Lisa

This was a very difficult read, as it should be. Hearing the horrors of slavery told in the first person, contemporaneously, is very different than the detached information presented in history books.

I've been enjoying working my way through this series, albeit out of order as they become available through my library. I've read most of them now, and this one filled in a lot of missing pieces for me. I also had my first literal LOL of the series in this book, with a surprise Monty Python reference. Well played, Ms. Penny!

I loved this. Watching the characters' backgrounds unfold and their lives both entangle and untangle was beautiful. This is one of my favorite kinds of stories, where there's either a surprise or an “I knew it!” with nearly every page turn. The characters have great depth and humanity, and the ending is heart warming.

This was a very moving, heart-touching read. A chance hospital encounter between two quirky females leads to a deep friendship. Their resolution to paint a picture for each year of each of their lives gives Lenni, a 17 year old who is terminally ill, the opportunity to see what she knows she will not experience: the joys and heartbreaks of a long life. Most of the stories behind the pictures - told in flashbacks - center on Margot, an 83 year old hospitalized for a heart condition. This shouldn't be surprising since her stories and pictures are 83% of the project. But Lenni is the heart and soul of the story, finding stability, friendship and comfort from older adults in the hospital after a turbulent home and school life in the years before her illness. In turn, Lenni leaves her mark on all those with whom she interacts.

I gave up on this book less than halfway through. I loved the old Bill Bryson books like The Mother Tongue and Notes From a Small Island. I was happy to find this and looked forward to another delightful read. Unfortunately Bryson seems to have turned into the consummate grumpy old man, bent on complaining his way across the island. Not even the birth of his granddaughters caused him to change his petulant tone. A total disappointment.