Although the story was uplifting in that it describes the author coming to terms with personal loss and disappointment through volunteering to help where needed, it somehow left me feeling a little sad and dissatisfied. Maybe it's just the way life is -- the best we can do is accept and allow the things we cannot change and move forward on a positive path, but we still feel sadness over the loss. Although I found the book interesting, and I'm a firm believer in volunteerism, my own volunteer work is closer to home and I'm not particularly interested in taking up "voluntourism". I think the book will appeal to men and women in the author's age range and to people of all ages who are interested in being "voluntourists" or who are interested in traveling to the locations described in the book. I'm sure they would find the book interesting and they would appreciate the information and advice about how to become a "voluntourist".

It was gratifying to see an ordinary American citizen rise to the occasion and fulfill the new role life thrust upon her. I commend her for sharing so much of herself, revealing her fear (after her husband left) that "slowly boxed her into a smaller and smaller life, until her life was so tiny she could barely turn around in it" and her heartbreaking losses and tears "shed after each miscarriage, at the irrevocable loss of a beating heart, a human soul". I think the book will appeal particularly to women of middle-age.

I would have appreciated an indication of how to pronounce some of the unfamiliar words - -especially Otuam and Tsiami, which appear on almost every page. I think the book could benefit from some editing, such as removing some of the many references to her being in awe of herself as king. Although king is the correct title for her position, her actual "job" and its duties were more what we would think of as the mayor of a town of about 7,000 (about the size of Wasilla, AK).

I did not enjoy this book. The characters did not seem "real", the plot seemed contrived, the descriptions seemed forced and the profanity was gratuitous. Even so, I think fans of Suzzy Roche, fans of the three-sister band the Roches, people interested in the music business and women of a similar age as Mary Saint, will appreciate the book and the story of "going home" so long after high school.

The story and characters will quietly find their way into your heart, and stay there, as you are drawn along in this tale of a family's love and the astonishing evil they witness that motivates them to act and, ultimately, causes profound changes in their lives, because "once you change one part of a thing, all the other parts begin to shift". This book packs an emotional wallop and, while there is much for a book club to discuss, it is not for youngsters or pre-teens. It has the potential to become a much-loved best seller.

The Daughter of Siena is a great summer read, which, I think, will appeal especially to women, teens and young adults. It includes forbidden romance, medieval pageantry, historical detail, political intrigue, literary references and a strong sense of place in a fascinating story of the agonies endured by two women in 1723 Italy. Ideally, reading this story during the hot weather, vacation and horse-racing season will transport the reader to the setting of Siena's running of the Palio in July and August, where it still takes place to this day.