sonboninsc's review against another edition
3.0
Somewhat confusing as all the women had very similar names. I was constantly flipping to the family tree and to the table of contents to figure out who was who and when. It kept me interested enough to finish it. I generally like stories that span generations. I'm not sure I would necessarily recommend this as a good read though.
mollyfischfriedman's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked the concept of this book - tracing a family's history through the women in the family. I also appreciated the different voices that the author was able to create for each woman. However, because each chapter was a snapshot into the life of one of the characters, sometimes it felt as though there were details that I was missing to really understand what was going on. Also, each character was flawed in particular ways, which while interesting and perhaps true to life, was not necessarily what I anticipated when I picked up the book. That being said, the book picked up after about the halfway point, and I did enjoy reading it.
vanessammc's review against another edition
3.0
Strong, powerful story, not necessarily groundbreaking in its depiction of dissatisfied women with communication issues who made decisions in their lives that later left them longing for something (which to different characters could include career/success, freedom for artistic expression, meaningful relationships/partnerships, education, stronger family bonds, parental figures, answers to life's questions...) I selected three stars because I liked that there is lots to discuss about these characters, yet in the end, it doesn't hold much hope or promise.
runkefer's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not crazy about the linked stories format. I prefer an actual story rather than pieces of a story. The individual narratives here, though, are so well-crafted that I enjoyed it anyway. Walbert seems to zoom in and out through a century's history effortlessly, showing the effects of society on women's lives and vice versa.
lindseyloeper's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the structure of this book, short stories from women across several generations of a family. There's no big resolution at the end but that felt appropriate.
joypouros's review against another edition
2.0
This was a disappointing read that didn't live up to its promise.
I didn't care for the writing style. I know some people do, but I don't like needing to concentrate on the act of reading in order to understand what's going on. Some call it lyrical, I find it pretentious.
And that's also how I found the book to be - pretentious. Perhaps I don't get it, but it seemed like the author was trying to ironically or sardonically capture each generation. We don't know enough about any character to really understand any of them, yet the author acts as though she's given us enough information. She seems to mock each character within her writing.
I presumed, based on the book blurb, that the generations were living with weight of the original Dorothy's legacy, but one generation was unaware of that legacy until later in life, and another generation seems nearly entirely unaffected. There is simply not much information, not much point, to anyone's story.
I didn't care for the writing style. I know some people do, but I don't like needing to concentrate on the act of reading in order to understand what's going on. Some call it lyrical, I find it pretentious.
And that's also how I found the book to be - pretentious. Perhaps I don't get it, but it seemed like the author was trying to ironically or sardonically capture each generation. We don't know enough about any character to really understand any of them, yet the author acts as though she's given us enough information. She seems to mock each character within her writing.
I presumed, based on the book blurb, that the generations were living with weight of the original Dorothy's legacy, but one generation was unaware of that legacy until later in life, and another generation seems nearly entirely unaffected. There is simply not much information, not much point, to anyone's story.
mamasquirrel's review against another edition
3.0
Abrupt. That is the word I would use to describe this book. It begins abruptly, it ends abruptly and the small windows we get into each woman's life are also abrupt. But there were some lovely poignant thoughts on the changing role of women throughout the twentieth century, and on relationships between mothers and daughters.
Whereas I think Walbert's foremost intent was to discuss women's changing roles vis-a-vis first and second wave of feminism, I thought the mother/daughter relationship was the stronger theme of the book, particularly as the last (abrupt) scene brings the story full circle to the beginning of the book, bringing reconciliation and healing.
An interesting and rather quick read.
Whereas I think Walbert's foremost intent was to discuss women's changing roles vis-a-vis first and second wave of feminism, I thought the mother/daughter relationship was the stronger theme of the book, particularly as the last (abrupt) scene brings the story full circle to the beginning of the book, bringing reconciliation and healing.
An interesting and rather quick read.
ivysarah11's review against another edition
3.0
My favorite character was Evelyn Charlotte Townsend, though I also enjoyed the brief sections from Caroline Townsend Barrett Deel and her daughter Dora. This was a pretty good read, though at times it got so caught up in emotional and sociological narrative that the effect was dampened.
srogan88's review against another edition
3.0
The fact that every other woman down the family tree had the same name made it a bit hard to keep everyone straight. Additionally, the book jumps around in time from woman to woman. Still, a lot of interesting character development.