Scan barcode
mozbolt's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the smooth writing and Addie's character, as well as the historical and cultural issues and perspectives of the early 1900s woven through the novel. I'd definitely recommend this as a starter for someone who wants to get into Historical Fiction!
jaclyncrupi's review against another edition
4.0
So sweet. Reads like a fictional how I met your (grand)father. Fast paced read with lively historical features and Boston-specific markings.
ok3's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The story had potential but it just felt very surface level and glib. For all that happened and all the main character dealt with, it really gave us nothing.
burningupasun's review against another edition
5.0
This was so good. I mean so, so good. The kind of good where you can't put it down and devour it in like just a few hours and then, even after you're done, you keep reaching for it to read more, but nope, you finished it! As I described it to a friend, it's like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn with a dash of Little Women, but with a Jewish family and less of the constant moral lessons. The story is of a grandmother telling her life story to her granddaughter, so really it's a first-person story (with little side-tracks like it's an actual conversation, which was so nice), about a young Jewish girl/woman growing up in Boston. I cried several times, and the whole thing was just so good and so lovely and I really don't know what else to say except READ IT.
ncostell's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
skynet666's review against another edition
3.0
Linda Lavin is a wonderful narrator and it was a good, interesting story, but nothing special.
megray1126's review against another edition
4.0
I haven't cried from a book in a while. The Boston Girl wasn't particularly sad, but something about it just tugged at my heartstrings. It was told as a story from a grandmother to her granddaughter about her life as a young Jewish girl growing up in Boston in the early 1900s. Even though it was set in a different century, I found most of the topics extremely relatable. As a young girl, the grandmother, Addie, struggled with her familial relations. Her mother wasn't the easiest to get along with, and her sisters were very different from her. But she found comfort in her friendships made at the Saturday Club. In her mid-twenties, she became more independent, which wasn't common for women back then. She had a job, lived on her own, and tried out dating. She experienced unexpected deaths, which only served to bring her and her sister closer. Addie told of how she slowly found her place in the world and how family became so important to her. I guess the end made me so emotional because Addie talked to her granddaughter about how much she missed her late husband, and how she wanted to still be around for her wedding. It made me think of my grandma. The way she described meeting her future husband kind of struck home with me, too. Overall, it was a really fantastic story about the strength of family, friendship, and love.
littledreamer7's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75