEND

BOOK INFORMATION

The Women by Kristin Hannah 

480 pages 

St. Martin's Press 

Release date of 02/06/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Kristin Hannah

My Goodreads review

St. Martin's Press

NetGalley

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next read is...

 The Women by Kristin Hannah

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Diva

 

OVERVIEW

I believe that this is the second book by this author that I have read. I knew, of course, who Maria Callas was, but I didn't know about her long-term affair with Aristotle Onassis!

The story focuses on the timeframe when Maria and Aristotle meet and have their torrid affair. Yes, I get that it was a VERY torrid affair. But, the book is a little R-rated for me and I just don't find it necessary to have love scenes so graphic - I get what happens!  

The novel doesn't fully let the reader into WHY Maria would have been involved in such a long-term affair when she was LA DIVA!! I would have liked more on her life "pre-Aristotle" and "post-Aristotle". 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars

Writing: 3.5 stars

The writing was not that exceptional and needed some editing to me. But, it could be that I have been reading some very, very well-written books by very renowned authors. 

Character development: 3.5 stars

This was more like contemporary historical fiction as it happened about sixty years ago. There weren't a large number of characters as in a normal historical fiction! But, there were a lot of people who passed in and out in the book for added color like royalty or movie stars. 

The main characters are Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis. The novel was primarily focused on the time frame while they had their relationship. There was a little about both of their lives before meeting, but it was not enough for me. I wanted to understand what drew these two strong personalities together other than that they were Greek!

The secondary characters were the left-behind spouses, Tina Onassis and Tita Menegheni, and Elsa Maxwell, gossip columnist/"friend". They are all involved in what happened and may have even helped move the affair along in Elsa's case.

The final and tertiary character is the opera. It was a part of Maria's every breathing moment.

Storyline:  3.5 stars

The storyline really was about Maria and Aristotle's intimate moments, her performing,  and luxury living which was very extravagant.

A lot of the storyline did not have a historical record and the author had to create the storyline. But, I think that there could have been so much more "meat" to explain the affair and their relationship so much more fully!

The main locations were most of Europe, New York City, Greece, and a yacht in the Mediterranean. 

Memorable/Informative: 3.5 stars

It was very interesting and now I want to know more about Maria and Aristotle.

Book cover: 3.0 stars

Meh.

Book title: 4.5 stars 

Very appropriate!

Gut feeling: 3.0 stars

I was very unsure about whether I would like this novel or not. 

Suggestions: 

A glossary of the Greek words - unable to find them in the Kindle book translator.

RECOMMEND

BOOK INFORMATION

Diva by Daisy Goodwin 

336 pages 

St. Martin's Press 

Release date of 01/23/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Daisy Goodwin

My Goodreads review

St. Martin's Press

NetGalley

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

 

 
 

My next read is...

What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

 

DNF - Talking to My Angels AUDIOBOOK

I will not be finishing Talking to My Angels by Melissa Etheridge. This just wasn't the right audiobook for me at this time!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

P.S. I started this audiobook last night and decided to DNF. So it is two quick posts to say that I am reading it and then another post explaining the DNF.

My next read is...

 Diva by Daisy Goodwin

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜