[.uk] A Gathering of Finches (Dreamcatcher Series #3) (ISBN 1576730824)

I read nearly a book a day, yet will never forget this story:
Jane Kirkpatrick transports you in her books, bringing rich stories to life. I read this book about 18 months ago, yet it stands out in my mind as one of my top reads for the past decade. Susan McMonagle

agree with slow and dull:
I am an Oregonian and found this to be painful to read. My book group selected it, otherwise I would have stopped at 100 pages. I am writing this, my first review, to provide some balance to the glowing reports given this poorly written so called historical novel. I finally gave up on page 289 unwilling to waste any more time on undeveloped characters, sentences without subjects, and more questions raised than answered. Horrible. My rating - 5 stars.

This book got me hooked:
I had never heard of Jane until I picked this book off the shelf several years ago. It was the cover photo that caught my attention. From that point on I was hooked. I have every book she has written. She just has such a wonderful talent to weave a story with historical substance. I have not been disappointed in anything she has written.

Slow-going and Dull:
I suspect you might have to be an Oregonian to like this book, and a patient one at that. (I read it as the choice of another member of my book group.) Although I'm a voracious reader, I found "Finches," like many ersatz 20th-century "Victorian" novels, way too long--and I was able to foresee at least one crucial development of the plot long before it was revealed. The author at times has a rather clipped style and uses words in what at best might be considered an unusual or "fresh" way, but I often had to reread her sentences to figure out their meaning. The two lead characters especially were unappealing and the ostentatious description of their ostentatious wealth was boring. Unless you live in Oregon and are a committed devotee of its history, don't waste your time on this one. I would have given this book no star at all if I had been given that choice.

Loved It!:
I absolutely loved this book! I could not put it down, nor could I stop thinking about the book for a week after I had finished it. The research the author put into this book is amazing. It made me want to learn more about the main characters in this book, the Simpsons, and to visit the site of Shore Acres, their home, which is now a state park.