Review of Pandora's Lockbox

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Prisallen
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Review of Pandora's Lockbox

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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Pandora's Lockbox" by Nico Griffith.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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1982 was a bad year for Nico Griffith. She had just had a miscarriage due to stress; her mortgage company was struggling. After her miscarriage, she signed over her share of the business to her partner. This was followed up by her husband announcing, on his way out the door to his work, that he wanted a divorce. With no child, job, or husband, she had to start over. It was a sluggish economy, and her skills overqualified her for most jobs. Eventually, Nico joined Fakke & Company, selling real estate. Due to her hard work and drive, she managed to become one of the most successful agents in the business. Her book is a compilation of the stories and experiences that she and her fellow agents accumulated through the 1980s and 90s. Many of the tales are humorous, a few of them are sad, some are scandalous, and occasionally the story describes a dangerous situation in which one of the agents was involved. None of them are boring.

Pandora’s Lockbox by Nico Griffith is a 257-page book listed in the non-fiction genre. The story is followed by a quiz titled “So, You Want to be an Agent (Reality Check Quiz).” These are questions, just for fun, that advise you if you possess the personality to succeed if you become an agent. This is followed up with a “Glossary of Real Estate Vocabulary” that is beneficial for those of us not in the business.

Ms. Griffith enjoys a gift for recounting the fascinating tales that these agents experienced. She is very descriptive, quite often humorously so, and her narrative is excellent at conveying various emotions, such as excitement and sadness. I observed myself laughing aloud at times and then crying at other times. It transports those of us who have never been in the business on an intriguing journey into the world of real estate and the difficulties faced there. Ms. Griffith comes across as very friendly with a willingness to assist others. This is demonstrated by the closeness of the relationships that she develops with her clients and the secrets they entrust to her. However, she allows us to know that she is flawed, like every other human being. An example is when one of her clients, on his deathbed, made her promise to look out for his wife. Clearly, she must have developed a great relationship with them in order for him to make that request. However, after a few years of occasionally talking with his wife, she didn’t speak with her again for several years (when the client called Nico to request help in selling her home). Her life seemed to be a disaster. To Nico’s credit, she then stepped up and spent a great deal of time and effort assisting her with her situation.

The importance of friends represents an underlying theme in the story. Nico was abandoned without much support when her husband and, consequently, most of their friends left her. Nico and a group of her close associates through work helped each other through the bad times and celebrated the good times together. Their tales were also included in the book.

Although I enjoyed the book greatly, too many errors were detected for a perfect score. For example, there were no capitalized words for half of page 42 and half of page 43. Another round of editing would help it reach its full potential. Because this was the only thing I didn't like, Pandora’s Lockbox receives a rating of three out of four stars. I think other agents would enjoy this the most as they could relate to the situations, and it would probably evoke their own similar memories. However, other readers can appreciate it as well. The story offers a taste of the difficulties that the agents faced in the 1980s and 90s. Fans who prefer fictional novels with lots of action may not enjoy it as much.

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Pandora's Lockbox
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Aisha Yakub
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Post by Aisha Yakub »

Nico is an embodiment of hardwork and perseverance. This is inspiring.
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Post by Prisallen »

Raymond N wrote: 22 Jan 2022, 14:10 Nico is an embodiment of hardwork and perseverance. This is inspiring.
She is, indeed! Thanks for reading my review!
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Post by Apple 7 »

Nico's zeal for life and her endurance, perseverance, doggedness definitely proves unsurmountable in trying circumstances....very motivational... Wonderful review
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Post by Prisallen »

It was inspiring, indeed! She proves that if you work hard enough, are knowledgeable about what you are doing, and treat your clients with respect, then chances are good that you will be successful! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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Post by Janet Kimetto »

I'm interested in reading this for the information on real estate, if not for the inspiration to be had. Thanks for the wonderful review!
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Prisallen
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Post by Prisallen »

C Janet wrote: 23 Jan 2022, 14:14 I'm interested in reading this for the information on real estate, if not for the inspiration to be had. Thanks for the wonderful review!
Keep in mind that this took place in the 1980s and 90s, but I think you would enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by!
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Post by Akangbe Opeyemi »

Nico seems to have had it hard. Just after suffering from a miscarriage, her husband decides to leave her and she happens to lose her job too. I love the zeal and perseverance, though she might have just gotten the real estate job out of a need but she managed to succeed. This is inspiring! Thanks for the review
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Ariella dazzle wrote: 23 Jan 2022, 22:15 Nico seems to have had it hard. Just after suffering from a miscarriage, her husband decides to leave her and she happens to lose her job too. I love the zeal and perseverance, though she might have just gotten the real estate job out of a need but she managed to succeed. This is inspiring! Thanks for the review
She did have it hard, but she managed to rise above her hardships. It is, indeed, inspiring!
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Post by Hana_Fabro »

This book sounds great. Nico already catch my attention and had the eagerness to read this book. Thanks for your wonderful review.
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Post by Prisallen »

Hana_Fabro wrote: 25 Jan 2022, 06:50 This book sounds great. Nico already catch my attention and had the eagerness to read this book. Thanks for your wonderful review.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks for stopping by!
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Post by Hyacinth Bella »

Not only would this provide a lot of information about real estate, but I also think that this would provide me with enough scenes that would make me cry. I expect this book to be painfully realistic and informative. Thank you so much for the review!
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Post by Fareed Regal »

Just by reading your review I already have lots of admiration for Nico. We often lack the courage and determination to rise above our adversities as we shy away from being realistic about those situations. Thank you for an enlightening review. Anything that makes you laugh and cry at the same time has got to be worth reading.
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Prisallen
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Post by Prisallen »

Hyacinth Bella wrote: 26 Jan 2022, 10:28 Not only would this provide a lot of information about real estate, but I also think that this would provide me with enough scenes that would make me cry. I expect this book to be painfully realistic and informative. Thank you so much for the review!
There are sad moments, but there is a lot of humor in the book. So, one doesn't feel sad for very long. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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Post by Prisallen »

Fareed Regal wrote: 26 Jan 2022, 14:21 Just by reading your review I already have lots of admiration for Nico. We often lack the courage and determination to rise above our adversities as we shy away from being realistic about those situations. Thank you for an enlightening review. Anything that makes you laugh and cry at the same time has got to be worth reading.
I couldn't agree more. Thanks for reading my review and commenting!
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