Rating: 
Summary: A Healing Experience!
Review: A beautiful story of friendship and healing! Close friends, like my own group, want to walk, share tea, healing stones and stories. There are sensitive, supportive men who deserve to know how women really feel and should share these moving experiences. The reviewer who didn't like it, probably didn't finish the book. Stay with it! After Chapter Seven, when you learn about the title, it's hard to resist finding a perfect cup of healing tea.
Rating: 
Summary: No desire to be in the company of this immature ensemble
Review: A dear friend gave me this novel to read and enjoy. Unfortunately, I was unimpressed--even concerned. The eight characters did not represent the the level of diversity and maturity that I would expect in real-life counterparts who have traveled as far through life's paths. Instead of profundity in relationships, I found typecast, feminist posturing. Since this novel is touted as revelatory and touching by so many women, I am concerned that younger readers may lack the wisdom to discern the fallacy of the book; that is, that women who have experienced sorrow or hardship can be healed (best if not only) by loving relationships with understanding women. As an older woman who has dealt with much trial in life, I would assert, rather, that there are many valuable relationships in life --and real health in life is attained by a balanced prioritizing of those relationships, with one's relationship to their creator as primary. The number of friends one may find for acceptance and comfort in the midst of destructive life choices does not cut it!
Rating: 
Summary: White snow should cover this one!
Review: Alright, first of all I want to say I love the idea of this book. I am one of the woman who would absolutely die to pick up (sometimes) and just leave, walk, talk, reflect, sit eye to eye with my girlfriends and just talk my head off...about husbands, kids, sex, work, dreams, goals, sex!But "The Elegant Gathering of White Snows" did not work for me. I found myself not caring about the characters, hoping they would hurry and arrive! Damn it, just arrive to where their final destination was. When one finds themself not caring about the characters in the story, well, I must tell you, this is not a good sign. Anyhow, eight women walk and talk mostly about the regret in their lives, the pain, the dissatisfactions( we all have them)
the media follows them, the press, the FBI, CIA, you name it... Like I said, I adore the idea of this book...picking up where you are, walking with other women, solving and coming to terms with all our problems.
And as one walks the world watches, reflecting on their own lives, thinking maybe they can change the situations they are in, thinking-- Yea baby, if they can do it, I can to! Exquisite idea! Probably a great movie! But if the reader does not care about the characters, does not care if they change or go on... if the reader wants despartly to get to the last page, end it, begin another book...
this is not a good sign! ***NOTE*** the journalism pieces in the story are good, authentic
Rating:
Summary: A Not so elegant gathering of stereotypes
Review: Am I the only reader who thought these women were the most annoying, whining self-centered cariactures (not characters)? I kept waiting for an inciting incident, a conflict that would build plot step by plot step to a climax or turning point. Not so. These are like pages from a writer's sketchbook of ideas rather than a novel with rising and falling action. Radish may be a very good journalist and travel writer--no doubt she can use language well--but in this attempt at fiction, I believe she has failed. Instead of focusing on the eight women, she veers off to incorporate phony news articles and side stories of women who hear about the walkers through the media and suddenly change their lives radically. A novelist's challenge is to create a world where the reader can suspend disbelief or at least care about what happens to the characters. I never got to that place.
Rating:
Summary: A waste of paper
Review: Do you remember those "growth seminars" from the 70's and 80's? Shell out some money and in two and a half days, you will learn how to find happiness, success, sexual fulfilment, and piles of money--instant empowerment and the secrets of life in one weekend. I think that same superficiality is the root problem of this inelegant book. We're given snippets of characters' lives, no depth, no deep understanding of any of them; we're given dialogue that shows no wisdom, nor depth of thought or depth of feeling; we're given an absurd plot (women going for a walk and the world halts in wonder); and just as in those seminars, happiness, fulfilment, and new direction and purpose in life comes after a few days of walking away from their lives. Save your money.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable!!!
Review: From the very beginning of this book I was bored. This is yet another story of "downtrodden" women. The trek across Wisconsin didn't seem real to me. These women did not seem real to me. Mary was the only one with any sense!!!
Rating:
Summary: Nothing Elegant About This Book
Review: Having worked my way through 2/3 of this book, I am dreading the rest, but will complete it for my book club discussion. I predict the remaining pages will dwell on yet another story of a woman feeling sorry for herself for having lived through an unfortunate experience triggered by some male. Blah, Blah, Blah.
All adults have lives that are shaped by the actions of other people. Most of us learn from them, grow, and move on. I happen to treasure the relationships I have with my female friends, but would never gain anything from the group in this book. I don't find their friendship convincing at all, in fact the parts of the book that have the women interacting seem to all flat. I think this is just one more male-bashing poorly written novel.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring, Intimate and Beautifully Written
Review: I am absolutely amazed by all the negative reviews about this book on the website. I would love to know the ages of those writing the bad reviews. I wonder if women with more life experience and years under their belts would be the ones who would be able to understand and appreciate this incredible book? In my opinion, this book speaks to the issues, struggles, heart, and lives of every woman. It does not have a traditional "plot" as such - if that is important to you - but is instead a telling of the inner lives, experiences, and challenges of a group of women as they explore these issues both individually and as a group of friends. It explores how each woman's life choices impact on her life and those around her, how early wounds affect us in so many ways throughout our lives, and how every woman has strengths and wisdom that can be called up, shared and nurtured.
It is the most beautiful description of the gift we all give each other with the friendships of women in our lives, and how essential these friendships are to our own growth, strength and living. The writing in this book is absolutely beautiful. The author manages to describe the most difficult intimate emotional experiences, as well as the most joyous connections, with words that ring deeply true and are at the same time almost poetic. This book is not a quick bit of fluff. It is profound, meant to be savoured and experienced, like fine wine or old friendships.
Rating:
Summary: Speechless
Review: I am speechless to read that some people didn't care for this book. I am laso sppechless when I try and describe how it moved me. This book was impossible to put down, (I even tried to read it while watering our yard) and is at the top of my gift list for all friends this year, both male and female!
Rating:
Summary: an elegant gathering of white snows
Review: I didn't enjoy reading this book at all. The characters didn't seem real. The issues didn't come home for me. Most of all... this book seemed to be about healing. There was FAR too much focus on drinking wine and beer for anyone to be doing any real healing or soul searching. I was very disapppointed. The "idea" of the book was the only positive aspect.
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