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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
This is a book about growing up, particularly about girls' growing up.
I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, perhaps they just resonate with me more. Although I took one star off for the whole book, I know some stories will stay with me forever.
I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, perhaps they just resonate with me more. Although I took one star off for the whole book, I know some stories will stay with me forever.
A no for me. 2/9 of the stories were somewhat interesting to me but everything else was boring.
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
I'm so happy I discovered Julie Orringer's work. Some of the stories were obviously better than others, but overall this collection was quite wonderful. I especially enjoyed reading "Note to Sixth-Grade Self" and "The Isabel Fish".
Read it. Some stories obviously shine over others...but the writing itself is unbelievable, poignant and true. Read it.
Strong collection of stories about children and young women grappling with friendship, religion, and more. Orringer has created characters in worlds you can imagine. I was surprised how long ago this was written.
Some of these really hit a nerve with me. Isobel Fish is probably one of the best short stories I have read.
Pilgrims and What We Save really captured cancer - you don't really understand how bad it is or what it means, all you see is people become less or who they were. And they don't come back. Care and Note to a Sixth-Grader Self were beautiful. The last story Stations of the cross was incredible.
I don't think it's going to translate well to men though. The stories dealing with the youngest girls were the most influential for me while the stories dealing with girls in their twenties were probably too close to my current outlook on life for me to appreciate it with a clouded nostalgic tone - maybe I'll try those again in ten years.
Pilgrims and What We Save really captured cancer - you don't really understand how bad it is or what it means, all you see is people become less or who they were. And they don't come back. Care and Note to a Sixth-Grader Self were beautiful. The last story Stations of the cross was incredible.
I don't think it's going to translate well to men though. The stories dealing with the youngest girls were the most influential for me while the stories dealing with girls in their twenties were probably too close to my current outlook on life for me to appreciate it with a clouded nostalgic tone - maybe I'll try those again in ten years.
5 stars. This is truly a beautifully-written book. I found myself reading the stories ever more slowly to make the book last longer.
//2020 update. Downgraded. It just didn't hit at all the same for me this time around, and several of the stories were depressing and even a little disturbing.
//2020 update. Downgraded. It just didn't hit at all the same for me this time around, and several of the stories were depressing and even a little disturbing.
These stories explore the different ways people deal with trauma and loss. Orringer's characters are mostly children/teens, but even her grown-ups don't have things figured out much better. Mostly these stories take place in the 1990s, based on the absence of cell phones and on how uninvolved the adults are in their children's lives. I can't tell if Orringer intends this as an indictment of Baby Boomers' parenting style, but that's how I read it.