A Girl from Yamhill
3 journalers for this copy...
This beloved children's author shares her own childhood in Oregon and her start as a writer. Honesty, humor, sadness...
Sent to hotflash - part of a book relay.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
This book arrived so quickly!! Thank you. Another great find on BookRelay.com.AND, I love the San Francisco post card. One of these days I will actually get up there and see this wonderful city for myself.
(P.S. your books are packed and ready for the post :) )
Beverly Cleary's childhood began in the the tumultous post-WWI years and transition to young adulthood during the difficult years of the Great Depression. She came from strong, pioneer stock, which might have given her the genetic code necessary to endure the transition from the cocoon of small-town warmth and acceptance to the coldness and emotional isolation of being the new kid in school in a "big city". The change came at a difficult time: right at the beginning of her public school years and close to the beginning of a national, economic downturn. Cleary's once cheerful homelife became stressful; her father worn down and withdrawn; her mother overly obsessed with her one child meeting her rigid expectations.
Her life was hard, BUT, it wasn't interesting. Cleary tells her story flatly, almost in a monotone. She presents her school years in matter-of-fact detail, without much introspection, insight, wit, or humor. Her life certainly had its difficulties but it was not remarkable in any way. I think you would have to be a big fan of Cleary's childrens' books--none of which I have ever read--to be intersted enough in her life to really tuck into this book. I read it, and I finished it. But I didn't particularly enjoy it.
I'm glad she was able to overcome an unsupportive, critical mother to become a successful author as an adult. My guess is that her childrens' books are more fun to read than her childhood memoir !
Her life was hard, BUT, it wasn't interesting. Cleary tells her story flatly, almost in a monotone. She presents her school years in matter-of-fact detail, without much introspection, insight, wit, or humor. Her life certainly had its difficulties but it was not remarkable in any way. I think you would have to be a big fan of Cleary's childrens' books--none of which I have ever read--to be intersted enough in her life to really tuck into this book. I read it, and I finished it. But I didn't particularly enjoy it.
I'm glad she was able to overcome an unsupportive, critical mother to become a successful author as an adult. My guess is that her childrens' books are more fun to read than her childhood memoir !
I've decided to add this one to KateKintail's writing bookbox, which will be on its way to the next ring particpant early next week (Jan 16 or so).Here is the link to journal entries for this bookbox, so far:
http://bookcrossing.com/journal/4544085
Picked from the Writing Bookbox that arrived yesterday. I always loved her books as a kid, and I'm looking forward to reading the story of her life.
