Reading at Chautauqua

One of the things I must do on a vacation is read. Here is a report on what I've read so far since we've been at Chautauqua:

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Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald. This was a very good book, snaking back and forth among generations and time, about an unusual family, mostly women. Set in Nova Scotia (and a little bit in New York City), the story was captivating. Rating: A.

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The Way the Crow Flies by the same author. Actually, I read this before we came to Chautauqua. It is also set in Canada and is the story of a military family assigned to a new post; it is told in two voices -- one is the officer who is the head of the household and the other is his grade-school daughter. It goes along in two separate threads until, inevitably, they intersect. My book group will be discussing this book in August. Rating: A+.

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Abide With Me by Elizabeth Strout. I thought that this author's first novel, Amy and Isabelle, was outstanding, so I was delighted to hear that she had a new book out. Abide With Me is the insipid story of a minister's healing from a tragedy. Don't waste your time. Rating: C-.

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The Whole World Over by Julia Glass. Did you read her first book, Three Junes? If not, please do. It is excellent even if the time-switching is a tad confusing. This newer book, which I'm not yet finished and savoring every chapter, is highly recommended.