3 comments about Enchanted Companions : Stories of Dolls in Our Lives.

1. All these words describe Carolyn Michael's book Enchanted Companions. But mostly it is full of surprises. None of the stories are predicatable or the sort of stories I would imagine that people would have about dolls. Dolls touch peoples' lives in unexpected ways. My favorites stories were "George Rufus Yoder" and "Bawl Room Dance." Amazing writing and a beautifully put-together book. I want volume two if there is one!



2. filled with heart, laughter, joy and memorable characters. Vintage black and white photos of doll owners and their "enchanted companions" enhance this delightful book. A marvelous gift.



3. This book was created by Carolyn Michael, her friends, and other contacts as a part of individual and group writing practice. The author states in the introduction that she was inspired by a story written by another participant about her mother's feelings about a special doll. The story is the first story in the book, entitled "Who Would I Tell?" by Susan Berlin. This treasure holds 24 more stories, which the author has been collecting since 1993. This memoir style collection speaks with many voices, including several pieces by children. The stories are brought to life with black and white photos of the dolls that are in each story and by picures of the writers as children. My favorite story in this collection is called, "The Night My Fanny Hit the Wall" by Nina Munk, who was 15 when she wrote this story. She speaks of the touching moment when she realized that her dolls were not real. Carolyn Michael's collection allows each writer to share their own personal experience, while connecting the reader with the common experiences that many of us have shared. I would recommend this book for adults and older children who value the memories of love and friendship with their own special dolls, and for those who want to reflect on a cherished time in childhood.

5 comments about The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue: A Child of the Fifties Looks Back.

1. Robert Klein's unique sense of humor makes for a great read...of course, it might be even more appealing to read his material if you are already a huge fan of his as I am. This book is not a "laugh out loud" type of book say like say an Al Franken book, but it's funny in other ways and quite enjoyable.



2. I have liked Robert Klein since I saw him live around 1975. This memoir of his early years is a lively read that gives a lot of background on what made his comedy what it is. He is unsparing about his insecurity, need to belong, tendency to overdramatize, and attitudes towards women. The result feels both honest and entertaining.
   
   Why are people giving this book negative reviews for not covering his marriage, children, HBO specials, the Dukakis campaign, or whatever else? Klein was writing only about his youth to the age of 25, with much clarity about the manners, prejudices, and sexual mores of the late 50s and 60s, and he succeeded admirably in making them vivid to someone who was born in 1959. Would I like to read more about his later years? Yes. Hope he writes another book. But it makes no sense to rake this one over the coals for things it didn't try to do.
   
   I take particular exception to the reviewer who even threw in complaints about the omission of topics Klein *did* touch on, including campus anti-Semitism, his difficulties with the talented but scene-stealing David Steinberg, and descriptions of the early careers of performers he met, including Rodney Dangerfield and Bette Midler. Did Klein explicitly say why his comedy seems based on middle-aged angst? No, but growing up with preternaturally cautious and conservative parents accounts for it. If you don't rebel against your parents, you are liable to imitate them.
   
   In sum: this book is well worth reading if you are prepared to accept it for what it is.



3. It's a joy to read. Funny, funny, funny. Great stories, and he truly makes you feel like you know all of the people in his life. A true gem of a book.



4. The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue is Robert Klein's memoirs of growing up in the Bronx in the 1950s. Born in 1942, Klein writes affectionately of the basic influences of his youth during the years 1951 to 1966. Each chapter begins with a picture of Klein during the period discussed.
   
   His parents were children of immigrant Jews who were "careful, cautious, wary people" and passed on their concerns to Klein and his sister. His bedroom was a Castro convertable ottoman in the living room of their small 6th floor apartment.
   
   The first four chapters cover his life in junior high and high school in the Bronx. Having grown up in the Bronx myself during this time, I found these very well written and full of delightful details.
   
   The next five chapters are about his life at Alfred University in rural upstate New York. Here he confronts anti-Semitism and develops a love of acting and comedy. He also works summers in the Catskill Mountain resorts made famous in the movie "Dirty Dancing." He is no Patrick Swayze, and his amorous nature is mostly unfulfilled.
   
   The last six chapters tell the story of his breaking into show business. His first success in Chicago's Second City and his friendship with Rodney Dangerfield are highlights of this section.
   
   One of the recurring themes of the work is his sexual relations over time. Beginning with his losing his virginity to a 112th Street prostitute, Klein reminisces about the women in his life and the sexual and sometimes loving relations he had with them. Although he is not very graphic in his descriptions, this male oriented portrayal of sex in the 50s and early 60s may seem insensitive by modern standards. Yet it is his very honesty at representing the male attitudes of the time that makes this aspect of the book especially interesting. He says he writes "not to titillate but to communicate the excitement that sex held for me and its importance in my life." This was a time of great changes in sexual attitudes and his depictions of his and his friends' sexual interests over these 16 years shows how radical the change was.
   
   All in all this is a wonderful memoir of New York life in the 1950s. It is also an insightful portrayal of college life at the time, especially in an era when Jews were still being discriminated against in fraternities and other aspects of academia. Lastly, Klein does a great job of describing his beginning career as an actor. How he learned his craft, the problems he faced, and the people he knew are all well represented.



5. I just finished reading this from my local library. As much as I love Mind over Matter and Robert Klein, this really isn't a funny book. Maybe he didn't intend it to be, but with a title like that I thought it would be a lot more entertaining instead of blandly anecdotal. It's really just one tale after another about women he slept with, in too much detail, or girls he fantasized about- again, too much information. And the book ends abruptly before covering any of his success in the 70's, his political comedy, etc.

5 comments about On a Wave.

1. This should give you a general idea of how good this book is: After reading the last page, I turned to page 1 and started reading it all over again.
   
   When was the last time you read a book twice?
   
   Ziolkowski's style is like a perfect wave--clean, gorgeous, and unique. It's not just about a surfer searching for perfection, but a boy searching for himself in post-Vietnam era of sunny Florida, where everyone is tan and bleachy-haired, Led Zeppelin is on every radio, and pot is as prevalent as palm trees.
   
   The story begins with the author at ten, still reeling from his parents' divorce and craving diversion like any normal kid. But it is surfing that becomes his ultimate grace, giving him confidence and the room to dream outside the troubles at home. When his family begins to unravel, his heartbreak at dreams realized and lost will strike a sympathetic chord in anyone who is connected to the sea, to family, and to one's true self. The author's search for his identity comes full circle--beginning, ending, and beginning again--on a wave.



2. I loved this story of a young boy's passion for the ocean easing his growing pains. Very well-written.



3. thanks for the prompt delivery! I will definitely look for you again when ordering



4. Thad hits the nail on the head! Having grown up in Melbourne Beach during the time period described I feel qualified to speak on the authenticity of the scene depicted: perfect, took me back in time! Anyone who grew up in the space coast area during the 70's will be able to identify some of the characters described. This is an execellent book for the non-surfer as well as the surfer. This book will remain on my annual reading list along with Caught Inside, Lighting out and West of Jesus. Thanks Thad for an execellent read!



5. Excellent.This book will stay with you long after you read it. As a 50ish surfer from the Texas gulf coast this book reminds me of why I consider myself lucky.

5 comments about Birth of a Tumbleweed: Memoirs of Growing Up in Post-Nazi Germany.

1. Dear Readers,
   
   This book brings back many memories about the times after WWWII. I was born in 1944 in East Germany and have experienced many of the situations mentioned in this book. But since I am not a writer, I would have never been able to put these experiences on paper. I find the stories worth reporting and preserving for future generations. All too easily do we forget and repeat the mistakes of the past. This book is a heartfelt memory worth reading. I am looking forward to more books from this author.



2. There is a disclaimer at the front of this book stating that it is self-edited owing to the fact that the material is too personal. I suspect the more truthful statement would be that the author didn't want to spend the money on an editor for this self-published book - and it shows. I can't remember ever actually throwing away a book before I finished it as I did with this one and I mean literally into the trash basket.
   
   There is no question that the subject matter, the recovery of Germany after the devastation of WWII, is of great interest and mostly ignored by US literature. What does one, civilian or soldier, do in the days immediately after a war when one's country is the loser? Where does one start, standing amidst the ruins of a city with no food nor shelter to be had, worthless money in one's pocket and the victorious enemy, righteously full of contempt, running the show? All remarkable questions.
   
   Evoking compassion from a reader comes with clear, simple statements about the facts of the situation, allowing the reader's own conscience to discover the emotional conection to the writer. It does not come from pathetic whining about the events of the time and complaining how others didn't understand their own insensitivity.
   
   This book seems like a therapy session for the author without the professional guidance of a therapist present. It's self-indulgent to the point of not even having a editor for the prose. I mean, come on, were all those explanation points really that personal!?



3. Much has been written about World War II from a historical
   point of view. However, what has not been adequately covered
   by historians is the devastating effect of the War on the German
   people who were also victims of Hitler. In Birth of a Tumbleweed, Inge Perreault chronicles her childhood, teenage years, and young adulthood in Cologne, Germany, in graphic detail that includes her family, torn apart by the two Germanys, the physical, psychological, social and community trauma she endured growing up. How would an average American endure life during war time in their homeland? Read Birth of a Tumbleweed and you will come away very grateful for life in the USA! A remarkable story of hope, struggle, and enduring strength not just to survive, but to succeed in life!



4. Inge Perrault has done an amazing job bringing us through the stages of a life none of us in this country could ever imagine. It made me laugh and cry, and brought me deep into the little girls heart and mind. Her descriptions of the country were so detailed I feel like I have been there myself. It's an amazing journey, one I think everyone growing up with all the priviledges of our society today should read. It wasn't that long ago, yet most of us have fogotten all to easily what war does to a society for years to come. The courage it must have taken to write and remember all this is astounding, and one knows where that courage comes from after reading Birth of a Tumbleweed. I know it will passed around in my family as a must read.



5. My mom was born in Southern Germany just before the war started. Her and her family went through years of existing on barely any food, never enough blankets and clothes to keep warm in those bitter cold winters. She still remembers the bombs falling near her home and to this day has nightmares about it. "Birth of a Tumbleweed" gives a glimpse into the world of a family who was just trying to survive. Somehow after the war, all Germans were blamed for the sick ideas of Hitler. Inge's generation had to grow up with a heavy load of guilt on their shoulders, guilt thrown upon them not just by the Allied, but by the German government itself.
   Inge's book took a lot of courage to write, since esp. her generation was expected to just shut up and take the blame. I understand why she moved away.
   Reading Inge's book gave me a better understanding of what my mom went through. It also encouraged me to stand my ground and to not take any blame for anything that happened back then. (Yes, there are still people out there pointing fingers...)

4 comments about First Words: A Childhood in Fascist Italy.

1. Rosetta Loy's memoir of life in Italy during WWII, FIRST WORDS, traces a little girl's awakening to the meaning of blind hate by the fascists.
   
   A Catholic nation, Italy should have followed Christ and turned against the hate-filled fascist state. However, Pope Pius XII offered no Christian model to emulate. Instead, this quasi-holy, German-sympathizer avoided confrontation, closed his eyes to atrocities and was still recommended for sainthood after the holocaust.
   
   Rosetta Loy watched as Jewish friends disappeared. Afterwards, she researched how Italy reacted to the obvious carnage. After her research, she points an angry finger directly at the Pope and his minions.
   
   This book is a warning to Bush-Cheney and other fascists in the USA today. Your unprovoked wars, your stereo-typing of Mexicans as illegals so as to camouflage your wars in Iraq and your neo-con pugnacious attitude around the world are doomed.
   
   Even Karl Rove re-writing history won't save your souls after your hate-filled, arrogant, bigotted, fascistic acts.
   
   Even a child can see the fascists underneath your fake smiles.



2. Rosetta Loy opens this book with her first memories of childhood as a young girl in Rome in the early 30s. She then paints the picture from that time to 1943.

   This book actually tells two stories - first the account of Rosetta's life during that period of time and second the historical facts of the time.
   The entire book impressed me, but two things about this book absolutely AMAZED me.

   1. Roessetta Loy's voice. On the first page she is a young girl tended by a nanny, the reader is treated with the perspective of life at this point in time from the unusual view of a curious and intelligent child. As the book progresses and Rossetta ages the story changes in vocabulary and scope.
   2. Ms. Loy presents the key points of political and legal changes in her church, city and country with simply clarity. This is the first book that I have read on the subject that didn't attempt go overboard on explanations, excuses or "what ifs". Ms. Loy states the facts of legal changes and racial politics of Italy at the time without attempting to question `how', `why', `to what end' and `what if'. Instead the reader will hear these questions echo in their own mind.

   This is a powerful book. It is written in simple style and easy to read. It could be read in a day or two, but if you are like me when you get to the end you will want to read it again.




3. I could not disagree more with the previous "book critic". This book is not a lambasting of individual Catholics or of the many individual priests that helped to save many Jews. One need only look at Ms. Loy's characterization of Pope Pius XI and his very anti-semetic stance to see that this book in no way sees all Catholics as heartless beasts. What it does show is that with the on-slot of Pope Pius XII's reign, the organized Catholic body-politic did nothing privately or publicly to condemn the atrocities committed against Jews at home or abroad in Nazi Germany. There were over 1200 Jews in Rome alone that could have been "hidden" in the Vatican...but no, the response to that was that Pope Pius XII could have been arrested. Getting arrested seems very tame to Jesus being crucified, does it not? All I can say is that, along with the reading of this very touching book by Ms. Loy, I would also recommend everyone out there supplimenting the reading of this book with Mr. Cornwell's "Hitler's Pope".



4. The media seems to be eating up every book that blasts the Catholic Church and Pope Pius XII...here's another attempt to cover up the heroics of the Church during the Nazi era....

5 comments about Fumbling Toward Divinity: The Adoption Scriptures.

1. Imagine growing up not knowing who your real parents are. Would you wonder who you resemble in the family tree? Could you deal with being ignorant to your family's medical history? And most importantly, would you wonder where you belong? In a new book from Craig Hickman, the author takes readers on his journey of discovering his true roots.
   
   In the new memoir "Fumbling Toward Divinity" from Harvard graduate Craig Hickman (Rituals), the author takes readers into his journey of the search for his biological parents. Along the way, we learn of the African American writer's homosexual lifestyle that includes a marriage to his Caucasian partner. The apprehensive author not only worries about finding his biological family but if they will accept his alternative lifestyle.
   
   As the story unfolds, readers are right there with Hickman as he researches his roots in libraries, government buildings, and online and treks along U.S. highways with help from his adoptive family, his husband Job, and his newly discovered Uncle James. By the time he meets his religious, biological mother in Georgia, readers will come to know him and cheer him on as he takes on the task of finding and getting to know his real family.
   
   "Fumbling Toward Divinity" is a well-written and unique book. Written in third-person format, Hickman meshes a poetic, scriptural-like, and a journal-like writing style that is quite interesting to read. Many readers will feel a kinship with the author as he shares his trials, triumphs, pain, and joy of self-discovery. However, the meticulously written memoir, which almost reads like a diary, is so detailed that it may turn off readers who do not know him intimately. "Fumbling Toward Divinity" is still well worth the effort and will be received with open arms.
   
   Emanuel Carpenter
   [...]



2. This book is an awesome read! I could feel Craig Hickman's passion and emotions. His voice really came through because of his mixture of dialogue and precise detail of people and places. His word choice was fabulous! I loved the pearls of wisdom, quotes, and insights that he included. Upon reading Fumbling Toward Divinity, readers should begin a journey of self-reflection that leads to healing and/or growth. This book is a must read for those who, in some way, have gone (or are planning to go) through the adoption process, who are struggling with self-identity and/or self-worth, and/or are having problems with family relationships. While this book is a record of Mr. Hickman's life, it is so powerful that it can serve as a therapeutic tool as well. Fumbling Toward Divinity can help many people reflect, reevaluate, regroup, refocus, heal, and grow.



3. 
   Craig Hickman, an adopted child, decides he wants to know who his birth parents are. After a long and arduous search, Craig locates his mother Jennifer who was forced by her mother to give him up at birth. Craig discovers that he has twin sisters, aunts, uncles and a grandmother who rules the clan. At various functions, the adopted family, the birth family and Craig's husband, get together to learn more about each other.
   
   Mr. Hickman has written a stunning memoir about what it means to be an adopted child searching for his roots. He uses many styles of writing to help us not only understand his feelings, but to be there with him. In one chapter, when he has finally discovered his birth family and is going to contact them, he uses stream of consciousness very effectively so that his angst, fear and happiness shine through as his thoughts meld onto the page. Poignant poetry is another method used by Mr. Hickman to bring readers into his world. Letters written to his new family also give us an inside track to his real thoughts and feeling.
   
   While discovering his roots is the main thesis of the book, Craig also covers many other subjects such as homosexuality, marital issues, problems with in-laws and family love, as well as family discord. It is a book well worth reading more than once.
   
   Reviewed by alice Holman
   of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers



4. This is one of the very best books that I have ever read. I had the pleasure of reading some of the manuscript before Fumbling Toward Divinity went to print. I knew then what I know now, this book is mind blowing. Craig Hickman can write circles around the best. I love it when a writer can conjour up all kinds of spirits, get my heart pumping, and leave me wanting more. I laughed, I cryed, and I am still jumping for joy! Craig Hickman really shows us the recipe for life is... one cup of love, a tablespoon of trust, throw in some forgiveness and hope, and a heep of honesty and then, only then, can we really begin to live. Because, are'nt we all just Fumbling Toward Divinity anyway? Thank you Craig for this tasty treat! Peace, Ife Franklin.



5. That Craig Hickman is a very bright man, well schooled, a fine investigator, and a man with a mission is obvious from the moment you open this excellent book. Given his credentials as a performance artist, poet, cultural activist and author it is apparent he has the courage and conviction to write this book about the agonies, frustrations, and of course the joys of adoption, of gay relationships, of the search for identity when that identity is locked away with unknown birth parents. The crown of this input is that this book is actually a memoir, a shared body of information that required more diligence and investigation than the toughest of PhD dissertations.
   
   For this reviewer Hickman's FUMBLING TOWARD DIVINITY: THE ADOPTION SCRIPTURES is uneven. The first portion of this memoir is inundated with names, histories, paths, and intricacies that make the reading a bit tedious. Yes, it is written well, the language works, but it is the placement of the narrator in the third person (a time honored if beleaguered tradition of writing memoirs) that subtracts the immediacy of the information to the story - and it is the story here presented that is the fascinating aspect of this book.
   
   Once Hickman connects with all aspects of his families (birth, adopted, partner's family) then the grace of the writing is secure, the development of the avenues of the journey become warmly fascinating, and the book jumps into the welcome arena of entertainment. I'm not sure if the substance of the book could have been altered in any way to make the entire volume as interesting as the latter half, but to the casual reader of literature (not those with whom ready identification with any of the multifaceted aspects of the author invite identification) the telling gets a bit trying at times.
   
   Hickman's prose is up with the best of writers. If he occasionally calls attention to scripture-like verbiage, if key thoughts are repeated every other sentence for effect, if information is revisited a bit too often, then that is a style that Hickman may be in the course of developing. Future books (and it would seem there WILL be future books) will finesse some of these sidebar distractions.
   
   There is every reason to believe that Hickman may evolve into another James Baldwin (a personal favorite author of mine), but it will take some forays into fiction to test those waters thoroughly. So why only 4 stars for this book? It is out of optimism that Craig Hickman has more to say and more talent with which to say it. I think he is a fine writer and certainly is deserving of our attention. The 5 stars seem destined to come. Grady Harp, April 05

1 comments about Book of Beginnings.

1. Reading this book is a little like eating chocolate chip cookies: you read one of the short chapters (laughing all the way, or sometimes crying just a bit), thinking that then you'll go do some serious work--and then the next one draws you in, making you think, "well, I can afford just one more--they're small, after all!" The whole thing is a delight, beautifully written, witty, articulate, and thoughtful. The titles make you want to keep reading ("My Father Kills my Mother," "My Brilliance Goes Unrecognized," "Of Protestants and Potato Soup," for example), the epigraphs reveal the variety of Stuckey's reading, and the totally non-self-deprecating blurb on the back of the book (clearly also by Stuckey) offers a glimpse into his ability to mock himself. This is a terrific book--one that will amuse and engage all readers and that will prompt other people either to write their own memories or to sit with friends and family talking over the joys and pains of growing up. It's also bound to make everybody wonder how little boys ever make it through to adulthood!

5 comments about Sleeping Arrangements (Isis (Paperback Large Print)).

1. I found myself struggling to finish this book. I almost gave up several times. The first several pages were quite good then it looses steam.



2. Very well written. I felt I had met these people. The writer's words flow smoothly, and I had to slow myself down or the book would have ended too soon. Some of things very young Lily and friend did were hair-raising (in a dark park, cavorting with perverts). What I liked best about this book were her uncles, particularly Uncle Gabe. In fact, I have now purchased Laura Cunningham's book "A Place in the Country" so I can read more about her uncles. I enjoy memiors that deal with unconventional families that provide a nurturing environment and a great deal of love, and this book is that sort of memior.



3. I cannot wait to read more of her work. I loved this book! I loved her writing. This is a must read!



4. This book's emphasis on prurient material turned me off. Also, the "characters" did not seem to behave in an age appropriate manner, which led me to wonder if the author didn't exaggerate many of the escapades described in the book.



5. Like another reader, I was drawn to the unusual cover of this book--a sweet lil' girl's face superimposed over a faded shot of two older men--in these pedophiliactic times of Michael Jackson and Catholic priests, I assumed it was yet another sad story of abuse. Wronnnngg! This is so outrageously funny that you can almost laugh through the sad passages, while still appreciating the depth of tragedy that befell Shaine's unusual childhood. Her uncles really did sound like a couple of Marx brothers, but the love this odd family shared always shines. I'd teach it in my high school classes, but a few passages here and there probably make it questionable--although the haunting description of her continuing search for her father would resonate with many kids. A great find that I stumbled on while hunting for something else at B and Noble.

5 comments about Blackbird: A Childhood Lost And Found.

1. I received a copy of this book along with enthusiastic reviews from two of my co-workers. I both expected and wanted to share their enthusiasm, but for me the book lacked credibility. The first section of the book dealing with her mother's progressive illness, her brother's anger, and her father's growing physical and emotional absence resonated with me. However, the later parts of the book concerning her relationship with her stepmother and her abandonment in the commune seem so exaggerated as to be false. (What about her elementary school teachers? Would they be indifferent to her absences, illnesses and obvious neglect?) I doubt very much that the author has verified her account either by interviewing any of the other participants or revisiting any of the places in the story. For me, this tarnishes what should be a powerful story of overcoming loss, anger and estrangement and abuses the term "memoir". I suspect that had this been submitted to her publishers as a work of fiction, Ms. Lauck's editor would have demanded a "truer" story.



2. This book was simply amazing... As a person that has had the chance to meet Jennifer and talk to her the book it just makes it that much more amazing. This story is all true and it is amazing that one person can go through so much.



3. I kept thinking, "This has to get better, this downward spiral can't continue."
   
   And yet it does. And it does again, and oh Lordy, not again... and yes, there it goes again.
   
   Ms. Lauck's beautiful writing is what carried me through. I tried to read this title once and had to set it down, it was simply too much heartache encapsulated in one read for me. On my second attempt, I devoured it in three days and I am hungry to read the sequel.
   
   Many of the reviewers here have synopsized the story of "Blackbird" - Jennifer Lauck's story opens as she is a little girl, preschool aged child, with a very sick Mommy and simply doing the best she can - idolizing and learning from her Mommy, quoting her Mommy's favorite self-care mantras... and attempting to understand what is happening while following the rules-of-life-according-to-Mama.
   
   Her handsome, hardworking Daddy does what he can, and little Jenny (who he calls Juniper) does her best to keep things afloat even when Mama dies and brother Bryan creates mayhem and insta-wicked-step-Mom sends her to a cult camp... it is one sad (yet life-affirming, somehow) tale after another until at the very end when fate turns... or so we hope.
   
   Fabulous writing from a child's point of view.... and if it is hard for you to get through on your first attempt, try again later. You will be glad that you did.



4. Jennifer's memories of her childhood contains the detail and emotion that captures readers and draws them into her early life. At a too-young age, she assumes much of the care of her terminally ill mother. You are drawn into the vivid scenes of her mother's illness, the all-too-brief attention from her father and the cruelties of her brother.
   Her life becomes increasingly difficult as first her mother dies, her father remarries and the stepmother resents and mistreats her. After her father's heart attack, Jennifer suffers greatly from neglect and malice from her stepmother and step-siblings.
   You can't stop reading, but at times it is hard to keep going as you relive her life through her words. You fear for the child and hope it doesn't get worse, but it does. If you've read The Glass Castle and Angela's Ashes, then add this book to your reading list. It's a memorable account of a dreadful childhood and the ability to endure and overcome hardship.



5. I this book inspired me. If a 11 year old girl can move her own bedroom furniture a crossed town all by herself then I can surely handle things in my life! I fully intend on getting the next book in the series to see how Juniper handles the next years of her life.

5 comments about The Summer of Ordinary Ways: A Memoir.

1. This is a nicely written book, a beautiful memior of chilhood on a farm. It starts slowly but by the end I loved her writing...



2. I didnt pick this book randomly off the shelf, I work in Sleepy Eye MN, closely with the people. I did not grow up in Sleepy Eye, but in another small farming community. I know some of the people who she is talking about, although I do not know her or any of her immedate famliy. There was a huge uproar here about this book when it came out and I had to see what it was all about, of course!
   
   What I found was someone I knew, a girl raised with the same type of envirnment I think most of us were raised with in small midwestern farm towns. The local stories, small town attitude, where everyone knows everyones business and you are judged by your last name, relatives and great-grandfathers history 'all those Haalas are crazy'. I found myself and my friends in her stories, my sister, my parents. Its a story about life, the memories of a girl and a kid becoming a woman the fast way, by becoming a mother. She made me feel I was with her @ the nuns retreat, when her dad shot the puppies, on her uncles bike. I was rereading a story I already know. It was creepy, but comforting. I think thats talent.
   
   I really enjoyed this book, the style is different, jumping around, even mid story, to different, semi-related stories, different then what I'm used to, I guess. Her discriptions make me see the tree, the barn, her uniform, blue and white on the steps of St. Marys Catholic School. Beautifully discripted. Definately not the brutal, horrible book some people 'couldnt even finish'.
   
   If you grew up in a small town, or in a large close-nit family, you will relate to Nicole. A glimps of snipits of small town life, real or imagined by her, is truely what this novel is.



3. In my long reading life I have rarely come across a book written in such compelling and poetic language. I have just read Nicole Lea Helget's memoir in one sitting and can scarcely catch my breath. And to those who might question the authenticity of the book, please remember that a child's interpretation of happenings may not always agree with that of an adult who was there, too, but that does not make the child's recollection any less true. Just think about the mysteries and taboos in your own childhood!



4. This collection of beautifully written short pieces work together to give a view into a difficult Minnesota childhood. It's a stark story, and slim in several ways. Pages aside, it lacks context, and the landscape is almost missing, which is odd for a farm story. The writer's gift with words is considerable, and the final chapter left me gasping (what a tour de force). Did I like it? yes, I did. Still, I have to ask, as a child, was there no laughter? Was her entire childhood taut and poetic, all smashed grasshoppers and bleeding animals? It seems in a family like this, there might have been at least some laughter. I guess that is another area where the book is slim--I didn't sense the fullness of a life when reading it. Perhaps she will write a longer exploration of her life, or a novel. If she does, I'll definitely read it, as she is quite a writer.



5. I agree with the earlier reviewer, as far as mean people and animal cruelty go. I could hardly finish the book myself, not only because of the animal cruelty and abuse but also the author's total indifference to it. I don't particularly care to read about people abusing and killing animals (killing a mother cow because she wants to keep her calf, and shooting 13 puppies because "they are ugly"), and basically that is what a lot of this book is about. Not a very good or interesting read, author is whiney and self-absorbed - don't waste your time with this garbage.