Category Archives: Reviews

If a novel could have a heartbeat, Alice Bliss would have one. If an author could capture a slice of America’s soul, Laura Harrington succeeded in doing so!

A review of Alice Bliss by Liza Wiemer:

If a novel could have a heartbeat, Alice Bliss would have one. If an author could capture a slice of America’s soul, Laura Harrington succeeded in doing so!

Alice Bliss is the story of Alice, a fifteen-year-old faced with the absence of her father who, as a member of the New York National Guard, is sent to Iraq. Laura Harrington does such an exceptional job bringing Alice Bliss and the supporting characters to life, that you will find yourself completely enthralled in her story. Each sentence leads the reader to form images and sounds and emotions and tastes and smells that jump right off the page. It’s no wonder Alice Bliss has received so many awards.

This novel is nothing short of a gift, a blessing to those who walk in Alice Bliss’s shoes every day, but find it difficult to explain to others the emotions created by the absence of a family member who serves our nation. It also serves as a comfort to those who have experienced loss and provides hope when the world seems to dim.

Read Alice Bliss and see how poignant, powerful, stunning, and alive a novel can be. Pick it up, read it, share it, talk about it!

Read more about Liza Wiemer at her blog:

www.WhoRUblog.com

If you’re in the mood for a beautifully written novel that combines the personal with the universal, then you have to check this book out.

A stunning review by Melissa Montovani @ YABookShelf: Alice Bliss, the tomboy main character, of Laura Harrington‘s novelAlice Bliss feels like her heart is breaking when she learns that her father, Matt, is being sent off to fight in the Iraq war. She even promises to write to him, the father she idolizes, everyday. Of course, her… Continue Reading

June 2012 Debut of the Month: “Brilliant Debut Novel”

Lovereading view… June 2012 Debut of the Month. Tragically sad and life-affirming at the same time, this brilliant debut novel of how teenager Alice Bliss copes with the loss of her father is a literary treat that really deserves to be on your reading list. Strong storytelling combines with emotional dialogue and Laura Harrington’s playwright background… Continue Reading

“An achingly beautiful debut novel”

REVIEW: ‘Alice Bliss’: coming of age with a dad at war “Alice Bliss” by Laura Harrington BY DAWN BAUMGARTNER VAUGHAN dvaughan@heraldsun.com; 919-419-6563 In the novel “Alice Bliss,” readers experience the awkwardness and impulsiveness of a 15-year-old girl, but not in the setting most girls come of age. Taking place over just months, Alice faces life… Continue Reading

Alice Bliss is so tender and such a raw story of growing up amidst war that I have a new appreciation for the loved ones left behind.

Review: Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington [ 9 ]August 8, 2011 Reviewed by Colleen Turner Alice Bliss is in many ways a typical fifteen year old: she argues with her mother, tries hard to take care of her little, precocious sister and is a daddy’s girl of the highest caliber. She has spent her life… Continue Reading

“Characters so real I wanted to smack them.”

Alice Bliss Dec 23, 2011 by Dee DeTarsio Dang you, Laura Harrington, you owe me a hankie. When Alice Bliss learns that her father, Matt, is being deployed to Iraq, she’s heartbroken. Alice idolizes her father, loves working beside him in their garden, accompanying him on the occasional roofing job, playing baseball. When he ships out, Alice is… Continue Reading