I simply adored this fabulous, funny, witty story of Effie Crackalbee (a.k.a. Jane Croy), the most unlikely bigamist T'ai Chi warrior there ever was! The book starts out with Jane running away from her husband of one month, Alan. Of course, before she departs the marital abode, she pauses to do her T'ai Chi pose. Here's an excerpt from page 2:

"Slowly, slowly, I begin T'ai Chi. I relaxed my body, stilled my mind, let the energy come from the earth through the soles of my feet into my self. I tried to move like the ocean water, like the fog---muffled movements. I smiled when I got to the part of the form called Crane Spreads Wings, looking to the cormorant for approval, although with my right hand above my head and the left held by my side, it was more of a wings-in-flight pose than the hanging-wings-out-to-dry stance of the cormorant."

Susan Trott very artfully and skillfully weaves the T'ai Chi poses into each chapter, in fact, entitling each chapter with the name of a pose. This is an ingenious and beautifully written story of one woman's search for balance and meaning in her life. I can't wait to read more of Ms. Trott's superb fiction.

This is my first exposure to Susan Trott's writing and this book is a total hoot! Wonderful one liners and fun characters. Crane Spreads Wings is an easy book to read. The characters of Jane Croy/Effie Cracklbee, Alan her wealthy husband, Cleb her earnest and bumbling husband, Danny the precious little boy, a nasty sister in law, a wonderful mother-in-law all leave you laughing at the improbable wanderings of the human spirit. Susan had a fun time writing this novel. What a wicked sense of humor she has!

From the very beginning of the book, you have to wonder if the main character, Jane Croy, a.k.a. Effie Crackalbee, is "all there." For starters, she leaves her newlywed husband because he's not exactly all he's claimed to be. Well, who is, right? But once she leaves him, she launches into a (mis)adventure that gets more preposterous with every turn. As I continued reading, I fell in love with all the zany characters and with Susan Trott. The story reads like a daytime drama & sitcom all-in-one. I highly recommend anyone who needs a good belly laugh to sit down for a few hours with Crane Spreads Wings.

If you haven't read these two books -- "Holy Man" and this one -- do it. Keep them if you can, because you will want everyone you know to read them and you will give them as special gifts. I gave these books as a birthday gift to a friend and she said -- "Oh my gosh, I've been looking for these!"....See what I mean. You'll love them.

When I discovered that Susan Trott had written more about The Holy Man I could hardly wait to get "We've found the book" on my e-mail. Thankfully ordering from Amazon was easy but waiting for it's delivery was almost as frustrating as the final weeks of a pregnancy. By the end of 41 short sections, Susan Trott again had this reader's admiration of the way Joe's journey increased Anna's capacity to become Joe's successor. The changes in Anna's husband and Joe's mentor reinforces one's belief that there really are no coincidences. This book, along with The Holy Man, deserves all the words of praise on the book jacket and more. This is a classic to be read again and again

This is one of my favorite books of all time. Susan Trott has many good books but this one still wins. It's the blackest of comedies with a mystery, a disorganized love story or two, a few psychotic mothers, and a story within a story...all the ingredients for a good novel. Also, the main character is rum-drinking Rome, a lovable daddy's girl whose foray into the real world of work is not as glamorous as she expected. Anyone who ever attended private school, anyone who has ever felt out of control, anyone who considers themselves a 'starving artist,' anyone who needs to laugh when they feel like crying, anyone who has been a victim of bizarre twists of fate (or just likes reading about them) will all love this book. It's compelling and strange, and will leave you feeling satisfied for days upon completion.

I love all of Susan Trott's work, and this is my favorite. She creates wonderful worlds in which her females characters live. Her characters have a strength and independence that are unparalleled. You can tell that she loves and understands running and women. I instantly bonded with the characters and entered into their story. This book is perfect for any woman who cherishes life, love, and human nature.

This is the first book that helped me understand the world my daughter is experiencing or sensing. She has a sensory integration dysfunction and most people have never heard of one! At the start of each school year I hand the teacher this book and tell her to read about my daughter and what causes her to act as she does. This way the teacher can look at the world through the eyes of my daughter and realize that she is not just being a difficult obstinate child. She truly has a real problem that teachers need to be aware of when dealing with her. Thanks to the authors for explaining to me what she is going through and how we can help her.

I have just re-read this book 15 years later and it still holds up as one of the most magical, whimsical books I have ever read. The characters, Sunny, Buster and Masefield, stay with you long after you close the book and that is why I needed to re-read it all these years later and it still holds up as one of the most heartfelt books I have ever read. I was shocked to find out that it was out of print. Please find it and read it. It's story will touch you and remain in your heart.

I treasure this book. I have given away more than 50 copies of it since it came out. I've read it to more than 25 classes of teenaged students - many of whom went out and got their own copies. I also have all of the other Susan Trott books I have been able to find. I've read several of those novels more than once. If your heart is open to it - The Holy Man can change your life.

I'm glad to see so many favorable reports about The Holy Man, as it is quite possibly my favorite book. This book provides a model for life that is so succinct and simple; and really hits home in a number of ways. When I wasn't laughing, I was squirming a bit, even a couple of dozen reads later.

I have given away more copies of this book than I can count. I highly recommend sitting down and reading through it only a chapter at a time so that you can think about it. It's a quick read, so you'll have plenty of time to read the sequel, The Holy Man's Journey! It's great, too, but the first one is just a treasure.

I travel frequently and always visit my local library to check out video books as entertainment during the trip. Every once in a while I find a real gem. This month's gem is The Holy Man by Susan Trott. It is a vignette of inspirational and funny stories about the happenings of people in modern time who spend weeks or months in line waiting to see the holy man. I plan to order several copies as a gift for friends. Also, I plan to read or listen to Ms. Trott's "Journey" book.