Walter's Purple Heart (ISBN 1587242788)

With Compassion:
Catherine Ryan Hyde has brought you to the feeling that each author tries to achieve. Her characters have been so fully developed that you can relate in some way to all of them. The feeling of love that Walter makes you proud to feel, is a real winner. Let yourself become one of the people and then you will become another and finally you will fill all the shoes. This book will make you feel so wonderful, and will add to your faith in yourself. This should be at the top of the best seller list.

PAY IT FORWARD fans, Catherine Ryan Hyde Has Done It Again!:
"Pay It Forward" fans, it's time to cheer. Catherine Ryan Hyde's latest-"Walter's Purple Heart"-is another life-affirming, emotionally rewarding read that touches the heart and satisfies the soul. In her just-the-good-parts, spare, literary style, she spins an un-put-downable tale that pays tribute to the "Greatest Generation"-the heroes and heroines of World War II-without glorifying the violence and pain they endured. It's a book about the eternal power of love and friendship that should appeal to all generations, but for those of us of AARP age, this book makes a very special gift.

Great Concept:
I came across this novel by accident. The concept of reincarnation seemed interesting--it's a topic not many books discuss or cover. The book is divided in chapters according to who the chapter most features, but only Walter's chapters are written in first person. I enjoyed Walter's voice and history the most. I also enjoy discussions or ideas of the afterlife presented in fiction. For those who have lost loved ones, this book offers the comforting idea that life and death are connected; our friends are still a part of us and our lives. Perhaps this book will force others to think about life before death and appreciating the people in our lives and the little things we may take for granted. This is a love story between a boy and a girl, but it is mostly about the love between friends. The format is nice, however the book can be cheesy and unrealistic at times (ex: what Walter says when he communicates via the ouija board, certain dialogue). It is an interesting and different piece of fiction, but those who prefer literature may prefer to look elsewhere.

Eternal Love:
I really enjoyed this first person story about love. The novel is about memories and problems that survive death and the passage of time. Forty years after his death Walter comes back through Micheal to get some things straight. Rather than getting answers he put his life in perspective. As part of that process he finds out what his life meant to the ones he left behind. Does love survive the grave? I for one believe that those who died are still with us in spirit. I am assured that those who are gone still care for us as we still care for them. This book makes a good case for the durability and permanance of love. This book is easy to read, thought provoking and very entertaining.

A FINE READ!:
Woody Allen said, "The heart wants what it wants." Catherine Ryan Hyde says it again - beautifully - in Walter's Purple Heart!