Abridged Audiobook
Hats off to Jeffrey DeMunn for convincing the listener, from the opening passage, that he IS Grampa Witney, with whom the listener instantly falls in love. This book can be called for its faults, of which there are several. It lacks research; its story line is fairly linear, even predictable; its characters lack depth (which leaves me wondering whether the unabridged version would be a better choice). But the book has the most important quality in spades. It draws you in, holds you there, touches your heart, and leaves you missing it when it is over. So give it a listen and enjoy it as a simple pleasure.
Honestly, this is one of the sweetest books I've ever read. If you've ever lost a loved one, been close to your grand parents or have children, then you'll like this. The plot is original. Grandpa's little poems and tales are clever and emotionally heart wrenching. Everyone could learn something from this story. This one is definitely a favorite of all the books I've rented here.
This book really kept my interest and was less trite and obviously sentimental than I thought it would be. The premise is clever and the characters pretty realistic. The more you learn about the grandfather in this book, the more you regret that you did not have more time to see his character alive and interacting with his family. He's a trip. The ending is a bit hokey (there's lots of sighing, self-revelation, and rushing about in the rain) - that's the only reason this book did not get 5 stars.
Very light, characters are very superficial and naive. But sweet story of life and love, nice to listen to. Very easy to swallow.
I highly recommend this title. A very moving family value story!
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