mayrad's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.5
Beautifully written, unassuming and heartfelt story that takes us through the life of a young girl as she grows and becomes an adult and the many people in her life who shaped her, including her beloved brother.
tabea's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
beataf's review
informative
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? Yes
3.5
This is a novel in a series of vignettes summarizing a woman's life, from a childhood in pre-war Irish Brooklyn to a suburban adulthood. It's not the world's most interesting story, but it felt like seeing a colorized and maybe motion picture version of a black and white photo from the old times, with kids grinning next to a fire hydrant spewing water, or hearing stories from your grandma. The description of the community of her childhood and the living but childlike perspective on big things (immigration, mental health, the war, homophobia, the brutality of ob-gyn care in the 50s, personal suffering around body image) make you think. I think the relative plotlessness makes sense but I prefer a stronger structure, a conclusion of some kind.
notasilkycat's review against another edition
4.5
The whole life in one little book - we follow Marie, at first 7 years old girl, than a teenager, an young woman, a middle-aged woman, an old woman. This book is just a collection of some life scenes, so vivid, so beautifully written I was absolutely charmed by it. I can’t really remember when last time I was reluctant to finish a book because I wanted to stay with it a little bit longer.
reading_rainy's review
4.0
“My love for the child asleep in the crib, the child's need for me, for my vigilance, had made my life valuable in a way that even the most abundantly offered love, my parents', my brother's, even Tom's, had failed to do. Love was required of me now-to be given, not merely to be sought and returned.”
bgg616's review
5.0
I am giving this book 5 stars though it may be closer to 4 1/2. But there are many things in this slender book which tells a family story over 3 generations. The themes of alcoholism, secrets, mental illness are all there, and hidden, rarely named. While this is a common theme in stories centering on Irish Catholics, even though living outside of Ireland, and generations separated from Ireland, this was also a fact of live in the US until the 1970's.
iammandyellen's review
3.0
Indifferent. Surely even an average life contains, even if only for a short time, more wonder, less cynicism, more depth, more reflection.