Cloud Nine

By: Luanne Rice

Narrated by: Sandra Burr

Sarah Talbot never thought she'd live to see another birthday. But through indomitable will and expert medical care, she has beaten the cancer and reopened her bedding boutique, Cloud Nine.

In celebration, Sarah's friends give her a special present: a ride over her upstate New York town in a chartered plane. It is on this flight that Sarah meets Will Burke, a former Navy pilot, whose outward confidence hides the wounds he has yet to heal.

A bond is forged between them. Now Sarah, determined to complete her recovery, decides to visit the isolated Maine island where she grew up - and where the two most important people in her life, her father and her son, are waiting. Will joins her quest. But the journey will be a heart-wrenching test of her courage, and becoming whole will require the one thing Sarah can least afford: time.

©1999 Luanne Rice (P)1998 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"A tightly paced story that is hard to put down...Rice's message remains a powerful one: the strength of precious family ties can ultimately set things right."( Publishers Weekly)

On Cloud Nine after reading Cloud Nine

This is my second favorite Luanne Rice novel after Follow the Stars Home. I find the characters and the settings memorable. I love hearing the main characters inner thoughts and memories, especially the women's, Sarah's and Snow's. I enjoy that a pilot, planes and cross-country flying are featured in the story. I am touched by the fact that illness and disabilities and loss drive the plot, as well as love and change. Sandra Burr's reading adds to the story. I will listen to this novel again.

Excellent

Would you listen to Cloud Nine again? Why?

Yes, as it was touching. Luanne Rice is an outstanding author. Her books are always thoughtful and inspiring.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Cloud Nine ?

The wedding

Which character – as performed by Sandra Burr – was your favorite?

Susan

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

both

Why?

Once again in reading Luanne Rice's books, why do these narrators insist on doing different voices for different characters rather than simply reading the book and letting the listener leave it up to their own imagination what people "sound" like? Some of the voices are so insipid it destroys the storytelling. The ever-changing name teenage girl's voice sounds like a weird adult acting like a baby. A mother who's not that old sounding like an old crone. I suffered through the entire book just to hear the story. A father sounding like an old crank. Next time I won't waste my money.

on second thought ....

My rating on this book would have been only 1 star, however I gave it 2 for the only reason that author had the ability to make you feel extremly sad. I assume this was something the author was going for as its a tragedy story. There is no warm fuzzies in this book, if you are looking for a feel good story click back on your browser and move on to something else.

I wanted to comment on the 2 main thoughts I had during the listening of this book. First I had constant thoughts that the author was in a dark place as everything was depressing ie parents dying and the after effect on they're kids or the opposite kids dying and the parents in the aftermath of surviving they're kids death.

My second thought was this story seems like someones messed up life. I'll expand on this, most books of the romance genre has the "oh only if that could really happen" feel or the "uh huh ya sure" cute but funny stuff that brings alot of readers. This story however really seemed like life in its most messed up depressing possibilities, if it could go wrong it did go wrong.

The only thing the author did really well was the ability to make you feel the pain of the characters, wish that expanded on the opposite side but failed although this wasn't to much of a big thing as there was only a few scenes in the book where anything good happens.

So if you like the whole tradegy story life this would be a good book otherwise I recommend you look for something else.