Rating: 
Summary: The most bitter truth is better than the sweetest lie.
Review: This book is your map into the intricate and complex world of parenting. There will be obstacles in your way but Jane Hamilton will guide you through with her kind and gentle words. Here is a book which truly portrays the ambivalence parents feel towards their children. A mother admits her feelings of helplessness and inadequacy in the face of what may, to an outsider, seem to be a series of simple homely tasks. At what point does society decide that this same woman is a "bad" mother? More importantly, when can the woman herself accept the ambivalence she feels? Ms. Hamilton also pleasantly surprised me by adding the father's perspective on the day-to-day running of a family and household. His obsession with the smooth running of his barn and fields is a moving symbol of fathers throughout the world who race out of their homes each day towards the relief of "work", while women are left with the hardest work of all. Three cheers to Jane Hamilton. May her story enrich the lives of many more readers to come.
Rating: 
Summary: Depressingly Well-Written
Review: We read this book for our club. Feelings were mixed. The single star indicates my overall opinion of the book. It was well-written and as other reviewers have said, almost too much so. Hamilton writes so convincingly of Alice's thoughts and feelings that I felt immersed in her. But I didn't want to be! Alice is a depressing and annoying character who I wanted to shake some sense into! Hamilton's purpose must have been to unbearably depress her readers. I have no desire to ever read anything else written by her.
Rating:
Summary: TOTALLY HATED IT!
Review: This book was ridiculous. I hated the young mother and couldn't believe she was so neglectful of the children. And her husband - hello? - welcome to the modern era - you have to take care of the kids too! I read the book to finish it, but could barely stay interested.
Rating: 
Summary: Haunting
Review: This book quite different in plot from "The Short History of a Prince" which I've just read. But sad, so very sad. In fact, I haven't been quite so moved from a book in a while. Liked the way that Alice's time in jail portrayed as haunting, yet not so terrible that the human spirit can be broken. Seemed the ending was uneasy - after the suspense of the trial, the verdict was taken as assumed, nothing seemed to be resolve etc. etc...but perhaps this just goes to show the great amount of realism in the book?
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: Hamilton's prose, her phrases and turns, will stay with the reader long after she is finished with this book. I found myself re-reading lines, sharing them with others, thinking about them long after I put this book down. The heart of the story is simple -- it is about friendship, love, forgiveness, and how fragile our existence truly is. The relationships between Alice and Howard, Alice and Theresa, Alice and her cellmates all work toward helping the reader understand the complexities of life, where even a seemingly simple life on a farm is wrought with myriad possibilties, both good and bad. Howard's and Alice's love is painful to witness; it is filled with betrayals and disappointments, but love nonetheless, and beautiful.
Rating: 
Summary: It just goes on and on and on....
Review: The first paragraph of the book was such a masterpiece, I thought I was in for a treat. It must've taken a year of rewrites just to get that one paragraph right. But it went downhill fast from there. The painfully endless dull descriptive paragraphs after that made me stop by page 90, but then I stubbornly resumed and plowed through to the end. I couldn't read fast enough to move onto another book. Too realistic (which I guess is complimentary), too painful, just plain too much. Sorry. I wanted to like it.
Rating:
Summary: I could not readthis book: too painfully well-written
Review: A friend recommended this so strongly, I bought it from Amazon without even asking what it was about. I took it to the coffeeshop one day after a frustrating morning with my own children. When she said, "Where's Lizzie?" I slammed it shut. A week later, I made it to the Collins' arrival at the hospital. I was upset for four days without even knowing whether the child was dead or alive. I too recommend that mothers of small children wait to read this one! Hauntingly well-written. Too well for me, but maybe someday.
Rating:
Summary: A good work by an excellent writer
Review: A fine read, but somewhat disappointing after The Book of Ruth. The narrative isn't as good. Still, it is a compelling story. Also very disturbing, but isn't that what art is supposed to do?
Rating: 
Summary: So, so depressing
Review: I have a two and a half year son and I started squirming the minute I started to read this book and after about 150 pages put it down and couldn't pick it up again. It is beautifully written but the tragedy is just so oppressive and unrelenting. I just don't see the point of dwelling in such a dark place for so long. Even if someone pointed out that life is often dark and tragic, I would argue that authors like Shakesphere have written tales of heart-rending tragedy that leave the audience in tears but feeling somehow wiser and enobled too. This book just left me feeling like I had gone through an emotional blender with no relief at all.
Rating:
Summary: Quietly Sad
Review: Jane Hamilton outdid herself again. I really enjoyed the descriptive emotions that she displayed on the main character, Alice. I enjoyed the way she explained the way that Howard (her husband) as well as Alice felt about the situations they encountered while on this earth. It was a great READ!!
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