Jacob's Oath is a novel about Holocaust survivors, Jacob and Sarah. Jacob survived a camp, and Sarah survived in hiding, underground. Of course, each of them has endured horror beyond imagination. Jacob's oath is to avenge his brother's death.

After the war, the two meet, and must try to put their lives back together. Jacob must decide what is more important: his oath to his brother, or building a new life with Sarah.

I enjoyed the book, although it was a bit slow at times. It would be a great book club read; there is no shortage of discussion material when it comes to the Holocaust. It would also be a great book for a book club because typically some can't stomach this subject, while some feel it demands examination, even though it can feel physically bad to discuss it. I think those are the most interesting and fulfilling book club meetings.

I really enjoyed this book. It was the main character, Hildy, that kept me hooked. It wasn't an exciting book, and not a whole lot happened. I felt like I was just hanging out with Hildy for a little while during a critical point of her journey through life, and I loved it.

The characters were realistic, as was the dialogue, and if felt like being in the know in an actual small town.

Hmmm...I think this book could have been called The Daily Lives of Patients at New Hyde. I kept turning the pages excited for the big takedown of the Devil, and nothing happened. And then, I kept turning the pages excited for the next big thing to happen, and...nothing much did. It was entertaining at times, and more kooky than creepy and yucky. I was happy for that, not being a fan of mental hospital imagery. Who is, right? I don't think I'll pass this one on to my friends.

Wow! What a crazy, creepy, fun read! Took me forever to pick up this book, but once I did, I could not put it down. I have never read anything like this, but now I want more! Stroud is an amazing storyteller. This book has a lot of characters and a lot going on, but Stroud manages these characters and events flawlessly. I did not think this book would be for me, but I loved it, and will be passing it on.

I liked this book, although it was utterly joyless to read, and I usually hate that! I definitely needed to keep reading to see if these characters could ever find any peace or happiness. I liked Judith, the 10-year old main character, but my heart just ached for her the whole way through. And after finishing it, I still don't know what was really happening, and I usually hate that, too, but the end left me reasonably satisfied. I will pass this one around.

When I received this book, and did my initial flip-through, I thought I would not like it, but I told myself to keep an open mind. I have never read anything like this before, but I enjoyed this book! There isn't a lot to the plot, but it is clever and fun. I also told myself not to expect to learn a lot about art history, but I ended up knowing more than when I started. Not one of my Bookbrowse faves, but enjoyable.

I agree with so many other reviewers! I know the author is a wonderful writer, but I didn't care about these characters, and I found a lot of the book to be tedious because of the chess element. I didn't truly like the characters, or care if they helped each other or not - and I really wanted to and tried. I will certainly look for her next novel, as there were a few parts I was able to get on somewhat of a roll and enjoy her writing.

This is an interesting book. The author gives us great detail describing courtship and arranged marriage in 1930s China, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Even more interesting were the expectations, duties, and traditions of an affluent Chinese household after the marriage.

I empathized with Feng throughout the book, even as I liked her less and less as the story progressed. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, but only to find out what happens next with Feng. I was desperately hoping she would try to make right her mistakes, and cheer up a little! But easy for me to say, I'm sure her bitterness and anger were insurmountable under such circumstances.

I didn't love this book. It was more fluff than historical fiction. That's OK, but when I read about such an interesting time in history, I want to know about all the major players of the time in detail. I've just come off of a major Tudors bender, and can't believe how crazy, evil, corrupt, and vicious those people were! I'm sure the Borgias, their friends, and enemies were no different, and I would have loved to know more about them. Truth can be every bit as good as fiction! But again, that's just me-if I'm reading historical fiction, I want to learn as well as be entertained.

My other issue with this book is how simply the book was written. I was bored, and am sure a 5th grader could have read and comprehended the whole book. I did read Poison first, and would review it the very same.

Wow! Outlander is an adventure, romance, and historical fiction novel rolled into one. Gabaldon's research is amazing! I never though I would be so happy learning about 18th century Scotland, but told by Gabaldon, it's captivating. At 600 pages, it's too long and involved for the book club I'm in, but I think it could be tackled by serious book clubbers. Don't finish this book without having the next one in the series on your nightstand!