2012 Puddly Awards
 
 
Follow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on Google+Follow us on TumblrSubscribe to RSS


Recently Viewed clear list


Guests | May 22, 2012

James Bernard Frost: IMG I'm a Writer... Now What Do I Do with My Life?



For everyone I know who is a writer, there was some awkward time in their lives when they had to learn to call themselves one. You'd make a few... Continue »
  1. $13.97 Sale Trade Paper add to wish list

    A Very Minor Prophet

    James Bernard Frost 9780983304982

spacer
Ships free on qualified orders.
$17.50
Used Hardcover
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist
Qty Store Section
3 Local Warehouse Literature- A to Z

eBook editions

Imperfect Birds

by Anne Lamott

Imperfect Birds Cover

ISBN13: 9781594487514
ISBN10: 1594487510
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

Only 3 left in stock at $17.50!

 

Staff Pick

Lamott's down-to-earth language reveals the inner workings of a modern family to wonderful effect, exposing hidden addictions and quiet loves with equal aplomb, and showing a palpable, non-judgmental fondness for every character.
Recommended by Nathan W., Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

A powerful and redemptive novel of love and family, from the author of the bestselling Blue Shoe, Grace (Eventually), and Operating Instructions.

Rosie Ferguson is seventeen and ready to enjoy the summer before her senior year of high school. She's intelligent — she aced AP physics; athletic — a former state-ranked tennis doubles champion; and beautiful. She is, in short, everything her mother, Elizabeth, hoped she could be. The family's move to Landsdale, with stepfather James in tow, hadn't been as bumpy as Elizabeth feared.

But as the school year draws to a close, there are disturbing signs that the life Rosie claims to be leading is a sham, and that Elizabeth's hopes for her daughter to remain immune from the pull of the darker impulses of drugs and alcohol are dashed. Slowly and against their will, Elizabeth and James are forced to confront the fact that Rosie has been lying to them — and that her deceptions will have profound consequences.

This is Anne Lamott's most honest and heartrending novel yet, exploring our human quest for connection and salvation as it reveals the traps that can befall all of us.

Review:

"Rosie Ferguson, the young heroine of Lamott's Rosie and Crooked Little Heart, almost succumbs to the drug culture in this unsparing look at teenagers and parents who walk the tightrope between all-encompassing love and impotent fury. The former tennis star is now a straight-A high school senior, living with her mother, Elizabeth, and stepfather, James, in Marin County. Elizabeth, still susceptible to emotional breakdowns and fighting lapses into alcoholism, is acutely aware of Rosie's vulnerability, and she and James are vigilant in watching Rosie's behavior, knowing, as everyone does, that drug deals go down in the town's central square, and that the kids are drinking, sexually active, and aligned against their parents. Lamott captures this gestalt with her distinctive mixture of warmth, humor, and sensitivity to volatile emotional equilibrium, going laser-sharp into teen mindsets: the craving for secrecy and excitement, the thrill of flaunting the law and parental rules. Eventually forced to confront Rosie's peril and its potentially marriage-destroying power, Elizabeth and James take decisive action and risk their family. Straddling a line between heartwarming and heartbreaking, this novel is Lamott at her most witty, observant, and psychologically astute." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"This is a hell of a book, tough and wonderful. A heartbreak and a heart- mender." Martin Cruz Smith, author of Gorky Park and The Golden Mile

Synopsis:

The bestselling author of Blue Shoe, Grace (Eventually), and Operating Instructions returns with her most honest and heartrending novel yet, in which she explores the human quest for connection and salvation, love and family.

Synopsis:

A powerful and redemptive novel of love and family-from the beloved bestselling author.

Seventeen-year-old Rosie Ferguson is smart, athletic, and beautiful- everything her mother, Elizabeth, and stepfather, James, hoped she would be. But as the school year draws to a close, there are disturbing signs that the well-adjusted teenage life that Rosie claims to be leading is a sham. Slowly and painfully, Elizabeth and James are forced to confront the fact that Rosie has been lying to them-and that her deceptions have profound consequences for them all. Imperfect Birds is Anne Lamott's most honest and heartrending novel, exploring our human quest for connection and salvation as it exposes the traps that life-and we-set for ourselves.

About the Author

Anne Lamott is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Grace (Eventually), Plan B, Traveling Mercies and Operating Instructions, as well as seven novels, including Rosie and Crooked Little Heart. A past recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, she lives in Northern California.

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!
Average customer rating based on 8 comments:

mkeyser, January 25, 2011 (view all comments by mkeyser)
It was good, not too engrossing, with people who acted like "real people" that made me want to come back to them. And it is refreshing to read a novel with a teen who uses drugs who is not portrayed as either "perfectly normal - that's what all kids do" or some kind of demon. It was written with balance and awareness of real life.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
jnyanydots, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by jnyanydots)
Insightful, witty and heartwarming. A welcome sequel to Rosie and Crooked Little Heart.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
Allstar, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by Allstar)
Entertaining and gently encouraging.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
View all 8 comments

Product Details

ISBN:
9781594487514
Author:
Lamott, Anne
Publisher:
Riverhead Books
Subject:
Literary
Subject:
Domestic fiction
Subject:
Psychological fiction
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Copyright:
Edition Description:
B-Hardcover
Publication Date:
20100431
Binding:
HARDCOVER
Grade Level:
from 12
Language:
English
Pages:
288
Dimensions:
9.32x6.36x1.01 in. 1.04 lbs.
Age Level:
18-17

Other books you might like

  1. $9.99 Google eBooks add to wish list

    The Known World

    Edward P. Jones 9780061746369

Related Subjects

Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z
Languages » Foreign Languages » Spanish » Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z
Languages » Foreign Languages » Spanish » Fiction and Poetry » Literature » Family Life

Imperfect Birds Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$17.50 In Stock
Product details 288 pages Riverhead Hardcover - English 9781594487514 Reviews:
"Staff Pick" by ,

Lamott's down-to-earth language reveals the inner workings of a modern family to wonderful effect, exposing hidden addictions and quiet loves with equal aplomb, and showing a palpable, non-judgmental fondness for every character.

"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Rosie Ferguson, the young heroine of Lamott's Rosie and Crooked Little Heart, almost succumbs to the drug culture in this unsparing look at teenagers and parents who walk the tightrope between all-encompassing love and impotent fury. The former tennis star is now a straight-A high school senior, living with her mother, Elizabeth, and stepfather, James, in Marin County. Elizabeth, still susceptible to emotional breakdowns and fighting lapses into alcoholism, is acutely aware of Rosie's vulnerability, and she and James are vigilant in watching Rosie's behavior, knowing, as everyone does, that drug deals go down in the town's central square, and that the kids are drinking, sexually active, and aligned against their parents. Lamott captures this gestalt with her distinctive mixture of warmth, humor, and sensitivity to volatile emotional equilibrium, going laser-sharp into teen mindsets: the craving for secrecy and excitement, the thrill of flaunting the law and parental rules. Eventually forced to confront Rosie's peril and its potentially marriage-destroying power, Elizabeth and James take decisive action and risk their family. Straddling a line between heartwarming and heartbreaking, this novel is Lamott at her most witty, observant, and psychologically astute." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review" by , "This is a hell of a book, tough and wonderful. A heartbreak and a heart- mender."
"Synopsis" by , The bestselling author of Blue Shoe, Grace (Eventually), and Operating Instructions returns with her most honest and heartrending novel yet, in which she explores the human quest for connection and salvation, love and family.
"Synopsis" by ,
A powerful and redemptive novel of love and family-from the beloved bestselling author.

Seventeen-year-old Rosie Ferguson is smart, athletic, and beautiful- everything her mother, Elizabeth, and stepfather, James, hoped she would be. But as the school year draws to a close, there are disturbing signs that the well-adjusted teenage life that Rosie claims to be leading is a sham. Slowly and painfully, Elizabeth and James are forced to confront the fact that Rosie has been lying to them-and that her deceptions have profound consequences for them all. Imperfect Birds is Anne Lamott's most honest and heartrending novel, exploring our human quest for connection and salvation as it exposes the traps that life-and we-set for ourselves.

spacer
spacer
  • back to top
Follow us on...



Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.