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The Ties of Family  by Larner 8 Review(s)
AntaneReviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/22/2006
This is going to be fun - lovely, innocent, carefree Frodo. Love the idea of him dancing as a child in his parent's hole. Cute! Love seeing Merry and Sam too.

Namarie, God bless, Antane :)


Author Reply: Frodo's fairly innocent, but has finished with his rebellious stage and now has the chance to find full acceptance as he is. And we get to see him with Merry and Sam as they were at the time, and how it is a nearly grown tween would continue relationships with them when he does have relatives a lot closer to his age.

And I do think his dad and mum would have gotten him started dancing, myself.

Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 2 on 6/5/2005
I loved Sam in this part. His insistance on proper address and the fact that Frodo wasn't really minding him but allowing him to come along because he was interested in the same things and very responsible. That is the perfect description of Sam in my opinion. Looks like the romance is still blooming even if Frodo doesn't realize what a stir he is creating. I also love Iris's trick with the portrait. That was priceless!

Author Reply: Yes, Sam is the responsible one from the beginning, I think, and even as a child would have shared many of Frodo's interests. There was something there that drew the two of them together from the first when he came to Bag End.

LindeleaReviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/25/2005
How I love the discussion of family and ancestry and relation. Bilbo and Frodo and the Old Took! The little scene with the picture was wonderfully done.

It stands to reason that Frodo would be a fine storyteller, considering the writer he became, later.

Thanks! Looking forward to when I have time to read more.

Author Reply: Yes, a good way to stop the old vicious gossip in her tracks before she can again convince others Bilbo cuckolded his cousin. Nice way to let folks see Frodo is Fosco's grandson after all.

I spend too much time reading, I fear, and need to get some other work done.

Take care and God bless.

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/18/2005
I love picturing Frodo as a joyful dancer. And as a fantastic story teller, whose listeners have been trained to expect only one story a day.

Narcissa certainly seems enchanted by him.

Author Reply: Blame the movie for the dancing. The sheer happiness in Frodo's face as he cuts a caper for the admiring lasses watching him did it for me. As a youngster, to know such pleasure as dancing and dancing well....

And, yes, Narcissa is enchanted by him, and will find herself blessed by him in some ways she never expected before the tale is done.

Breon BriarwoodReviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/18/2005
Oh gosh, he's done it again! That little thief has stolen my heart...

I saw you had posted another story and got a HUGE grin on my face that won't go away. I know it won't be all sweetness and light, but I can't wait to read the rest of the tale!

Author Reply: Yes, he does manage that--stealing our hearts. And we love him for it.

Thanks for the compliments.

NiennaTruReviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/18/2005
Another lovely chapter! I, too enjoyed the paragraph describing Frodo's genealogy and the traits he'd inherited from various relations. It was quite detailed and very interesting. And again, I am so happy to find that Narcissa is being fleshed out and given attention as the bits of her I met in The King's Commission was very intriguing and heartbreaking. Thanks so much for another wonderfully written story, and I anticipate I'll be enjoying reading it as each chapter is posted.

Author Reply: I've spent a lot of the time writing this one with the genealogies open in front of me, so it only made sense to write them in in one form or another.

Hope it continues to please as it continues.

shireboundReviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/18/2005
How lovely that Frodo is such a happy, self assured tween! And I was fascinated by your genealogy... and how he's such a mixture of all of his ancestors.

Author Reply: We're all affected by our inheritance from our ancestors, and I thought this should be brought out. And, once Frodo was with Bilbo I'm certain he did blossom pretty quickly.

Thanks for the review.

harrowcatReviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/18/2005
Oh it is so nice to see a confident and happy Frodo. And what a picture he made telling Bilbo's story. Of course, it brings to mind the scene in the movie, with Bilbo. I just loved the faces of those children. I can't imagine that he was unaware of Narcissa 'shadowing' him...?...

Author Reply: Well, he is a tween, after all, and probably only just beginning to become aware of the lasses. And certainly the image of Bilbo played by Ian Holm inspired much of the image of the story here. I suspect both Bilbo and Frodo were exceedingly happy telling stories, reading stories, and otherwise sharing them with others.

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