Argus Comunica Comunica itibaren Ladyzhyns'ke, Vinnyts'ka oblast, Ukrayna
I have a habit of being more critical of books and movies that are recommended to me, and this book fell into that category. So, I definitely started this one on the lookout for why I wouldn't like it (I didn't say it was a good habit). I did find the dialogue and some of the language a bit contrived in the beginning, and I was aware of it being the product of the author's imagination. However, not far into the book, I became lost in it. Part of it was the storyline, but a big part of it was the emotions evoked during reading. Though I have never been in the exact situation as the characters (which I will not give away here), reading this book was in many ways like reading about my own family and trying to understand a past that was unknowable to me at the time--not the specifics of the past, but the secrets and dynamics of each person involved that created that past. I'm not sure that will make sense to anyone who has not read the book (and maybe not even to those who have). Anyway, it really made me more compassionate for those who have played a major role in my own life and for myself. It reinforced what I already had realized: sometimes choices are made that are self-serving, but at (most?) other times they are made from a purely emotional level (which, at the root, is usually fear)--often with the intention of doing what is best for others, but with unintended and unforeseen, and often negative, consequences. How much of life's pain is a result of someone trying to save themselves or someone else from (emotional) pain and/or from not looking at it? Usually, I do not like fiction that is too life-like, as I often read as a type of escape, but in the case of The Memory Keeper's Daughter, I found the humanity of the characters and the not-so-perfect resolution to be refreshing and almost therapeutic.
A sweet book about growing up and relationships. I knew before I read it that it was for a younger crowd, but this book has been known for a lot of controversy and is even banned in places. I think it broached the topic of sex in a simple way that didn't put a lot of pressure on the audience. I would have rated it higher if I had a read it when I was younger.
My mom's cookbooks - the ones she creates for her children and friends - are a bit like this. Stories of vinegar pie, followed by pie recipes, for example (vinegar pie is a tradition in my family - the story, not so much the recipe)...and lots of stories about my grandmother. Bonny Wolf is from Minneapolis so there were some overlaps with my experience of summers in Minneapolis. Pronto pups, for example, were a summer tradition. I enjoyed most the chapter on Toast - probably because I agree with her description of the Best Toast. When we lived in Idaho, without electricity, I think the toaster was what we missed - at least 2nd most (first was probably the hot water and pressure of a real shower). My children understand the importance of having a toaster, which I see as a sign of some parental success.
Aisling attends an otherworld conference and gets dragged into not only murder but a dragon conference. I loved the interaction between Aisling and Jim and caught myself laughing out loud a few times. Can't wait to start the next book in the series.