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susiejo124's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book. I heard the author on NPR and her accent was so soothing to me and it reminded me of my family. I like the descriptions of where she grew up and the way she touches lightly on the tragedies in her life.
judyward's review against another edition
4.0
I've been a fan of Lee Smith's fiction for years and when I found out that she was appearing at one of my favorite bookstores, naturally I was in the audience. It was magic hearing Ms. Smith discuss her life growing up in Grundy, Virginia where her father owned the local dimestore. This memoir is as enjoyable as her fiction and allows the reader insights into a writer's life.
tschmitty's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
I enjoyed her childhood essays the most, I could feel her fondness of her father's dimestore through the pages.
jojokey's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
Good local read but all the essays weren't cohesive.
in2reading's review against another edition
4.0
A lovely book of autobiographical essays by a talented writer. My favorites were Goodbye to the Sunset Man, Blue Heaven and Angels Passing.
sewfrench's review against another edition
3.0
The first half I loved, it was all memoir and nostalgia. After setting the stage she moved on to what this book was really about, how she writes. How she writes through trauma, how other writers write through grief. Probably a book more enjoyed by authors.
When she told the story about the Stanley Brothers, I just about jumped out of my seat!!!
Not sorry I read this one. I am fascinated with the Appalachia people and their lives!
When she told the story about the Stanley Brothers, I just about jumped out of my seat!!!
Not sorry I read this one. I am fascinated with the Appalachia people and their lives!
saschadarlington's review against another edition
4.0
4 1/2 stars
Dimestore is a collection of essays by fiction writer, Lee Smith, linked together to form a memoir. The essays discuss her early years, describe her family, and the way of life in Grundy, Virginia, a town on the banks of a river prone to flooding.
While the reminiscences of her early life, which encompass most of the essays at the beginning of Dimestore, are interesting, it isn’t until later essays which talk about her son, Josh, and his struggle with schizophrenia, and her identity as a writer that I felt her writing really shine. The prose sparkles.
read more: https://saschadarlington.me/2017/07/30/review-of-dimestore/
Dimestore is a collection of essays by fiction writer, Lee Smith, linked together to form a memoir. The essays discuss her early years, describe her family, and the way of life in Grundy, Virginia, a town on the banks of a river prone to flooding.
While the reminiscences of her early life, which encompass most of the essays at the beginning of Dimestore, are interesting, it isn’t until later essays which talk about her son, Josh, and his struggle with schizophrenia, and her identity as a writer that I felt her writing really shine. The prose sparkles.
read more: https://saschadarlington.me/2017/07/30/review-of-dimestore/
quietjenn's review against another edition
3.0
Not quite what I was expecting - this is more a collection of essays than a straight up memoir. I do think the essays that focus on her youth are the strongest and most interesting, although there is much that is very affecting from her later life. Alas, I think it feels a bit repetitive and padded out a bit and there were one or two that didn't work for me at all. It's definitely made me want to read other things by Smith, though, as well as a few other titles she mentions in passing.
hld's review against another edition
4.0
** Thank you to Algonquin Books for providing this advance reading copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway program **
This memoir in the form of short stories gives the reader a glimpse of author Lee Smith’s life from growing up in the small town of Grundy, Virginia set deep in the Appalachian Mountains, through her adult life mostly spent in and around the college town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. If you are interested in knowing more about the author Lee Smith, I recommend this book; if you are interested in knowing more about the writing life, I recommend this book; if you are interested in beautiful, lyrical, entertaining stories, I recommend this book.
This memoir in the form of short stories gives the reader a glimpse of author Lee Smith’s life from growing up in the small town of Grundy, Virginia set deep in the Appalachian Mountains, through her adult life mostly spent in and around the college town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. If you are interested in knowing more about the author Lee Smith, I recommend this book; if you are interested in knowing more about the writing life, I recommend this book; if you are interested in beautiful, lyrical, entertaining stories, I recommend this book.