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Summary: A Family reclaims its roots¿..literally!
Review: This is a wonderful blend of some of the most memorable characters I've ever been introduced to. The main character, Natalie Seebring, is a woman in her 70's that has done everything in her power to turn Asquonset, the family Vineyard in Rhode Island, into the productive enterprise it has become. It is when Olivia Jones is hired to write a book of Natalie's memoirs that we find out just how much she has given up for the vineyard and the family who has come to take it for granted. Natalie's Husband has been dead for 6 months and her family is scandalized when she announces her engagement to Carl, the manager of the vineyard. Eyebrows are raised and accusations of improprieties are insinuated, all to Natalie's chagrin.This is a story of a family that finds itself after a long and arduous journey. It is an informative look at the cultivation of grapes and what it takes to nurture them to their full potential through some of the worst weather one might imagine. There is so much more to this enjoyable story with surprises that I didn't see coming at the end. Other parts of the story were totally predictable but the characters were so well written that I didn't mind following the author down that particular path. This book was a good read and I will be reading Delinsky's books for a long time to come. Kelsana 4/20/01
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Summary: Could Not Put This One Down
Review: I have never reviewed a book before, but after reading "The Vineyard" I felt I just had to share... I am a sucker for romance novels, and this story caught my heart. I found myself grabbing for it every free moment I had and it was worth every minute. I loved the chemistry between Olivia, Tess and the Seebrings. Delinsky's characters are strong-willed and vulnerable at the same time. I found the story irresistable and I cannot wait to read Delinsky's other two books...I am going to buy them today! Make some time for this one and enjoy with a good glass of wine!
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Summary: Delinsky: Always reliable
Review: As a fan of Barbara Delinsky, I wouldn't call THE VINEYARD her best novel ever. Nonetheless, Ms. Delinsky is one of modern fiction's most reliable authors; not surprisingly, THE VINEYARD is very good. Her two heroines, Natalie and Olivia, both are real and appealing. The hook with which the story opens is a grabber. Delinsky's writing, as always, is fast-paced and the story is compelling. As a device she often uses to add structure to her books, there is a long-hidden secret which turns out to have had a great impact on the lives of some of her characters. The most telling sign of a skilled writer, I have noticed, is that even the ancillary characters are interesting and believable. THE VINEYARD will not disappoint.
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Summary: A nice story....but....
Review: the story has two plot lines going at the same time. Usually I have an easy time following both, but I felt that I got bogged down in all that was happening. I enjoyed the book, but I wanted it to flow faster, to get a move on. The story line follows a young woman who has been hired to write the biography of an elderly woman. The older woman's past twists into her present and is explained well, but sometimes I just wanted to reach other pull the story faster. It was a book I couldn't wait to get through.
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Summary: Don't Think This Author Is For Me
Review: This is my third Delinsky novel. The other two were"Lake News" and "The Stud." All three were allright reads but nothing that really lights my fire. This novel wasromance blended with family saga. If I'm going to read about somany characters and their marriages, I'd prefer a much longer, indepth novel than this. If this tale stuck with the solo romance at itscore instead, then I'd prefer pruning these other characters outof"Vineyard." Four marriages plus a ten-year-old child isjust too many to cover in this length. This trying to cover all ofthe bases rather than covering one well, is probably a central problemin trying to convert from being a romance writer, which is whatDelinsky once was, to being a woman fiction's writer, which she now is.If I'm going to read fiction instead of a genre, I believe I preferPatricia Gaffney's way of handling it in "Saving Graces"and"Circle Of Three," .... However, maybe you will dobetter than I did with this tale of matriarch Natalie, whichencompasses her vineyard in Rhode Island, her grown children, her newemployee who is writing her life's story, her fiancé and his son whorun the vineyard,her late husband, her secrets from the 1940s and soforth. The author doesn't do a bad job. She just doesn't do a greatjob, which is what I was expecting from an author who has such a hugenumber of readers.
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Summary: Is there an editor?
Review: Very predictable plot. A computer editing program that does not know when to use were and when to use was.
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Summary: Lazy Sunday Reading
Review: What a nice escape for those sunny Sunday afternoons on the deck, or the rainy ones in the house! Be transported to the lovely RI coast and smell the grapes ripening on the vine. Barbara Delinsky draws a refreshingly realistic view of today's relationship dynamics....mother/daughter, male/female, husband/wife. Traveling through time as Natalie dictates her memoir is wonderful voyage!
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Summary: Wonderful, engaging, emotional read
Review: I simply love Barbara's latest novels. I have been a fan since her early writings, but her latest novels show her maturity. The vinyard was engaging and emotional. Just wonderful. I read it in a day. Keep up the good work Barbara.
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Summary: A pleasure to read
Review: Barbara Delinsky never misses no matter what topic or characters she chooses to develop! The Vineyard consists of a story told within a story which was very appealing (I was always peeking ahead for the italicized print!) From page one the reader is very involved with the characters - you become one of the Seebring clan. Not that everything was perfect in the family; far from it, but as the tale enfolded more harmony was achieved. Natalie's impending marriage to Carl her longtime love - over 70 years - sets the stage. How their children, Olivia, who writes Natalie's story and Tess, her dyslexic daughter, interact draws the reader in. Not only does the reader learn something about the making of wine, photography, dyslexia, and hurricanes, but also about real human emotions of love, hurt, anger, resentment, self-esteem, trust, forgiveness, and community. Not so much her plots, but Delinsky's characters grab you almost immediately. Her character studies are great and present a wholesome look at different personalities without a lot of sex, violence, or bad language. Just like a good wine, this was smooth all the way! Thanks Barbara!
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Summary: Be careful of what you wish for
Review: The Vineyard's heroine Olivia Jones is a woman is lost soul in a pattern of lost souls. Dumped by her mother, she searches for a better for herself and her daughter, Tess. She lucks up at job at a New England vineyard only to have dumped herself in the middle of a family war. She finds out about truths and secrets that many member didn't know or didn't want to know. Luckily, the matriarch, Natalie Seebring uses Olivia as a confidant and becomes a surrogate mother for Olivia. Through Natalie's help, Olivia not only finds a job she loves. She finds personal love and most of all self-esteem.
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