Helpful Score: 4
This was a wonderful book, recommended by a librarian friend. Howard, due to a war injury can not speak, however there is nothing wrong with his intelligence. He is put in the position of caring for a former girlfriend's child and during the process, he finds love, friendship, disappointment and dispair. Very interesting idea of having one's brain function, but be unable to communicate.
Helpful Score: 3
Well, I listened to discussions of this book on the radio, and rushed right out to buy it. A nice book, sure, but for me, no where near up to the hype.
Helpful Score: 3
I loved about 90% of this book...
Then the language got worse, the story lost its intelligence and integrity and the ending got phoned-in. As much as the first and middle kept me completely entranced, the ending made me completely angered and disappointed.
Then the language got worse, the story lost its intelligence and integrity and the ending got phoned-in. As much as the first and middle kept me completely entranced, the ending made me completely angered and disappointed.
Helpful Score: 3
On a scale of 1 to 10 this book is an ELEVEN. Loved it.
Helpful Score: 2
I liked the premise of the book, and I was hooked at the beginning. Then the swearing got thicker and thicker ... and the vulgarity got stronger ... by the last third of the book it was so bad, and so depressing, that I skimmed through just to see how it ended. I did not find it hopeful or inspiring. I wanted a good finish after a strong beginning, and I felt let down instead.
Helpful Score: 2
I thought this was a fantastic book and would highly recommend it. The main character is wounded and has lost the ability to speak and write and therefore finds communication difficult. Because it is from his perspective we get to hear his thoughts and frustrations even though those around him cannot. He is forced to care for a friends' son and you can imagine the difficulty this would be to him, first the actual care involved but also the need to get out of his comfort zone and put the needs of the boy first. It was beautifully written and I was so sad for it to end.
Helpful Score: 2
i tried very hard to enjoy this book.but in the end i DNF. the premise is a vet who has communications deficits after the war. this story is that his old girlfriend's child is staying in his custody till she gets out of rehab. the book took a left turn around page 200 and i could not finish .
Helpful Score: 1
From Literary Guild website:
Meet Howard Kapostash, a mute army vet who cuts the grass at a convent. He carries a torch for his high school sweetheart, and when she checks herself into rehab he inherits her rambunctious nine-year old son, Ryan. While Howards war injuries have left him unable to speak, hes a totally engaging narrator. His thoughts illuminate his past, his present and the future that could possibly still be. As he cares for Ryan, Howard gets a glimpse of life outside his shellwith all its exuberant joys and crushing sorrows.
An ambitious & largely successful first novel. You really get behind this protoganist, even though he (like this book), is not without his flaws. Also, best written 9 year old I've encountered. Highly recommended.
Meet Howard Kapostash, a mute army vet who cuts the grass at a convent. He carries a torch for his high school sweetheart, and when she checks herself into rehab he inherits her rambunctious nine-year old son, Ryan. While Howards war injuries have left him unable to speak, hes a totally engaging narrator. His thoughts illuminate his past, his present and the future that could possibly still be. As he cares for Ryan, Howard gets a glimpse of life outside his shellwith all its exuberant joys and crushing sorrows.
An ambitious & largely successful first novel. You really get behind this protoganist, even though he (like this book), is not without his flaws. Also, best written 9 year old I've encountered. Highly recommended.
Helpful Score: 1
Very moving. I truly enjoyed this book. The relationship between the man and boy is awesome. Highly recommended.
Helpful Score: 1
I liked the premise of the book, and I was hooked at the beginning. Then the swearing got thicker and thicker ... and the vulgarity got stronger ... by the last third of the book it was so bad, and so depressing, that I skimmed through just to see how it ended. I did not find it hopeful or inspiring. I wanted a good finish after a strong beginning, and I felt let down instead.
Helpful Score: 1
I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this book, it sounded interesting but there were very few reviews for it. But I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised! This is a wonderful book! Written by the main characters point of view, it was enlightening because we were in his head hearing his thoughts even though he could not communicate those thoughts to the people around him. It's a sweet story and you will definitely fall in love with the characters and hope for the best for all of them. I would definitely recommend it! You won't be disappointed!
Helpful Score: 1
A very good read,imagine not being able to talk,read or write for 30 years.Sad.
Helpful Score: 1
Explicit and hard scenes about a man who was in an accident and can't speak or write and is left with not many options for communication.
Helpful Score: 1
This is the story about Howie, a Viet Nam vet who comes home with an injury that renders him speechless. Instead of perhaps learning to sign, or another form of communication he remains isolated with just mere gestures. He leads a very lonenly existence until they day Ryan is put into his care. Ryan opens the door to possibility for Howie. There's a world waiting out there for him if he can just reach out.
Helpful Score: 1
The title to this book is misleading. It is so much better than the title leads one to believe. A very unique story, it was extremely well written and I highly recommend it.
Helpful Score: 1
A different coming of age story - arresting and with a lead character you want to alternately hug and smack.
Helpful Score: 1
I liked the premise of the book, and I was hooked at the beginning. Then the swearing got thicker and thicker ... and the vulgarity got stronger ... by the last third of the book it was so bad, and so depressing, that I skimmed through just to see how it ended. I did not find it hopeful or inspiring. I wanted a good finish after a strong beginning, and I felt let down instead.
This is one of my all-time favorite books. It is a unique story that will pull your heart-strings! Well written and meaningful.
Great book about a man "Howard" who comes back from the war looking like a monster. It's about his struggles & triumphs, although he looks like a monster, he's still the same person. It's a story about how important the human connection really is. Great book!
I liked the premise of the book, and I was hooked at the beginning. Then the swearing got thicker and thicker ... and the vulgarity got stronger ... by the last third of the book it was so bad, and so depressing, that I skimmed through just to see how it ended. I did not find it hopeful or inspiring. I wanted a good finish after a strong beginning, and I felt let down instead.
Grim and grimmer. I was left hopeless.
A mute war veteran takes in his friend's teenage son, and they have important impacts on each other's live.
I listened to the unabridged audio, and can highly recommend it. Howard is mute, yet you're hearing his thoughts, a far more intense experience than reading them in print. Moreover, the narrator does a great job with the other characters as well, especially Laurel's soft Texas twang.
Loved this book. Story is about Howie, a Vietnam Vet who comes home unable to communicate with the world. Thru an old girlfriend, Howie takes care of her young son and the relationship between them grows and changes Howie's life in ways he'd never expected. A different look at the Vietnam Vet thru this book.
Interesting, especially if you enjoy fiction tha focuses on a characters point of view.
This is a really great book! Well worth reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book as did most of my book club friends. The characters were authentic and the descriptions of each setting vivid. A great read and one that leaves questions to ponder and characters I will remember.
Wonderful book! Characters could've been developed a bit more, but a great first novel!
Starts out weird. The writing style is not traditional. Had a bit to keep up with what was actually happening, but stick with it. Intense story. Ending was disappointing to me, seemed to not fit with the rest of the story. four stars.
good book. will be looking for more.
This is a very touching story told from the perspective of a man with a head injury who can't communicate by speaking or writing. Since it's told in the first person, his thoughts, emotions, frustrations, and joys are felt just as though he expressed them to the other characters. Really enjoyed this book.
From the back cover: "Howard Kapostash has not spoken in thirty years. The small repertory of gestures and simple sounds that he uses to communicate leads most people to assume that he is disturbed, and no one understands that Howard is still the same man he was before a wartime injury. But when he agrees to help an old girlfriend by opening his home to her 9 year-old son, the presence of this nervous, resourceful boy in his life transforms Howard utterly. He is afforded a rare glimpse of life outside his shell - with all it's exuberant joys and crushing sorrows."
I absolutely LOVED this book! It was so well written, the characters so sympathetic, that I didn't want the story to end.
I absolutely LOVED this book! It was so well written, the characters so sympathetic, that I didn't want the story to end.
This was a well written book with clear characters and made me feel involved. I was also impressed with the forward and the interview with the author at the end of the reading.
I have recommended it and shared it with several friends and family.
I have recommended it and shared it with several friends and family.
Wonderful book. Don't let the title throw you off. I really enjoyed it. You can be loved no matter how you look or what people think of you.
I liked this book but, I think it could've used a little more umph.
It was a slow going book for me but it definitely grabbed you by the heart you really felt for the main character and kept reading to find out what happens to him along the way. Sure makes you think about what we sometimes take for granted.
While the premise of this book is probably worthwhile, I read a few chapters and found it to be very dry so I gave up on it. Perhaps it's just not my style.
