Rating: 
Summary: a wonderful story, rich and complex with emotions
Review: a quiet, yet strong story of 3 people, all on the verge of realizing their potentials and their dreams. a book one is sorry to have finished. the complexity of the emotions and realizations, all told in a tender, poetic way.
Rating:
Summary: charming, original, surprising
Review: Carrie Brown has a deft touch. In her second novel she has settled in as a novelist, crafting a quaint tale that reads like a mosiaic, made up as it is of small moments that form a complex whole. It's a quiet book, but it is not dull, and it has a stately (not pretentious) quality rarely found in books by authors this young. This novel is the sleeper of the season, and it deserved more from the New York Times Book Review.
Rating:
Summary: When you think it'll never happen ... it suddenly does!
Review: I am progressing backwards through Carrie Brown's three novels, starting in December with "The Hatbox Baby", her third and most recent effort. I have just now completed her second offering, "Lamb In Love".Brown tells of postmaster Norris Lamb's quiet passion for Vida Stephen, a woman he's known since childhood and for whom, in his late 50s, he has discovered a deep love. Vida, employed for years first as a nanny then as a companion to Manford, the idiot savant son of a wealthy widower who is always traveling on business, has never been married either. But Vida loves Manford as deeply as if he were her own, and her complete devotion to him (at what might appear to be the sacrifice her own possible domestic life) is but one element attracting poor Norris to her. Norris embarks on what he thinks is a very romantic - but secret - plan to court Vida without revealing his identity. He mails her anonymous love letters through friends in the postal trade, so Vida begins receiving love letters from such exotic places as Cairo and Greece. She is enchanted and puzzled, just as Norris wishes her to be. She can't figure out who is behind these very romantic, tender missives. She guesses several men in Hursley, the little English village where they live, but eventually rejects them. Meanwhile, Norris gets quietly closer to Vida and Manford becomes his unwitting accomplice. But as Norris comes to know Vida better, he also comes to know Manford. Manford is no baby anymore and, though he cannot speak, he possesses a quiet intuitive intelligence and he senses the intangibles in life, like real love and kindness on the part of others. It is ultimately through Manford that the two lovers are brought together in the most wonderful and touching of ways. Manford also brings them around to themselves and, in so doing, their lives seem poised on the brink of fulfillment at last. But Vida has an uncle in Corfu who invites her to come there and live with him. Vida's never been out of Hursley in her entire life - it's the chance of a lifetime, and Norris knows that. Will she go? Has Norris lost his bid for love? And what will happen to Manford? In the summer of 1969, a time when men magically land on the moon, Norris and Vida discover that what they think they'll never have from life hovers ever so closely if they only believe in it. Carrie Brown is so wonderful at those small, tender moments in life when time seems to stop or a momentous outcome rests on the most unlikely of people or events. Her keen abilities at characterization clearly define Norris, Vida, Manford and the other minor characters with which they interact. Her sense of place is quite sharp and it was no surprise to discover that Brown had lived in England for a time, as her descriptions of the weather, the gardens of the house in which Vida lives, and the insular qualitys of village life were described with quiet authority. You, too, will be in love with "Lamb In Love". It will renew your faith in the things that CAN happen.
Rating:
Summary: When you think it'll never happen ... it suddenly does!
Review: I am progressing backwards through Carrie Brown's three novels, starting in December with "The Hatbox Baby", her third and most recent effort. I have just now completed her second offering, "Lamb In Love". Brown tells of postmaster Norris Lamb's quiet passion for Vida Stephen, a woman he's known since childhood and for whom, in his late 50s, he has discovered a deep love. Vida, employed for years first as a nanny then as a companion to Manford, the idiot savant son of a wealthy widower who is always traveling on business, has never been married either. But Vida loves Manford as deeply as if he were her own, and her complete devotion to him (at what might appear to be the sacrifice her own possible domestic life) is but one element attracting poor Norris to her. Norris embarks on what he thinks is a very romantic - but secret - plan to court Vida without revealing his identity. He mails her anonymous love letters through friends in the postal trade, so Vida begins receiving love letters from such exotic places as Cairo and Greece. She is enchanted and puzzled, just as Norris wishes her to be. She can't figure out who is behind these very romantic, tender missives. She guesses several men in Hursley, the little English village where they live, but eventually rejects them. Meanwhile, Norris gets quietly closer to Vida and Manford becomes his unwitting accomplice. But as Norris comes to know Vida better, he also comes to know Manford. Manford is no baby anymore and, though he cannot speak, he possesses a quiet intuitive intelligence and he senses the intangibles in life, like real love and kindness on the part of others. It is ultimately through Manford that the two lovers are brought together in the most wonderful and touching of ways. Manford also brings them around to themselves and, in so doing, their lives seem poised on the brink of fulfillment at last. But Vida has an uncle in Corfu who invites her to come there and live with him. Vida's never been out of Hursley in her entire life - it's the chance of a lifetime, and Norris knows that. Will she go? Has Norris lost his bid for love? And what will happen to Manford? In the summer of 1969, a time when men magically land on the moon, Norris and Vida discover that what they think they'll never have from life hovers ever so closely if they only believe in it. Carrie Brown is so wonderful at those small, tender moments in life when time seems to stop or a momentous outcome rests on the most unlikely of people or events. Her keen abilities at characterization clearly define Norris, Vida, Manford and the other minor characters with which they interact. Her sense of place is quite sharp and it was no surprise to discover that Brown had lived in England for a time, as her descriptions of the weather, the gardens of the house in which Vida lives, and the insular qualitys of village life were described with quiet authority. You, too, will be in love with "Lamb In Love". It will renew your faith in the things that CAN happen.
Rating: 
Summary: Where Is Love
Review: I did enjoyed Lamb in love. It was a deliously sweet story, even though a bit unrealistic in these days of self centeredness. Where can such love be found, not in our homes, not in our churches, maybe only in between the covers of this book. And perhaps a few hearts of those of us who still can dream.
Rating:
Summary: Another beautiful novel from Carrie Brown
Review: I didn't think Carrie Brown's second novel could possibly be better than Rose's Garden, her first, but it is. The story of Norris Lamb and Vida Stephen is the most unlikely of love stories -- he's an aging postmaster, and she's the nanny to a mute and retarded boy -- and the novel that presents their strange and miraculous courtship will make you long to go back and read the novel again. It is beautifully written and marvelously detailed. It is often very funny, and the novel's conclusion is one of the most moving and convincing I've ever encountered. Carrie Brown is a literary author who deserves a wide audience. I can't wait for whatever she writes next.
Rating:
Summary: A well-written, warm, funny, and very gentle story.
Review: I do not need 1,000 words to review this book. One word will suffice - TERRIFIC! And the ending is better than I could envision.
Rating:
Summary: How Did I Miss This?
Review: I don't know how I missed this lovely book when it was first published! American author Carrie Brown has done a masterful job of portraying life and love in a small English village far removed from the hustle and bustle of London. Brown has populated her novel, set in 1969, with a cast of endearing, lovely, yet "odd" characters. Norris Lamb, 55, the village postmaster, falls in love with Vida Stephen, the 41-year-old caretaker for Manford Perry, a young man who is both mute and retarded. Vida has cared for Manford for 20 years in the absence of his wealthy American father, who travels most of the time. How Norris falls suddenly in love with someone he has known all his life is told in loving detail by the author. This is a slow, engaging, delightful book without the silly conflicts or sickeningly sweet narrative of modern romances. The way in which Vida cares for Manford, and her fears, compassion, and aspirations for him, are portrayed in a totally captivating manner. When Norris becomes a part of their lives, you will be touched by his actions toward both Vida and Manford. Norris' bumbling attempts at love are so endearing. As he said to himself:"I have a gift for being in love, but there are technical difficulties". I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: WHAT A BEAUTIFUL STORY!
Review: I enjoyed reading this book. It did touch my heart, and made me think a lot about love in my own life.. Another new book that is very exciting to read is Stolen Moments by Barbara Jeanne Fisher. If you liked this book you will also love Stolen Moments by Barbara Jeanne Fisher. I intended to give the book a quick read, but I got so caught up in the story that I couldn't put the book down. From the very beginning, I was fully caught up in the heart-wrenching account of Julie Hunter's battle with lupus and her growing love for Don Lipton. This love, in the face of Julie's impending death, makes for a story that covers the range of human emotions. The touches of humor are great, too, they add some nice contrast and lighten things a bit when emotions are running high. I've never read a manuscript more deserving of being published. It has rare depth. Julie's story will remind your readers that life and love are precious and not to be taken for granted. It has had an impact on me, and for that I'm grateful." "Stolen Moments " which is reminiscent of "Love Story" is written with so much sensitivity that it made me want to cry. Like"Love Story" it is about a dying woman who has found true love. It is the love story of the nineties." Hats off to both authors!
Rating: 
Summary: Lamb in love
Review: I find it very difficult to read novels set in England by American authors who do not follow English expressions. As an example: the English say and write "looking out of the window" not "looking out the window". I did not enjoy the book vey much.
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