Customer Reviews

Blue Willow

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

All of us have a mental Top Ten List - those books we remember and reread, and recommend to others with enthusiasm. BLUE WILLOW is one of mine, and also has the distinction of being one of the few novels I have bought and given as a gift to others. BLUE WILLOW was my first Deborah Smith novel, bought on an impulse, and I was literally blown away by how well it was crafted. Unlike other novels, where there may be two or three fully developed characters, and the remainder serve as foils or window dressings for the protagonists, Deborah Smith manages to infuse the characters of two entire families with depth, painting a picture of people with both nobility and tragic flaws. The intimacy of the central characters is well written, physically sexual but emotionally deep. As an aside, Ms. Smith shows, in the setting of her novel and much of the narrative, a gift for researching the backround into which she will write (I learned more about ceramics than I ever knew there was to know!), and a talent for drawing pictures with words that enthralled me. I sound embarrassingly gushing, I know, but this tale is so human and so easy to identify with - loving, losing, travelling a long, painful, and lonely road, and coming full circle again. How many of us wouldn't wish for a second chance with a first love? Buy this book, and don't rush through it.

Right up front - I enjoyed Silk & Stone a little more - largely because of the historical aspects of Silk & Stone.

With that said, however, Blue Willow is a wonderful, wonderful book. Deborah Smith is a master at character development - from the sinister to the eccentric.

For me, a measure of a good book is whether I take anything away with me after I'm through reading. Even when I wasn't reading it, I thought about the characters, the story line, etc. After I finished the book, there was a deep satisfaction at having read a book worth reading.

One small word of caution: it seems to me that this book is a little more sexually graphic than Silk & Stone. However, this does not distract from the beauty of the characters, the development of the plot, etc., etc.

Without a doubt Deborah Smith is my favorite author. I first discovered her when I read 'A Place to Call Home'. I was thrilled when she followed it up with 'When Venus Fell'. Since then I have picked up her earlier books. Therefore you might find it ironic that I purchased 'Blue Willow' last year but just this past week read this wonderful book. No one develops characters better than Smith. You will find yourself doing those necessary jobs with the book tucked under your arm just in case you get a few minutes to read more. So why did I put off reading this book? The reason is the same as ordering other desserts between the times you indulge in your absolute favorite one. Her writing is so incredibly rich and emotional that I need to wind down with lighter romance books before I pick up another of her novels. I worry that she could truly spoil my tastes for other authors.

This book has to be one of the best books I've ever read!!! The bond and the enduring love of the 2 main characters...their lifetime of loving each other...simply undescribable! If you have ever loved someone since childhood....and think they are lost to you....don't give up yet!!! You must read this book!!! It moved me in ways no other books have before, and I still find myself thinking about the characters all the time. A beautiful, haunting love story!

Blue Willow is the first book I read from Deborah Smith. I saw it first here at ..., i was convinced by it's book review that only recently bought it from a book sale shop. Unfortunately, I cant' find it in any of our leading (national)bookstore. Blue Willow is a great book, I love it! I fell in love with Lily and especially with Artemas. It made me laugh and cry! It's hard to put it down. This book will be worth keeping, reading all over again and again, and I'll definitely recommend it to friends. As Blue Willow was my first, it's definitely not my last.

I absolutely LOVED this book! I read it over two days then turned around and re-read it. The love felt between Lily and Artemas pours out of each page, but that they are bound by family and life-circumstances, just makes their love all the more beautiful and touching. Deborah Smith has become one of my most favorite authors and this book one of my favorites. I just love the way she writes! This is a keeper-book for sure!!

Phew! WHat a book! Sure it looks long and bland looking. But don't let that stop you. It is much more than a romance novel. It's about family, forgivness, fighting for what you believe in and also persistance. Halfway in the book , I was getting frustrated and hopeless, like the character of Lily. Lily and Artemas grew up loving each other. But litterally everything kept them apart. Everytime, they wanted to be together , someone or something drove a wedge between them. He had to choose between his family and Lily. The first time he chose his family, but the second time he was at a standstill.

All in all, the characters were well developed and believeable. The plot had many twists and turns and the family drama was aplenty. Phew, and I thought I had family problems!?!-Enjoy

This book is an outstanding example of the romance genre. I laughed and cried. I really felt connected to all of the characters. I read it and then I gave it to my mother to read. It was excellent.

I like Deborah Smith as an author. She has a way of creating believable characters and stories, with plots that can alternately tug at your heart strings and make you smile. I liked Blue Willow, but I found the characters hard to believe, thereby causing the entire story to be unbelievable. I know, it's fiction and I should probably lighten up, but the reality of a character is what often drives a novel. It seemed incredibly far-fetched that Artemus Colebrook could have such a powerful drive to overcome his parent's shadow, be the strong leader of his siblings, and turn around a failing business into an international powerhouse. Not that that kind of strength and integrity isn't possible, but all before he turned twentyfive! I also found it unreal for such a handsome, rich, powerful man to harbor feelings for a child he'd seen, what, two or three times? A young girl he faithfully corresponded through the mail for several years? Come on.
I also found the Stepford-like loyalty of the Colebrook clan to be unreal as well as a little scary. Six brothers and sisters who can't see further than the bounds of their family is more than a little bizarre.
And for Lily to simply stand by and say nothing when evidence came to hand that aleviated the blame the Colebrooks placed on her deceased spouse? Give me a break! If I were Lily, I would want the world to know the blame for the tragedy the story is centered around was shared with the Colebrook sibling running the project. Especially after Colebrook International sued her dead husband's firm, causing her to lose her home and all of her worldly belongings. Heck, I'd call a press conference. If Artemas had to do what he had to do, so should have Lily. Better yet, Artemus should have done the honorable thing and informed the public of his sister's involvement.
Oh well. That's just me.
This is a good read for the most part, if you can past the inane behavior of many of the characters.

In Blue Willow, Artemis is a very strong man that is that loves so deeply and completely to the one woman who shows great stength in her fears, saddness, and love in her character. The best book I have ever read that went straight to my heart. I recommend it! ^_~