Candles on Bay Street

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Summary: Written from the heart
Review: Candles on the Bay was clearly written from the heart and soul of the author. It shows in the beautifully crafted sentences, descriptions and characters, many of whom were inspired by real people near and dear to the author. To everyone after me who reads this book, PLEASE take the time to read the acknowledgements at the end of the book. Also, read everything. Read the quotes at the start of each chapter. Study the perfectly done illustrations and their captions.

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Summary: Candles on Bay Street
Review: I enjoyed the book Candles on Bay Street very much, but I am a big fan of K.C. MCKinnon. I have read just about all she has written and enjoyed each book in it's turn. I would highly recommend her to all who wish to read a good book.

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Summary: A Great Read That You Hate To See End!!!
Review: I first got this novel from the library & was skeptical as to if I would like it.I read it in one day when I was home sick.It is beautifully written & it will touch your heart.Candles on Bay Street is the story of a wonderful friendship that through distance still lasted & of the sacrifices we must make for those we truly love.This novel is one of the few books I can say I really love & has been worth reading many times.Candles on Bay Street is a moving story that shows that even today when the world seems so lost there still is love & beauty.Throughout this book you will laugh & cry & become close to all the characters & seem to feel with & for them.You must read this novel--it will be totally worth it.

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Summary: beautiful, heart wrenching, tender love story
Review: I read "Candles on Bay Street" overnight, I couldn't put it down. I found myself laughing and crying at the same time. This book makes you feel like you are part of the small town and friends with the main characters. Trooper is the same age as my grandson, and I felt so deeply for him. First loves are never forgotten. My husband read and enjoy this book also.

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Summary: A Review From the Male POV
Review: I want to acknowledge upfront that this book is a 5 star in the hearts and minds of all of my women friends that have read it. It was passed on to me by an Aunt that insisted I should try to option it to make it into a film. After having read it... I thought it was dreck, not because of the story, but because of the way it was told and the writing style... which leads me to believe it has a very specific reader audience.

The novel starts off great. I am immediately in the heart and mind of the main character Sammy. He recounts first love in a way that drew me right in. I longed for this relationship, and was even more impressed with how it turned out as Sammy ends up going to veterinary school. It was at this point a very cute and endearing story of life in a small city and first love.

The book started to unravel (for me) right around page 30. It is transformed into this serious story from the time Dee Dee (15 years later) moves back into Sammy's world. If the story had been told or built at this point on the notion of Sammy having his first true love as well as his wife that he loved... well, then I would have had an intersting story. But unfortunately, the author (and completely unsubtly) drops hints that Dee Dee is going to die. Thus, the rest of the book is a painfully written 230 additional pages milking the emotion of a loved one dying.

I know that there are people that are going to be pissed with this review, but please take the time to think through how the relationship is dependent on what Sammy tells us. There is no character development beyond constantly confronting the inevitable. Additionally, we certainly would have had higher stakes had the relationship been built and it had been even a hint of a surprise what was to come. Had we been offered the opportunity by the writer to truly feel Sammy's delight with the return of Dee Dee... she would not have been treated as a decaying corpse from the get go... thus the devastation on Troup's life would have brought me to tears too.

Bottom line... this book is going to be considered great by a lot of people, but it saddens me that such a wonderful story was so poorly told. So for anyone that thinks this should be made into a movie, you are probably right... just don't hire the author to write the screenplay.

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Summary: Go Back Home Again
Review: I was reminded of so many wonderful things about returning "home" when I read "Candles on Baystreet." I too have been far away from home for over 10 years and when I read this book I found it heartwarming- it really moved me, which doesn't happen all too often because most books are predictable and use gimmicks to move emotions. And the author's descriptions of the town remind me of a place I have gone to and remember with great fondness; she certainly captures the small town feeling and community spirit of a small town in northern Maine. As far as the setting, it was great to read a book that was set in an unknown town near the tip of Maine; it added an aura of mystery to the book because my imagination had to kick in to create the beautiful place she described. The main character is compassionate and sensitive despite having to face the feelings from the past when his high school girl friend comes back to town. The author conveys honesty throughout in the actions and dialogue of the characters. I was surprised at where the book took me- it was unpredictable and a great joy to read. The only problem was I was sad when I reached the last page and realized the story was over. I highly recommend this book to people who want to read a story that handles the characters sympathetically, while being believable and a joy to read and become familiar with the characters in "Candles on Baystreet." I almost felt like I knew them. :)

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Summary: the most moving book i have ever read
Review: Not many books grab me to the point of buying them as gifts for others, but CANDLES had so many poignant moments that I just had to share it with my sister and my daughter. I have read most of Cathie's books and easily identify with the characters and how they think and act.

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Summary: A One-Sitting Book....
Review: This is a quick read, but a touching one. If you're looking for a story about life, love and loss, this might be the one for you. I picked it up, like others, looking for some relationship drama when the back discussed old high school loves meeting up after many years. I certainly did not get what was expected, but I was moved by the story enough to tear up, something I rarely do while reading. If you're looking for a light read, a pick-me-upper, I wouldn't recommend this one. But if you're in the mood for something a little more serious that might make you take a look at life a little differently, at least temporarily, then I would recommend this title.

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Summary: With a little help from her friends.
Review: This was a hard book for me to read as it ends with euthanasia. I had to cry and I read for enjoyment, not pain. Sometimes I cry in movies like A WALK TO REMEMBER -- but that's entirely different, though it too was about a dying young woman.

When I read Norman Cousins' ANATOMY OF AN ILLNESS, I was young enough not to have chronic illnesses and appreciated his sharing his experiences. From time to time, I have had to remember that humor and laughing do indeed help a person to heal, as he proved so well. I could not read his THE HEALING HEART because that is what took my sister. Thus, I really don't enjoy books which use a deadly illness as the theme.

I absolutely loved K. C. McKinnon's DANCING AT THE HARVEST MOON and have recommended it to others. It's a love story of an older woman who fell in love with a younger man after she returned 'home' to look for her long-lost first love. A similar thing happened to me the second time I came back home (couldn't find that first love the first time -- still haven't) so I can vouch for the possibility of love against all odds. Even as we age, we still have that 'younger self' lurking just below the surface waiting to surface.

This second book under this pseudonym of a Nashville writer whom I saw interviewed by John Seigenthaler on public t.v. there. She admitted that she used her grandmother's name, so is it fair to assume that her first book was based on Mrs. McKinnon.

Rating:
Summary: A huge disappointment.
Review: When I first began reading "Candles On Bay Street", I was hoping it would be a heart-warming romance story. I was hoping Dee Dee would come back, and she would end up with Sam in the end. Unfortunately, I was let down.

As I read, it became more disappointing. Lydia, Sam's wife, didn't seem to care that Sam was still in love with Dee Dee, so no drama there. And no drama usually means no excitment. But, I kept reading. Then, around the middle of the book, I read that Dee Dee has cancer. WHAT?! Of course, there was no hope left for a romantic relationship between Sam and Dee Dee. Dee Dee would obviously die in the end.

I didn't see a reason to continue reading, but I did. Each page was more and more corny, stupid, and ridiculously typical. There are so many dramatic stories about cancer out there, it's become a usual thing. If you're writing a dramatic story, hey, might as well throw in some cancer.

The worst thing was, in the end, Dee Dee asks Sam (who is a veterinarian) to give her some pills to help her commit suicide. Who in their right mind would do that to their best friend? But, Sam does. He gives her some pills, and she dies. To me, the story was pointless and a waste of time. I'm glad I bought it at a garage sale for ten cents.