story about a little girl shopping with her Mom. Board book.

_The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox_ started well; there seemed such a big build-up to the story, written in classic O'Farrell fashion, but then all of a sudden it was over. And did it really end? I cant be sure. I feel as though I've been left hanging.

I just cant help but feel there's a whole lot more to this story that we didnt find out. It seemed to be building up to something huge, but then the huge thing was a bit of a let-down because it just felt rushed.

I think O'Farrell tried too hard to write it in the same style as _After You'd Gone_, which is brilliantly powerful, but _The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox_ doesnt tug at the heart-strings in the same way. There are times when O'Farrell indicates her literary genius, but it's not constant like _After You'd Gone_. Which is a shame, because it certainly could have been, I just feel that O'Farrell didnt capture the full potential of her own idea.

I liked Esme, but I wanted to know more about her time in Cauldestone. I wanted to know more about her childhood. I wanted to know more, more, more!
I liked Iris, but how does she react to her news?
I could have liked Alex if I'd known more.
I probably would have disliked Luke if I'd known more.
I couldnt despise Kitty because she was scattered - more perspective would have been good.
Her parents seemed almost absent.

I'm always disappointed when a book leaves me wanting more for all the wrong reasons.

Still, it's a good, quick read. It holds interest.
It's just a shame there's not more of it.




"We are all, Esme decides, just vessels through which identities pass: we are lent features, gestures, habits, then we hand them on. Nothing is our own. We begin in the world as anagrams of our antecedents".

Iris Lockhart learns that she has a great-aunt Esme (much to her surprise) waiting to be released from Cauldstone Hospital, where she has been locked away for 60 years.The hospital is closing, and someone must collect Esme, who upon inspection seems frail, quiet, and a little quirky but hardly mentally ill. As far as Iris knew, her grandmother Kitty had no siblings; Kitty is still alive but suffering from Alzheimer's. The secret of Esme's existence is only the first of many family secrets revealed in a tale told through shifting viewpoints and time changes, among them Kitty's fragmented recollections. The sudden ending to this family exposé left me a little in the lurch, but the psychological suspense along the way satisfied the strong plot and characterization.

Five of your favorite Scarry stories in one book! Follow Huckle, Lowly Worm, and their friends through many adventures around Busytown. They search for treasure, camp out, survive a snowstorm, and more!

A grouchy ladybug, looking for a fight, challenges everyone she meets regardless of their size or strength.

In this simple adaptation of Michael Frith's classic Bright & Early Book™, I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words, a pet owner doesn't just teach basics like beg and bark, but also such unlikely canine commands as Shine my shoe! Kiss a goose! and Clean the zoo!

There's a Wocket in My Pocket is filled with bizarre creatures and rhymes: the nupboard in the cupboard, ghairs beneath the stairs, and the bofa on the sofa!

Are You My Mother? follows a confused baby bird who's been denied the experience of imprinting as he asks dogs, cows, and steam shovels the Big Question. In the end he is happily reunited with his maternal parent in a glorious moment of recognition.

About the Author
P. D. Eastman was one of the stars of the Beginner Books line with beloved classics like Are You My Mother?; Go, Dog. Go!; The Best Nest; and more!

In the middle of a summer night, Amish teenager Katie Fischer goes out to the barn on her family's Lancaster County, PA, farm and gives birth to a son. Exhausted by the ordeal, she falls asleep. When she wakes up, the baby is gone. It is found hours later, covered by hay, dead. Katie is then charged with murder, which she vehemently denies. Philadelphia defense attorney Ellie Hathaway is burned out; she's had one too many sleazy clients. Her eight-year relationship with another attorney has ended, so Ellie retreats to her friend's home in Lancaster County. The friend, a former Amish church member and a cousin to the Fischers, persuades Ellie to take Katie's case. The bail bargain is that Ellie must live at the Fischer farm, where she gains an understanding of their culture, in which God is first, the community is second, and the individual is third. The book is written from both Katie's and Ellie's point of view, emphasizes the different cultures very effectively.

An amazing read! I was hooked from the first sentence, "She had often dreamed of her little sister floating dead beneath the surface, but tonight, for the first time, she invisioned Hannah clawing to get out." Just a fasanating read and has a very surprising twist at the end.

This was a good drama. It's amazing how much research Jodi Picoult must have done including the entire Amish way of life, the law, and various diseases. I think this is my favorite book of hers just because I'm so interested in the Amish.

Very interesting story about an amish family involving a baby found dead in their barn and the subsequent cause and effect within their family and the amish community.

Very vivid picture of what it's like to be amish. Filled with lots of plot twists. Great book.

A pick from my book club.

My favorite of Jodi Picoult's books!!

A baby is found dead in the barn of an Amish famly and their 18-year old daughter is suspected of involvement. The differences between the Amish and "English" beliefs were very arresting, but
despite a good premise and a strong opening the book fell flat after a while -- I surmised the ending before it happened and the court room scenes got stale. I've also read "My Sister's Keeper", and "The Pact", and may read Picoult's new book "Nineteen Minutes" but that will be it I think. Her books have a hard time living up to promising premises.

So I joined a new book club and this is the group's next selection. I must say it does not appeal to me at first glance, but that's sometimes how these things go. My first impressions are not promising: target audience seems to be the urban professional woman in search of (or at least captivated by) herself -- not exactly me. When reading the back cover aloud to my wife, she exclaimed, "Aw, that's terrible psychobabble bull****!" My sentiments eloquently stated.

Halfway through the book, it is better than I was expecting. This book is meant to be read for entertainment, and does the job -- especially if you are interested in the subject matter or the characters. However, I find aspects of the story (or writing) terrible. The relationship parts, the character building scenes, are all very bad. The best part for me is the clash of cultures stuff, as well as the actual plot. Interesting and fun story. That being said, I am not planning on reading any other books by this author, just finishing this one and moving on.