I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, despite not all of it being "believable". I had a hard time deciding how to rate the book: I wanted to give it a 5 for sheer fun and reading pleasure, but it simply doesn't have the quality of a 5-star b00k. That being said, I am totally looking forward to the next book in the series, and hope that the author will be able to add character depth without sacrificing the easy flow of the writing. I predict that this series will be wildly successful!

I loved this book! Being a baby-boomer, I have long wondered why there have not been more books written about the Vietnam War and its after effects. The author writes with great sensitivity about some very difficult issues. I was impressed by her ability to weave together the stories of the various characters. Even the minor characters are memorable and add to the richness of the book. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who are interested in the people, rather than the politics or the battles, of the Vietnam War era of American history.

I loved this book and highly recommend it. The language is beautiful, the characters are memorable, and the parallel plots reward the reader with more than the sum of the two stories told separately. Maggie O'Farrell recognizes the importance of detail in creating believable fiction and her dialogue is so good that at times I felt like I was eavesdropping! I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

I loved this book and have already recommended it to others; it is a book that can change lives. I truly wish that this book had been written ten years ago when my own children could have benefited from its unconventional but well-researched advice. While this book will not have a universal audience, I believe that it will be an eye-opener and have great value to readers looking for alternatives to the American model of outrageously-priced college tuition. The book tells the experience of the author’s family and contains many anecdotal stories, but is also well documented and provides website and other practical information.

This is an incredible book. It is beautifully written and complex. I can’t seem to stop thinking about the characters. My only complaint is that it may be too complex or ambitious for one book. When the scene shifted to New York, I felt like I was reading a different book and got lost at times.To the book's credit, everything did come together in the end. Those willing to finish the book will be well rewarded. (This book is better than good, but I did not give it five stars because in my opinion five star books are "must reads", and this book is for a more selective and dedicated audience.)

This book is well-written, and I suppose if I re-read it, everything would be connected up and I would appreciate the author's ingenuity and inventiveness. However, I would rather not work that hard. There are way too many characters and blind alleys such that, by the end of the book, I found it difficult to care about any character or his or her motivation.

Madapple is a very good read and evoked many emotions in me. I was captivated by the characters in this story and at times, was even willing to suspend rational thinking and accept the "miracle birth". The terrible truth took me by surprise, which hopefully is more indicative of the author's skill than my naivety. I highly recommend this book to adults and mature teens , especially those who are interested in herbs, complex relationships, and the dichotomy between religion and science. The subject matter may be disturbing to some readers and if you don't care about herbs, this book might be hard to enjoy, but Madapple is sure to generate a great discussion.

I strongly recommend this book for book clubs or for people who like to struggle with untidy issues. Dervishes is not a tidy book. On the contrary, it raises more questions than it answers, and is disturbing on many levels. The constantly shifting voice can be confusing, but emphasizes how everyday events can be interpreted quite differently. Seemingly trivial decisions result in lives that are irrevocably changed. The author shows great empathy for characters who aren't necessarily likable, but are people we can relate to all too well. I was expecting a story about a mother-daughter relationship set in Turkey, but the author delivered far more.