All customer reviews below are from the Amazon website.
5/5 A beautifully written memoir told through the eyes of a child. It manages to capture some wondrous poignant moments; a child’s first sight of fireflies, the blaze of Vermont’s autumnal foliage, a child’s awe at the sight of the ocean against a backdrop of ‘tangerine sun’. One can so relate to the intelligent, sensitive Beth Anne and her fabulous imagination but the reader can also sense that she bore an inordinate sense of responsibility and guilt for difficult adult situations.
Bess linnet skilfully touches on some difficult subjects like divorce, alcoholism, depression with the fleeting lightness of a child’s innocent take on the ‘now’ while managing to convincingly portray Beth’s overwhelming instinct of taking care of her siblings at all costs. The author manages to capture the self doubt, the wonder, the challenge, the confusion and the love through the entire narrative without imposing any grown up judgement or point of views.
Cleverly written with enough to keep the reader guessing without seeming childish or banal, one marvels at how the author managed to recall these moments from a very young age and stay true to the narrative without passing any judgement on the unpredictability of how adults conduct themselves. Like life, there isn’t a nice packaged start or end; its a series of memorable moments with a theme of ‘it is what it is’
I look forward to more from this author.
— Amazon customer
5/5 I absolutely loved this novel. It was recommended to me by a friend and I’m so grateful for it. This is a story of childhood as told by a young Beth-Anne. It is fresh and insightful and I was surprised at how much I could relate to the protagonist who has had to mature before her time with the responsibilities that befall her . I imagine it may have been tempting for the author to add a slightly adult perspective to Beth-Anne’s narrative but by not doing so, there is a charm and wisdom that fills every page that only comes from the innocence and clarity of a child. I particularly like the way in which each chapter serves as a a story within itself without ever losing the thread of the story. An incredibly charming, authentic and beautifully written book and I know it will be one that I return to again. Can’t recommend highly enough.
— DS
5/5 This is such a beautifully written book. I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you buy one book this week/month/year, this book should be it.
— Honest Reviewer