Amazon.com: White Widow: Jim Lehrer: Books

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Customer Reviews

19 Reviews

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tragic cautionary tale. Great story-telling, March 8, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: White Widow (Hardcover)

As in classic tragedy, Master Operator (bus driver) Jack T. Oliver's fatal flaw - his attraction to a "white widow"- causes his inexorable fall from grace. Jim Lehrer's easy-going pace does not prepare the reader for the catastrophic events which ultimately occur. I highly recommend this not-too-long novel to fans of the classics and fans of suspense

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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Starts slowly like a Sunday drive..then takes off!!, September 28, 2000

By

John J. Raspanti (Manteca, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: White Widow (Hardcover)

WHITE WIDOW will sneak up on you.

'On Time' Jack Olsen is a well respected and well liked Bus driver in Texas.

He's a all around nice guy, with a nice house, and a even nicer wife.

Everything is fine until the 'White Widow' boards his bus..

Author Lehrer's despritions of the places and people of Texas are very effective. The story takes place in the 1950's, but there is nothing dated about WHITE WIDOW..

'On Time Jack' is much more complex then your average fictional character, his emortions, hidden away from his friends are troubling and very poignant.

Give WHITE WIDOW a try, i don't think you'll be disappointed..

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17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Small town Americana, June 9, 2000

By

Charles W. Adams "Charles W. Adams" (Adel, Iowa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: White Widow (Paperback)

After reading and enjoying Lehrur's new title, "The Special Prisoner," I read "White Widow," a book about a bus driver obsessed with a beautiful, mysterious and unknown female passenger.

The bus driver let's his imagination get carried away to the extreme. My wife, who read the book, could hardly accept that a happily married man could become so obsessed.

I guess I would characterized "White Widow" as a story about ordinary, average folks living in South Texas, struggling with the same challenges we all face -- especially who we are and can we accept our ourselves and live in peace with ourselves.

"White Widow" is a great read which will generate a great deal of thought and conversation.

High recommended

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Bus drivers are a unique bunch
A great fictional story about a very real industry. Jim Lehrer captures the true essence of line haul drivers in Jack Oliver. An easy read and captivating story.

Published 3 months ago by CoachMan

2.0 out of 5 stars Strange read
What a strange little book. I don't know how I came to buy it, but I guess we all make mistakes. It's not a horrible book, just pretty plain and borderline boring. Read more

Published on May 7, 2008 by Dan B

4.0 out of 5 stars Over - My - Head
Within my span of listening (now cut short - thanks, big Al), Don Imus has interviewed more non-fiction authors than authors of fiction. Read more

Published on July 6, 2007 by J. S. Brown

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Bus Ride
I heard about Jim Lehrer's book while watching Imus in the Morning, who gave it a good recommendation. I thought I'd give it a whirl and did not regret it. Read more

Published on March 12, 2007 by Elizabeth Madison

5.0 out of 5 stars simple plot, with endless imagination
I will start by saying that this book may not be for everyone. Some readers with short patience will loose interest before the book climaxes. Read more

Published on August 16, 2006 by marc man

4.0 out of 5 stars Portrait of person, time and place

This portrait is so full, it really doesn't need the "white widow" of its title. In my opinion, a number of more realistic scenarios could have prompted what became the... Read more

Published on November 29, 2005 by Loves the View

4.0 out of 5 stars The upheaval of a simple life
White Widow is Jim Lehrer's succinct, unadorned yet poignant account of the life of a simple man Jack T. Oliver. Read more

Published on October 23, 2003 by Cory D. Slipman

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant book that I could not put down.
"Shopgirl," represents a women of lost hope on life and love. Her mundane job and social life cause her to spindle out of control to a somewhat unstable life. Read more

Published on September 17, 2001 by Lauren

1.0 out of 5 stars A mind numbing read
"White Widow" is the slowest moving novel I've read since reading Middlemarch. Jack Oliver, the main character is devoid of personality. Read more

Published on September 13, 2000 by missy_k

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and surprisingly eery....
This is a story that starts out rather slow, but builds up into a writhing tale that reaches a climax that will leave the reader stunned. Jim can really write a good yarn. Read more

Published on June 5, 2000

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Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
JACK SAW IMMEDIATELY that she was a White Widow. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
white porcelain bathtub, ticket punch, gold badge, extra board, package express

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Master Operator, Great Western Trailways, White Widow, Corpus Christi, Paul Madison, Angel Seat, San Antonio, Johnny Merriweather, Adele Lyman, Pony Cruiser, Mount Rushmore, Fort Worth, Nueces Transportation, Tarpon Inn, New Mexico, Padre Island, Slick Carlton, Ava Gardner, Santa Claus, Cannonball Coaches, Captain Rhodes, Farm Road, Panama City, Preacher Williams, Sam Houston

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