Finding a couple with such opposite yet complementary personas....I was immediately hooked. So many times I laughed seeing my husband and myself in the same situations. A marvelous, descriptive guide to places in the world I won't see anytime soon. Car talk vs ballet. I know that scenario. This book delighted me and I was sorry to get to the end. Knowing Dina Bennett is still writing and traveling makes me eager to read her next blog or book. I'm insisting my husband read the book even knowing he's NOT a reader...but he does fix cars when necessary.

It was difficult for me to take a deep breath through the first 52 pages of this novel. I was drawn into the intensity of place, emotions, and happenings that were carefully crafted. I wanted to keep reading to know that things would get better. They did but only in small doses but those were cherished. I found it difficult at times to keep characters straight....not being familiary with Iranian names. I also am not a fan of novels that skip back and forth between time frames. That said I found myself wanting more and more to learn the resolution within the families.

The ending was false for me. It seemed too easy yet honest. I had to turn back pages to remember who the two profiled in the end actually were. Children of children of children. Cousins and cousins and cousins. This was a novel that filled me with angst for the characters. I also learned some history lessons that were new to me. Good read overall.

I grew up in Southern California so really enjoyed the setting among orange trees, etc. I don't like fantasy novels and found this to include (to me at least) some of that genre. Voodoo....maybe if I were from Haiti it would make more sense...but I'm not. Wondered why Claire could be so gullible when she began as a strong woman. Admittedly my usual reading habit of page turners was interrupted by the Olympics on TV. Still, I didn't enjoy this as much as I enjoyed the previous novel, "The Lotus Eaters."

I more often than not read a book in a day or two. This one was no exception because I needed to know the ending.

Why I gave it a poor rating is that I found the absence of Boaty throughout much of the story puzzling. In my opinion he was a major factor in the dynamics of the people involved yet he was submerged for much of the book.

I really didn't like the italicized sections that appeared throughout the narrative. For me they were a distraction and I found myself skimming in the literal sense of the word. Perhaps I missed things I should have attended to. I didn't have the patience.

Perhaps I should read another of the author's books.

This non-fiction story is interesting. The writing with so many details leading to the 'meat' of the story was off-putting. Perhaps it's the holiday tasks and appointments that kept me from reading this leisurely. I haven't finished the book and don't feel the pull to do so. I will try again after the New Year and perhaps I'll find it more readable. In the meantime I must say it should be a fascinating story.

I grew up in Hollywood so really enjoyed knowing the location of the streets/beaches/roads mentioned in this book. Each short story stands on its own and the entire book can be read quickly (or savored slowly if one prefers.) Light fare for a relaxing read.

I picked up this book just after I finished reading Anne LaMott's "Imperfect Birds"....following that the angst of teenage druggies was too much. I'll try again later when there's some time between the two but for now I have to say I didn't like it and couldn't finish it.

Beginning with a 'forgotten' cache of ashes it was apparent how the book would end. But the in-between was fascinating reading. How a marriage of such long-standing could survive the secrets and trials...one can only wonder. Sally Brady walks a fine line interspersing poignancy and humor. I couldn't wait to finish the book.

This is an option given when the book is just not right for a reader. This was the case for "Ever By My Side." I found it tedious to read and was not willing to finish it when I had another waiting to review.

I expected a treatise and found a very readable (yet alarming) story of waves, tsunamis, climate, change, and concerned people.

I'm a native Southern Californian and have lived on the island of Oahu for 20 years and feel most comfortable at the ocean's edge. I know the places discussed in the book, e.g., Maui, Ensenada, South Africa, and especially the North Shore of Oahu. I saw the Eddie Aikau competition in 2009 and have hundreds of photos of North Shore swells and waves.

I finished this book in a day and recommend it to anyone interested in climate change and its effects on our earth and living conditions.

I read this hoping I would recognize places and buildings in VietNam that I have seen and I did. Tatjana Soli captured the cloying heat as well as the green countryside and villages. With three (for me) competing protagonists the story flowed easily between and among their lives. This is a rich description of a country torn by war while citizens remained stoic and willing to bear what was brought to them. I've been to VietNam 5 times and think this novel could be an opening for others who think they should go but haven't...to do just that. It offers the opportunity to learn of the customs and culture of the Vietnamese. The Author's notes and the General Bibliography should be invaluable to those wanting to read more about the area and the war written by various authors.

This is a wonderful, poignant, illuminating tale of life on the African continent. I loved Angel...and she was indeed an angel to her friends and neighbors. The story is touching and alarming at the same time. How little we know of that 'dark continent' and the people who live 'normal' lives there. In addition to the Africa component I got hungry just reading the descriptions of her colorfully iced cakes. It only took parts of one day to read this. I didn't want to put it down once I started.

Each chapter is short so I found myself reading 'just one more'....and then not wanting the book to end.

I felt as though I were in the doctors' shoes and the medical/scientific terminology was no obstacle to this being an exciting, interesting read.

ShivaMarion caught my heart and made me care each step of the way ... as did all the other characters. I really did get to know them personally.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys well-written fiction with an engaging plot line (or two!)

Page 11: "...one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive---all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment." I can't say it better than that. This book was sheer enjoyment. People writing letters to people (before email which I admit is useful but not nearly so long-lasting.) Those who lived on Guernsey during the war telling their stories and the 'writer's' observations to her publisher. All this entwined with the daily lives of a variety of characters. I couldn't put it down....and I'm NOT a history buff. This isn't school history. This is personal and enchanting if such can be said about anyone in time of war.

My interest in words is much greater than my interest in colors. I found the many 'colorful' descriptions throughout the text tedious to read. I should have known ... given the title. I enjoyed the character descriptions and the poignant ending. Would I recommend it? With reservations...it just wasn't my favorite read.