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Summary: wonderful summer reading
Review: I heard about this book from reading the reviews on Amazon.com. I loved the book! It was a wonderful summer read. Wouldn't it be interesting to know what happened when Umma woke up and couldn't read, didn't have any more exciting new cooking ideas and found out her child and lover had died of disease?
Rating: 
Summary: More Accuracy, Please
Review: I love the plot of this book, and the way the story unfolds. Right now I'm in the middle of it, and can hardly wait to get back to it. There are a couple of things about it that bother me, though. One is the apparent lack of soap in 2nd century Carnuntum, i.e., Somewhere in the Roman Empire...The authors present a Roman town in which soap is evidently unknown. This in not accurate. Soap was invented by prehistoric woman. Go to any of the "History of Soap" sites on the Web and you'll see. I think this distorts the story somewhat, since the protagonist is naturally very bothered by the dirt and squalor. I think Lindsay Davis's books about Falco the Informer may be more accurate in this respect.Another thing that bothers me is that I find it hard to believe that any college graduate today, even a graduate of Indiana University with a degree in business administration, and a law degree, could be so ignorant as to think that the ancient world had accorded women any equality at all. That strains credulity. Another thing that bothers me is Harry Turtledove's tendency in his writing to belabor his point, to grind his axe too much.
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Summary: Household Gods Hold Secrets
Review: If you're tired of this century's daily grind & you think a woman's lot is tough, check this book out! That's what Nicole thought too. With all the pressures of work, divorce, children & the single parent juggling act between daycare, child support & Los Angeles' traffic & real estate, Nicole is stretched as tight as a drum. One evening in despair she mutters a petulant if heartfelt prayer to the little statues she found on her honeymoon. The next morning she awakens to a very changed life. This is a serious & hilarious read, full of historical details & that particular fascination of peeking into life as it once might have been. Absorbing!
Rating: 
Summary: Far Better Than Either Alone
Review: I really enjoyed this novel. Tarr tends to do good research, but her relationships read like really bad romance novels (especially her sentimental gays--I wish she'd throw away her copy of THE PERSIAN BOY). Turtledove's characters tend to be flat. The two seemed to cancel one another's weaknesses here, and except for a couple slides into preachiness (okay, we get the idea life was dirty and nasty back then) the story zipped along, with humor and compassion. Characters were quirky and interesting. I'd love to see these two authors work together again--I'd buy their next for certain.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining!
Review: This was a very enjoyable book, but a bit weak in some areas. The children's personalities or lives were not very well developed, and the middle of the book seemed to drag on. It's a memorable book and stays in your mind long after finishing it.
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Summary: Finally, a protaganist who doesn't know it all
Review: These two teamed up to write an overall excellent book. While I agree,, I was a little disappointed Nicole knew so little of 2d century Rome she expected it to be the solution for 20th century feminism, I realize that that's how real people think. She didn't go back and 'invent' electricty, the repeating rifle, or modern surgery - she just survived - and learned a little bit about herself in the process. Overall, a very well thought out tale about a heroine you don't always like, but you're happy to see grow throughout the novel
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Summary: Nicoles attitude.
Review: Generally, I enjoyed the book but I was turned off by Nicole's lack of basic knowledge of the 2nd century. I found it hard to believe that a well-educated woman such as Nicole did not realize that women's rights were non-existant during this era as anyone with even the most elementary knowledge of ancient Rome knows. Even more incredible was her belief that ancient Rome was some sort of Utopia. In spite of this, I was fascinated to read how people actually then.
Rating: 
Summary: Great concept, vivid detail, but falls flat
Review: I read this book because its concept sounded promising: 20th-century American feminist travels to 2nd-century Rome (the frontier town Carnuntum) and learns a thing or two about real life. Unfortunately, our heroine, Nicole, learns little more than any fool could have told her: that life is a lot easier now than it was then, especially for selfish, self-righteous feminists. The book misses every opportunity to explore the facile assumptions of post-modern ethics. Christians are likened to modern terrorists. Men, with few exceptions, are pigs. Nicole herself is above reproach, even though she shows not the slightest remorse when abandoning her children in either century. She starts and ends as a spiteful witch, always blaming somebody else for her troubles.
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Summary: Wonderful images of ancient Rome
Review: I bought the book based on other reviews and was expecting a lot, perhaps too much from the book. I was not disappointed at all. Once Nicole was back to Carnuntum, I became engrossed in all of the details of her daily life. I have studied history and have visited many ancient sites, and this book brings those experiences alive like no other. My only complaint is that I found Nicole's choice of what to do with her experience a bit unsatisfying, yet understandable. I wont say more because I do not want to spoil the ending for others.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Read
Review: I agree with other reviewers that the main character was a bit unlikable and a bit deluded about history. When I read her musings about life during the Roman Empire being free from patriarchy, I had to laugh. The book does draw you in, however...mostly due to the convincing web of day-to-day details about life during that time. Although I didn't feel most of the characters were very well-drawn, the book is a great way to waste a couple of hours.
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