I thought that this would be a book that I'd enjoy. It didn't have a lot of substance to it, but it had more than I'm accustomed to reading in romance novels; besides, it's not like I read these things to stimulate my brain. The character of Alex was a little too saintly throughout the book (for the most part), and there were some definitely creepy vibes when he was talking about how he was enthralled with how childlike Annie could be. ( )

A wonderful read. Annie who is deaf, lonely and twenty, shunned by everybody, is atttached and raped by a drunken Douglas Montgomery, leaving her pregnant. His brother, Alex, is horrified and arranges with her parents to marry and take care of her.
The way that he very gradually breaks down Annie's mistrust and makes her feel beautiful inside and out was very touching, and there were a few comic moments especiallly the scene with the ear trumpet! ( )

After reading the synopsis for Annie's Song, I wondered how an author might write a mute character and keep the story interesting without the usual use of dialog. In the case of Catherine Anderson, the answer is, quite simply, incredibly well. Annie is probably the sweetest, most guileless heroine I have ever read. She is full of childlike innocence and takes joy in the simple things in life. Ms. Anderson gives readers a lovely picture of how Annie views everything around her through her thoughts and expressions until she eventually learns to communicate. I loved watching Annie grow from a languishing, childlike state to absolutely blossoming into a mature lovely young woman under Alex's tender care. She brings so much joy and life to Alex's previously lonely existence.

Alex is a wonderful beta-type hero who is strong and protective of Annie and the baby, but at the same time is gentle, sensitive, loving and compassionate. He is incredibly intuitive of Annie's needs and always tries to see things from her point of view and think of her first. I also loved the fact that Alex exercises a great deal of self-control over his lustful inclinations toward her, and when the love scenes finally do happen they are very tender yet thoroughly sensual. Alex isn't perfect though. He does make some mistakes every now and then, but the important thing is that he always learns something from them. Alex also harbors conflicting emotions toward his brother in spite of the heinous things he's done. I thought these qualities made Alex all the more real and brought out his humanity in a way that I loved. I've always been a fan of imperfect heroes, and Alex is one, but in a different sort of way than most other imperfect heroes I've read. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that these two characters are completely honest with each other. There are no lies or secrets between them, and when misunderstandings and conflicts arise they actually communicate in spite of the fact that one character is deaf and mute. What a novel idea! ;-)

Annie's Song is by far one of the best books I have ever read. The story is unique and so exquisitely rendered as to be at once both heart wrenching and heartwarming. There were some passages that brought tears to my eyes and others that made me laugh. The characterizations are beautifully drawn giving the reader deep insights into the lives of the hero and heroine as well as everyone around them. The characters' emotions are brought to life so vividly that the reader can feel all their pain and fears as well as their joy and happiness. The plotting of the story is very tight, with the author even presenting plausible and realistic reasons for why Annie's parents never had her medically examined even though they were obviously financially well-off enough to do so. This is a slow, sweet love story in which most of the conflict is of an emotional nature, but the narrative maintains a steady pace throughout. The author explores the social issues of historical attitudes toward people with disabilities, especially those of a mental nature, as well as physical and emotional abuse of a child and recovery from rape. I felt that these issues were dealt with very sensitively, but readers who are easily bothered by such topics should know that they are really the driving force behind the plot. Also, readers who are sensitive to religious profanities should know that there are a number of them in this book. The story was so good though, I was generally able to skim over and ignore these words, but occasionally I found them to be an annoying distraction and wished that the the author would have found a more creative form of expression. Other than this one minor detractor, the story was absolutely wonderful. In my opinion it was an expression of true love in it's purest form, two people unselfishly giving of themselves to each other. This is the first book I had read by Catherine Anderson, but I will definitely be seeking out others by her in the future. I cannot recommend Annie's Song highly enough, and it has certainly earned a place on my keeper shelf. ( )

Annie Tremble lives in a solitary world that no one enters or understands. As delicate and beautiful as the tender blossoms of the Oregon spring, she is shunned by a town that misinterprets her afflication. But cruelty cannot destroy the love Annie holds in her heart.

http://jacescribbles.blogspot.com/200... ( )