Follow the Stars Home by Luanne Rice

Follow the Stars Home Reviews

• 
  Alatea

  Idk, it's very hard to rate this one. This is not a bad book, but it's just... argh, I can't put it in to the words. I know that I was supposed to be touched, but I didn't feel that way. And I didn't feel for the characters. Finished it quickly and I'm sure I will forget it soon.
• 
  Aimee

  My mom read this while on vacation a few months ago and since then has been IMPLORING me to read it. I finally did and wow, do we have different taste in books. This was torture to read - the whole thing was cheesy. The writing was bad, the love scenes were hokey, it was at least 100 pages longer than necessary. The best thing I can say about it is: I'M FINALLY DONE WITH IT!
  
  Can't wait to return it to my mom tomorrow. Ugh. Never again.
• 
  Swanbender2001

  I returned this to the library unfinished. I found I didn't have the patience to listen to this woman's problems and what was keeping her back from finding love.
• 
  Ali

  Oh man, so unbelievably corny. And I have a high corny threshold.
• 
  Sreevidhya

  This book is really amazing....
  Julia, her mother and Alan'll make a really good family...
  And I love you Luanne for writing this book...
  
• 
  Connie N.

  This is not my favorite Luanne Rice book, but it's lovely and made me cry (as usual) because of the characters' strong love for each other. It revolves around an unusual family where one brother married the girl, got her pregnant, but took off when the baby was born defective. Dianne then continues her life caring for a badly deformed daughter, but with the loving support of her mother and her husband's brother. They all develop a strong bond, then expand to include a lost and neglected girl about Julia's age who sees beyond Julia's sad exterior and becomes her friend. I love the tight unit they create, sharing a very deep and enduring love. My favorite character was Amy, the friend. Occasionally Dianne would be annoying over-emotional and needy. And Dr. Alan would be suffocatingly kind and supportive at times. But most of the time I enjoyed the characters and their interactions.
  
  I particularly liked the format of the book. It starts with a tragedy, when we don't know anything about the characters. I was happy at first as the scenario developed, rooting for one of the characters. Within a few pages, we go back in time and live and grow with the family. Then when we get to the tragedy a second time, I had an entirely different viewpoint and was upset about the first scenario I had loved at the beginning. Amazing how perceptions change, which of course was the point of the format, I would think. When you dig deeper and know the whole story, you might change your mind. Which is also a metaphor for Julia and her deformed body surrounding a beautiful spirit. Most people only see the surface and don't look deep enough to see beyond the exterior. And I laughed at Tim's "it's all about me" attitude which was so blatantly and excellently described.
  
  Really good book if you don't mind becoming emotionally invested in a story. It's not for the faint of heart!
  
  Favorite quote about love, "The biggest mistake any of us can make...is thinking that love is a feeling, an emotion. It's not that at all. It's an action, a way of life."
  
  12-year-old Amy's beautiful poem really struck a chord with me. This stanza is my favorite: "You see, I'm just an apple girl...And someone came and picked me up...She polished me, just like a pearl...And set me in a loving cup."
  
• 
  Mar

  Let me be honest. I gave a less than 5 star review because Diane ends up in a relationship with her former brother in law, Alan.
  
  I did find this enjoyable. Diane was neighbors with Tim and Alan. She falls for and marries Tim. Weeks before their child is born, they receive devestating news. The child will have defects. Tim reacts badly and leaves Diane before the baby comes. Years go by with no contact or interaction between Tim and Diane.
  
  Tim's brother Alan is the town pediatrician. He cares for his niece and is in love with Diane. He remains a steadfast friend and loyal supporter without revealing his feelings to Diane. In truth, Diane is bitter towards Tim and is so wrapped up in being a good mother to her daughter she's oblivious to Alan's feelings.
  
  Alan finds a friend for his niece. There's a young lady who has an alcoholic mother who's involved with an abusive boyfriend. As her life at home isn't great he figures she can escape to Diane's house. It'll be helpful for all parties. A great friendship develops between Diane and the young lady as well. She treats the young girl as a daughter and the young lady thrives under her care.
  
  Tragedy strikes when Diane is in an accident. Tim resurfaces and asks for another chance. Diane quickly sees thru him and sends him away. She then realizes she cares deeply for Alan. She'd failed to see what was in front of her for a number of reasons.
  
  The story told here teaches us to make the best and do the best with what we have to work without. don't become bitter. But, keep your eyes and ears open to what's around you. There could be an opportunity to have another chance or change your path.
  
  
• 
  Machel

  One of Luanne Rice's best novels. I still remember the character's vividly and read this book over 12 years ago. m
• 
  Mojca Rudolf

  Bralna knjiga, a zelo preprosta, zelo predvidljiva in zelo črno bela. Zgodba o materi s hčerko, ki je telesno in umsko prizadeta, z njeno ljubeznijo do hčerke po tem, ko je oče ni želel niti videti. Zgodba o ljubezni, izbira med dvema bratoma, za kar se zdi, da je je bila odločitev napačna.
  V zgodbo vpletena tudi usoda deklice Amy, ki živi z mamo, ki se bori z depresijo in ima nasilnega partnerja. Amy postane prijateljica Julije, prizadete deklice. Tudi razmere Amy so orisane zelo črno in zelo belo, s hitrim preskokom iz slabega v boljše.
  Knjiga za bolj romantične duše in za vse tiste, ki imajo radi lepe in srečnejše konce knjig.
  Sicer lepa in topla zgodba, a brez pravih odtenkov karakterjev, zgodba pa je bila jasna, zelo hitro po začetku knjige.
• 
  Soraya

  Luanne Rice tells a story of a single mother with a disabled child. Her husband left soon after he discovered his daughter is anything but perfect. Throughout her journey she reflects on she and her husband Tim McIntosh met until finally realising she might have picked the sibling to marry. Will she choose the wrong brother or will she choose the supposed sibling?
  
  I like how the author tells the story straightforwardly without me being able to put it down.
• 
  Laura Sapp

  I loved this book. It's the first book in a very long time that made me cry. I loved the characters and I felt the story really flowed well. The descriptions of the surroundings and the authors attention to detail were amazing without being too much. I will be thinking of this book for a while!
• 
  Loraine

  This is a very, very good book. I am so impressed with the author's ability to bring the relationship of a mother and her invalid daughter to light. I had heard of Rett's syndrome, but wasn't aware of the details of it. I loved how much the mother loved her daughter, and even more, how her friend loved her and did not judge her, but loved her not in spite of her disabilities, but just loved and accepted her. There is so much misunderstanding about invalids, mental illness, physical disabilities, that this book is a wonderful way to help people understand and learn to love people without condition. The only thing I had a hard time with, is that the mother wasted so much time in regret over losing her daughter's father, that it took her 11 years to finally accept Alan's love, who had loved her all along. I doubt that she would have really kept him at bay for that long, given that they had daily contact for 11 years. I think that if this story had happened when Julia was 5, it would have been more believable, in that respect.
  
  Anyway, it's very good.
• 
  Delma

  Weeks before her daughter was born, Dianne and her husband, Tim McIntosh, received the news every parent fears. Tim can't deal with the thought of having a child that is anything less than perfect. He abandons his wife and flees to a life at sea as a lobsterman.
  
  Tim's brother, Alan, the town pediatrician, stands by Dianne and her special needs daughter. Throughout years he is their rock of emotional support. Alan hides his love for Dianne. Dianne closes her heart to love. She devotes all her time to caring for her daughter.
  
  Enter Amy, a very special 12 year old in need of some serious mothering. Amy reminds everyone, that love comes in many forms and can be received with as much grace as it is given. This was a sweet, poignant story. I'm excited to read other Luanne Rice books!!
• 
  Nenette

  An 11-year old girl with Rett syndrome; her mother, abandoned by her father even before she was born; her father’s brother, who stood by and cared for them through all those years; a neglected 12-year old girl, in need of love and yet has so much love to give herself. What I like about Luanne Rice’s stories is their redeeming quality – through all of life’s trials, there’s always hope to overcome; though there are mean people, the good are the ones rewarded with happiness at the end. Life is good, after all...no matter what.
• 
  Jan

  This is a nice book about nice people.
  
  They also turned it into a decent Hallmark movie.
  
  A woman, with a disabled child, is abandoned by her husband, but is making it alone (with the help of the husband's brother who of course becomes the love interest).
  
  There is a girl, on the wrong side of town, who is more or less abandoned by her mother (family). The two get together and form a wonderful bond centered around the disabled girl. Really sweet book.
• 
  Kaye

  Slightly better than average romance. Women with handicapped child learns to take love again. Book club selection.
• 
  Tonica

  I have seen this movie, and like all movies it seems the book is much more indepth. Tears of beauty and tears of sadnees melted into my pillow. I couldn't put the book down until I finished.
• 
  Dyana

  I really liked this book and found it a compelling read; but, at the same time, the writing was flawed in spots. There was a lot of repetition as if the reader couldn't get it the first time, some of the scenes were cloyingly sweet, and every character at one time or another had tears in their eyes or were always crying or choked up.
  
  The book opens with two of the main characters going to New York to see The Nutcracker Ballet. There is a horrible accident, and the rest of the book is a flashback leading up to this moment. Twelve years previously, Dianne Robbins has a date with Alan McIntosh. She then meets his brother Tim, falls in love, and marries him. Tim is a fisherman and lives on the sea. Dianne learns she is pregnant and that the baby will be born with serious birth defects. Tim can't deal with imperfection and is so wrapped up in self due to the childhood death of another brother named Neil from leukemia that he abandons Dianne. He leaves and Dianne doesn't see or hear from him until the accident twelve years later. The baby is born with spina bifida and Rett syndrome. The baby is named Julia and she endures numerous surgeries to repair some major defects. She can't talk, is confined to a wheelchair, and uses feathery hand gestures. Dianne is a devoted mother but bitter toward Tim and doesn't perceive Alan's love for her. Alan is the town pediatrician and the doctor of choice for Dianne. He stands by and supports her, is always on call for her and Julia, but never reveals that he is in love with Dianne thru the years of "waiting, watching, and caring". And Dianne can't keep from comparing Alan to his brother because they look alike so it's hard for her to be around Alan.
  
  Dianne is a carpenter and makes child size playhouses as a living. A neglected girl named Amy likes to visit Dr. McIntosh's waiting room because he has one of the playhouses there. She comes from a dysfunctional home where the mother is in deep depression and sleeps all the time and the boyfriend is abusive. Alan thinks Amy would make a good friend to friendless Julia. He introduces them and Amy accepts Julia with unconditional love. She develops a friendship with Dianne who treats her like a daughter; and Amy, who is in desperate need of a functioning mother, begins to blossom. Dianne lives with her mother Lucinda who is the town librarian on the verge of retirement and who seems to understand all the dynamics going on with the other characters. She is understanding and compassionate. The town gives her a retirement gift that takes the women on a road trip and ends with a medical emergency. Beware, if you are an animal lover, there are a couple of scenes of abuse between Amy's mother's boyfriend and a puppy named Slash/Orion.
  
  The next to last chapter brings the reader back to where the book started. Tim shows up at the hospital and thinks Amy is his daughter Julia. There is a confrontation between him and his brother Alan. Will Tim let go of Dianne and finally meet his daughter? You will be surprised by the abrupt ending and what he does. The last chapter is written from the perspective of Julia who has not had a voice thru the book except for utterings like Gaaa, Gleee, Maaa, etc. This is an inspiring story and an uplifting one - just beware that it is written with some weaknesses in literary style.
• 
  Emmy

  The story wasn't good enough for a higher rating from me. Definitely a slow read, but that I did not mind. The characters however...smh...Tim, what a sorry piece of sh*t...that's one case I wished they gave up on earlier in the book. That's some serious self pitying traits he has there and nothing the author wroye pointed to him carrying those traits before his brother died. I understand someone's fear of sickness and death, but that is one chronic case of bullshit self-pitying taking place that seems unfounded. Alan, toooooo much of a saint. Wish the book found a way to get Lucinda a man. Wished Julia's perspective came in earlier in the book...even throughout the book. If she had a brain to comment on events at the end of the book, why limit her point of view to only the end...could have made for more interesting read. Buddy is not a human, he's not even an animal...he's dirt that does not nourish. I couldn't believe what I read when he threw that dog off the bridge. Tess was lost too long... It's a story after all. And Julia needed to wake the f*ck up earlier. Amy was my favorite character. Only thing is I don't know if a 12 year old will act that way with a child with Rhett Syndrome. I think a 10 year old maybe...maybe even 11 year old, but I fell like a 12 year old would not naturally be accepting and non judgmental as Amy was ad a 12yr old.Amy is the only one that brought any change or transformation in the book. What happened with Dianne and Alan wasn't juicy/good enough. Sweetest part of the book was when Alan claimed Julia as his daughter (when he told Dianne when they were in TBE White House.
• 
  Maria

  What a delightful read. On these past two freezing sudden Arctic blast days with nothing to do but read, I lost myself in this beautiful story. To know of these characters is in many ways similar to loving the Anne of Green Gables novels, just as in the story refers to as well. I loved the heartfelt passion both Dianne and Amy have for life. Amy truly is a little girl who reminds me of me, and Anne!
  I think those who have given this a low star rating have never been in that position of loving someone so much it hurts for so little return.
  I enjoyed this very much to the point of tears, and I think I have only ever once cried whilst reading a book, in all my near 57 years of reading.
• 
  Aarshi J

  Luanne Rice is my new favourite author. This is her first book that I read and I am giving my heart to her. Amazing story of pain, struggle, broken hearts, boundless love, strength, forgiveness, broken people searching for something and much much more. I cried my heart for all the characters, only tried to understand the strength of Dianne, the loss of Tim, the longing of Alan, the desire to be free of Julia and the search for familial love for Amy, and prayed that I never have to go through what these lovely people went through in their lives.
  
  Don't much like the ending though and it was relegation at some points. But a good read through and through.
• 
  Corrinne Jones

  So as a teenager I happened upon this movie in the local video store and being a huge hallmark movie sucker I fell in love with the movie. It wasn’t until college that I discovered there was also a book! I was so excited to read the book one of my favorite movies was based on. I have read it many times since and I love reading or listening to it each time. The characters are not your typical everyday heroines which I think is what makes them great. They each have such endearing qualities that make you fall in love with them.
• 
  Iris Levine Accettola

  An Interesting Story
  
  I wish the editor of this book would have been more diligent with the blue pencil and edit out repetitive stuff. My memory isn't so bad that I need to be reminded twice a chapter of the history of the characters. Alan and Tim are brothers in love with the same woman. When she marries one brother they have a child with abnormalities that the husband can't live with and escapes out to sea as a fisherman. We are constantly reminded of that. It's an okay read.
• 
  Liberty Arrow

  ”I began thinking about loving a person others might think unlovable, and I realized a great truth—something I’ve always known but never named; we are all, every one of us every day of our lives, being perfectly loved by imperfect people.”
  (quote from the introduction)
  
  I may be completely mad for raising this to a 3.5 stars (since, objectively, it leans more towards a 2.75 for me), but I can’t deny how riveting and endearing I found this story and its characters to be. Such a pleasant reading experience, despite all the turmoil happening on the pages.