Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful read
Review: If I could, I would give this a higher rating. I grew up in a Polish-American neighborhood in New York, and Ms. Pietrzyk brought back many memories of my Babci who came to this country as a young teenager. She did a wonderful job in capturing the feel of a Polish-American family and I enjoyed this book so much that I have passed it along to several of my family members. Thank you Ms. Pietrzyk for a wonderful read.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful read
Review: If you happen to be lucky enough to come from a warm Polish family, you will love this book. I think any Eastern European background could relate. The women bring back memories that make me smile and remember my Polish Grandma. I enjoy the way each character gets a chapter where you learn more about their make-up. The author adds some polish foods and traditions that really add to the texture of the characters. It is about breaking away from the old and trying to find out what more is out there in the world. It is also about the importance of carrying on some traditions. We cannot run from who we are a part of. I couldn't put it down and am anxious to reread it! Thank you Ms. Pietrzyk!
Rating:
Summary: a polish page-turner
Review: If you happen to be lucky enough to come from a warm Polish family, you will love this book. I think any Eastern European background could relate. The women bring back memories that make me smile and remember my Polish Grandma. I enjoy the way each character gets a chapter where you learn more about their make-up. The author adds some polish foods and traditions that really add to the texture of the characters. It is about breaking away from the old and trying to find out what more is out there in the world. It is also about the importance of carrying on some traditions. We cannot run from who we are a part of. I couldn't put it down and am anxious to reread it! Thank you Ms. Pietrzyk!
Rating: 
Summary: very enjoyable reading
Review: If you liked this book, try "Selling the Lite of Heaven" by Strempek-Shea
Rating:
Summary: Pietrzyk is off to a great start!
Review: Let me put it this way: if you liked books like The Joy Luck Club (Tan), Hoopi Shoopi Donna (Shea), and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (Wells), you'll definitely love this book! Even though I'm only 12, I know Pietrzyk is a fine author and a wonderful chronicler of Polish-American life.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent novel on the human spirit.
Review: Pears On A Willow Tree is a beautifully written, deeply moving and insightful family drama which lovingly explores the lives of the Marchewka women of Poland and America. Nouvelle author Leslie Pietrzyk's intimate, multi-generation examination of the complex relationships which touched, shaped, and molded these strong and proud women is a brilliant tribute to her astute, yet always compassionate understanding of the vast spectrum of human emotion. Like a William Faulkner novel, Pietrzyk has woven a rich and colorful tapestry whose threads forever envelop and connect her characters. In virtuoso fashion, she successfully recreates the love, hope, dreams, and courage which carries and ultimately sustains this proud family in its journey from rural Poland to urban Detroit. And whereas Michener's earlier work on Poland dealt with many of that nation's military battles, Leslie's novel surveys deeper emotional, social and cultural battlefields where the old ways of agrarian Poland struggle to survive and find relevance amidst the newer customs, more mobile lifestyles, and non-traditional mores of industrial America. Pears On A Willow Tree is an excellent novel on the most complex of subjects: the human spirit. Written in a delightful prose, it is sure to inspire laughter, tears, and a clearer insight on how the past is mother to the present, and handmaiden to the future; or more simply put, how a new generation can always learn, gain strength, and find both wisdom and inspiration in the ways of the past. Michael Robert Andriani, KCN
Rating:
Summary: A moving portrayal of a family of strong women.
Review: There's not a false note in this book: It perfectly captures the speech and gestures and pride of an immigrant woman and her descendents. Pears on a Willow Tree also describes so sympathetically the struggles of the first- and second-generation Americans who yearn for what they imagine is the simplicity of the Old Country at the same time they reject its restrictions. A beautiful novel.
Rating:
Summary: ~Every Family~
Review: This generational study of a Polish family and the women and their daughters is a charmer. Easy to read,thought provoking and good character development. The Marchewka women are inseparable. They value the gathering of family and cooking traditional Polish foods. But as the story grows we find the newer generations culturally removed from thier mothers and grandmothers as Polish immigrants. A close look into family life in general, although this family is Polish by immigration the struggles and heartbreaks are really about "every" family. Highly recommend !!
Rating: 
Summary: Pears on a Willow Tree
Review: This is not great literature by any stretch of the imagination but it is a good read. Moves swiftly enough and the characters are interesting enough to see you through. Not a bad book at all. Pleasantly paced book. It really shows the relationship between food and memory; food and acceptance; food and culture. I learned a lot about Polish traditions, etc. The characters are well-drawn and could easily be people that you know. A fine effort for this novelist.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing and well-paced
Review: This sort of book is usually outside my preference -- I tend towards the science fiction, history, and mystery shelves. But I was not-quite-astonished at my enjoyment of this one, with its insights into the immigrant mind. The book is also remarkably well paced in that it doesn't feel slow as so many of the "domestic portraiture" stories do (not that I've read all that many), yet avoids feeling like a breathless page-turner. In short, it invites the reader to savor, but doesn't dally. The reader can also "savor" the book in another way -- while it's not "Like Water for Chocolate" (though I confess to expecting a bit of that after seeing pierogi mentioned in every blurb and review!) -- the cooking serves as such a powerful theme that it was hard for me NOT to savor it. Two other elements really recommend themselves, I think. The first is that the older generation's racism is straightforwardly depicted. When the youngest character, Amy, hears a "Polack" joke, the offense her elders felt struck me as slightly disingenous in light of their earlier comments about blacks -- a refreshing contrast to other stories which lend a sort of de facto credibility to the voices of the elders. The other really nice thing about the book is the Rose character, who is just brilliantly written -- 'nuff said.
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