Rating: 
Summary: Well written but ultimately too sad
Review: I read this book a few years ago shortly after it was released in paperback. Jane Hamilton is a beautiful, insightful writer with a keen ability to paint realistic characters experiencing very believable emotions. Although I appreciate her immense talent, this book left me feeling empty and sad, rather than enraged, embolded or inspired, as she may have intended. This is a well-written book that deserves all its praise, but reading an emotionally draining book, with little levity to break up the mood, is simply not how I like to spend a rainy afternoon.
Rating: 
Summary: No Empathy
Review: This book left me cold. I had no empathy for the main character, who seemed to only want to feel sorry for herself. As the mother of a three year old, I wanted to feel...SOMETHING! But the characters did not warrant any feeling. They were stereotypical and sterile, and the situations seemed completely contrived. Not an enjoyable, or even thought-provoking, read.
Rating:
Summary: A GOOD BOOK
Review: This book was good and for sure thought provokiong It made one think a lot about the importance of love and life. If you want to another read a book that goes straight to your heart, read Stolen Moments by Barbara Jeanne Fisher. . .It is a beautiful story of unrequited love. . .for certain the love story of the nineties. I intended to give the book a quick read, but I got so caught up in the story that I couldn't put the book down. From the very beginning, I was fully caught up in the heart-wrenching account of Julie Hunter's battle with lupus and her growing love for Don Lipton. This love, in the face of Julie's impending death, makes for a story that covers the range of human emotions. The touches of humor are great, too, they add some nice contrast and lighten things a bit when emotions are running high. I've never read a book more deserving of being published. It has rare depth. Julie's story will remind your readers that life and love are precious and not to be taken for granted. It has had an impact on me, and for that I'm grateful. Stolen Moments is written with so much sensitivity that it made me want to cry. It is a spellbinder. What terrific writing. Barbara does have an exceptional gift! This book was edited by Lupus specialist Dr. Matt Morrow too, and has the latest information on that disease. ..A perfect gift for someone who started college late in life, fell in love too late in life, is living with any illness, or trying to understand a loved one who is. . .A gift to be cherished forever.
Rating: 
Summary: Hamilton does it again
Review: Jane Hamilton's, A Map of the World, teaches the reader that everyone is looking for a scapegoat, and Alice happens to be the town's pick after a tragic accident. Alice's strength to carry on when everything is going so badly is truly inspiring. I couldn't put the book down. Hamilton's story allows one to realize this could happen to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommend
Review: This is not a light read. The characters were engrossing. I found myself thinking about them long after I finished the book. If you like the Hoffman, Quindlen, Shreve stuff, you'll love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good Book
Review: I read this book and it was awesome! You should buy tons of it
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, Moving, Heartfelt - A masterpiece
Review: Oprah picked a winner this time.... I read this book about 3 years ago, and it remains in my top 10 favorite books ever...and that from someone who usually doesn't like stories that deal with Widwestern angst. The story begins with a catastrophe that could happen to anyone, and explores what happens next with the idea that our lives could change at any moment, and all that we think we know about ourselves and others gets turned upside down. Jane Hamilton took this motley cast of characters and turned them into people I cared about and who taught me about life and relationships and that ever-present question of who we are and what and why... I have read this book three times, and will read it again. A saga of loss and despair and tenacity and hopelessness and redemption, and...well, just read it. You'll be glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: Heart-Wrenching
Review: This book is my favorite that I ever read. I read it about 5 years ago, and I still remember it. It's about a mother's coming-to-terms with the death of a neighbor's young child. There are three points of view, and the book is well-developed. The first is the mother's decline, the second is her husband's perspective, and the last is the mother's coming to terms with her life. It's a MUST READ!
Rating:
Summary: Just read the first paragraph over and over again........
Review: I guess that one should never assume that since an author excels with their freshman work, that they will equally achieve the same thing the second time around. The Book of Ruth was a smooth and enticing read that grasped you at page one and did not let go until the turn of the last page. Unfortunately, the first page of this book only sets you up for failure. Stop at the turn of the wonderfully crafted first page. The book gets progressively worse; and just when you think that you MUST continue with this read to find some sense of redemption, you realize that you have wasted an afternoon and evening, just to wake up tired and unfulfilled.
Rating: 
Summary: Gentle and moving but not without its flaws
Review: I am totally surprised by this Oprah selection. I would have thought that a lot of people would have already read this book considering "The Book Of Ruth" was a previous selection. Anyway besides that I think there has to be other authors out there with books worthy of being chosen. Surely choosing different authors benefits not only more readers but more authors and isn't that the whole purpose of a book club. I note too that there are some very good young authors out and about at the moment - note Suneeta Peres Da Costa - that could very well provide new and different, and I stress that word, reading experiences. Anyway I have two major problems with Jane Hamilton's "A Map Of The World". The first is the character of Howard. He is totally unconvincing and yet should form the base, the foundation of the novel. Instead we are given a story about this woman - Alice - who is thrown so abruptly into this mess of a depression that there is no time for Howard and hence no time for us as readers to connect with him. The second problem I have is the whole sexual abuse case. It too is unconvincing and should not have formed a part of the story. This is a real shame because Jane Hamilton is a very talented writer and in fact I am surprised that she has allowed these two pretty major problems go unmended. There is still a lot to like about this book, I'm just waiting however for Jane Hamilton's masterpiece. I know she has one in her.
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