Read in preparation for my daughter to read. It will be perfect for my 8 year old.

"You can always start again, you just need new thread." I liked it.

Nice easy read. Just the thing to enjoy during the week :)

Uplifter.

I liked the way she captured generations of Indian life in the 20th century. Her detail made me feel like I was there. LOVED this book!

Love the books about pre-Taliban, Taliban, and, dare I say, post-Taliban Afghanistan. However, it left me wanting more.

Loving this author! I love the power he gives the children in his book to make changes to their environment without disrespecting authority. I love that in each of the books that we, Julia and I, have read, he is using the power of language/communication to make change. Great book to have ready with my 7 year old!

Loved the optimism and the magic air in this book.

Easy, pleasant read. Very light, although a murder mystery. There is a series. I'll probably read the next.

Easy, fun read. Nice to see the character through to the end of the series.

Another book from Julie's library. Julie originally brought Tracy Chevalier to my attention. I really enjoy her books - especially the way the historical person of interest is on the edges of the novel. Even with being on the edge of the novel, you get a good bit of information about them.

LOVED! I like the way the gifts are woven in the story. My only complaint is that the book seemed to end abruptly. I wished it has lingered a bit.

Love the historical fiction! This was a good one.

While I enjoy the subject of Mary Magdalen and the search for what the author believes is the truth about her, her books are a bit disjointed.

Finished this one a while back. I like this whole series and it's collection of characters. The first was the best though.

I was hoping it to be more historical fiction-like, but it was a biography without much personality. Obviously, the author is infatuated with Mary. But I did make it through!

I now realized what I missed by not reading this as a girl. I loved this. Julia will adore this book and read it from cover to cover many times over he life - it is right up her alley.

Loved it! The story line was right up my alley. Sometime, during action scenes, the author lost me, but I loved the story anyway :)

From reading Peggy Noonan's op-eds over the years, I've come to the conclusion that I like reading her when she likes her story. And she hates anything Clinton. While I like some of the facts discussed in the book, overall I found it to be a bit catty.

It was particularly sad. No, really, it was. OK, ok, it was good, but not great. I liked the concept of her skill, but it was so rare that what she *observed* was good; I have more hope for people and the world.

I adored this book. My connection is quite personal. Like the Ginny at 17, at 19 I traveled across Europe. I thought myself the kind of girl who did as expected and did not rock the boat. I found out a lot about my self that trip, as Ginny did. And the backpack at the end? Yep - the same!

Looking back 20+ years, it was one of the best trips of my life. And I am glad, of all things, for Facebook, so that I can still see people I traveled and visited with all those many years ago.

A great beach read. But, beware, if you like it, and you finish it, have the sequel ready!