What readers think of A Piece of the World, plus links to write your own review.

This is a book that I could not put down from almost the very first page. I had only a vague remembrance of the painting of which Christina Olson is the subject, but do remember wondering when I first saw it what could possibly be the meaning or inspiration for it. After reading Christina Baker Kline's insightful novel, now I think I know.

The author brings Christina Olsen to life through her words, and allows the readers to experience a glimpse of what it might have been like to grow up in her world. The conditions of her family history and environment alone would have been powerful forces in shaping her life and personality. The added burden of the physical limitations imposed by childhood illness create a cage in which few could flourish. But flourish she does, and perseveres stubbornly to carry on her life as normally as possible within that cage.

It's wonderful to imagine that Christina would have loved the painting, and believed that it allowed the world to finally see her.

The book was a fact-based fiction. I was spellbound from the opening page and did not want to put the book down. The main character, Christina, was a compelling and complex woman who had endured many hardships and heartaches. Her opportunity for love came during a visit from a summer visitor who spent four summers making promises that they would be together. His sudden absence from their regular habit of correspondence was his way of removing himself from her life. She spent the rest of her life grieving the loss of love and becoming bitter in many ways. The book covered her feelings and her sense of loss in detail. I would recommend this book to any book club.

I love this author's writing style. I liked this book more than Orphan Trail. Kline has a way with words that pulls you into the story. The book was extremely addicting until the last 50 pages, where I thought it dragged a little, but the story itself was entertaining. When this author releases her books, I run to the nearest book store!

This historical fiction entitled "A Piece of the World" is about Christina's World, which is situated along the Maine coast in the town of Cushing. High on a hill is the 18th century farmhouse is where Christina's story takes place.

Christina suffered from a debilitating, undiagnosed, neurological disorder which began when she was young and progressed to a fully paraplegic condition in her fifties. She was a severely crippled woman who didn't have the use of her legs, but had to crawl wherever she wanted to go as she was tough, proud, very stubborn and determined.

Young Andy Wyeth came to Olson House, loved it and eventually set up studios in an upstairs room. From his window, he could see Christina maneuvering herself on the grass and developed an affinity for her as he had a slight balance problem, too.

The story of their friendship and his respect and love for her was instrumental in his famous masterpiece, Christina's World. I have greatly benefited from this wonderfully written educational book. It was very well written and I felt like I could breathe the Maine air and hear the waves crashing while reading it. I will definitely recommend it to my very well-read book group.

I enjoyed the book and it made me add the back story to the famous painting, Christina's World.....the author brings the characters to life and describes the incredible hardships endured in a world not really imagined in the painting. Christina's strength of character was impressive and inspiring. It was a book of friendship and love and loyalty and understanding and acceptance - a lot of which we all could use these days.

I was moved to tears by the overwhelming truth and beauty of a soul exposed in the final two pages of A PIECE OF THE WORLD--Christina's World. Andrew Wyeth has captured on canvas the essence of Christina Olson. In turn, the author has skillfully interpreted the famous painting by Andrew Wyeth, blending the lives of real people with her (Kline's) storytelling talent to create a novel that realistically describes a piece of American history, a life of enduring pain and hardship, interspersed with fleeting moments of joy.
Born in 1937, I grew up in the "gold country" of rural Northern California. The similarities between my world and Christina's world are striking. I enjoyed the book tremendously, reliving sensations and visions of an earlier time. For a few nostalgic days Christina's World became my world.
I highly recommend adding A PIECE OF THE WORLD to the must-read list of avid readers of historical fiction, and especially to book clubs. Discussion topics abound!

A beautiful book based on Andrew Wyeth's painting: Christina's World. Generations of a stubborn family live on ancestral property in Cushing, Maine. Christina being just as stubborn as her mother, father and grandmother. Why they don't take this gorgeous property and update it is beyond me. Instead, they live without running water, electricity, telephone. I lived this life with them - every part of this book is so real.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and learning about Andrew Wyeth's subject for his painting Christina's World. Kline excels at giving the reader a sense of place and time. Her characters are well-developed. I would definitely recommend this book to my book club.