This is a lovely counterpoint to many of the usual book club books used for discussions. It is humorous, warm, G-rated and entertaining. You might think that means nothing to talk about. You would be wrong. The story deals with family relationships, the right or wrong of secret keeping, views of the afterlife, anxiety and panic attacks, modern hospital life and life in general in a small midwestern town. The story follows the repercussions of the death of an elderly woman. She herself is a delight; however trying to be her caretaker in modern times can be trying to her loved ones. I wish I could be as optimistic as Elinor. She lives in the present moment - maybe that is what contributes to her longevity. The humor is delightful. I would recommend this to book clubs looking for a quick read and a breather between other, heavier, more somber topical books.

While Beauty Slept is a back story telling of the fairy story (or is it the Disney story) of Sleeping Beauty. While it starts off a bit slowly establishing necessary linkage and character and history, it picks up speed as it goes. The dialogue is well written. The main characters follow the tale we all know. The alternative explanation for what happened in reality as opposed to the "magical" explanation is plausible. Topics for discussion for a book club could include how treatment of women has changed from perhaps middle ages to now, the role of love vs passion and its importance in a marriage, the role of duty in life whether to family or even job descriptions (being of the ruling family) are all appropriate arising out of this book. I liked it - it was fun and fairly speedy to read as it picked up tempo/speed. It was a different take on that tale and that was also novel.

I don\'t usually pick up YA books. This was chosen by our bookclub or I probably would not read it. I was very pleasantly surprised by the level of writing and the ability of the story and characters to grab me. It read pretty quickly and led to interesting discussion in our group. Would recommend it to clubs, especially those who have some parents with teenagers in them.

I enjoyed this book. For a book club looking for a shorter and fairly quick read, I would recommend it. The topic was very interesting as it dealt with a lost little 5 yr old boy, who was separated from his family and home town by means of being accidentally locked into a railway car. Since this occurred in the later 80\\\'s, adoptions were easier to arrange. What he remembered, how he found his family again and what he experienced make for good reading. I didn\\\'t know much about poorer lives in India, and this was a fascinating account.