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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
This was a great book. Enjoyable with genuinely like able characters. Interesting look at dust bowl Kansas.
This book was surprisingly enjoyable. When I pick up a small book like this, I often question its depth. This novel had enough detail and thought to make you continue to read. Queenie is a very likable main character. She wants to please everyone and be friendly to all. I can relate to her need to make someone new (Rita) feel at home as she continues to show her older friends that she is still part of their group. I always longed for the rural town feel. In this novel, we have a sense of the good and the bad of that. Everyone knows everyone and newcomers have to strive to find their place. I really enjoyed the way this book meandered through a slice of life, drama, and mystery all in one. It was a very pleasing read and especially recommended for those short on reading time like myself.
I read this for the first time in 1997 and remembered liking it but not much about the plot. It's a gem of a book, really. Dallas manages to give us an easy read, short and sweet (for the most part) but doesn't leave out much by way of details in the telling. The dark side of the story is quite unexpected but so delightful - just when you think it's going to be a plodding, rather uneventful (and maybe even sappy) story of female friendships, there's suddenly an element of mystery and suspense that engages you immediately and propels you through the rest of the story. I feel there is one major loose end (which will be a spoiler if I get into it here) but it's not enough to ruin my overall opinion of the book.
This was a sweet and more lighthearted book club book. It is about a group of poor women who are living in Kansas during the dust bowl. They get together and sew beautiful quilts every week. There is gossip, family craziness, accepting the outsiders, and even a murder mystery to solve. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the questions it raised. How far would you go to protect your friends' livelihood and secrets. I recommend this book to others for sure. Because it's a short one, it's easy to read quickly and get immersed in.
PS- the term "persian pickle" is another term for the paisley prints on fabric that are very familiar and intricate.
PS- the term "persian pickle" is another term for the paisley prints on fabric that are very familiar and intricate.
This book, in places, had me chuckling. There was only a small part that sort of bored me. Turns out a paisley print was called "Persian Pickle". Queenie Bean was a very nice, young farm wife and I liked her a lot...all the characters were likable in their own way.
Kind of a silly plot and silly characters...still worth reading.
I'm glad my sister recommended this book. It was quite enjoyable and a quick read.
This book basically teaches us that it’s OK to murder someone as long as we can oddly justify it and falsely accuse a vulnerable member of society who has no voice in the narrative. Hard pass.
I get why this book was well loved 25 years ago, but we’ve learned too much since then. The elitist characters in the book are frustrating and share no real struggle outside of the gossip they create amongst themselves and some caricature-like health issues. The story gains momentum when two of the characters experience a sexual assault, but follow up events lack substance and empathy for the victims.
The only character with any depth is Ella, the victim of domestic abuse who the women of the group ultimately gather behind. It’s a sweet concept, but definitely doesn’t age well.
I get why this book was well loved 25 years ago, but we’ve learned too much since then. The elitist characters in the book are frustrating and share no real struggle outside of the gossip they create amongst themselves and some caricature-like health issues. The story gains momentum when two of the characters experience a sexual assault, but follow up events lack substance and empathy for the victims.
The only character with any depth is Ella, the victim of domestic abuse who the women of the group ultimately gather behind. It’s a sweet concept, but definitely doesn’t age well.
This was a fun, quick read. I enjoyed the main character and the dialogue between her and the other club members. The message of friendship and loyalty was endearing. There were a lot of things about this book that I liked. However, when I finished it, I was left thinking, "Well, that was a bit odd." I understand the "whys", but I was left with questions about the characters' honesty. Maybe it's because I understand the justifications that I was left wondering if the cover-up was truly necessary. I still enjoyed it and thought the writing painted an interesting picture of depression era life and the strength of women.
The Persian Pickle Club was just a mediocre read for me, although the rest of the members of my book club liked it. I thought that the writing was over-simplified, and I know that part of the reason for this impression was that there was a lot of back and forth everyday dialogue about things inconsequential to the plot (and a lot of folksy Southern speech).
My guess is that this was one of those friendship club books that got churned out after the Ya-Ya book gained popularity (even though this book is set in an earlier era). Also, there was a lot of quilting in the story, and much gushing over different quilting styles and blankets, and I don’t quilt so this was wasted on me. I didn’t hate the story, but I wouldn’t have finished it had it not been for book club.
To top it all off, the ending seemed odd. It didn’t really fit with the tone of the rest of the story, and I can’t really discuss it without giving away spoilers, but wasn’t a satisfying ending to me. There were a couple of funny moments in the story which keep me from giving this book a lower rating, but the more I think about it, the more I dislike the book.
My guess is that this was one of those friendship club books that got churned out after the Ya-Ya book gained popularity (even though this book is set in an earlier era). Also, there was a lot of quilting in the story, and much gushing over different quilting styles and blankets, and I don’t quilt so this was wasted on me. I didn’t hate the story, but I wouldn’t have finished it had it not been for book club.
To top it all off, the ending seemed odd. It didn’t really fit with the tone of the rest of the story, and I can’t really discuss it without giving away spoilers, but wasn’t a satisfying ending to me. There were a couple of funny moments in the story which keep me from giving this book a lower rating, but the more I think about it, the more I dislike the book.