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heathercottledillon's review against another edition
3.0
I love the characters: they are real and flawed but totally lovable. However, the plot is too slow for me.
knuckledown's review against another edition
5.0
This novel was written eighteen years (wow!) after Joe Jones, which becomes apparent when I look at the maturation in Lamott's prose style. This novel relies less on reference (although I loved her use of it in Joe Jones) and had a vaguely more traditional format. This was not a negative quality since the same Free spirit is present in all her work. Her style remained fragmented, a collection of moments that create a true portrait of life.
Again the main character gathers around her a makeshift family, although this one includes several family members by blood. I liked the edition of the familial element because Lamott has a lot to say on the subject. Her keen observations about children could only come from a mother. A sense of spirituality permeated this novel as well, and perhaps more openly because Mattie was a faithful churchgoer. Still, Lamott provides a refreshingly real image of everyday Christians who are flawed enough to ring true. In the end, I wanted to thank God for the whole crazy world.
Again the main character gathers around her a makeshift family, although this one includes several family members by blood. I liked the edition of the familial element because Lamott has a lot to say on the subject. Her keen observations about children could only come from a mother. A sense of spirituality permeated this novel as well, and perhaps more openly because Mattie was a faithful churchgoer. Still, Lamott provides a refreshingly real image of everyday Christians who are flawed enough to ring true. In the end, I wanted to thank God for the whole crazy world.
frostap's review against another edition
2.0
I really like Lamott's book on writing (Bird by Bird) and expected this to, I don't know, be well-written? Alas. The characters were lame and whiny and selfish (and not in a good "learn from this" kind of way). I didn't care about the protagonist and kept wishing she'd grow a backbone. The blue shoe motif seemed like an afterthought at best. The whole thing was incredibly unsatisfying; no one changed at all, for better or worse (though Mattie did stop sleeping with her ex-husband, so I guess that's growth-ish?). This was a NYT bestseller, so maybe I just missed the point?
taurustorus's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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
3.5
applegnreads's review against another edition
2.0
I was extremely ambivalent about this book. Whiny main character.
thukpa's review against another edition
4.0
One word: serendipity. Long story! Will have to tell it later.
sarahenn's review against another edition
2.0
ugh.... this book is pretty crappy :/ i couldn't even finish it. i'm particularly disappointed because i looove anne lamott. she should stay away from fiction.....
julieb118's review against another edition
3.0
This was probably 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for me. This was such a weird book. Total identity crisis. Didn’t know if it was a book about getting life back
Together after divorce, dealing with an aging parent or weird family mysteries. It had so many plot lines. There were a few things that really bothered me. The kids were not very realistically presented. The mom not putting the daughter in therapy for her self harm stuff and then the mom starts talking about poking her scalp until it bleeds. That was all just weird. There were parts of the book I liked but overall not a great read.
Oh and the blue shoe itself. Never any understanding at all how it really tied in. I mean, it is explained in a sense but no real justification of why this dime store toy is this crazy important item.
Together after divorce, dealing with an aging parent or weird family mysteries. It had so many plot lines. There were a few things that really bothered me. The kids were not very realistically presented. The mom not putting the daughter in therapy for her self harm stuff and then the mom starts talking about poking her scalp until it bleeds. That was all just weird. There were parts of the book I liked but overall not a great read.
Oh and the blue shoe itself. Never any understanding at all how it really tied in. I mean, it is explained in a sense but no real justification of why this dime store toy is this crazy important item.
asurges's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes I love Anne Lamott more than others. I gotta testify that I'm uneasy with religion in general, and my uneasiness with Lamott's writing is directly in proportion to her ease with Christianity, which seems to be increasing over the years.
However. When I first read this book--about a woman raising her two kids and her mom, who has dementia (which is what Lamott's mother had)--I kinda hated the characters. The kids are especially galling. But I've been kind of stressed out, and when I'm stressed out and am tired of eating junk food, I turn to books I've read before, and this was certainly the case with this one.
To my surprise, on this reading, I ended up loving Lamott's writing. The writing is beautiful and succinct: "He seemed so constrained, so neatly trimmed, someone who'd been doing topiary with his soul all his life." On describing an iguana the main character hates: "He's like an elegant and vaguely hostile scrap of leather."
It's also very funny, like, make you laugh out loud. The characters are wholly imperfect people, which is very soothing.
However. When I first read this book--about a woman raising her two kids and her mom, who has dementia (which is what Lamott's mother had)--I kinda hated the characters. The kids are especially galling. But I've been kind of stressed out, and when I'm stressed out and am tired of eating junk food, I turn to books I've read before, and this was certainly the case with this one.
To my surprise, on this reading, I ended up loving Lamott's writing. The writing is beautiful and succinct: "He seemed so constrained, so neatly trimmed, someone who'd been doing topiary with his soul all his life." On describing an iguana the main character hates: "He's like an elegant and vaguely hostile scrap of leather."
It's also very funny, like, make you laugh out loud. The characters are wholly imperfect people, which is very soothing.
princessgranola's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.25
I adore Lamott. This isn’t my favorite of hers but she could have plucked so many of these words straight from my thoughts. I feel seen when I read her work.