What do You think about The Kindness Of Strangers (2007)?
Have you ever been so emotionally attached to a book? Or to a family that the story revolves around? That's me with The Kindness of Strangers. I find myself reading this book as though it effects me in some way. As if it is happening to someone close to me or someone I know. I can't help but to get choked up and tear up just about every other page. I had no idea what I got myself into with this one, however I am not disappointed at all. The synopsis on the back cover did not prepare me for what was in store.Do monsters like what are in this book really exist? I know they do, but I just cannot fathom it. I want to find these...these... "monsters" ...round them all up and make them suffer horribly...in the worst way imaginable! I have such a love/hate relationship with this book!! You will fall in love with Sarah Laden and her family and new friends that she finds throughout the story. She has a huge, kind heart and you can tell that she has raised her two sons with the same values and kindness that she shows. You will love her sons to pieces! And most of all you will love Jordan, the sweet little boy that this sad sad tale is about. You will want to hug him and do anything for him to make him feel safe, protected and at peace. However you will hate the reason for why you want to offer such comfort to this amazing child. You, too, will ask yourself, "Do monsters like this really exist? And the answer is sadly, yes, they do.This story tugged at my heart-strings as no other book has ever done. Katrina Kittle is amazing!
—Sheryl
Well, damn, she wasn't kidding. I will start by saying that the dust jacket certainly does not lend to what the book will be about in full. I have been trying to formulate the words for this spot for a month. I actually read this book before The Bell Jar (#32). Into your life you let Sarah Laden, recently widowed and raising two sons, on her own, while run her in-home catering business. Into your life you let sons, Danny and Nate Laden. Danny, a quiet, reserved 5th grader who never [seems:] to do wrong. Nate, the older brother and the rebellious teenager, sometimes leaves Sarah with her hands in the air. Into your life you let Mark and Courtney Kendrick, Sarah’s' best friends and neighborhood "neighbors". Courtney a pediatrician and Mark a complete scoundrel, who disappears, the day Sarah finds Jordan home, alone, walking to school in the rain. Sarah stops by Courtney’s and sees Jordan walking to school in the down pouring rain. After a few attempts at ordering him into the car, he submits. While driving to school Jordan appears sick and she pulls over to a rest stop where he vomits and runs to a port-o-john. After many minutes of him not returning Sarah walks to the port-o-john where Jordan does not answer. Sarah opens the door to find Jordan on the floor with a hypodermic needle. The eleven year old appears to have attempted suicide. Sarah rushes him to the hospital, Mark disappears, Courtney is taken away by the police and the entire Laden family is left wondering where to start healing themselves and everyone else in their lives. The Kindness of Strangers is truly a book of healing, love, forgiveness and regret. Powerful, written well, but a tough read do to the emotions brought to the surface, but worth every moment! Outstanding! 5 out of 5
—Stacy
This was one of those books that I found was hard to read due to the content, but was also easy to read because I cared about the characters and the plight each of them had. Sarah is a widowed mother to two boys. When her husband died 2 years before her friend Courtney helped her through the tough time. Now her friend is having a hard time, and although she wants to be be there for her friend she must fact some compelling evidence that her friend may not be who she thought she was. I am still haunted by Jorden's story. I read this shortly after Sandusky's verdict so this book and it made the hideousness of his crime come to life and made me see some similarities in his case to the one in this book. This book kind of reminded me of Jodi Picoult and so I think that if you like her books, then you will probably like this one.
—Tara
