Well, let me start with something positive: This was a very short book and a quick read, good for kicking off Spring Break. And the author writes dialogue that, for the most part, really sounds like conversation.

I had been looking forward to reading One Amazing Thing, but, overall, I was sorely disappointed. The first third of the book left me feeling like I was trapped in a B-rated '70s film--namely, 'The Poseidon Adventure' Every disaster film cliché imaginable was resurrected in this story of nine people trapped in a passpport office in the wake of an earthquake. The roster of stereotypical characters include a goth Chinese-American teenager and her grandma, who is wiser than she seems; a take-charge African-American Vietnam vet (his take-charginess somewhat softened by his asthma attacks); an Indian boss and his assistant (and yes, they are having an affair that they have been trying to keep hidden because, of course, he is married); an older couple growing estranged from one another (he's the cranky character, the one whose smoking habit threatens to blow them all up due to a gas leak, and she's the one hooked on tranquilizers); an angry young Muslim man (the one who freaks out in the beginning and endangers everyone by trying to force open a door); and an Indian-American college girl. As the water level continues to mount, all that was missing was Shelley Winters.

Once we're introduced to the characters and everybody calms down a bit, Uma, the college girl (who just happens to have been reading The Canterbury Tales), proposes that they keep busy and relieve their stress by each telling a story from their lives (just like the people under pressure do in 'The Poseidon Adventure'). Every story is about the person either being terribly hurt, terribly hurting someone else, or both; I guess you've got regret on your mind when you might be facing death. And of course, there are some confessions that made me scratch your head, wondering why a person would want to inflict pain on a family member at just that particular moment. Only in Jiang's story did something "amazing" figure (unless you count the aurora borealis that turned out to be a gas fire).

I don't necessarily need a novel to wrap up neatly, but I have to agree with other reviewers here who complained that the conclusion leaves much to be desired. We could have had an explosion, perhaps a rescuer's voice was heard or his shadow fell through the breach in the ceiling, but no, we're not given even a hint as to whether these folks, in whom we're supposed to have an emotional investment by now, survive or not.

I've enjoyed several of Divakaruni's novels and short stories. Although the cover blurbs from other respected authors are full of praise for the book's originality, I found it facile and derivative. ( )

Divakruni's latest work is brief, bittersweet and beautiful. The character studies are like sketches - a quick glimpse into defining moments in each person's life. Dramatic tension is provided by the circumstances - nine people are trapped in an Indian embassy after an earthquake strikes and unnamed city in America. Survival books are often about the physical nature of what it takes to make it through a disaster. One Amazing Thing focuses the psychological element of strength, and the bonds that we all share as humans - bonds that are almost always not apparent among strangers. As each character tells the story of one amazing thing that happened to them, motivations are revealed, attitudes and behavior are explained, and beauty and ugliness show how they define each life. An absorbing, fast-paced read that tackles weighty issues and has great promise as a selection for book discussion groups. ( )

I received this book as an advanced reading copy, through LT. Author was unknown to me; I have found that she did write another 15 books! This book is about the story of few people trapped by an earthquake in an Indian visa office, somewhere in the USA. At the beginning I found that the selection of the characters was a bit too obvious. Here we have the black ex-soldier, the young male Muslim, the Chinese family, the Indian staff...very different walks of life, upbringing and culture. But the story itself is enthralling, beautifully written, building up in suspense. It makes you want to pick up the book to see what else will happen. The author is doing an amazing job at letting the characters speak; her language is full of beautiful metaphors. I couldn't let this book go! It's been probably the first time a book falls into my hands (without me researching it, or selecting it on purpose) and then surpasses all my expectations. A truly amazing thing! ( )

“One Amazing Thing” by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a brilliant novel well thought out and well executed. I found myself captivated by the very first pages. I truly got caught up in the drama of being involved in an earthquake. I felt as if I was trapped in the building with them. I was anxious and nervous with each passing page fearing that the next page would surely take the characters all away.

Speaking of the characters, I loved each one of them. I really enjoyed the writing style of having each person speak for themselves while they told their stories. Each story was very intimate and gave me the opportunity to really know the character. I didn’t discover a favorite, rather I appreciated the importance of each person’s story and why it was the story they chose to relate. Everyone had so much to share and everyone grew closer with the telling.

This book will stay with me for some time. I will be thinking and rethinking about each of the characters and the circumstances of their stories. “One Amazing Thing” makes the reader realize that we should never be quick to judge another because each of us has secret longings, desires and regrets that ultimately govern who we are and how we conduct ourselves. What we see is often not all there is. It is the sharing and the telling that sets us free and brings us closer to those we love and cherish. ( )

In an unnamed American city, seven people wait to apply for visas to visit India. When an earthquake rips through the city, two workers from the Indian visa office are trapped along with the strangers: a Chinese teenager and her grandmother who speaks no English; an older Caucasian couple who have little to say to once another; a young Muslim-American man who trusts no one; an Indian graduate student facing family conflicts over her love life; and an ex-military African-American with breathing problems, with only a few puffs left on his inhaler.

As time passes, the smell of gas begins to permeate the office, conflicts arise and supplies of food and fresh water dwindle. Their situation becomes increasingly dire and these nine individuals must overcome their prejudices and fears if they wish to survive. And so they take it in turns to share a story from their life - showing the power of story to transform, heal and sustain a group of strangers.

I should admit right from the start that I have long been a fan of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, ever since I read Mistress of Spices and Sisters of My Heart. Each new novel is a treasure to be savoured, requiring restraint to make it last. So it was with eager anticipation that I began her newest, One Amazing Thing.

Unlike her earlier works, I was not immediately carried away by her words. It required perseverance to carry on reading and my initial reaction was one of avoidance. I was shocked, because Divakaruni's evocative language still carries power and the ability to transport readers: "The dark was full of women's voices, keening in a language he did not know, so that at first he thought he was back in the war. The thought sucked the air from his lungs and left him chocking."

As I read these words I could feel the claustrophobia and fear the characters were feeling and I realized - the "real" world has carried so many images recently of the terrible devastation caused by earthquakes; first Indonesia, then Haiti and now Chile that One Amazing Thing strikes too close to home for me to give an honest review.

I finished the novel in a fairly short period, roughly a week. Some of the stories engaged more than others and her choice to write the novel as a set of connected stories, similar to The Canterbury Tales or The Decameron has great possibilities. I suspect that in six months or a year this will be a novel I read again and find much to exclaim about. For now, I have news footage from Haiti playing in my head. ( )