Books and Jams Readalong discussion

What are your first impressions of this book? How do you like the characters and writing style? Did it captivate you right off the bat or is it slow going?

Feel free to add your thoughts, but don't forget to pop back in and see what other people are thinking and chat with them too!

I'm 16 chapters in and really still waiting to get totally hooked into the story. There's so much jumping back & forth between times and character groups that I think it inhibits my immersion quite a bit. I will be very interested to hear what the rest of you think. I am interested enough to keep going. I just want to feel more than I do right now.

Rhonda, I am having the same experience and I'm 14 chapters in. It started really, really slow for me and it has only been in the last four or five chapters that I have started getting a little into it. I am reading it for the Tome Topple Readathon and participated in some Twitter sprints the last couple of days so that helped me power through some od it. I am hoping it continues getting better for me.

Stefanie wrote: "Rhonda, I am having the same experience and I'm 14 chapters in. It started really, really slow for me and it has only been in the last four or five chapters that I have started getting a little int..."

I'll hang in there with you Stephanie. I'm sure we'll be glad we did in the end. :)

I love a long, descriptive novel, but I find myself struggling with this one a bit. I can handle jumping back and forth between two time settings, but we've got THREE in this book (so far) and 3 sets of characters to follow. If I wasn't doing the readalong, I might have been tempted to move on by now, but I fully intend to hang in there because I've loved Kate Morton's novels in the past and think this will be worth it in the long run. It's nice to know I'm not alone thinking this one is a bit slow going.....

I too struggled with the beginning of this book. I don't think it's the time jumps for me that is keeping me from becoming immersed. I think I'm finding some of the backstory unnecessary or just too drawn out. I'm hoping I see the point of it as the story moves along. I'm invested enough to keep going.

I finished Chapter 10 and so far I'm loving the book. There has only been one place (already forgotten where, hehe) that I was wishing she'd get on with it already. Kate Morton's books are always very descriptive and a bit convoluted. The Forgotten Garden, my first of her books, was very much so. I guess that's just the kind of story I love. So far I haven't had a problem keeping up with the three time lines but I'm not sure at this point why so much back story with Eleanor. One thing I have noticed is that all her books have a similar story line. At lest the three I've read so far. I'm happy this book was chosen for the read along. Don't know why it's taken me so long to pick up another of her books!

I’m sorry to say I’m not loving it so far. I think it’s her very descriptive writing style, which I normally like. I’m a mood reader though so if I picked this up at another time I may have felt differently. I’m also struggling with the way she jumps right into each different story line and doesn’t actually introduce the characters. I find myself a little lost at times.

I like the story enough to keep with it though.

I'm finding the book slow. I'm not pulled in to the mysteries, but I like the characters and writing well enough to continue.

For those that are finding it to be a slow start, keep at it! Everyone that has commented in the middle and end threads has said it got better for them and they are glad they pushed through.

I think I'm finding the start a bit slow too, but I just know it will all tie together and I'm already anticipating seeing how that will work. I have so many questions. Why is Alice feeling guilty? Why is Eleanor's personality so different in her back story and in the 1930's? Did Anthony come back from the war? The dad isn't mentioned by name at the beginning (that I can remember). I really want to know what happened to Theo. I wonder how Sadie will gather clues. I'm anticipating her meeting Alice in person.

So although this start has been a little slow and I have to work to keep everyone straight in my mind (I think I have it now.), I am still very much anticipating the rest of the story.

I am really enjoying the book so far.
I may be the only one in the group but I am more invested in Eleanor's story than all the others.
Maybe, if we understand why Eleanor has changed so much, we can make sense of all the relationships in the future.
Krista, I did not realise that Dad wasn't mentioned by name in the beginning. So many possibilities ;)
In the first three chapters, I felt the book to be overly descriptive as well but as the story progressed and really liked the characters, it did not bother me so much.
Overall, I am really glad that I am finally reading a Kate Morton book. I just wonder why I never picked one of her books, since mystery and historical fiction are my two favorite genres.

Berna wrote: "I am really enjoying the book so far.
I may be the only one in the group but I am more invested in Eleanor's story than all the others.
Maybe, if we understand why Eleanor has changed so much, we..."

As I've kept going, I don't think the dad is different, but I do still like guessing as bits and pieces of the puzzle slowly start to come together.

I have realized the truth about Dad in the following chapters as well ;)