What do readers think of Small Blessings by Martha Woodroof? Write your own review.

This is simply a wonderful book. I can't think of enough superlatives. First the language is imaginative and beautiful - a joy to read. Then there are the characters. They jump off the page at you. Who can forget Rose and Tom and Henry and of course Agnes - where would we be if we had an Agnes in our lives. And then the there is the plot. It's imaginative and full of surprises and yet it feels just right. The characters that people this book are people you would want to meet and revel in the meeting. Even Russell, the standoffish alcoholic! I cannot recommend Small Blessings highly enough. It enriched my life and filled me with joy. I read the last 3 chapters very slowly because I didn't want it to end.

Upon reading the first page of Small Blessings, I felt like I had just met a new friend so I settled into a comfy chair to learn more. This book is a well-written insightful fairy tale with its feet firmly planted on the floor.

Small Blessings by Martha Woodroof is a delightful, gentle story about second chances. The main character Tom Putnam is a college professor married to a woman with serious psychological and emotional problems. But Tom married her 23 years ago and he has spent those years taking care of her. The overwhelming description of Tom is that he is kind - kind to his wife, to his blow-hard friend, to his mother-in-law who moved in to help take care of her daughter. When everything begins to fall apart, it is his kindness that finally rescues him and the people he cares about. This book reminds me of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - both great favorites of mine. And - if some of the characters seem a bit too good to be true, I 'm OK with that.

Small Blessings is a delightful, sweet story about Tom Putnam, a kind and gentle college professor. He is married to a woman who is mentally unstable. He has taken care of her through their whole marriage with the help of her irascible mother-in-law Agnes. Welcome rootless Rose and a young, trusting 6 year old boy Henry and get ready for second chances. The story is simple and obvious, but has enough "drama" to keep it moving. Definitely a good summer read.

I felt that this was a very nice book for reading in between books that could be a little heavy. The story was OK but very predictable. The characters were nice, but obvious. I felt that the decision to foster and than adopt Henry could never have been accomplished in such an easy manner, there would have been more legalities especially with that amount of money involved. The fact that everybody got along SO WELL was a little unreal.

It was a very easy read and I read it in one sitting.

This book about a small college and the various people in the town. Tom a mild mannered college English professor has been married to his wife, Marjory, who has emotional problems for over 23 years. Rose comes to town as the Assistant Book Store Director and Marjory begins to change. Then 6-year old Henry, who is alleged to be Tom's son arrives unannounced. The plot contains twists and turns. Some of which you can figure out quickly, others you can't. A nice read that could bring about great book club discussions.

Thanks to Martha Woodroof for crafting such an entertaining novel about love and second chances. She created a cast of quirky characters and gave them a plot with enough clever twists and plenty of soul. The crisp dialogue and succinct descriptions help keep the novel moving along. There was good humor as well as sweet sadness --- a good balance.

A small college community, a book shop and characters we, as readers, can immediately identify with. Ms. Woodroof takes her characters and turns them into friends that you cannot stop reading and caring about.

The book has many central characters, Tom Putnam, the small college professor who is passionate about Shakespeare and even lapses into Shakespearean thought when confronted with difficult situations. Agnes, Tom's Mother-in-law who retired to take care of her grown daughter. Russell and Iris, colleagues of Tom and Henry, the six year old boy who arrives in the small town with a birth certificate in his backpack stating Tom is his father. But I believe this book is ultimately about Rose.

Motivational speakers who are know for confronting disturbing topics will tell us that as humans we tend to ignore or tune-out people who are different or acting strangely. Some people hide or move on if things get confusing or difficult. Rose has always been one of these people. Her life "has never been a mess" and when she realizes she has talents and blessings to offer others she is forced to realize that life can be hard, but it is "OK" to be happy.

Through a series of humorous and tragic events, our friends come together in such a way that grabs us and makes us want to live in their community too. They embrace each other because they need each other and they genuinely like one another despite their insecurities and doubts about the direction their own lives are going. If you are reading for fun or escapism, beware there are subjects that are distressing and tragic - death, abandonment and alcoholism. These topics are as much a part of the story as the characters are. The frankness, humor and compassion that friends and strangers offer are small blessings.

Small Blessings is a wonderful book that will keep you thinking of the characters and how they are getting on with their lives long after the end of the book.