I started and finished A Sense of Direction in one evening; I couldn't really stop thinking about it, so I couldn't put it down. I found it...
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GRIP....the perfect title for this beautifully and very well-written memoir. The intense situations also add meaning and clarification to the title.
Nina Hamburg allows you into her life letting you feel her desires, her trepidation, her decisions, and her retrospect. You will follow her through all the good and bad of her life feeling her pain and wondering what you would do in similar circumstances.
The intensity of the novel will keep your interest, and you will respect Nina for her resiliency and strength. It is a powerful story of a life spent looking for love. She had to look hard for love and usually found it, but the love she found was usually a struggle. The day of her wedding to Lee seemed to be the time she did find love...her wedding and her vows were very touching and beautiful, but that didn't last long.
I admire Nina for her strength and her determination at finding love and releasing the lifetime demons she struggled with. I also admire her for her commitment to David and the happiness they share.
I enjoyed the book......the writing was absolutely phenomenal even though the subject matter was quite intense. 4/5
What a heartwarming, cozy, feel good read.....a sweet, nostalgic book...but with all good things there usually are regrets, heartbreak, and secrets. I really enjoyed this book...you will be surprised at who/what the "good daughters" turn out to be and will also learn some fun agricultural facts about fruits and vegetables.
Dana and Ruth were born on the same day, but they came from two completely different backgrounds. Dana Dickerson had a childhood that wasn't stable, and Ruth Plank had one that was totally what a childhood should be. Dana's parents were flighty, moved around, and their father never held a job for too long...her mother was an artist and acted as though she didn't even have any children. Dana actually never even called her parents Mom and Dad. Ruth's parents were very down to earth, had a farm to take care of, made sure their children were taken care of, and were called Mom and Dad.
Ruth's mother felt some sort of kinship with Dana's mother since their children were both born on the same day, even though Dana's mother laughed at Ruth. Ruth's mother would make a point of visiting the Dickersons each year even though it was a long trip and as usual an uneventful, uncomfortable, and unfriendly occasion.
The book continued by describing the lives of the two families during the 1950's with the focus on the girls and their choices of careers and partners that of course had been affected by their family and childhood.
I really enjoyed the book...it was during the time I was a child, and I could relate to some of the situations...if you liked The Glass Castle, you will like this as well. My rating is a 5/5. Great story.
Flying dishes, prom gowns, red high-heeled shoes, embarrassing school days....what more could a child take.
Cee Cee Honeycutt lived with her parents who consisted of a mother who thought she missed out on life since she left her home town in Georgia to marry an older man and her father, an absent traveling salesman. Life didn't really turn out very well for anyone in the family, but once Cee Cee met Great Aunt Tootie, her life was something she never would have imagined.
Here is how she happened to be with Aunt Tootie.....one day as Cee Cee's mother was coming back from the Goodwill store wearing her newest prom gown, she absentmindedly ran into the street and was hit by an ice cream truck and died. Cee Cee was then moved to Savannah, Georgia, with her Great Aunt Tootie, but not before her loving neighbor, Mrs. Odell, told her about the Life Book we all have with pages that need to be turned when the time comes.
And what a page in Cee Cee's life was turned when she arrived in Savannah....loving people to surround her and protect her, especially Oletta, Aunt Tootie's cook, and of course Aunt Tootie who showered Cee Cee with hugs and affection that had been lacking in the previous twelve years of her life. Cee Cee’s unconventional neighbors and a beautiful home also helped add pages to her Life Book.
You will absolutely LOVE this book especially if you like sweet, nostalgic, heartwarming reads with a Southern charm...some of the scenes were laugh-out-loud and others brought tears to your eyes with the tenderness.
The characters were lovable and genuine. It is a beautiful, touching read...just like a BIG hug.
Going to end my review with a quote from Oletta, my favorite character: "Don’t go wastin’ all them bright tomorrows you ain’t even seen by hangin’ on to what happened yesterday. Let go, child. Just breathe out and let go.” Page 290 Cee Cee definitely had “bright” tomorrows to put in her Life Book thanks to all the loving women in her life.
Thanks, Miss Hoffman… This is going to be one of my all-time favorite books.
Wow...another remarkable read by Laura Lipmann. Ms. Lippman has excellent portrayals of the characters, a great storyline, and vivid descriptions of situations and gripping scenes. You can just feel the emotions of each character.
A perfect family, a tranquil life and then......after 20 years a letter arrives in the mail. Not a friendly letter, but one from someone you would not want to remember.
Eliza lives with her husband and two children in Maryland and has a secret from her teenage years that she wants to forget, but the letter brings the nightmare back and also brings a decision about whether to reply or just ignore the communication. After she makes a decision, a phone call from the sender, along with his continued, manipulative influence further complicates the situation.
We, the readers, relive Eliza's nightmare of the terror and control she had to endure as we also follow Eliza in her present life.
“There was a bond. He could make her do anything. Wasn’t that proof of something between them? He had granted her life.” Page 276
My rating is 5/5 �" you won’t want to put it down. It is pretty intense and frightening how someone could have such power over another human being.
"The chapel had been Dan's final project. One summer morning over his oatmeal he'd said, "I've got a bug to build myself a chapel. Nothing fancy, just a place to worship out of the rain." Page 9
Thanksgiving day, the oldest white oak tree on the Solomon property, a chapel built by Dan Solomon, a wedding, and now a foster child dealing with grief just like Glory Solomon.
Glory had to do something since Dan died...her savings was gone, and her part-time job didn't really pay the bills.
One day she was asked/begged if a wedding and a reception could be held in the chapel that Dan had built. Glory hesitated and then decided the $3,000 she would get would definitely help pay the bills that were mounting. The wedding party wanted a Thanksgiving dinner and also a reception with a pirate theme and a sword fight.
The wedding was a huge success and brought a few surprises as well.....a former policeman who happened to be photographing the oak tree and a new foster child that unknown to Glory had some connection to her family dog. The connection was too close to home, and Juniper wasn't going to be too bad to have around or so she thought, so Glory told Caroline she would keep the new foster child.
Joseph the policeman was also pretty interesting...his grandmother had lived a few miles down the road from Glory when Joseph was a child, and he remembered the oak trees of California and especially the one on the Solomon property.
Solomon's Oak told the life stories of the three main characters who definitely fit and worked well together even though the connection was through their misfortunes. The book was a cozy read for me...family life, real-life situations, talents we all have hiding inside and waiting to emerge, and just plain heartfelt warmth in the book.
You will fall in love with Glory, Juniper will drive you crazy, and Joseph's patience will amaze you.
Enjoy the book....I definitely did. Solomon’s Oak was very touching….it will make you smile, it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will restore your faith in mankind’s goodness.
5/5
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silversolara has commented on (16) products.
Grip: A Memoir of Fierce Attractions by Nina Hamberg
silversolara, September 23, 2011
GRIP....the perfect title for this beautifully and very well-written memoir. The intense situations also add meaning and clarification to the title.Nina Hamburg allows you into her life letting you feel her desires, her trepidation, her decisions, and her retrospect. You will follow her through all the good and bad of her life feeling her pain and wondering what you would do in similar circumstances.
The intensity of the novel will keep your interest, and you will respect Nina for her resiliency and strength. It is a powerful story of a life spent looking for love. She had to look hard for love and usually found it, but the love she found was usually a struggle. The day of her wedding to Lee seemed to be the time she did find love...her wedding and her vows were very touching and beautiful, but that didn't last long.
I admire Nina for her strength and her determination at finding love and releasing the lifetime demons she struggled with. I also admire her for her commitment to David and the happiness they share.
I enjoyed the book......the writing was absolutely phenomenal even though the subject matter was quite intense. 4/5
The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard
silversolara, August 16, 2011
silversolara.blogspot.comWhat a heartwarming, cozy, feel good read.....a sweet, nostalgic book...but with all good things there usually are regrets, heartbreak, and secrets. I really enjoyed this book...you will be surprised at who/what the "good daughters" turn out to be and will also learn some fun agricultural facts about fruits and vegetables.
Dana and Ruth were born on the same day, but they came from two completely different backgrounds. Dana Dickerson had a childhood that wasn't stable, and Ruth Plank had one that was totally what a childhood should be. Dana's parents were flighty, moved around, and their father never held a job for too long...her mother was an artist and acted as though she didn't even have any children. Dana actually never even called her parents Mom and Dad. Ruth's parents were very down to earth, had a farm to take care of, made sure their children were taken care of, and were called Mom and Dad.
Ruth's mother felt some sort of kinship with Dana's mother since their children were both born on the same day, even though Dana's mother laughed at Ruth. Ruth's mother would make a point of visiting the Dickersons each year even though it was a long trip and as usual an uneventful, uncomfortable, and unfriendly occasion.
The book continued by describing the lives of the two families during the 1950's with the focus on the girls and their choices of careers and partners that of course had been affected by their family and childhood.
I really enjoyed the book...it was during the time I was a child, and I could relate to some of the situations...if you liked The Glass Castle, you will like this as well. My rating is a 5/5. Great story.
Saving Ceecee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
silversolara, August 16, 2011
silversolara.blogspot.comFlying dishes, prom gowns, red high-heeled shoes, embarrassing school days....what more could a child take.
Cee Cee Honeycutt lived with her parents who consisted of a mother who thought she missed out on life since she left her home town in Georgia to marry an older man and her father, an absent traveling salesman. Life didn't really turn out very well for anyone in the family, but once Cee Cee met Great Aunt Tootie, her life was something she never would have imagined.
Here is how she happened to be with Aunt Tootie.....one day as Cee Cee's mother was coming back from the Goodwill store wearing her newest prom gown, she absentmindedly ran into the street and was hit by an ice cream truck and died. Cee Cee was then moved to Savannah, Georgia, with her Great Aunt Tootie, but not before her loving neighbor, Mrs. Odell, told her about the Life Book we all have with pages that need to be turned when the time comes.
And what a page in Cee Cee's life was turned when she arrived in Savannah....loving people to surround her and protect her, especially Oletta, Aunt Tootie's cook, and of course Aunt Tootie who showered Cee Cee with hugs and affection that had been lacking in the previous twelve years of her life. Cee Cee’s unconventional neighbors and a beautiful home also helped add pages to her Life Book.
You will absolutely LOVE this book especially if you like sweet, nostalgic, heartwarming reads with a Southern charm...some of the scenes were laugh-out-loud and others brought tears to your eyes with the tenderness.
The characters were lovable and genuine. It is a beautiful, touching read...just like a BIG hug.
Going to end my review with a quote from Oletta, my favorite character: "Don’t go wastin’ all them bright tomorrows you ain’t even seen by hangin’ on to what happened yesterday. Let go, child. Just breathe out and let go.” Page 290 Cee Cee definitely had “bright” tomorrows to put in her Life Book thanks to all the loving women in her life.
Thanks, Miss Hoffman… This is going to be one of my all-time favorite books.
I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
silversolara, August 16, 2011
silversolara.blogspot.comWow...another remarkable read by Laura Lipmann. Ms. Lippman has excellent portrayals of the characters, a great storyline, and vivid descriptions of situations and gripping scenes. You can just feel the emotions of each character.
A perfect family, a tranquil life and then......after 20 years a letter arrives in the mail. Not a friendly letter, but one from someone you would not want to remember.
Eliza lives with her husband and two children in Maryland and has a secret from her teenage years that she wants to forget, but the letter brings the nightmare back and also brings a decision about whether to reply or just ignore the communication. After she makes a decision, a phone call from the sender, along with his continued, manipulative influence further complicates the situation.
We, the readers, relive Eliza's nightmare of the terror and control she had to endure as we also follow Eliza in her present life.
“There was a bond. He could make her do anything. Wasn’t that proof of something between them? He had granted her life.” Page 276
My rating is 5/5 �" you won’t want to put it down. It is pretty intense and frightening how someone could have such power over another human being.
Solomon's Oak by Jo-ann Mapson
silversolara, August 16, 2011
silversolara.blogspot.com"The chapel had been Dan's final project. One summer morning over his oatmeal he'd said, "I've got a bug to build myself a chapel. Nothing fancy, just a place to worship out of the rain." Page 9
Thanksgiving day, the oldest white oak tree on the Solomon property, a chapel built by Dan Solomon, a wedding, and now a foster child dealing with grief just like Glory Solomon.
Glory had to do something since Dan died...her savings was gone, and her part-time job didn't really pay the bills.
One day she was asked/begged if a wedding and a reception could be held in the chapel that Dan had built. Glory hesitated and then decided the $3,000 she would get would definitely help pay the bills that were mounting. The wedding party wanted a Thanksgiving dinner and also a reception with a pirate theme and a sword fight.
The wedding was a huge success and brought a few surprises as well.....a former policeman who happened to be photographing the oak tree and a new foster child that unknown to Glory had some connection to her family dog. The connection was too close to home, and Juniper wasn't going to be too bad to have around or so she thought, so Glory told Caroline she would keep the new foster child.
Joseph the policeman was also pretty interesting...his grandmother had lived a few miles down the road from Glory when Joseph was a child, and he remembered the oak trees of California and especially the one on the Solomon property.
Solomon's Oak told the life stories of the three main characters who definitely fit and worked well together even though the connection was through their misfortunes. The book was a cozy read for me...family life, real-life situations, talents we all have hiding inside and waiting to emerge, and just plain heartfelt warmth in the book.
You will fall in love with Glory, Juniper will drive you crazy, and Joseph's patience will amaze you.
Enjoy the book....I definitely did. Solomon’s Oak was very touching….it will make you smile, it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will restore your faith in mankind’s goodness.
5/5
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