Rated of 5
by Linda M. (Three Oaks, MI) The Lovers
As with all new authors, I didn’t know what to expect from Ms. Vida. The premise sounded interesting and the story took place in Turkey, a country I really don’t know too much about. I was quite surprised to find that once I started the book, I couldn’t put it down. Yvonne, the main character, embarked on a vacation to the place where she and her late husband celebrated their honeymoon in the hope of trying to recapture those precious moments in their lives. We can’t always go home Yvonne soon finds out, that it’s the journey and not the destination that leads to discovery. This was a good read full of emotional highs and lows, elegant humor and worthy of some great discussions.
Rated of 5
by Linda G. (Walnut Creek, CA) Turkey's 'Lovers'
There's a certain genre in fiction; the 'woman traveling alone in foreign country when things start to go wrong' story. Though it's been done many times before, (we've all read one), not every writer can capture that feeling of isolation, that sense of impending doom and suspense that is almost Graham Greenish. Vendela Vida has nailed it with her 50 something, widowed protagonist Yvonne. From the moment her plane touches down in a small airport in Turkey, she immediately suspects she's been 'duped' with the vacation house she's leased. From there the novel takes off, pulling you along by a thread, not knowing which direction you're going. With sparkling prose, and just the right amount of suspense, Vida takes you not at all where you may have thought, but gives a satisfying resolution all the same.
Rated of 5
by Robin B. (Erie, CO) The Lovers
The Lovers is a novel about an American woman, Yvonne, and her "travel alone" vacation to Turkey to escape grief & gain new friendships. This being my first review, I was sad I didn't find the book more enjoyable. Yvonne has unbelievable relationships & experiences which lead to an unrealistic ending. The tragic pivotal point is needless. It seemed the author tried to make deep meanings of Yvonne's life and plot when actually the book is only a "light read."
Rated of 5
by Teresa M. (Naples, Florida) The Lovers
A middle aged widow who is still trying to find her place in her new reality, travels to Turkey to recapture the splendid memories of her honeymoon and marriage. Although I did not love this book as much as her previous book, Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name, the author is a wonderful writer who brought Turkey to life- the magic of Cappadocia and the seediness of a tourist town which has seen better days. I would recommend it to book clubs- the widow's decisions will generate high spirited discussions.
Rated of 5
by Shirley D. (Amherst, MA) The Lovers
After reading some splendid reviews, I found The Lovers very disappointing. While the settings were interesting and some of the supporting characters memorable, the main character, Yvonne, seemed overdrawn and analyzed to the point of boring. If there were some plot, some deep understanding of her life, I didn’t find it. While completion seemed a total waste of time, I kept hoping it would all come together somehow, Didn’t happen for me.
Rated of 5
by Julie G. (West Hartford, CT) The Lovers
Vendela Vida's book about a widow traveling to find herself is sure to speak to many people about love and loss. In Yvonne's escape to Turkey, the location of her honeymoon, she desperately seeks to form connections with random strangers, and one feels her sense of loneliness. What seems like a simple story ultimately has unexpected twists and turns, and the ending is utterly satisfying.
Fearless, gripping, at once darkly funny and tender, spanning three continents and numerous lives, Americanah is a richly told story set in today's globalized world.
The story of an American family, middle class in middle America, ordinary in every way but one. But that exception is the beating heart of this extraordinary novel.
The best book I've read in a very long time and the first ever Bo Caldwell novel for me. I'd never before read anything about missionaries to China,...
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With a poetic voice, Ratner plunges us into this personal trial of a royal family wrenched from their home in Phnon Penh, Cambodia, during the late...
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Amazon cuts off 5200 affiliates in Minnesota(Jun 19 2013) With Minnesota's online sales tax law due to take effect July 1, Amazon has played a familiar card by cutting ties with 5,200 members of its Associates...
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of 5
by Linda M. (Three Oaks, MI) 
of 5
by Linda G. (Walnut Creek, CA) 
of 5
by Robin B. (Erie, CO) 
