River Cross My Heart/Unabridg

Rating:
Summary: Huh?
Review: A most disappointing read, this book is not what it purports to be: "the effects of a young girl's tragic death on the people she left behind." In fact, one can't quite discern exactly what the book is about (or what it wants to be). All in all, I am inclined to think that Ms. Clarke was in a schizophrenic frame of mind when she wrote this book. It's fragmented, disjointed, and all over the place. One does not have to be an adept literary critic to see the shortcomings in this book: meaningless subplots, random events, underdeveloped characters, no focus. In all, a jigsaw puzzle with one too many pieces missing. And all this is too bad as this book has terrific potential. Ms. Clarke is a good writer and one does get some insight into black Georgetown of the 1920s. But even that is not in any great depth. A more appropriate name for the book would have been: "A brief look at lots of black folks & Johnnie Mae's fondness for swimming."

Rating:
Summary: Good read
Review: This book is a quick and very interesting read. I think that the author does a good job of describing Georgetown in 1929. I do not agree with reviews that have said that Clara was "killed" because of racism. Clara was a 6 year old girl who died tragically...no doubt about that. But she could have died at the "white" pool just as easily...she was a little girl who slipped on a log. She could have also slipped on the side of a pool. This story should be read more deeply than a story of a drowning and I think that the author does that in a very simple way. I think that this book provides a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Colorful, moving story
Review: I found the story moving, the characters were colorful and interesting. It is the story of the rite of passage of a young girl. It is really a simple story, well told. I'd like to read more from Breena Clarke.

Rating:
Summary: River Cross My Heart Failed To Cross Mine
Review: Though River Cross My Heart was an enlightning read in learning the ways of black society in Georgetown during the early 20's , I found little else enlightning about the book as far as it being considered fiction . I wasn't clear on whether I was reading a history book or a fictional story , also there was no substance to the story's plot , no real character development , and no feel of what the author was trying to say in writing this book . The first couple of pages started off with a bang and had me thinking that I was about to read an engrossing book , boy was I wrong , I felt like I was reading nothing but blank pages afterwards . I wish Breena Clarke better luck next time in her next writing endeavor .

Rating:
Summary: River, Cross My Heart - Not What I Expected
Review: Just wasn't what I expected. The jumping from before to after the death was very distracting. I expected more of a "story" after reading the back of the book... it said it was about how Georgetown dealt with the death of a child... it really wasn't about that much at all. It did have some nicely written, description moments... getting caught at the pool made my heart sink..

Rating:
Summary: Boring!
Review: Our book club read this book and discussed it within two minutes. The consensus was "boring!" "Went Nowhere." "Does Oprah even read her books anymore?" We have decided to stay away from any "Oprah Books".

Rating:
Summary: Emotionally Riveting
Review: I loved this book, probably more than the past 30 books I've read. It was so easy to relate to the 12 year old tom boy protagonist. She was 'real' enough to touch - and hold. The characters were well drawn and the story 'flowed' beautifully. This book was a gift, in more ways than one!

Rating:
Summary: Our book club hated it
Review: Our book club (all white women, in ages ranging from mid-20s to 60) read this book and we all thought it was a total dud, not even interesting enough to provoke a good discussion as some not-great books do. A good editor should have made the novelist turn this social studies into a real novel.

Rating:
Summary: Just okay.
Review: The first part got my interest, but the rest of the book didn't seem that connected to it. Nothing much happened after that and I found myself getting bored. I kept reading because I figured something had to be worthwhile if Oprah recommended it. Finally, the main character did some things which brought me back in a little. An okay read, but could have been a lot better with such an emotional beginning.

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as expected
Review: Having read many of Oprah's picks, I had high expectations for River, Cross My Heart, but upon reading it, I was rather disappointed and confused. The imagery was well written, and the story-line had potential, but all of the themes involved were so disjointed that finishing the book left me with a very incomplete feeling. The back of the book describes the story as a tale of Georgetown trying to recover after the tragic death of a little girl, but it really isn't very accurate. Perhaps if the book had been twice as long, the plot would have been more full.