this book has been on my shelves for maybe over a year, but i just now got in the mood to start it. i can't tell yet whether i'll like it or not....

Meaningful, but depressing in a way that makes me want to cry for a family that is doing the best it can; because it will never go back to the way it was. This is not a sweet little book, this is not a quick read or a simple story. Complex, well written, and for one who had losses of my own, one I want to not think about for awhile. Later, but not for awhile yet.

Hellenga is a good writer. His sentences are lovely and direct. Not too flowery and not too drab, but full of the relevant details. The story was good, though really doesn't hold a candle to The Sixteen Pleasures. This is one of those books that I enjoyed reading, but won't really remember after a while. Good, not great.

daughter died in terrorist bomb attack in Italy; college professor and family work through grief and loss

This was a lousey book - I kept waiting for it to make some kind of sense. Basically a family falls apart after the oldest daughter is killed in a terrorist bombing at a train station in Italy. The mother goes to a convent the other sisters go off to college and the father seduces one of his college students who just happens to be the daughter of a friend - and it goes downhill from here. The father decides to go to Italy to witness the trial of the accused bombers - and seduces his landlady....you get the picture. I gave it one star because the author did a good job of painting pictures of parallel experiences of the characters

Whcharacters of the novel the fall of a sparrow by Robert helleng

A story about a family falling apart, philosophy, and finally forgiveness. Took some time to get into it. Not an easy book to get into, but it got better as it went along.

What I enjoyed the most was the liberal use of phrases from other languages, such as Italian. It tickled me to try pronouncing them aloud. I'd love to study Italian! The basic premise of the story, that a family was grieving the loss of a first-born daughter in a random bombing, was sad, and so was the fact that the father couldn't seem to move on, but somehow did.

Very interesting and complex book...........many layers to delve into. Enjoyed the "humanness" portrayed by the two main characters.

I gave it my 100-page guarantee and couldn't stand any more. The plot didn't draw me in and I could care less about a mid-life sex crisis, especially when it starts involving bosses and students.

I struggled between 3 and 4 stars. I loved the first part of the book. The characters were real and the story line was gripping. The second half of the book had a little too much detail regarding politics and trial. I began to care less about what happened but stuck with it. Still, a worthy read that I would recommend.

well written book about a midwestern family dealing with all the emotions of losing a child during a terrorist bombing in Italy...the main character is Alan Woodhull, "Woody", a classics professor at a small mid-western college.