The Kindness of Strangers

Absolutely loved this book. So much to love really… it was written perfectly and kept me reading and reading until I was forced to take a break for real life lol

Katrina Kittle can write. In addition to a fantastic plot and expert pacing, she gives us dialogue that reads like the way people really talk. It's particularly refreshing to experience eleven-year-old characters who, though intelligent, actually talk like eleven-year-olds and not like very short adults. Please don't avoid this book because of its disturbing subject matter. THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS is well worth it.

This novel does work with powerfully emotional subjects - loss, death, grief, child molestation... But ultimately, The Kindness of Strangers is a novel about surviving the terrible things that happen to individuals and families. Many people may avoid this book because of the subject matter; please don't - it's a beautifully crafted piece of fiction that handles difficult emotions without messy pathos, and shows us characters who move on and thrive after experiencing some of the most terrible things that can happen. I find the "literature of dysfunction" utterly tedious, and Ms. Kittle's novel rises far above that banal genre. Yes, horrible things happen to good people, but a hell of a lot great things happen too. Another reviewer complained about time inconsistencies, which I have re-checked in the first edition copy at hand. The reviewer apparently didn't realize that the narrator was speaking from a perspective in the future in the opening chapter, which takes place some 12 years after the main plot events. As John Irving wrote, "...you should either stop reading books, or try a lot harder. "

I had little idea what this book was truly about when I picked it up but I am glad I did. I loved it. LOVED IT!!!! As a therapist I work with children who have been sexually abused and I also work with sexual offenders. The author did her homework people! It was accurate and I have a deep appreciation for the realism and not the sensationalized versions I so often see in fictional books. I was in supsense, sick to my stomach, angry, saddened, relieved, and touched by the entire book. I lost sleep but not because I was thinking but because I couldn't put the book down! If I never read another book again I can be proud I read this one. AMAZING!!!

THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS is one of the best books I've ever read. Like Jodi Picoult's MY SISTER'S KEEPER, Ms. Kittle's book haunts you for days after you've finished the last page. I started reading THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS one afternoon and only put it down to sleep and eat, finishing it the next afternoon. The subject matter is tough to read about, yet you cannot stop because you quickly grow to care about all of the characters, especially Jordan. It's horrible that we have such monsters among us--people who prey on innocent children, people who are so sick they make US sick. Bravo, Ms. Kittle. You've written a story every person who cares about children should read.

This a haunting, compelling, beautiful, disturbing, impossible to put down book on a very difficult subject. I was awake at night until 2am because I just could not stop reading. As a victim of similar abuse, I was moved by how Katrina managed to depict the events and characters without alienating the reader. Having seen Katrina recently at a book signing, I learned that this book took her 8 years to write--she definitely put her heart and soul into it, which is apparent from page one! I cannot adequately praise her incredible writing, character development, and research. She also shared that her editor convinced her to write the prologue and epilogue, which take place many years later. The purpose of these chapters is to show the reader some "mercy" and let them know that even though they are embarking on a very difficult journey with her through the book, everyone comes out OK. Unfortunately, atrocities against children happen in our own neighborhoods and are usually family members or trusted adults. I recommend this book for anyone--my husband is reading it now and cannot put it down either.