Joanna and Ulysses

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Summary: I had no idea donkeys ate tomatoes
Review: Ahh the classic tale: Young poor but artistically endowed girl meets and falls in love with dirty scabby little donkey. Young poor but artistically endowed girl looses dirty slightly less scabby little donkey. The happy couple are reunited to heal young poor artistcally endowed girl's broken family. It's nice, but a little on the sappy side (don't tell my Mom I said that, May Sarton is her favorite author) an interesting counterpart to her rather pensive journals and poetry.

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Summary: A story that stays with me
Review: My mother introduced me to this classic; I have given it to several people as gifts over the years, people heading to Greece for a vacation or people who love animals. I first read this book as a teen-ager, and have re-read it many times since. I love the simple, sweet story of how Joanna -- badly needing a vcation -- heads to Greece, where she meets Ulysses, an abused donkey. She nurses the donkey -- and herself -- back to health as they eat tomatoes and bread under the hot Greek sun, and Ulysses watches Joanna try to capture the Greek landscape with her paintings. Now and forever, whenever I think of Greece, I think of Joanna and Ulysses.

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Summary: Magical Story Told on Magical Greek Isle
Review: Unhappy and tightly wound Joanna goes to the beautiful island of Santorini for a much-needed vacation. She needs to heal after the war and her mother's death and finds the seclusion and lovely vistas of Santorini just what she needs to fill part of the void she feels in her heart. Despite her father's disapproval, she has turned to painting as her only outlet. But lovely Santorini, her self-imposed seclusion and the healing stokes of her craft are not enough. . . until she meets Ulysses, a little donkey that has been mistreated by his owners and finds the perfect outlet to begin feeling again. Sad little Ulysses helps her find her way back to being human and renews her hope for a future that otherwise seemed bleak. As Ulysses heals with Joanna's love and kindness, Joanna finds her compassion a balm that works on herself; suddenly she feels alive and necessary again. Recommended to all who love the Greek Isles, admire the fierce pride of the Greeks and above all know that a love of animals can help you brook many difficulties. A lovely story told within 125 pages.

Rating:
Summary: Magical Story Told on Magical Greek Isle
Review: Unhappy and tightly wound Joanna goes to the beautiful island of Santorini for a much-needed vacation. She needs to heal after the war and her mother's death and finds the seclusion and lovely vistas of Santorini just what she needs to fill part of the void she feels in her heart. Despite her father's disapproval, she has turned to painting as her only outlet. But lovely Santorini, her self-imposed seclusion and the healing stokes of her craft are not enough. . . until she meets Ulysses, a little donkey that has been mistreated by his owners and finds the perfect outlet to begin feeling again. Sad little Ulysses helps her find her way back to being human and renews her hope for a future that otherwise seemed bleak. As Ulysses heals with Joanna's love and kindness, Joanna finds her compassion a balm that works on herself; suddenly she feels alive and necessary again. Recommended to all who love the Greek Isles, admire the fierce pride of the Greeks and above all know that a love of animals can help you brook many difficulties. A lovely story told within 125 pages.