Rating: 
Summary: It had potential
Review: This book had the potential to be a good story, but some very important things were left out. I wish she had not skipped all the important years with her mother and her husband. I think some of the characters were not well developed. She seemed to hint to things that I feel deserved some explanation. Was her aunt gay? Was her husband just a freelance musician? Did she finish school or just quit? Her education was very important in the beginning, but then they seemed to have forgotten about it. Too many unanwered questions. I think Aunt Tante was one of the most interesting characters in the story. I wish the author had put some closure to that side story. Like I said the book had a lot of potential. I just think she didn't take advantage of the opportunity.
Rating: 
Summary: Just Barely An O.K. Read
Review: An o.k read. This was certainly one of those books that didn't live up to my expectations. I guess if you're a woman -- a Hatian woman more specifically -- you are more likely to connect with this book. I don't think the author did an adequate job of writing this story to reach a broader audience. The least favorite of Oprah's book recommendations.
Rating:
Summary: Misses the mark
Review: Edwidge Danticat is a talented writer, but this book clearly misses the mark. The book reads more like a story treatment than an actual novel. She goes from skipping forward a few days [which is perfectly acceptable] to skipping forward months and even years! One could say that the most interesting parts of this story never made it into print--Including the early days of Sophie's life with the father of her child. I also had a problem with the dialog in this book. Clearly, as a Haitian woman, Danticat is quite familiar with Haitian language, dialect and tradition, but I would argue that she failed to capture it here. Reading the dialog in this book, I kept thinking that it just didn't sound right. This isn't how real people speak in Haiti or in the diaspora. Yes, I am Haitian. Nevertheless, I'm willing to give Ms. Danticat the benefit of the doubt. She is young and this book [don't forget this followers of Oprah] was actually written years ago. Edwidge will no doubt turn out some quality writing in the years to come, living up to the promise shown in her Krik, Krak.
Rating:
Summary: Very disappointed
Review: I agree with many of the other readers that this book had the potential to be very good. However, the characters and the story could have been and should have beeen much better developed. I, too was surprised that it was chosen by the Oprah book club.
Rating:
Summary: Hard to get involved in...but a good story
Review: The story itself had a good basis, but it was hard to get into. I enjoyed the book, because it was a book I could read in one night. I really didn't find any real story to it. It exposed you to Sophies relatioships with the women of her life..but could have shown more. I related to the bulima that Sophie suffred..but it was very sterotypical. My favorite part of the book was the ending. I finally was hooked on the last two pages..if the story had taken off for there it would have been good. I also disliked all the french in the book..i didn't know what half it was. THe book made a little more sense after seeing the Oprah book club dinner. It was a good book, wrote by a very smart young author. That will hopefully continue to write novels. I recommend the book, but don't expect too much.
Rating: 
Summary: An Interesting Tapestry of Emotions & Love In A Family
Review: I read this book - only because of it being on Oprah's Book List of Books that are a must read. After reading it and experiencing it I found it to be a well written story that transported me to a different place and time but yet still within a family. It's good to know that all families go through struggles and hardships and yet still have a bond that is unbreakable! Great Book.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging
Review: This is a good read, I had a little trouble understanding how the daughter inherited the mother's problems (they weren't genetic). As the story wrapped up it became more apparent. I enjoyed the finale & feel satisfied with the conclusion. One of the reasons I read a lot is to develop an understanding for other people & cultures & this book gave me a fresh perspective on Haiti and the stereotypes endured. I was disappointed that the daughter seemed to understand the importance of education in leaving her past behind, but didn't follow through.
Rating:
Summary: Wham, bam, and thank you ma'am.
Review: I must admit I couldn't put the book down! I was intrigued by the story in the way one is drawn to the aftermath of a multi-car chain reaction accident. As I read, I anxiously searched the pages looking for souls who had survived the impact. I was disheartened and disappointed in the answer: Those who managed to survive this catastrophe would do so in the way one is said to have "survived" when placed on "life support".
Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous
Review: I enjoyed this book very much. I felt as though I personally knew these characters and I could see Haite as the author described in her book. I could feel the confussion, pain and shame that Sophie felt and the wisdom of her grandmother. I would highly recommend this book and know I will read it again.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed.
Review: We have a Book Club, called the S.O.S. (Sibbling Outreach Society), comprised of my 4 sisters, my nieces, a cousin and a couple of co workers. We reviewed the book, and using the rating of 1-5 stars, the average was 2 stars. We weren't that impressed--actually we were very disappointed. W found ourself reading this in 'broken-english, as if we were from Haiti. We did this throughout the story for all the characters. That to us, was the most exciting part in the whole book. We felt we were 'right there; we could speak it'! Maybe we missed the point. At first we thought it was going to be pretty good, and knowing she was writing about and from a war-torn country, we looked for murder, mystery, and excitment. I guess the most exciting part was the Aunt running through the airport trying to keep up with the taxi driver! We realize the book was about a mother-dauthter relationship and after reading the cover and we expected her to "return to haiti--to the women who first reared her".--thus the happy ending. Again, we were very disappointed. Did we miss something? What was 'supernatural? There were no chicken sacifices, voo doo dolls or other rituals we associate with that culture. The only Political violence was a shooting of a citizen every now and then. And that aunt? Are we reading between the lines or what? Is she gay? Was she carring on a relationship with Louise? Finally, if her mother hated the 'test' so much, why did she carry it on to her daughter? It's obvious she tried to get away from Haiti and it's traditions and foods, so would she not do away with the old traditions. I know I for one can think of what I consider 'mistakes' my mom made while raising me. We all agreed, that one of the FIRST things we would say to ourselves...when we had children, we would change the old ways. These consisted of things we considered humiliating or degrading or unjust. The sins of the mother should not carry on.
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