Rating: 
Summary: Great Read
Review: This was a wonderful small novel. Very well written and engaging. In some ways reminiscent of novels by Anne Tyler, this book draws you into a small world. Charming and enchanting.
Rating:
Summary: Haunting and brilliant
Review: Margot Livesey has always been a favorite of mine ("The Missing World" is another excellent choice.) I feel haunted by this novel--it's so full of yearning and love and need, so profound about the way it explores the bonds between mother and daughter, between lovers and family. The prose glows on the page, the characters are indelible, and when I finished, I found myself looking at the world in a new way, which is what great literature should do.
Rating:
Summary: A strong psychological tale
Review: In 1920 Troon, Scotland, Eva McEwan is born under a dark cloud. What should have been a happy event for her parents turns ugly when magpies are seen flocking to a tree just outside the family home. Everyone knows that omen always forecasts something bad and that evening, Eva's mother passes away. Her father and her aunt raise Eva in a very isolated environment. When she turns six, a woman accompanied by a young girl visits Eva, but no one else sees the two females. Over the years, the duo provides positive and negative influence on Eva by providing her a friendship and helping with her chores, but also causes her to lose her first job. During World War II, Eva, now a nurse, falls in love with Doctor Samuel Rosenblum, but marries someone else who she likes and admires but does not love. Did the two companions end her chances with Samuel or did Eva do what she felt is the right thing for her beloved? EVA MOVES THE FURNITURE is a strong psychological tale that centers on individuals who must contend with their ghosts (metaphysical yet real) to live life to the fullest. People are responsible for their actions whether the ghosts exist or are imaginative. Fans of a deep character driven tale that pares the soul so that observers can see raw emotions will enjoy Margot Livesey's novel. The book will be considered a classic in a decade or so. The author will receive current kudos deserving of a superstar who has an uncanny knack of telling a story with quite a wallop. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: I never knew a sappy novel could be so good!
Review: I am not the type of person that reads books about "Family", "Coming-of-Age", or "Poignant Romance" - I grew out of those when I was about 13. I found a review for this book in the New Yorker and it sounded very well-written, if nothing else, and the cover art was GORGEOUS, so I got it. Well, this was one thing this year that definitely exceeded expectations. Eva's mother died in childbirth and Eva is raised in a village in Scotland by her father and a maiden aunt. During her childhood she comes to know two spirits who are decidedly ambiguous in nature toward her. They protect her from danger, but also spoil her friendships and in some form, her happiness. As she grows up, these spirits continue to have tight hold on her life - wrecking a marriage proposal, but also saving her life and introducing her to her future husband. Things wrap up when Eva has a child of her own and she finally figures out who her incorporeal friends are. One of the main reasons that I fell for this slim book is that it deals with situations in a matter-of-fact, yet magical, way. The gross story has little magic in it, but Livesey's writing has a kind of simple witchcraft in it that makes every scene appear like a Maxfield Parrish painting. It is evocative without being verbose, and lyrical without being flabby. Even the sappiness that must be inherent in a novel in which there are: 2 births, 3 major deaths and many heartbreaks, is toned to a minimum by the writing style. You will not soon forget the ending lines and picture they evoke. I keep refering to how things look - and this is true - you don't read "Eva Moves the Furniture", you watch it. I do so hope that they'll make a movie out of it! My only complaints are with the length and the amount of character development in the minor characters. In 200+ pages, Livesey spans an entire life, complete with flashbacks - I would GLADLY have spent the extra time reading the extra pages if it meant that I could have understood more about the world and people that swirl around Eva. Although you get a general feel for Eva's friends and lovers, you really can't say you know them as you come to know Eva, her parents, and her guardians. Its a small price to pay for such a sparkling diamond of a novel. Plus, even if the book doesn't hit you that hard, the cover picture is beautiful and almost disturbing in an ethereal kind of way. Cheers!
Rating:
Summary: Riveting -- a definite keeper! Excellent
Review: This story will break your heart.
It is so perfectly beautiful that writing this review is an amazing challenge.
The story is told in first person narrative by Eva McEwen a lonely girl whose mother died in childbirth. She is adored by her widower father and her aunt, who has come to help raise her. Though beloved by her family, she is lonely, friendless, and very isolated. When she is six years old the "companions" visit her for the first time.
From her childhood through her adult life we watch Eva mature and grow into a woman, eventually becoming a nurse during WWII in Scotland. The companions are with her from start to finish.
Are they good or are they evil? You'll have to read the book to find out.
This gut-wrenching story is one you won't be able to put down until the last page. I sat silently for several minutes after the last line of the book - it had such a great impact. This book is a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: One of My All-time Favorite Covers
Review: This book was assigned for a book group discussion and I put off reading it because it sounded weird. It is now on my list of all time favorites. The story was beautifully told and the ending was perfect, though very sad. Eva will stay with you long after you finish the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow, But a Wonderful Ending
Review: I thought the book was somewhat slow. I also thought there were several loose ends that were never cleared up and that was disappointing. However, you are kept guessing throughout the story as to what the "companions" motives really are and that is why I continued reading it. I'm happy I did because the ending was fabulous. In short, the ending made the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Eva Moves the Furniture
Review: I read this book on a rainy, lazy Saturday. I wouldn't call it brilliant for a novel; in fact it had a short story feel. The novel itself up until the ending was a breezy read, easy on the brain. The last few pages were what is worth the purchase of this book. I just remember feeling this immense sadness at the end, so I re-read the ending again. It made me weep, a great-sobbing weeping that was ultimately very satisfying. I think the sadness comes from being a mother; however,I won't give away the ending.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting concept, but unsatisfying overall
Review: I was moved to purchase this book because I love the name Eva, I was interested in the spiritual aspect of the story, and I am the mother of a daughter. Eva, the title character, is raised by her father and aunt after her mother dies shortly after her birth. She is also guided and influenced by two spirit visitors. These visitors shape her world; leading her in certain directions and away from people and interests they don't approve of. We aren't sure until the end who these visitors are and whether their intentions are in Eva's best interest. I was quickly pulled into the story and fascinated by the events taking place. I puzzled over the motivations of Eva's visitors. Unfortunately, I was still puzzled as the book ended. Or, rather, I was left wondering "Is that all there is?" I had expected a profound mission for her visitors, and I was disappointed.
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