Customer Reviews

Evergreen

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book takes you on a amazing journey of a woman's life from childhood to old age. Although it begins as Anna Friedman's story, it frequently changes perspective.. taking on that of her daughter, son, husband, grandkids, lover.. Through each character's eyes, comes a complete roller coaster of emotions and real-life issues. There was a surprise at every turn, keeping you glued to the book. Like nothing I've ever read.. It forces you to see life from a grander view and realize what it's really about. I feel as though I knew this woman and she made me wise.

This is one of my favorite books of all time! I first became aquainted with the story when I was 10 years old and I saw the TV movie (starring: Lesley Ann Warren as Anna, Ian MacShane as Paul, Armand Assante as Joseph, Joan Allen as Iris, and many more talented actors!) I then read the book and have been rereading it every few years since (I'm 27 now).

What is so wonderful is Belva's way of incorporating history into the lives of such rich and passionate characters! The love story between Anna and Paul is beautiful and tragic. Once you know Anna you will never be able to stop reading!

Belva Plain's best! The wonderfull life of a family's four generations, how inmigrants have to struggle, family problems, family love, family disfunctionalities, etc.
All the characters are very well created, and the dramas of life are as real as they could get.

Have you ever wanted to know about immigrants' lives in other countries? Then you should read Belva Plain's book Evergreen. It will help you to find out about those immigrants and their generations' lives in foreign lands. The book is about a girl named Anna Friedman, who immigrated to America only when she sixteen years old. Anna's parents died in her own country Poland. She had brothers who moved to Vienna. She longed to come to United States and have a good life there. She married to a man named Joseph Friedman and had a boy. Besides, she had relationship with another man Paul Werner. Evergreen has become American classic novel tells unforgettable family and an amazing woman. Readers should not miss to read this great novel. One reason I was interested in this book was because the situation of the main character is similar to my situation. I'm an immigrant too. At the beginning, I also was confused about whether I should come to America or not. I wanted to come here because I knew my life would be better than I stayed in my own country. However, I miss my relatives very much. I liked Anna Friedman, this main character. She was very strong woman, who always kept her hopes up no matter what happened. She never gave up her hopes. Anna was a great wife and modern mother too. She never required her husband for anything; instead, she insisted he do anything he wanted to do and considered him all the time. She knew how to touch her children well. They never had the chance to do wrong things and she always wanted them to be successful. People should read this book. As far as we know, Anna was a wonderful woman. Although, she was dishonest to her family when she had relationship with another man Paul Werner. After that, she got pregnant and the baby was girl. She didn't tell Joseph and her son the baby was Werner's. The reason was she did it by accident because Joseph asked her to go to Werner's house and borrow some money to buy a new house. Anna didn't like his idea because Werner still like her even though she was married now and also she didn't like to ask someone for help, but she didn't want Joseph to feel disappointed. So the accident happened that day when Anna came to Werner's house and Paul forced her to have sex with him. This is an epic novel and exposes the heart of an extraordinary woman, so I think people should read this book.

To remember a lovely writer who has just passed away last week, it is only fair to write a review of her best novel; A friend told me about this book around the time it first came out. It has since evolved into more than one book. I was glad to hear that there is a continuation of the book to come out next year and I do look forward to it. It was also a mini series as well that I watched. With that said, here is the book. Anna is a woman who comes to America from Poland. She works for the Warner family, but marries a fellow ambitious immigrant, who gives her a comfortable life. the typical American pull yourself up by your bootstrap kind of story. It has been over 30 years but I have never forgotten this book even now. Sadly, I had thought Mrs Plain passed years ago because after a while, she fell out of the limelight. I was shocked and even more sad that she has only passed this past week.

This book is rich, heartwarming, intriging, romantic, almost life like. You are almost immediately swept up in the character's lives. You feel their pain, love, loses, everything. I would rate this book as one of my favorites. It is a quality read. This book was made into a movie about 10 years ago on TV. Does anyone have this movie or know where it can be purchased? I have searched for this movie for years with no luck.

This book is a real page turner. It reminds me of the Thorn Birds, or Gone with the Wind.

Reading about Anna, Joseph, and Paul will keep you spellbound. I first read this book in high school in the 80's and have re-read it so many times the cover is barely there! The author's descriptions of events and places make you feel you are there with the characters. You can feel what they are going through, especially Anna with the turmoil that she goes through regarding Joseph and Paul. The way their struggle to make it in the world is portrayed is realistic and moving. All through the book you see what Joseph and Anna are working toward, but you also share in their personal struggles within themselves.

This is a review of the Kindle version. Great story but marred by consistent errors. The contraction we'll is always spelled well. He'll is hell. Bother or bothered is always brother or brothered. Very distracting. I finally gave up.

I absolutely loved this story. Saw the mini series years ago and have been searching ever since for a copy of the mini series or the book. At last I have found it! ( would also love a cpoy of the series! Armand Assante was brilliant and Leslie Ann Warren was superb! darlin343@aol.com