Customer Reviews

Annie's Song

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I normally don't write reviews for romance novels ~~ but I really enjoyed this one. It was predictable though ~~ like a lot of other romance novels ~~ but it was so sweet and so refreshing compared to a lot of other books. It has an uplifting beat throughout the whole book and it did explored what it is like to be deaf.

Annie's parents hid Annie ever since a fever left her "slightly touched" since she couldn't talk or hear ... they assumed that Annie was mentally ill. When Annie was raped by Douglas Montgomery, Douglas' big brother Alex steps in to marry her and raise her child ~~ giving her the protection of his name. What Alex didn't expect was to fall in love with Annie ~~ and this is a book detailing the sweet romance between Alex and Annie.

If you're looking for a lighter read to take to the beach or on vacation ~~ I highly recommend this book! It's a good read and quick one too!!!

4-5-02

This was my first Catherine Anderson book, and I must say, why haven't I heard of her before? The quality and originality of this story is far above some of even the more popular romance authors today. Ms. Anderson takes a difficult premise (the heroine can't TALK to the hero) and manages to make us forget her "disability".

We get to witness Alex's gradual shift from guilt and self-absorption regarding Annie, to his eventual admiration, loyalty and love for her.

I felt the author's handling of Annie's complete naivete was right on. There was no way she could have known many of the basic things we have come to understand, because no one taught her! She was treated as a half-wit, ostracized from the community, and, to a certain extent, by her family.

I laughed, giggled, cried, and sighed over this book. And I LOVED that there was no "Big Misunderstanding", a plot device I feel authors use too frequently to come up with a form of conflict.

All in all, I felt this to be a prime example of romance writing at its best. Please, read this book and recommend it to anyone who will appreciate a heart-warming, positive read.

"Annie's Song" was the first Catherine Anderson novel I ever read. Since then, I have bought almost all of her books. She is an incredibly talented lady who refuses to let you go until you have gone through a handful of tissue paper! Alex, the hero of "Annie's Song", is one of the sweetest, most loving, and most wonderful romance novel heroes I have ever come across. The scene when he realizes that Annie is only deaf, not the "idiot" that people have thought her for years, is written so well that I could even imagine the dust floating in the attic. His growing love for his wife and his unselfish decision to give her a chance to experience the world clearly showed what an unbelievable man he was. Annie was a delightful heroine. Her tragic life did not strip her of her sense of humor, allowing readers to experience everything from her unique perspective. For anyone who loves good romance, "Annie's Song" is a must read.

I am so impressed with this author I cannot even begin. A first from this writer for me, this story about a girl who overcomes all odds in a world which shuns and torments her is so heartfelt that it will make you believe in happily ever-after.

Annie Trimble is alone in her solitary world of heartache and loneliness. No one understands nor tries to. Misunderstood for too long and shunned by a small community in 1890s Oregon, tragedy strikes and she is forced deeper into her solitary world and left to suffer until an unlikely savior emerges to ultimately save her.

Alex Montgomery is sick to his stomach to find out his wild hellion of a brother raped the 'idiot girl' daughter of the town's judge. Ashamed and tormented by guilt and remorse, he offers to marry her to try to make up for the tragedy and raise the baby she carries as his own. He never imagines that the 'moron' who runs through the woods and seems oblivious to the world around her is not what she appears. Her innocence and childlike ways betray a woman inside that years for affection and understanding.
Seeing a spark of something other than 'idiocy' in his new wife, Alex becomes determined to break through her wall of silence and hear her 'song'. What he finds shocks and stuns him.

So unbelievably intense and emotional, this is a story that will stay with you LONG after you close the book. A real love story and so emotional and realistic, I was bowled over by its intensity. Kudos to Ms. Anderson. A truly gifted writer. Thank-you Ms. Anderson for a wonderful breakthrough in romance! So different, yet not told by anyone else!

Tracy Talley~@

When Annie is the victim of a sexual assault, her attackers brother Alex agrees to marry her believing she is mentally disabled. Can Annie and Alex find happiness, or is their relationship doomed to failure?

Okay, before I get blasted by Catherine Anderson fans, I found Annie's Song a compelling read. I liked the idea of a deaf heroine, and the issue of deafness being dealt with in a romance novel in a sensitive manner. But I must confess, I didn't find the romance very interesting or... Frankly that compelling. Mostly because, despite her deafness Annie was so very naive. Frankly, I found the fact that she was described as 'child-like' and innocent every other paragraph distasteful.

Also, the rape was never really addressed, and I found it really unbelievable that the heroine (many months pregnant), would welcome the advances of the rapists look alike brother. Perhaps AFTER the pregnancy, and after she'd had time to adjust and mature.....But before? Erk....

I also felt the relationship between her and Alex was somewhat unhealthy. Alex was more like a father for her, seldom letting Annie make decisions. While at the end, she finally asserts herself its not enough and not for the right reasons.

Overall, I found Annie's Song a compelling read, but the disparity in age and emotional development between Annie and Alex was off-putting to this reader. Perhaps if Annie had been portrayed as less naive I could've really enjoyed this novel.

With 2 young kids and a growing list of to-dos, it's rare for me to get lost in a book any more. Therefore, I tend to cling to books that manage to move me emotionally nowadays. Annie's Song is definitely one of those. I borrowed it from a friend but plan on buying my own copy to re-read when I need to remember why I love story-telling so much. Catherine Anderson smacked me over the head with the reason I do love books... CHARACTERS.

Annie's deaf, believed to be a moron, and raped brutally, cracking her childlike vision of the world. She's so innocent and naive, but smart and amazingly endearing. When Alex Montgomery discovers that his brother raped the town moron, he does the right thing and marries the poor idiot...only to discover she's not an idiot at all.

I can't say enough about the emotions dragged out of me while reading this story. I'm all for great plots, unexpected twists and such. But this book is proof positive that stories about well-written characters are what readers will hold on to long after the book is closed.

READ IT!

Imagine being deaf and mute since childhood, and treated as if you're idiot because no one understands. Then imagine being raped by the boorish younger brother of the richest man in town. These experiences were beyond me until I read Annie's song. Alex Montgomery, feeling guilty about the way his brother Douglas attacked Annie (who is believed to be mentally unbalanced) and offers to marry her when he discovers she's pregnant. That guilt soon turns to admiration and love when he discovers that his wife is deaf and extremely intelligent. Alex slowly coaxes her out of her silent world through loud noises that would break most anyone's ear drums, and through learning Sign Language. The way Catherine Anderson manages to convey Annie's feelings and how she and Alex communicate is very original.

As always, Anderson's book thoroughly engage me. The characters, the emotions, the storyline...the book just sucked me in completely. So I ended up giving it the highest rating despite the fact that there were a couple issues I had with it.

There was such a sad element to this story. Anderson definitely does not shy away from non-traditional heroines. Annie is supposedly the "idiot" girl...not right in the head with the mentality of a small child, but that's not even close to the truth. It's fascinating to see how the characters deal with the situation, how they grow and change and adapt. How Alex and Anne developed a relationship. It was so emotional and wonderful to read. Anderson just has this amazing knack for pulling me into her characters and stories. I just fly right through her books, and this one was no different.

My two complaints about this book...first, I had some issue with the realism of the story. Though I loved the situation and how it worked out, I had to wonder how likely any of it was. The local business mogul marrying a girl everyone thinks is a total and complete moron. It was a little questionable. Since I'm not familiar with Annie's true...affliction...I can't particularly comment on how Anderson dealt with that. I suspect some would have complaints. I also felt that there was some phrasing and situational stuff that wasn't historically accurate.

I was bothered more by how insular that story was. The book was entirely focused on the main characters, very few supporting people, and two locales, and that's it. It was just very segregated and lacked depth in that respect. This was a problem because an issue that was brought up in the story was how the townspeople would shun Alex for marrying Annie because of her problem. During that period, the handicapped were not accepted and were often treated badly, along with those associated with them. This was a big deal and it was mentioned...but then never dealt with. After he married Annie, we never once got any sense of how it was seen outside the home. The entire book from that point on was pretty much just Annie, Alex, his two servants, and his house. Nothing else. I wanted to know how this issue affected everyone in the real world, how Alex was seen and treated, and there was just nothing of that. It sucked some of the realism from the story. It didn't kill the book in any way for me; I still love it, but the story would have been enriched if that aspect had been properly explored.

I'm not usually a Historical Romance person, but recently I have come to like the author Catherine Anderson. I got hooked on a series of books that continue a family from book to book. When I saw Annies Song and read what it was about, I new I would like it. It was based in the 1800's, and for me it was an emotional story. I actually forgot it was a historical unless they mentioned traveling by horse verses car, and that didn't happen to often. I would re-read this book again anytime.

I have read many romances, but this must be the sweetest romance I have ever read. When Alex Montgomery marries the lovely deaf/mute Annie out of his percieved obligation, he believes he is saddle with an idiot wife. Not to soon after the wedding, Alex realizes the error of his ideas and crusades to woe and love his wife. Alex's quest to open his wife to a world she never knew is funny and heartwarming as he rushes into the process with unrelenting determination and optimism. Anderson has written a heart-engaging romance that successfully engages the reader on behalf of Alex and Annie, to surpass their initial inability to communicate to develop a love and joy for each other that knows no bounds. This book is definitely a 10+!