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Roses #2
Roses
Two East Texas families must deal with the aftermath of a marriage that never happened leading to deceit, secrets, and tragedies in a sweeping multigenerational Southern saga "with echoes of Gone with the Wind" ( Publishers Weekly ).
Spanning the 20th century, the story of Roses takes place in a small East Texas town against the backdrop of the powerful timber and cotton industries, controlled by the scions of the town's founding families. Cotton tycoon Mary Toliver and timber magnate Percy Warwick should have married but unwisely did not, and now must deal with consequences of their momentous choice and the loss of what might have been--not just for themselves but for their children, and their children's children.
With expert, unabashed, big-canvas storytelling, Roses covers a hundred years, three generations of Texans, and the explosive combination of passion for work and longing for love.
Spanning the 20th century, the story of Roses takes place in a small East Texas town against the backdrop of the powerful timber and cotton industries, controlled by the scions of the town's founding families. Cotton tycoon Mary Toliver and timber magnate Percy Warwick should have married but unwisely did not, and now must deal with consequences of their momentous choice and the loss of what might have been--not just for themselves but for their children, and their children's children.
With expert, unabashed, big-canvas storytelling, Roses covers a hundred years, three generations of Texans, and the explosive combination of passion for work and longing for love.
640 pages, Paperback
First published January 6, 2010
955 people are currently reading
12.4k people want to read
About the author
Leila Meacham
17books1,339followersLeila Meacham was a writer and former teacher who lived in San Antonio, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,351 reviews
May 28, 2011
This book and I had a love/hate relationship. At times I felt ready to pull my hair out, and other times I was searching for the nearest tissue.
The story was about deciding what is most important in your life, and living with the consequences of those choices. It also showed how our posterity is affected by our actions.
Leila Meacham did a great job creating a story that pulls the reader in. Her characters were well developed (although so many of them were selfish, blind idiots-argh, I'm still mad at the cycle of idiocy).
As a reader, I appreciate names that flow as well as the rest of the story. I hated the name of the town. Howbutker halted my progress each of the times it was mentioned over the 609 pages of the novel.
I also really disliked Lucy's crude manner. It did help build up dislike for her character, which I'm sure was the point, but I wish it had been toned down. That and the use of certain profanity. There are other ways for certain points to be made.
But, overall, I did enjoy the story. The last section wasn't as captivating for me as the rest of the book, but the ending was pretty satisfying.
The story was about deciding what is most important in your life, and living with the consequences of those choices. It also showed how our posterity is affected by our actions.
Leila Meacham did a great job creating a story that pulls the reader in. Her characters were well developed (although so many of them were selfish, blind idiots-argh, I'm still mad at the cycle of idiocy).
As a reader, I appreciate names that flow as well as the rest of the story. I hated the name of the town. Howbutker halted my progress each of the times it was mentioned over the 609 pages of the novel.
I also really disliked Lucy's crude manner. It did help build up dislike for her character, which I'm sure was the point, but I wish it had been toned down. That and the use of certain profanity. There are other ways for certain points to be made.
But, overall, I did enjoy the story. The last section wasn't as captivating for me as the rest of the book, but the ending was pretty satisfying.
March 18, 2010
So my friend called me a book snob and I think she is right! I really tried with this book - I read it all the way through when there were more interesting books calling out my name, but I could not really find anything in it that I liked.
A big, sweeping, overly dramatic saga straight out of the Gone With the Wind playbook, Roses is the story of Texas tycoons, plantations, birthrights, love, and secrets. Everything you would expect to find in this genre of book is there, and more. All the characters are cardboard cut-outs, the dialogue is full of cliches, and the story is completely predictable.
I folded down a page which had an example of the overblown writing and to my surprise, found that the very same paragraph is on the back cover of the book! Here is a small sample:
"No way in tarnation would she sacrifice Somerset for the sake of male pride! But...she loved Percy. He was a thorn in her side she couldn't pull out, no matter how hard she tried."
A big, sweeping, overly dramatic saga straight out of the Gone With the Wind playbook, Roses is the story of Texas tycoons, plantations, birthrights, love, and secrets. Everything you would expect to find in this genre of book is there, and more. All the characters are cardboard cut-outs, the dialogue is full of cliches, and the story is completely predictable.
I folded down a page which had an example of the overblown writing and to my surprise, found that the very same paragraph is on the back cover of the book! Here is a small sample:
"No way in tarnation would she sacrifice Somerset for the sake of male pride! But...she loved Percy. He was a thorn in her side she couldn't pull out, no matter how hard she tried."
September 11, 2013
i thought this book was the cause of so many butterflies. and also...so many outbursts! i enjoyed every character, every paragraph, every chapter, ... such a great read.
February 16, 2023
This is an epic, tragic, immersive family saga spanning the course of nearly a century. It's reminiscent of Gone With the Wind but set in 20th century east Texas against the backdrop of the powerful timber and cotton industries that are controlled by the town's founding families. The Tolivers were the kings of cotton and the Warwicks ruled all things timber. Mary Toliver and Percy Warwick, now in the last moments of their long lives reflect on the choices made in their youth, the consequences of those choices and the loss of what might have been; not just for themselves but for their children, and their children's children.
I was completely immersed in this story the whole way through. My heart hurts for these characters!
I was completely immersed in this story the whole way through. My heart hurts for these characters!
March 10, 2010
Wow, This book was infuriating, It was sheer stubbornness (and my book club) that had me sticking it out to the end. The characters were just not believable. I find it hard to fathom that after Somerset cost Mary the love of her mother and brother, she not only allow it, but encourage it, to cost her the love of her life. That she would then groom her grand-niece to inherit it, only to pull it out from underneath her. The her niece would make all the same mistakes. The only likeable characters were Percy and Matt, and even they were not credible. Ollie was completely one-dimensional and unbelievable. No one is that saintly and selfless - he was ridiculous. And her mother? Totally over the top, and not in a good way.
I can't believe anyone could compare this to Gone with the Wind - comparable to the movie version maybe, but it is nowhere the quality of the book. It is no Gone with the Wind. Not even a Thornbirds. I would compare it to a Harlequin romance.
A good editor would have helped too. The conversations were repetitive, and the book did not need to be 600+ pages long. If you like long, epic pointless melodramas with unlikable, unrelatable characters, then this is the book for you.
I can't believe anyone could compare this to Gone with the Wind - comparable to the movie version maybe, but it is nowhere the quality of the book. It is no Gone with the Wind. Not even a Thornbirds. I would compare it to a Harlequin romance.
A good editor would have helped too. The conversations were repetitive, and the book did not need to be 600+ pages long. If you like long, epic pointless melodramas with unlikable, unrelatable characters, then this is the book for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2018
This book was okay, as long as you overlook all of the bad decisions the characters make throughout :) “Roses� has definitely got its share of intrigues, but compared to “Somerset� it felt a little bit too dragging and too convenient to me.
November 20, 2020
Renkuosi knygą tikrai ne pagal viršelį, bet sakykite ką norite... Šios knygos viršelis - ypatingai dailus 🥰 O ir apskritai man šios knygos visas apipavidalinimas labai patiko. Iš pradžių truputį gąsdino šios knygos storis 🤭 Bet pradėjus skaityti negalėjau atsitraukti..
Mažame Rytų Teksaso miestelyje, kuriame verslas iš rankų į rankas atitenka tik šeimos nariams. Šis džiaugsmas taip pat neaplenkia bei Merės Toliver. Mirus jos tėvui nors ir buvo tikėtasi, tačiau medvilnės pramonės ūkis neatiteko jos vyresniąjam broliui. Tėvas nusprendė, jog tęsti verslą turi būtent Merė. Šis sprendimas šokiravo jos brolį bei motiną..
Nepaisydama to, Merė visa savo širdimi jautė, jog tai pats geriausias jos priimtas sprendimas. Dieve.. Kaip ji klydo!
Medienos magnatas Persis Vorikas - visiškai pametęs galvą dėl Merės. Jis nieko šiame gyvenime taip netrokšta.. Nori, jog Merė taptų jo žmona bei vaikų motina.
Merė negali nepaisyti savo tėvo paskutinės valios.. Ji ir Persis nesusituokia. Ir dėl šio sprendimo jaunuoliai gailisi visą savo likusį gyvenimą..
Tiesiog panirau į šią istoriją.. Kiekvieną laisvą minutę nesinorėjo daryti nieko kito, o tik skaityti. Labai pagaulus pasakojimas, kuris nesinorėjo, jog baigtųsi 🙈 O aš dar jaudinausi dėl knygos storumo.. 🤭
Skaitydama ir pykau ant pagrindinės veikėjos dėl jos naivumo. Teko daug ir plačiai šypsotis, o vietomis ir graudintis.
Ši kelių kartų saga tikiu, jog nepaliks abejingų. Joje glaudžiai tarpusavyje susipynusi draugystė bei meilė, pasiaukojimas bei besąlygiškas atsidavimas.
Skaitydama šią knygą turėjau puikų laiką, jau senokai taip mėgavausi knyga. Šioje knygoje apstu buvo ir intrigų bei išdavysčių, draugysčių bei meilių. Ko daugiau galima norėti iš gero romano? 🤭
Šią knygą rekomenduočiau mėgstantiems šeimos istorijas bei meilės romanų gerbėjams �
Mažame Rytų Teksaso miestelyje, kuriame verslas iš rankų į rankas atitenka tik šeimos nariams. Šis džiaugsmas taip pat neaplenkia bei Merės Toliver. Mirus jos tėvui nors ir buvo tikėtasi, tačiau medvilnės pramonės ūkis neatiteko jos vyresniąjam broliui. Tėvas nusprendė, jog tęsti verslą turi būtent Merė. Šis sprendimas šokiravo jos brolį bei motiną..
Nepaisydama to, Merė visa savo širdimi jautė, jog tai pats geriausias jos priimtas sprendimas. Dieve.. Kaip ji klydo!
Medienos magnatas Persis Vorikas - visiškai pametęs galvą dėl Merės. Jis nieko šiame gyvenime taip netrokšta.. Nori, jog Merė taptų jo žmona bei vaikų motina.
Merė negali nepaisyti savo tėvo paskutinės valios.. Ji ir Persis nesusituokia. Ir dėl šio sprendimo jaunuoliai gailisi visą savo likusį gyvenimą..
Tiesiog panirau į šią istoriją.. Kiekvieną laisvą minutę nesinorėjo daryti nieko kito, o tik skaityti. Labai pagaulus pasakojimas, kuris nesinorėjo, jog baigtųsi 🙈 O aš dar jaudinausi dėl knygos storumo.. 🤭
Skaitydama ir pykau ant pagrindinės veikėjos dėl jos naivumo. Teko daug ir plačiai šypsotis, o vietomis ir graudintis.
Ši kelių kartų saga tikiu, jog nepaliks abejingų. Joje glaudžiai tarpusavyje susipynusi draugystė bei meilė, pasiaukojimas bei besąlygiškas atsidavimas.
Skaitydama šią knygą turėjau puikų laiką, jau senokai taip mėgavausi knyga. Šioje knygoje apstu buvo ir intrigų bei išdavysčių, draugysčių bei meilių. Ko daugiau galima norėti iš gero romano? 🤭
Šią knygą rekomenduočiau mėgstantiems šeimos istorijas bei meilės romanų gerbėjams �
September 21, 2021
Šita knyga mane labai nustebino tikrai nesitikėjau, kad taip patiks. Ir tie 600 puslapių taip greitai skaitėsi. Labai patiko istorija nuo pradžios iki galo 🤩
February 23, 2021
Ar iš klaidų įmanoma pasimokyti? Ar būtina jas padaryti, tam kad kitos kartos neklystų.. Nepaprastai graži trijų kartų saga.. Ir besikartojančios klaidos.. Ar galima tikėtis laimingos pabaigos nors kam nors? Labai stiprus kūrinys įtraukęs ir išlaikęs dėmesį iki paskutinių žodžių.. Nenoriu labai išsiplėsti, nes bijau sumenkinti istorijos grožį.. Rožių karai.. Ar galima rasti kompromisą baltoms ir raudonoms rožėms? Jei rožinė reiškia pati baisiausią atsakymą.. Ir kada galime laukti pagalbos iš kitų, tų, kuriuos manėme praradę.. Klasikos ir gerų istorijų mylėtojams tikrai patiks ❤️
March 12, 2021
Oj, mano kelionė su "Rožėm" tikrai nebuvo rožėm klota. Pradėjau dar lapkritį, padėjau į šoną ir tik dabar daviau antrą šansą. Ir ne, ne knyga kalta, o mano vidinis detektyvų ir trilerių mylėtojas, kuris vis kartojo: "imk detektyvą, šitų pasakų neskaičius"... 🙄 Matyt ir pavasaris padarė įtaką - pagaliau užsimaniau įtraukiančios kelių kartų istorijos du laiminga (?) pabaiga.⠶
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Po tėvo mirties, paveldėjusi medvilnės plantaciją, Merė net nenutuokė, kiek daug džiaugsmo ir skausmo ji jai atneš. ⠶
⠶
Merė ir Persis pametę galvas vienas dėl kito. Tačiau, kai tarp jų įsiterpia visas Merės gyvenimas - "Somersetas", svarstyklės pakrypsta Persio nenaudai. Planuotos vestuvės nuplaukia, o jos pasirinkimo padariniai jaučiami ir tolimesnėms jų kartoms.⠶
⠶
Trys šeimos, medvilnės plantacija, klaidingi pasirinkimai, ne visada logiškas užsispyrimas - viską sudėjus ir ant viršaus šliūkštelėjus dramos, gavosi visai neblogas kokteilis. Ties viduriu norėjosi dar, gale šiek tiek apkarto, bet po kiek laiko atskiedus keliais trileriais, vėl norėsiu pakartot kažką panašaus.⠶
⠶
Labai patiko Persio istorija. Bent man, ji pasirodė pati įdomiausia ir niekaip neleido atsiplėšti nuo knygos puslapių. Šiek tiek nuvylė paskutinė, Reičelės istorijos dalis - pasirodė kiek ištempta, erzino jos priimami sprendimai, bei elgesys. ⠶
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Nors ir labai bijojau didžiulės knygos apimties, perskaičiau greitai ir supratau, kad tikrai mėgstu tas kelių kartų istorijas. Skaitydamas spėji susigyventi su visais veikėjais, randi savo favoritus, kitų nuoširdžiai nekemti, lyg paslapčia stebi jų pakylimus ir nuopuolius. Pabaigus, net liūdna su jais atsisveikinti.⠶
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Smagu, kad nebuvo labai saldu. Aišku, keliose vietose teko pavartyt akis, bet iki SantųBarbarų čia labai toli. 👏⠶
⠶
Po tėvo mirties, paveldėjusi medvilnės plantaciją, Merė net nenutuokė, kiek daug džiaugsmo ir skausmo ji jai atneš. ⠶
⠶
Merė ir Persis pametę galvas vienas dėl kito. Tačiau, kai tarp jų įsiterpia visas Merės gyvenimas - "Somersetas", svarstyklės pakrypsta Persio nenaudai. Planuotos vestuvės nuplaukia, o jos pasirinkimo padariniai jaučiami ir tolimesnėms jų kartoms.⠶
⠶
Trys šeimos, medvilnės plantacija, klaidingi pasirinkimai, ne visada logiškas užsispyrimas - viską sudėjus ir ant viršaus šliūkštelėjus dramos, gavosi visai neblogas kokteilis. Ties viduriu norėjosi dar, gale šiek tiek apkarto, bet po kiek laiko atskiedus keliais trileriais, vėl norėsiu pakartot kažką panašaus.⠶
⠶
Labai patiko Persio istorija. Bent man, ji pasirodė pati įdomiausia ir niekaip neleido atsiplėšti nuo knygos puslapių. Šiek tiek nuvylė paskutinė, Reičelės istorijos dalis - pasirodė kiek ištempta, erzino jos priimami sprendimai, bei elgesys. ⠶
⠶
Nors ir labai bijojau didžiulės knygos apimties, perskaičiau greitai ir supratau, kad tikrai mėgstu tas kelių kartų istorijas. Skaitydamas spėji susigyventi su visais veikėjais, randi savo favoritus, kitų nuoširdžiai nekemti, lyg paslapčia stebi jų pakylimus ir nuopuolius. Pabaigus, net liūdna su jais atsisveikinti.⠶
⠶
Smagu, kad nebuvo labai saldu. Aišku, keliose vietose teko pavartyt akis, bet iki SantųBarbarų čia labai toli. 👏⠶
January 12, 2019
Let me start off by saying I love Gone With the Wind. It's my favorite book, I've read it countless times, and it was the book that really ignited my love of reading. That being said, I was pretty hesitant to read a book that was being hailed as the "new Gone With the Wind." I put it out there to my fellow bookworms and everyone said it was great, so I decided to give it a shot... and that cover, gorgeous right??
I actually really ended up liking the book. It started to drag a little towards the end, but I'm really glad I gave it a chance. I liked how the story spanned over different generations, I liked the characters, overall I really enjoyed the book.
Here's my complaint though... it shouldn't have tried to mirror GWTW so much! The main character is a strong woman with black hair, green eyes, a dimple, who is obsessed with her family land over everything else. SOUND FAMILIAR?! Man alive, couldn't she have at least looked different than Scarlett??
Still a solid 4 stars, but c'mon
I actually really ended up liking the book. It started to drag a little towards the end, but I'm really glad I gave it a chance. I liked how the story spanned over different generations, I liked the characters, overall I really enjoyed the book.
Here's my complaint though... it shouldn't have tried to mirror GWTW so much! The main character is a strong woman with black hair, green eyes, a dimple, who is obsessed with her family land over everything else. SOUND FAMILIAR?! Man alive, couldn't she have at least looked different than Scarlett??
Still a solid 4 stars, but c'mon
August 26, 2016
Dugo sam željela pročitati ovu knjigu i sad kad sam konačno okrenula posljednju stranicu moram reći da sam blago razočarana. Puno sam više očekivala od ovog romana koji je po sadržaju trebao imati sve ono što volim. Najviše pohvala ide za radnju koja je zanimljiva, roman se stoga lako i brzo čita bez obzira na priličan broj stranica. Osnovna zamjerka ipak od mene ide za karakterizaciju likova, previše je to površno, baš kad sam pomislila evo ovaj će od mnoštva likova biti dobro opisan pa će mi uspjeti izazvati suosjećanje i emocije to nekako izmakne, radnja se nastavlja, godine prolaze, a taj gotovo cijeli vijek u kojem se radnja romana odvija nekako neosjetno prođe. Nije ovo roman koji ću dugo pamtiti, Matildin posljednji valcer kojem sliči mi je bio neuporedivo bolji, a o sličnosti sa Prohujalo sa vihorom i Ptice umiru pjevajući po meni nema ni govora.
April 12, 2011
Leila Meacham's novel centers around two rival farming families, and their offspring and the loves and losses of their offspring. Though the plot is a heartbreaking one, Meacham goes into so much detail that she leaves very little room for the reader to use his or her own imagination. At the same time, she seems to tell the reader how to feel about certain characters and their situations, rather than letting the feelings come naturally. She needs to show the interactions of her characters a bit more, rather than tell. She seems to become so caught up in making sure we know what to think about these characters, that it becomes almost repetitive. It is hard to truly get to know them and their personalities. The storyline is imaginative, yet in a lot of ways it is reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet: two landowning, warring families of influence and power, whose offspring fall for one another. Yet, the love for their respective homesteads keeps them apart; a tragic decision, amongst many others, which each will regret for the rest of their lives. The book opens with Mary Toliver selling her beloved plantation, and digresses back to years before, as she remembers the mistakes she has made over the course of her waning life.
September 5, 2012
I would compare this family saga to Gone with the Wind only on a smaller scale!!! I was totally entrenched in the first 3/4s of the book... nearing the end I started feeling a lil disappointment!!! I found myself missing Mary's voice in the story... If not for that it would've gotten a strong 5 star rating from me!!! Still highly recommend!!!
February 13, 2022
Pradėsiu nuo to, kad man labai gražus šios knygos viršelis. O pats romanas tai tarsi „paturbinta� Romeo ir Džuljetos istorija su Santa Barbaros prieskoniu.
Rožės - įtraukiantis pasakojimas apie kelių kartų istoriją, kurios centre sukasi ir iš kartos į kartą yra paveldima medvilnės plantacija „Somersetas�. Tik ar visiems paveldėtojams ji atneša laimę? Ir koks gi prakeiksmas lydi visus plantacijos paveldėtojus?
Nors knyga kaip kokia plyta, bet labai įtraukianti ir puslapiai tiesiog tirpte tirpsta. Veikėjų gausu, tačiau visi jie charakteringi, vienais žaviesi, kitus gi norėtum išmesti „už borto�. Įtraukė mane „Rožių� istorija, kapsčiausi po veikėjų paslaptis, liūdėjau jiems pasirinkus netinkamą kelią, džiaugiausi kartu, kai jiems būdavo gerai. Romane gausu paslapčių, išdavysčių, tikros meilės, sprogstančios aistros, netinkamų pasirinkimų, tvirtos draugystės, nelaimių, drąsos, keršto. Žodžiu visko daug daug, bet skaitai ir tikiesi, kad nors viena paveldėtojų karta pasirinks teisingai.
Man patiko. Tikrai nėra koks labai jau didelis šedvras, bet laikas su knyga neprailgo ir žinoma skaitysiu ir kitą šios knygos dalį.
Rožės - įtraukiantis pasakojimas apie kelių kartų istoriją, kurios centre sukasi ir iš kartos į kartą yra paveldima medvilnės plantacija „Somersetas�. Tik ar visiems paveldėtojams ji atneša laimę? Ir koks gi prakeiksmas lydi visus plantacijos paveldėtojus?
Nors knyga kaip kokia plyta, bet labai įtraukianti ir puslapiai tiesiog tirpte tirpsta. Veikėjų gausu, tačiau visi jie charakteringi, vienais žaviesi, kitus gi norėtum išmesti „už borto�. Įtraukė mane „Rožių� istorija, kapsčiausi po veikėjų paslaptis, liūdėjau jiems pasirinkus netinkamą kelią, džiaugiausi kartu, kai jiems būdavo gerai. Romane gausu paslapčių, išdavysčių, tikros meilės, sprogstančios aistros, netinkamų pasirinkimų, tvirtos draugystės, nelaimių, drąsos, keršto. Žodžiu visko daug daug, bet skaitai ir tikiesi, kad nors viena paveldėtojų karta pasirinks teisingai.
Man patiko. Tikrai nėra koks labai jau didelis šedvras, bet laikas su knyga neprailgo ir žinoma skaitysiu ir kitą šios knygos dalį.
September 18, 2010
I really liked this book. There were only a few similarities to Gone with the Wind, such as, the main character lives on a cotton farm and has black hair and green eyes. That's pretty much it.
The book is divided into three parts telling the stories of three different characters, Mary, Percy and Rachel. After Mary's father dies leaving her the family cotton plantation and almost nothing to her mother and brother, her family is torn apart by resentment. Her father knew that if he left the plantation that had been in the family for over a century to his wife or son, it would be sold. Since Mary refused to go against her father's wishes, her mother and brother hated and resented her for it. Mary falls in love with her brother's friend Percy but due to crazy circumstances, ends up marrying their other friend Ollie. I won't say what happened since I don't want to give the story away. The theme of the book basically tells about the family obsession with their land and the willingness to give up everything else in life in order to keep it. Because of this, the family has been cursed for over a century. Rachel is Mary's great niece who has been raised to take over the family plantation. In the first chapter of the book, you find out that Mary decides at the last minute to change her will and not leave it to Rachel in order to spare her from the family curse. Before Mary can relate the reasons why she did it, she dies. Throughout the book you find out what happened to Mary, what the family curse is, and the aftermath of Mary's death as Rachel and her family find out that she doesn't inherit the plantation.
The book is divided into three parts telling the stories of three different characters, Mary, Percy and Rachel. After Mary's father dies leaving her the family cotton plantation and almost nothing to her mother and brother, her family is torn apart by resentment. Her father knew that if he left the plantation that had been in the family for over a century to his wife or son, it would be sold. Since Mary refused to go against her father's wishes, her mother and brother hated and resented her for it. Mary falls in love with her brother's friend Percy but due to crazy circumstances, ends up marrying their other friend Ollie. I won't say what happened since I don't want to give the story away. The theme of the book basically tells about the family obsession with their land and the willingness to give up everything else in life in order to keep it. Because of this, the family has been cursed for over a century. Rachel is Mary's great niece who has been raised to take over the family plantation. In the first chapter of the book, you find out that Mary decides at the last minute to change her will and not leave it to Rachel in order to spare her from the family curse. Before Mary can relate the reasons why she did it, she dies. Throughout the book you find out what happened to Mary, what the family curse is, and the aftermath of Mary's death as Rachel and her family find out that she doesn't inherit the plantation.
April 21, 2024
4.5 * oi kaip čia buvo gerai. Mėgstu šeimos sagas
December 19, 2020
Kaip nereikėjo, o kaip nereikėjo ant šitos knygos rašyti lyginamas su tokiais laikui nepavaldžiais kūriniais kaipVėjo Nublokšti. Nes aš taip ir pasimoviau. Todėl ir supykau, todėl (na turbūt ir ne tik) man ir nepatiko.
Kuo panašūsMargaret Mitchell irLeila Meachemšie du kūriniai, tai tik tuo, jog pagrindinės veikėjos augina medvilnę. Na ir dar ten keletas detalių - atrodo, net nusižiūrėta. Bet viskas ir tai yra viskas. Deja, nenusižiūrėsineirašymo manieros; nei veikėjų paveikslų taip, kaip pavyko Mitchell, paprastai nepaimsi ir nesukonstruosi;nepadarysi savo kūrinio išskirtiniu ir ryškiu vien pripindamaintrigų ir dramos. Tai dar ne viskas, kad šeimos sagabūtų pagauli, išskirtinė, sugebanti nustebinti.
Na, turbūt, ir pačios kaltės čia nemaža - buvo naivu tikėtis, kad šiandieninis autorius, su savo tuo dabar ir tada bei visažiniu pasakotoju pralenks išties prieš šimtmetįparašytą knygą. Kad dabarties autoriui pavyksužsimiršti ir parašyti tą tada be tokio akivaizdaus jausmo, kad rašoma dabar (nors Fowles tai puikiai pavyko, nenoriu absoliutinti visų kūrėjų).
Prajuokinančiosir akis vartyti priverčiančiosmeilės, sekso scenos (na, mano galva, tai neturėtų juokinti, šiaip jau ir literatūroje įmanoma, jog jos ir skaitytojui žadintų geismą), nuspėjamas siužetas, pilkos ir beskonės klišės dialoguose - nu ne, sorry not sorry lygiuotis su klasika tikrai šuolis aukščiau bambos (matot, ir aš moku naudotis klišėmis).
Nepaisant tųbjaurybių, kurias prirašiau buvo ir du geri dalykai. 1 - aš ją užtaikiau skaityti gan sunku laikotarpiu darbe, t.y. kai galva buvo išūžta, perkrauta, o namo pareidavau kažkaip nieko aplink nei girdėdama nei matydama. Tai šitas romanas labai lengvai slydo, atjungdavorozetę nuo visų dienos excelių ir nevertėturbūt išvis galvoti ją skaitant. Lengvas, visgi smalsumą keliantis siužetas (nu nu ar atspėjau, kaip ten bus toliau?); kažkokios intrigėlės, kažkokie veikėjų kaprizai ir skaitytojo galva išlaisvinta. O 2 - tikrai labai gražus ir kokybiškas leidimas, su įvairiomis mielomis ir, neabejoju, apgalvotomis detalėmis.
Kuo panašūsMargaret Mitchell irLeila Meachemšie du kūriniai, tai tik tuo, jog pagrindinės veikėjos augina medvilnę. Na ir dar ten keletas detalių - atrodo, net nusižiūrėta. Bet viskas ir tai yra viskas. Deja, nenusižiūrėsineirašymo manieros; nei veikėjų paveikslų taip, kaip pavyko Mitchell, paprastai nepaimsi ir nesukonstruosi;nepadarysi savo kūrinio išskirtiniu ir ryškiu vien pripindamaintrigų ir dramos. Tai dar ne viskas, kad šeimos sagabūtų pagauli, išskirtinė, sugebanti nustebinti.
Na, turbūt, ir pačios kaltės čia nemaža - buvo naivu tikėtis, kad šiandieninis autorius, su savo tuo dabar ir tada bei visažiniu pasakotoju pralenks išties prieš šimtmetįparašytą knygą. Kad dabarties autoriui pavyksužsimiršti ir parašyti tą tada be tokio akivaizdaus jausmo, kad rašoma dabar (nors Fowles tai puikiai pavyko, nenoriu absoliutinti visų kūrėjų).
Prajuokinančiosir akis vartyti priverčiančiosmeilės, sekso scenos (na, mano galva, tai neturėtų juokinti, šiaip jau ir literatūroje įmanoma, jog jos ir skaitytojui žadintų geismą), nuspėjamas siužetas, pilkos ir beskonės klišės dialoguose - nu ne, sorry not sorry lygiuotis su klasika tikrai šuolis aukščiau bambos (matot, ir aš moku naudotis klišėmis).
Nepaisant tųbjaurybių, kurias prirašiau buvo ir du geri dalykai. 1 - aš ją užtaikiau skaityti gan sunku laikotarpiu darbe, t.y. kai galva buvo išūžta, perkrauta, o namo pareidavau kažkaip nieko aplink nei girdėdama nei matydama. Tai šitas romanas labai lengvai slydo, atjungdavorozetę nuo visų dienos excelių ir nevertėturbūt išvis galvoti ją skaitant. Lengvas, visgi smalsumą keliantis siužetas (nu nu ar atspėjau, kaip ten bus toliau?); kažkokios intrigėlės, kažkokie veikėjų kaprizai ir skaitytojo galva išlaisvinta. O 2 - tikrai labai gražus ir kokybiškas leidimas, su įvairiomis mielomis ir, neabejoju, apgalvotomis detalėmis.
February 28, 2010
This enthralling stunner, a good old-fashioned read, may herald the overdue return of those delicious doorstop epics from such writers as Barbara Taylor Bradford and Colleen McCullough. Meacham's multigenerational family saga, set in East Texas circa 1914�1985, charts the transformation of Mary Toliver, a wide-eyed 16-year-old heiress, into a calculating cotton plantation queen as hardheaded as Scarlett O'Hara. Her brother, Miles, goes off to WWI, returns home, but then goes back to France to marry Marietta, a French Communist, leaving Mary to deal with their plantation, Somerset, and Darla, their alcoholic mother (who later hangs herself ). Many years later, Mary, now an elderly, terminally ill widow, resolves to defeat the “Toliver Curse� and regrets “selling her soul for Somerset� and giving up her true love, Percy Warwick, the father of their secret child, to marry their friend Ollie DuMont, who helped her save Somerset when Percy refused. Meacham uses three well-balanced viewpoints: Mary's, Percy's and Rachel's, Mary's great-niece, who must confront Percy when she discovers some disquieting family information after Mary dies. A refreshingly nostalgic bouquet of family angst, undying love and “if onlys.
Rate this 5/5. I loved this book and even though it was over 600 pages, I found it very difficult to put down. The generational theme of love and extreme loss was mesmerizing. I loved the characters, the rich setting in Texas, the whole theme of the book. I will be looking for other books by this author.
Rate this 5/5. I loved this book and even though it was over 600 pages, I found it very difficult to put down. The generational theme of love and extreme loss was mesmerizing. I loved the characters, the rich setting in Texas, the whole theme of the book. I will be looking for other books by this author.
February 23, 2017
"O, kako tužnih ljubavi ima,
ovaj svet je ispunjen njima.
Sve više sumnjam da neko
sretno i voli još..." Đ.B.
ovaj svet je ispunjen njima.
Sve više sumnjam da neko
sretno i voli još..." Đ.B.
December 6, 2009
Three families migrated west to eastern Texas and founded the small town of Howbutker (“how about here� they said) - the Tolivers (descended from the Lancasters), the Warwicks (descended from the House of York) as well as the DuMonts of French descent. Friends for generations, most disagreements were settled by the offering of a red rose to offer apology and a white to acknowledge forgiveness. As the story begins, Mary Toliver Dumont has only weeks to live and reflects back on her life and how it was irrevocably changed when her father left their cotton farm, Somerset, to a very young Mary instead of her mother and brother. Mary loves the farm with the same passion her father had - but is there room in her life for both Somerset and the devilishly handsome Percy Warwick?
Misunderstandings are front and center and the worst one of all comes when Mary is left between a rock and a hard place forcing her to a decision that will have ramifications on all three families for several generations to come. The secrets continue after Mary's death (no spoilers here, we know this will happen in the first few chapters) as an unexpected codicil to Mary’s will sends her great-niece Rachel spiraling in shock and anger that only increases when she finds the secret that Mary has kept all these years. Now hell-bent for revenge against the Warwicks, Rachel is willing to risk it all even though it could cost her the only man she will ever love and her last chance at happiness.
I liked this book a lot and had a hard time putting it down, and blew through it in two days. Yes it’s big, it’s sprawling (sometimes it sprawls too much) and very soap opera-ish, but I love those kind of books. I didn’t connect as much with Rachel’s story as I did with Mary and Percy (sigh�..what a man) and I felt the last third of the book suffered a bit because of that. My only other quibble and it’s probably just me, but when I heard the “Wars of the Roses� connections of the families I was hoping for a good parallel between the two as Susan Howatch has done with the Plantagenets in Cashelmara and Penmarric. That book would have rocked my socks off. As it is, it’s a very enjoyable and very readable novel. Four stars.
Misunderstandings are front and center and the worst one of all comes when Mary is left between a rock and a hard place forcing her to a decision that will have ramifications on all three families for several generations to come. The secrets continue after Mary's death (no spoilers here, we know this will happen in the first few chapters) as an unexpected codicil to Mary’s will sends her great-niece Rachel spiraling in shock and anger that only increases when she finds the secret that Mary has kept all these years. Now hell-bent for revenge against the Warwicks, Rachel is willing to risk it all even though it could cost her the only man she will ever love and her last chance at happiness.
I liked this book a lot and had a hard time putting it down, and blew through it in two days. Yes it’s big, it’s sprawling (sometimes it sprawls too much) and very soap opera-ish, but I love those kind of books. I didn’t connect as much with Rachel’s story as I did with Mary and Percy (sigh�..what a man) and I felt the last third of the book suffered a bit because of that. My only other quibble and it’s probably just me, but when I heard the “Wars of the Roses� connections of the families I was hoping for a good parallel between the two as Susan Howatch has done with the Plantagenets in Cashelmara and Penmarric. That book would have rocked my socks off. As it is, it’s a very enjoyable and very readable novel. Four stars.
March 26, 2021
Kalbant apie šią knygą negaliu išlikti objektyvi. Istorijos, kuriose veiksmas vyksta praėjusiais amžiais, kuriuose susitinka kelios šeimų kartos, kurias apgaubia nepaprastas kraštovaizdis, kuriose galime stebėti kaip laikas ir įvairūs išbandymai veikia jų santykius - mano guilty pleasure. Negaliu joms atsispirti.
Tad nenustebinsiu pasakydama, jog mėgavausi skaitydama šį kūrinį. Užbaigus nenorėjau paleisti istorijos ir jos personažų, norėjau tęsti ir tęsti. “Rožės� mus nudžiugino 608 puslapių apimtimi, tačiau man norėjosi tik dar daugiau, esu tikra besotė.
“Rožės� apima 1916�1985 metus ir joje sekame trijų garsių šeimų, trijų kartų gyvenimus, kurie tarpusavyje yra persipynę gyvenimo istorijomis, paslaptimis ir santykiais.
Čia susitinka laikui nepavaldi ir turinti gilias šaknis draugystė, verslas, paslaptys, praleistos galimybės, susitarimai, gvildenamos šeimos, meilės, dorumo vertybės. Ir nuolat keliamas klausimas, vis gi kas gyvenime yra svarbiausia?
Istorija suskirstyta į keturias dalis, kiekvienoje dalyje pasakojimas nenutrūksta, jis tęsiamas toliau, tačiau kiekvienu kartu į istoriją žvelgiame iš skirtingo personažo perspektyvos.
Visas kūrinys pulsuoja jausmais, ko jau ko, bet dramos čia netrūksta. Iš pirmo žvilgsnio galime pagalvoti, jog knyga bus pilna šviesių ir gražių spalvų, bus apipinta meilės ir romantikos kerais, tačiau man “Rožės� daugiau buvo apipintos liūdesio, širdgėlos ir apgailestavimo tonais. Personažų priimti sprendimai atnešė ne tik malonių, bet ir karčių gyvenimo piliulių.
Skaitant kūrinį stebime, kaip verslai, nekilnojamas turtas ir išdidumas išskiria, supriešina draugus, gimines, mylimuosius.
Istorija mane įtraukė nuo pat pirmųjų puslapių ir išlaikė dėmesį iki pat pabaigos, su nekantrumu skaičiau ir norėjau sužinoti, kas įvyks toliau. Vietomis nuspėjama, bet užburianti fiktyviu gyvenimu istorija.
Juk kartais taip smagu pasinerti į kitų gyvenimą ir pasvajoti!
Ši knyga pakankamai lengvas kūrinys, nors tikrai ne visada toks purus ir pūkuotas, kaip galime galvoti iš anksto, kartais istorija, jos personažai ir vingiai erzina, nes viskas vyksta ne taip kaip norėtume, jog vyktų.
Tai puikus pabėgimas nuo realybės.
Ir reziumuojant: neįmanoma paneigti, šeima ir santykiai yra pulsuojantis, sudėtingas organizmas.
O taip pat pakelkite rankas, kas perskaitę knygą pagalvojo, jog norėtų aplankyti medvilnės plantacijas? Aš tikrai TAIP!
P.s. Rožės turėjo gražią prasmę šios istorijos personažams, visoms trims kartoms.
Tad nenustebinsiu pasakydama, jog mėgavausi skaitydama šį kūrinį. Užbaigus nenorėjau paleisti istorijos ir jos personažų, norėjau tęsti ir tęsti. “Rožės� mus nudžiugino 608 puslapių apimtimi, tačiau man norėjosi tik dar daugiau, esu tikra besotė.
“Rožės� apima 1916�1985 metus ir joje sekame trijų garsių šeimų, trijų kartų gyvenimus, kurie tarpusavyje yra persipynę gyvenimo istorijomis, paslaptimis ir santykiais.
Čia susitinka laikui nepavaldi ir turinti gilias šaknis draugystė, verslas, paslaptys, praleistos galimybės, susitarimai, gvildenamos šeimos, meilės, dorumo vertybės. Ir nuolat keliamas klausimas, vis gi kas gyvenime yra svarbiausia?
Istorija suskirstyta į keturias dalis, kiekvienoje dalyje pasakojimas nenutrūksta, jis tęsiamas toliau, tačiau kiekvienu kartu į istoriją žvelgiame iš skirtingo personažo perspektyvos.
Visas kūrinys pulsuoja jausmais, ko jau ko, bet dramos čia netrūksta. Iš pirmo žvilgsnio galime pagalvoti, jog knyga bus pilna šviesių ir gražių spalvų, bus apipinta meilės ir romantikos kerais, tačiau man “Rožės� daugiau buvo apipintos liūdesio, širdgėlos ir apgailestavimo tonais. Personažų priimti sprendimai atnešė ne tik malonių, bet ir karčių gyvenimo piliulių.
Skaitant kūrinį stebime, kaip verslai, nekilnojamas turtas ir išdidumas išskiria, supriešina draugus, gimines, mylimuosius.
Istorija mane įtraukė nuo pat pirmųjų puslapių ir išlaikė dėmesį iki pat pabaigos, su nekantrumu skaičiau ir norėjau sužinoti, kas įvyks toliau. Vietomis nuspėjama, bet užburianti fiktyviu gyvenimu istorija.
Juk kartais taip smagu pasinerti į kitų gyvenimą ir pasvajoti!
Ši knyga pakankamai lengvas kūrinys, nors tikrai ne visada toks purus ir pūkuotas, kaip galime galvoti iš anksto, kartais istorija, jos personažai ir vingiai erzina, nes viskas vyksta ne taip kaip norėtume, jog vyktų.
Tai puikus pabėgimas nuo realybės.
Ir reziumuojant: neįmanoma paneigti, šeima ir santykiai yra pulsuojantis, sudėtingas organizmas.
O taip pat pakelkite rankas, kas perskaitę knygą pagalvojo, jog norėtų aplankyti medvilnės plantacijas? Aš tikrai TAIP!
P.s. Rožės turėjo gražią prasmę šios istorijos personažams, visoms trims kartoms.
March 17, 2010
I fear this one is probably a 2 1/2, rather than a 3 star. I wanted to like it; the family stories sounded interesting and the beginning (Mary changing her will) hooked me. But, and it's a big "but", I just couldn't believe in the characters. Maybe my prejudice of the idea of "the land" goes back to the disillusioning classic, The Good Earth, but I had a hard time buying the idea that this land meant more to Mary (and then Rachel) than anything. It was said often enough, but this trait was definitely more of the telling variety than of the showing. I wanted them to stop telling me how much the land was important to them!
Getting past the whole Mary issue, the other characters seemed to be more of a set piece. Only Percy was three dimensional. The character of Ollie was way too good to be true, and Lucy, Alice, and Darla were practically the same person, just different generations. Finally, my last pet peeve was that people died at rather convenient times as far as the plot was concerned. It's a 3 because I made it to the end.
Getting past the whole Mary issue, the other characters seemed to be more of a set piece. Only Percy was three dimensional. The character of Ollie was way too good to be true, and Lucy, Alice, and Darla were practically the same person, just different generations. Finally, my last pet peeve was that people died at rather convenient times as far as the plot was concerned. It's a 3 because I made it to the end.
April 22, 2017
Um romance épico com tudo o que adoro numa boa história: uma saga de famílias amigas e inimigas, romances desencontrados, guerra, amizade e alguns apontamentos históricos que tornam a história mais real. É uma história tão intensa e envolvente, cheia de reviravoltas que nos deixa completamente agarrados. Um excelente cruzamento entre Lesley Pearse (A Melodia do Amor) e Margareth Mitchell (E Tudo o Vento Levou).
July 30, 2023
Ženkliai silpnesnė už “Somersetas�. Aną rekomenduoju.
November 18, 2020
Jeigu istorija žada šeimos sagą, jų paslaptis, dramas, nesibaigiančią meilę, jau prieš skaitydama jaučiu, kad man tokia knyga turėtų patikti. Tad ir knygos “Rožės� anotacija mane labai sudomino! O jau kai pradėjau skaityti, bet reikėjo ruoštis ir mokytis egzaminui - buvo kančia, nes norėjau skaitytiii!!
Istorija pasakoja apie tris šeimas, kuri kiekviena turi savo įsitikinimus, bendras taisykles, o svarbiausia - kraujyje įaugusias tradicijas. Kartu šios šeimos išgyveno daug negandų, karą, ekonominius nuosmūkius bei žinoma gerus, džiaugsmą keliančius laikus. Turiu pripažinti, kad iš pradžių buvo kiek sudėtinga įsivažiuoti, nes reikėjo pažinti nemažai veikėjų, tačiau kiekvienas iš jų man labai patiko! Skaityti istoriją toliau buvo tikrai lengva ir paprasta, o nesibaigiančių intrigų kiekis išvis neleido nei nuobodžiauti, nei atsipalaiduoti!
Knygos “Rožės� istorija atspindi pačias rožes, jos gražios, tačiau netinkamai paėmus - skaudžiai duria. Toks yra is gyvenimas, tokia yra ir ši istorija. Kol viskas gerai, kol kelias rožėmis klotas, atrodo, kad niekas nesustabdys. Tačiau gyvenimo skauduliai, negandos ir vėjai, blaškantys tai pirmyn, tai atgal, negailėjo ir šios istorijos veikėjų. Kiek daug skaudžių išgyvenimų teko patirti tiek Merei, tiek Persiui, tiek Oliui, tiek absoliučiai visiems veikėjams..
Šią knygą galėčiau palyginti su tais santykiais, kai vieną dieną myli, kitą - skiriesi. Taip pat yra ir čia. Vieną puslapį bambi ant veikėjų, kodėl jie negali kaip žmonės pasikalbėti, o stačia galva puola neteisingų sprendimų link, kitame puslapyje - jų gaili, teisini jų sprendimus ir supranti, kodėl jie vienaip, ar kitaip elgiasi. O pati rožių reikšmė knygoje, spėju, kad privers kiekvieną kart ją prisiminti, kai matysiu rožes realiame pasaulyje.
Taip pat, man ypatingai patiko draugystės ir meilės galia šioje knygoje. Draugų pasiaukojimas, gera širdis, noras padėti, užjausti, palaikyti - “Rožėse� užima svarbią vietą. O ką jau bekalbėti apie atsidavimą darbui, kuris yra dar svarbesnis šioje knygoje. Ir kaip svarbu tam tikru momentu pasielgti priešingai, negu yra įprasta. Kartais taisyklės yra būtent tam, kad jas sulaužytum, tiesa?
Taigi ši istorija buvo labai gera pramoga! Paslapčių ir intrigų apstu, skaudūs, liūdesį keliantys įvykiai neleido užsidėti rožinių akinių, o puslapiai atrodo, kad ištirpo! Rekomenduoju mėgstantiems istorijas apie šeimas, meilę, draugystę, aistrą darbui, papročiams, o svarbiausia - gyvenimui. Puikus skaitinys, kuris nenorėjau, kad taip greitai baigtųsi!O dabar su nekantrumu laukiu daugiau šios autorės knygų!📚
P.S. Man ši knyga buvo pakankamai panaši į L. Riley knygas! ♥️
P.P.S. Manau, kad ši knyga puikiai tinka dovanojimui! Įdomi istorija, įspūdingas viršelis, didelė apimtis!♥️
November 10, 2012
While this book was epic and more enjoyable than Tumbleweeds, it, too suffered from being way too long. By the last four discs, I was just impatient for the story to end.
Mary and Percy were interesting enough, but I was annoyed by everyone's (including Mary's) unhappiness with the passion Mary had with Somerset. Who cares if she loved it? Who cares if she wanted to run herself into the ground with it? If it's what she loved, then others should have been happy for her. Well, Ollie was happy to let her be her, but he was so one dimensional, he hardly counted as a character. I didn't like that the author kept saying over and over again that Mary couldn't have both. She couldn't have Percy and Somerset. That Percy didn't want to be second best in Mary's affection made him unworthy of her in the first place. Of course they only realized what they wanted when it was too late. And of course, only too late by a day. Such is the plot of melodrama.
I wasn't sure which other one dimensional character I wanted to smack the hardest: self-absorbed, spoiled, pathetic.. oh, what was her name? Mary's mother, or the joke of a character in Lucy (so, she barely meets Percy and loves him despite the fact he barely acknowledges her? get some self-respect), or hypocritical Alice, who praised her husband's efforts to not let Mary define him yet forced her daughter to be something she's not only because she (Alice) felt left out?
And what was the point of William, Alice's, and (what was her brother's name?) deaths? It came out of nowhere, and seemed completely pointless. It felt like the author didn't know what to do with them after the reading of Mary's will and then Rachel's threatening lawsuit, so she just got rid of them. Lazy writing.
Finally, Rachel "suffered" from the same love of Somerset (or obsession as everyone else seemed to call it) and she's forced to give up her entire dream and love of farming when she married Matt. Well, we assume she's going to marry Matt since they're such precious soul mates. So, she can only farm on Toliver land? What made her fall in love with farming in the first place? Nothing to do with Somerset at all, but a shoot in the ground in her own home.
Is the moral of the story this: a woman cannot have her dream if she wants to have the passionate love of her life? No thanks. If someone really loves someone, he'll find a way for her to have both.
Mary and Percy were interesting enough, but I was annoyed by everyone's (including Mary's) unhappiness with the passion Mary had with Somerset. Who cares if she loved it? Who cares if she wanted to run herself into the ground with it? If it's what she loved, then others should have been happy for her. Well, Ollie was happy to let her be her, but he was so one dimensional, he hardly counted as a character. I didn't like that the author kept saying over and over again that Mary couldn't have both. She couldn't have Percy and Somerset. That Percy didn't want to be second best in Mary's affection made him unworthy of her in the first place. Of course they only realized what they wanted when it was too late. And of course, only too late by a day. Such is the plot of melodrama.
I wasn't sure which other one dimensional character I wanted to smack the hardest: self-absorbed, spoiled, pathetic.. oh, what was her name? Mary's mother, or the joke of a character in Lucy (so, she barely meets Percy and loves him despite the fact he barely acknowledges her? get some self-respect), or hypocritical Alice, who praised her husband's efforts to not let Mary define him yet forced her daughter to be something she's not only because she (Alice) felt left out?
And what was the point of William, Alice's, and (what was her brother's name?) deaths? It came out of nowhere, and seemed completely pointless. It felt like the author didn't know what to do with them after the reading of Mary's will and then Rachel's threatening lawsuit, so she just got rid of them. Lazy writing.
Finally, Rachel "suffered" from the same love of Somerset (or obsession as everyone else seemed to call it) and she's forced to give up her entire dream and love of farming when she married Matt. Well, we assume she's going to marry Matt since they're such precious soul mates. So, she can only farm on Toliver land? What made her fall in love with farming in the first place? Nothing to do with Somerset at all, but a shoot in the ground in her own home.
Is the moral of the story this: a woman cannot have her dream if she wants to have the passionate love of her life? No thanks. If someone really loves someone, he'll find a way for her to have both.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2016
A great book about love, forgiveness, and the importance of your decisions and how they impact your life and lives of people you care about. Well-written, with great feature of switching between the past and the present that doesn't let you put it down till you finish. And I love these type of books! A big recommendation from me to everyone!
February 19, 2022
Knyga nuostabi, nors ir buvai "truputį" susierzinusi dėl kai kurių veikėjų elgesio principų...
January 8, 2010
I won this book as a giveaway - and I was impressed when I received it; beautiful cover, nice solid hardback book. I was even more impressed when I started reading it.
It's got a fair resemblance to Gone With the Wind - I've never read the book but I've seen the movie and Mary is just about as close to Scarlett O'Hara as they come - her obsession with Somerset (the cotton plantation) being the same driving force. This "Scarlett" though is a much more likeable person - driven, yes, but still loving, giving, and emotionally vested in others.
Roses delves through three generations of families - the DuMonts, the Warwicks, and the Tolivers. DuMonts sell retail/dry goods, Warwicks sell lumber, and the Tolivers are a slave to their cotton. The whole storyline centers on the love affair between Percy Warwick and Mary Toliver - and like Scarlett O'Hara Mary is to stubborn to see what is right in front of her face.
If I were to give this book a theme it would be regret - and I often wished through the book for things to come right, for relationships to work out, misunderstandings be forgiven and put past. But Roses paints human emotion with a realistic hand, which I liked. Many times I will read a book and wish that something was different, or the ending were changed, all the while knowing that it would change the character of the book and I wouldn't be as stirred by it.
I would enthusiastically recommend this book (I finished it and immediately gave it to a friend to read) and I can't wait to see what Meacham turns out next. Bravo!
It's got a fair resemblance to Gone With the Wind - I've never read the book but I've seen the movie and Mary is just about as close to Scarlett O'Hara as they come - her obsession with Somerset (the cotton plantation) being the same driving force. This "Scarlett" though is a much more likeable person - driven, yes, but still loving, giving, and emotionally vested in others.
Roses delves through three generations of families - the DuMonts, the Warwicks, and the Tolivers. DuMonts sell retail/dry goods, Warwicks sell lumber, and the Tolivers are a slave to their cotton. The whole storyline centers on the love affair between Percy Warwick and Mary Toliver - and like Scarlett O'Hara Mary is to stubborn to see what is right in front of her face.
If I were to give this book a theme it would be regret - and I often wished through the book for things to come right, for relationships to work out, misunderstandings be forgiven and put past. But Roses paints human emotion with a realistic hand, which I liked. Many times I will read a book and wish that something was different, or the ending were changed, all the while knowing that it would change the character of the book and I wouldn't be as stirred by it.
I would enthusiastically recommend this book (I finished it and immediately gave it to a friend to read) and I can't wait to see what Meacham turns out next. Bravo!
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