Leota's Garden

Rating:
Summary: It's a blessing
Review: A friend gave me this book - it is already a blessing in my life, and I hope to purchase and give a copy to each of my dearest friends. My father took it home today, and is going to read it. Praise the Lord, Francine Rivers - please continue to use your wonderful gift!

Rating:
Summary: Leota's Garden full of lessons
Review: Delightful to read! The book immediately puts you in the middle of the action with Nora's short fuse and Anne's determination to not be her mother's puppet anymore. That, along with Corban's paper project, sets the stage for the 400+ pages of conflict to be resolved.

A bitter mother, a lonely old woman, a sacrificing grandaughter, a determined college student, a few good friends... This book had a wide variety of characters which made it plausible for many readers to relate. Rivers had so many story lines going on, yet they all came back to affecting the same woman: Leota. It did indeed cover lots of social issues: euthenasia, abortion, racial reconciliation, generational reconciliation, Christianity to name a few, but all were handled delicately and portrayed as truthfully as possible.

Rating:
Summary: Great read! Couldn't put it down!
Review: Frankly, this book surprised me. As a man who was reading a book that is primarily intended for women, I didn't think that a book about an old lady and her garden could make for much of a plot. Wrong! Francine Rivers is a masterful fiction writer who really knows how to weave a great story. Just when you think you have the plot figured out and heading in a straight line to the finish, she throws in a gentle twist that makes you blink in surprise. This is her second book that examines in depth the relationship between three generations of women (the first being The Last Sin Eater). It is a subject that Francine has obviously given a lot of thought to. Her observations of the interworkings between the generations are excellent, and the interaction between the characters totally believeable. Leota's Garden is definitely a five star work of fiction.

Rating:
Summary: Another good one!
Review: I didn't even make it through a third of this novel before I quit. I didn't find any of the characters intriguing, especially the main character, Leota herself. She was very unlikeable, to the point where I would want to skip over any parts involving her.
I'm giving this novel one star b/c it still takes a lot of effort to write a story. I recommend other Francine Rivers' novels, like The Scarlet Thread, The Atonement Child or Redeeming Love.

Rating:
Summary: I didn't even finish reading it
Review: I figured it would only be fair to give this book one star since I didn't even finish reading half of it. I was so bored with the story and the stubborness of most of the characters that I just gave up. However, I went to the end of the book and read what happened (bad habit)...I was relieved I didn't waste my time finishing the novel b/c it didn't even end in the way I had hoped. I recommend any other of Ms. Rivers novels except for this one.

Rating:
Summary: Good reading
Review: I read this book over the summer. Rivers is one of my perennially favorite authors, but the last book of hers I read before Leota's Garden was The Sin Eater, and I didn't enjoy that book as much as some of her earlier books.

But Leota's Garden restored my faith. I liked the tender story and realistic characters -- they were imperfect and human. My only complaint was that Annie was a bit too much of a saint. Otherwise, Rivers created a relevant, readable novel that I enjoyed a lot.

Rating:
Summary: Interminable
Review: I really enjoyed the book! I was a little surprised at some of the turns that the author took, but all in all enjoyed it very much. This is the first Francine Rivers book I've ever read and I found it refreshing. I got to really enjoy the story and characters.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I used to read alot as a teenager but then life got totally out of control and for twenty years I couldn't find the time until recently. A friend introduced me to Francine Rivers and then I was hooked once again on reading. I thought Leota's Garden was written so well that I felt like I knew each character or perhaps I just identified with them on different levels. I want to read every book she's ever written. So far, I've read Leota's Garden, Redeeming Love and The Scarlet Thread. May God continue to give her the words to share with us.

Rating:
Summary: A refreshing change of pace
Review: I usually hesitate to read Christian fiction, because I usually think of Amish soap operas between covers or predictable, trite romances. However, someone had this book in the lunchroom at work, and once I started reading it, I knew I was going to have to finish it.

It was very interesting to me. Francine Rivers gives her characters believable situations and personalities. Things aren't perfect - in fact, they're incredibly and realistically less than ideal. A neglected grandmother, an over-achieving mother, and a know-it-all college student who's living with a girlfriend among others. The way the author depicted the Thanksgiving dinner fiasco really hit home, because it's so sadly realistic: Men retreat to the TV to watch a ball game while everyone's stressed out and unhappy and not communicating well. I've been there, and can relate.

Another thing I appreciated was the fact that romance was not at the centre of the story: This author had a real message to convey, and she didn't make it depend on romance. It was about relationships from beginning to end, and about love, but it was not a romance at heart. It's about learning to unconditionally show even the most unlovable Christ's love through the way we live and react, and about the eventual blessings reaped from such an attitude. The book didn't end with a wedding, and it didn't need to. That was not the point, and that made me glad.

Nor did everything end perfectly, but there was an incredible measure of hope that in time all would be well again.

I definitely recommend this book!

Rating:
Summary: Leota's Garden by Francine Rivers
Review: Leota's Garden was a joy to read! It not only is good, readable fiction, but it encouraged me to allow my feelings to be vulnerable to become a part of the story. As I read, I felt the feelings of the characters and was able to place myself in situations that I do not daily experience.

Francine Rivers has become one of my favorite authors and I highly recommend Leota's Garden to any reader who has not yet experienced the joy of a Christian fiction book!