Kentucky Books

This would have been a very short book if all of the racism and sexuality were to be removed. I read it for an Appalachian Literature class, and I felt this book was so racey that I couldn't enjoy reading it. The vulgarity in it is also not necessary, and I feel that it should not be called literature because of this.

These stories fill the senses like mouthfuls of home-cooked food, each just the right amount of swallow. Her characters are well-drawn and appear in the eye long after the last word is read, and the interweaving of the caharcters' lives send you back to other stories for a second read, a better understanding, that you didn't get the first time. Crystal has the ability to write a scene worthy of a camera, and she "nestles" us in her words, her Water Street.

Water Street, Wilkinson's follow-up to Blackberries, Blackberries, once again sets the reader right in the middle of Kentucky culture. Focusing her short stories on fictional inhabitants of Water Street creates a novel-like feel in the character studies exploring the interconnectedness of the characters of Water Street. Wilkinson's stories examine human experience without being preachy. Wilkinson again demonstrates the challenges and joys of the human experience through her exquisite use of vernacular, description, setting and character.

Water Street is a collection of short stories that revolve around small town life. The inhabitants of Water Street each have a tale and they share their experiences with us throughout this book. The characters are so lifelike and their experiences so real, you feel at home and as though you know each of them individually. Dealing with topics such as love and loss, the stories are full of emotions. They had me laughing one minute, crying the next. This book is a testament to small communities and the people that live within them. Crystal Wilkinson has done a superb job with this novel. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Crystal Wilkinson's Water Street is an engaging novel that
transports the reader to a middle-class neighborhood in small town Stanford, Kentucky, USA. The residents are hardworking, law-abiding citizens who go to work, church, pay their taxes, and raise their families to the best of their abilities. In the opening passages of the book, the author mentions that every person has two stories to tell: one story by day and the other by night which is kept near the heart for safekeeping. Wilkinson allows the reader to experience both stories through the carefully crafted monologues and short narratives.

The novel opens with the manic-depressant Yolanda in the midst of a meeting with her psychiatrist. In her session, the reader is casually introduced to a few Water Street residents: her best friend, Mona whom she idolizes; her brother, KiKi, her husband, Junior; and a host of other characters who influenced her in childhood and adulthood. The beauty of the novel is the reader will learn more about Mona, Kiki, Junior, Sandy, Maxine, et al in subsequent chapters via a series of soliquies or third person accounts. Through the selected medium, the reader observes how they tackle a host of issues such as interracial relationships, marital problems, quests for love, divorce, absentee parents, etc.

Because it is a small town and all the residents live on Water Street, the stories are interconnected and the same characters are often mentioned in one or more stories. So for example, we hear about Mona, the best friend from Yolanda; Mona, my little sister's best friend that I slept with from Kiki; Mona in her own eyes, etc. We get up close and personal viewpoints from mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, neighbors and friends. One particular noteworthy item is that the author's skill in writing from the male perspective is equally compelling as from the female's. In "The Girl of My Dreams: Kiki", we find Kevin/Kiki calling off the wedding after the rehearsal dinner, but not for the reasons one may think because of the title of the story. We also experience other male viewpoints in the coming of age stories "Water Street, 1979: Junior", "Between Men", and a principled man in search of love in "An Ordinary Man: Reverend Townsend."

The dialogue is mature, the writing is great, and the stories are painfully honest. These are not eccentric or malevolent characters, in fact, they are so down-to-earth that they seem real, almost like ordinary folk instead of fictional protagonists. Just as with non-fictional beings, the harsh realities of life strikes Water Street as with any other street and the imperfections, vulnerabilities,pain, and joy of the characters are expertly revealed. Water Street's messages are universal and timeless: the same people with the same issues can be found in the inner cities as well as the rural landscapes in any decade. This is a great second novel by
Crystal Wilkinson; I must add her debut novel, Blackberries,
Blackberries to my list of books to check out this year.

Phyllis
APOOO BookClub

Tammy Horn has taken a bold tack in her sweeping history of beekeeping in "Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation." It is a bold title and indeed, maybe a little too bold. She endeavors to cover a lot of ground and to draw an analogy to the settlement of a nation with the spread of honeybees and beekeeping.

I found her writing was at its best when describing the history of the importation of honeybees from the old world, the spread and keeping of honeybees in the new world for pollinating those fruits and vegetables from the old world--but now being grown in the new world.

Perhaps her strongest chapter is the one in which she describes the effect upon American Indians in observing the "white man's fly." Here is insight into the trigger event for Indians to remove themselves from their historic grounds, for as the bees came in, so too would settlement and occupation of the land. The Indians realized that that once this happened, their historic way of life was gone. The "white man's fly" was the canary in the coal mine--a sign of danger, time to go. The Indians knew that along with settlement, the white man brought with him old world diseases which American Indians had little or no resistance to, which could decimate their numbers.

Other chapters in "Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation" are uneven. Some are stronger than others. The analogy that Tammy Horn pushes into the 20th century, "i.e., the shaping of America," is stretched a bit too far.

This book will not help a beekeeper keep bees. But that is not its purpose. I think it a strong first work. I would like to have seen a tighter, sharper focus with less editorial.

Beekeeping in the American historical context.

Though the text is a bit academic, I picked up this book and couldn't put it down. I read it in about 3 days. The numerous ways that the honey bee and beekeeping has woven themselves into our history and culture is fascinating. Ms. Horn has done some tremendous research on the subject.

a very good book about the beekeeping and the history of bees
in a nation which envy by others

I've been keeping bees for 40 years and during that time have assimilated a lot of info from trade journals, academic texts, etc. I was pretty bored with the whole thing. I was not expecting a technical book but I just found it poorly edited.

Excellent review of history of bees-beekeeping in America from a historical, cultural and global perspective. It is not a technically laden text. This would be a great book for extra credit reading - discussion for an American History college/university course. It is highly recommended for both general and scholarly readers.

My father was a staff sargent in the 3rd Marines who landed there. I suppose I wanted to better understand his ordeals. He lived through it, and never spoke of it once.

I think the book is definitely worth reading! I have seen other materials on this protracted engagement, and all have something to offer.

In terms of writing style, the book reads a bit like older pices, in a style that is not quite elegant, but certainly readable. It is not an exciting book, however, with a notable few sections.

And yes, we are somehow related to Albert C. Wedemeyer, general in the Army at that time.

He was my professor in college. A great one at that. I have the privilege of having been educated by him about what history is, not what it "ought to be". Will there be errors? Maybe, but will you learn what it was supposed to be...yes. If you really want to learn what history is about, find a copy of "Sir Donald Cameron: Colonial Governor" or "Lugard and the Abeokutra uprising: the Demise of Egba Independence" and you will learn what it takes to get a Phd. Meanwhile, I choose to remember how he was.

This book provides the reader with good information and persepctive on the war efforts at Bougainville and the surrounding area. It fills in a valuable piece in the Pacific War puzzle. We recently visited the USMC Museum in Quantico, VA, and this book helped enrich our experience and understanding of the challenges faced by those who fought in the Solomons. A recommended read for those with an interest in WWII.

If you are going to be doing an overview campaign book on the Pacific War then I think it is instructive to remember two books that have set the standard on how history needs to be written: Philip B. Frank's "Guadalcanal" and Louis Allen's "Burma: The Longest War." Both exhibit the stylistic flair, command of the sources, and a good grasp of the entire campaign in the whole course of the war.


Both authors can recount strategic discussions on the macro level, and then focus upon individual experiences. This ability to go between the experiences of the grunt and the dictates of his campaign overseers is the mark of a good military historian.

Gailey has given us a rough gem in a little known area of the war, but I think that it could be much better done. Gailey's writing suffers from time to time being too focused on writing unit actions and engagements without the individual detail and reminiscenes of either the Japanese heishi or the American grunt. Gailey give us a small glimpse but the number of individual first person quotations is actually very small given the often very personal nature of this battle -- Bougainville was a very large island, covered with jungle, both sides had difficulty maneuvring and contact came first at the infantry level once the beaches were left behind. But this element of fear, the very smell of the jungle is lacking.

In addition I was personally a little dissapointed by the lack of ANY Japanese sources on the battle. Such one-sided accounting 60 years after the battle is something that should, and easily can, be avoided. Gailey states that prior to landing "one cannot be sure how many Japanese were actually on the island." This is a very germane fact that can be checked and, granted that everyone cannot be a Japanese language expert (like Louis Allen), basic facts like these are surely in the Japanese archives -- I actually found them in Japanese secondary sources (A detailed order of battle).

There are also several spelling errors for Japanese Commander names -- also disapointing. When I see this I begin to wonder how well my historian really understands his subject ... and more importantly, how much he is really attempting to understand.

Having said that, I must say that I enjoyed the history tolerably well(... if not by virtue of the fact that there is so little written of this campaign). The initial landing and the spreading out of the perimeter was good, as was the last chapter on the sterling effort of our British Commonwealth allies -- the Australians and the Fiji Regiment. Although this island was made famous by the coastwatcher in WWII, there is surprisingly little about this, as there is nothing about the indigenous peoples, though Gailey rightly emphasises the importance of the small gardens and their role in supporting the Japanese troops and how their destruction eventually became a military objective.

As the son of an Americal Division infantryman, I found the book a very important addition to my personal library and I have given a number of copies away as gifts to others with an interest in Bougainville. My father and my uncle arrived at Bougainville Christmas 1943 and spent most of 1944 there. There has been precious little written about this phase of the war. We should all understand the price these men paid at places such as Hill 260. "Bougainville" is a word that freedom loving Americans should understand and cherish, and this book helps that happen. Professor Gailey recognized a need and filled it admirably. If your loved one served at Bougainville, this is a must read.

Needed and this place usually has the books that I need. Even better it comes quickly and most products are in great condition. Was a good read and will be a keeper for understanding crime scene analysis.

This book will provide an education to the general reader. Forensic science is "the study and practice of the application of science to the purposes of the law". Page 4 gives Newcomb's Rule, but provides no proof of verification. Eyewitness evidence is subjective and colored by attitudes and perceptions. If a witness is mistaken or lying, there is no way to tell. Physical evidence is objective, but may have subjective aspects. [The authors ignore the topic of planted evidence. They don't tell that expert witnesses support the side that pays them.] Forensic science dates from the early 19th century with modern chemistry and toxicology. Mistaken identification can occur from photographs as well as live persons (p.7). The paragraph on firearms examination omits the pioneering work done in Germany and first used by Earl Rogers in California (p.10). The paragraph on questioned document examination ignores work done in Europe centuries earlier (p.11). Page 14 tells that government forensic laboratories are usually unavailable to the defense. The book "Tainted Evidence" explains why this is a problem due to the lack of objectivity.

Chapter 2 explains the techniques of "Crime Scene Investigation". Fingerprints should be photographed before lifting (p.28). This prevents planting evidence, as in the Trial of Alfred de Marigny. The Case Study is the Jeffrey Macdonald case. I read that Cyril Wecht M.D., J.D. said some of his wounds could not be self-inflicted; the book "Fatal Justice" gives more details. This may not be the best example for a textbook case. Chapter 4 says placing firearms "in the hands of the peasant class" resulted in murders! Like with Robin Hood? The case study is the Sacco-Vanzetti trial (a controversial case - see page 103). Dr. Henry C. Lee's "Famous Crimes Revisited" says "the custody of all the bullets had never been traced". This case study proves Sacco & Vanzetti innocent IMO. One robber shot Berardelli, then chased Parmenter and shot him twice. The other robber shot Berardelli three times. But only one of the bullets submitted in evidence came from Sacco's gun! This suggests evidence planted to convict Sacco & Vanzetti. A third robber jumped into the getaway car that had two other men. This sounds like professionals who had a plan and left no witnesses. Were Sacco & Vanzetti posthumously rehabilitated by the State of Massachusetts? Chapter 7 covers questioned document examination. Suppose a suspect is asked to copy a ransom note 'to prove his innocence'. If somehow this becomes the state's evidence, would that prove innocence?

Chapter 8 tells about blood, the substance most commonly found at the crime scene, or on a person, clothing, or weapon. Tests to identify blood have been known since 1875 using various chemicals, to today's use of DNA. The case study is the O. J. Simpson trial, the most publicized case since Dr. Sam Sheppard. The authors admit "it would have been possible later to switch the collected evidence for faked evidence" (p.207). The Medical Examiner who did the autopsies on Nicole and Ron testified the forensic evidence said the murders occurred after 11pm. The red liquid blood was still leaking down the sidewalk when the police arrived at 12:15am (suggesting murder around 11:45pm). Since the limousine driver picked up OJ at 11pm, Simpson could not have personally murdered Ron and Nicole. The glove and blood evidence were both planted. Read Steven Singular's "Legacy of Deception" for the details. The 'Los Angeles Times' in June 1996 reported that the lead detective took blood samples from the morgue before evidence was turned in for analysis.

Compare to some other books on case studies, this book has less cases than others. However, it gives more details and explains by different forensic methods. It helped me a lot with my forensic-case-study paper.

Interestingly enough, the last paragraph of "Crime Science" (right before the 65 notes pertaining to the last chapter) contains an error. The author writes, "Russian officials concluded that the remains were those of the tsar, the tsarina, three of their children (excluding, they determined, Alexei and Marie), and four members of their retinue." The words on the pages before that specifically quoted Dr. William Maples writing that Marie's (or Maria's?) bones WERE among the discovered remains, but that Alexei's and Anastasia's bones were not. The two youngest children were burned, and the rest buried because certain factors prevented them from burning fast enough. Maybe Anastasia's name was too long to fit on that line in the book, so they lamely exchanged it for Marie's, hoping that the reader would not notice. I'm sorry, but if Anastasia's bones WERE present at the burial site, the whole Anastasia mystery would not have existed!

I read Dr. William Maples' book "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" before I read this one, and I would recommend Maples' book over "Crime Science: Methods of Forensic Detection." It is older (published in 1994), but it is extremely well-written by a gifted author. "Crime Science" has several notes at the end of each chapter and therefore a more than occasional mini superscript number at the end of sentences/paragraphs during each chapter. It even refers to Maples' book and recommends it for further reading. The author of "Crime Science" also refers to Maples as "the late Dr. William Maples." I did not know that he was dead before I read "Crime Science," so you could say that I learned something from reading it. Buy the late Dr. William Maples' book instead!

This is the real story of Burnam and Addie Ledford of eastern Kentucky and their ancestors and their descendants. Author John Egerton, who spent quite a lot of time with the two Ledfords whose ages and memories were remarkable, took the ancient art of oral storytelling and crafted it into a well-written book. I felt I was actually there with Burnam and Addie while reading this book.

It's not just the story of this one family, but also a story about how some of our ancestors moved west through the Cumberland Gap; a story about how big and wide-spread a family tree gets over the years; a story about how slow things changed just a few generations ago, but how fast things change in today's world; about how you sometimes can't go back home and find home (devastation of mining in Appalachia). There is also a lesson here. Our ancestors all have interesting stories to tell, but if no one listens or writes them down, they get lost forever and that's a shame.

Loved sharing this book with the family. Worth buying if you or your family grew up or had family that grew up in Harlan. It was great seeing some familiar family names and seeing how they came to be in one big family.

I am the Great-Grandson of Burnham & Addie, Grandson of Carl & Gerry, Son of Sue & Joe.

To John Edgerton - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for preserving the history of our family. I can remember you from Lancaster at Grandaddy's birthday years ago.

To Readers - An incredible story that you'll like to read - and one that I'm proud to be a part of.

I am a densent of Aly Ledford he was my g.g.g.grandfother.I love my book,the Generations. would like for everyone to read it.

I discovered "Generations" a few weeks ago at a used book sale, read it immediately, and passed it on to my octogenarian grandparents. The book is an amazing tale of how one need not be old and feel old at the same time. The central characters, Burnam and Addie Ledford, are great examples of Appalachian people who have wonderful stores of generations of family fact and legend, proven and unproven.

As a native of WV, I have known many people whose age, alertness, and knowledge rivaled that of Burnam and Addie, but few had all three, and seldom did such couples survive to the ages achieved by Burnam and Addie without the death of one or the other.

I'm extremely glad that Egerton took the time to get to know Burnam and Addie. (Read the book and you'll see that it's based on hours and hours of interviews with the couple.) Because we usually take such resources for granted (or just ignore them) we don't appreciate what the likes of Burnam and Addie have until they're gone. And, obviously--but painfully--it's too late then.

It's clear from the other reviews on this site that the Ledford family appreciates Egerton's work. I'm writing this to show that others can appreciate the book as well. Anyone interested in re-hearing the tales he or she heard at grandparents' knees will love Burnam and Addie's stories, which take us back to their great-grandparents and the late eighteenth century--no mean feat when one considers that they lived into the 1980s!

Egerton's coverage of the topic is thorough and entertaining. I was enthralled except when he went into detail about the Ledfords' descendants in order to give a rare view of seven generations of such a family. I was not as interested in the descendants, but for those who are, that part is well done, too.

If you love a good story, read this book. I grew up listening to and appreciating old story tellers like Burnam and Addie. Here in my present urban setting, I know of no one who matches the story-telling skills of the old people I knew in West Virginia. I'm afraid the art is being lost, along with front porches, and shooting the breeze while watching fireflies and listening to crickets. I'm no Luddite, but I do hate to see the loss of resources like Burnam and Addie. Old storytellers will die, but someone can pick up the standard and carry on in their stead. My thanks to Egerton for recording all that they had to say.

I thought this was a very interesting book that painfully illustrated what greed and a thirst for power can do to a family. It was a bit choppily written but the subject matter was so interesting it didn't matter. I would recommend this book to any fan of Hollywood legend and lore. Jack Warner was a selfish, thoughtless, power hungry man who forsook his own son for a shrew of a woman, and he took a few of his brothers down on his power trip. So interesting to see how difficult life was for immigrants, how hard they worked, how imaginative they were, so far-seeing and daring int he risks they were willing to take. It might explain some of the greed and need to be in control---but it doesn't explain why one brother could be a good man, and the next brother a man without a conscience. A very fast and entertaining read.

"Hollywood Be Thy Name"is a well documented, well-written story of the incredible accomplishments of the four Warner brothers, who, from immigrant beginnings, with almost no money and no education, got into the beginnings of movie business. They rose to the incredible challenges that business presented, and gave us, over the years, an amazing number of award-winning stories, pictures, and performances that were a big part of the back-bone of the industry during the golden age of movies and movie studios.

It's an inspiring, exciting story of four men with very different personalities and temperaments, who worked together to make Warner Brothers a money making studio that gave us quality pictures. They changed the industry by creating the first talking picture (in conjunction with Western Electric) and mesmerized audiences with this innovation as well as the list of quality pictures that followed. It's also a story of how the four of them worked together until the power they created caused them to lose sight of their family ties in favor of infighting and personal sabotage over that power.

The book presents the authentic voices of many of the people who worked for the Warner brothers, and of members of many family members on both sides of what became the great divide. The fictionalized dialog is well within the scope of the personalities involved, and only serves to soften the dramatic facts that form the basis of this book. It's a very human story, and essential reading for anybody interested in the history of the movie industry.

I highly recommend it.

This is a hard to put down book! I only learned about it because my husband and I just had a book published unknowingly with the same headline title. Having worked at Warner Bros mainly through the 60s, I found all this background on the brothers extremely interesting and very well written. In fact, I couldn't put it down! I do believe the title of another chapter in their book would have made a better title for their book though: BUILDING THE DREAM, because that is what it really is all about. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in movies since their inception. I have read many books on the subject, and besides our newly published book - which is quite different from this one - this is the most enjoyable and informative one of all. Shirley Lawrence

I read "Hollywood Be Thy Name" with great interest and curiosity. Author, Ms. Cass Warner Sperling has kept her unspoken "promise" made to Grandpa Harry (patriarch of the Warner brothers) at his deathbed when she was a ten year old girl, to convey to others his deep beliefs and ideals.

I rate it 5 stars because the story and writing style paints an incredible picture of not just another "rags to riches" story but one of tragedy and great sacrifice leading to an enduring legend of the motion picture industry directly because of the "can do and make it go right" attitudes of the Warners.

From the family gold watch (later to be hocked in order to secure payment for the brothers first projector) placed in 1883 into the secret pocket of Benjamin Warner for his immigration to America into New York and the arrival of wife Pearl and children less than a year later, to a realization of a movie empire that had as its motto "Educate, entertain, and enlighten" which is a Hollywood legacy.

A must read for movie buffs and those interested in the beginnings of Hollywood. This is a book that has "all the right stuff" for the making of a fascinating mini-series as told by granddaughter Cass and others.

Shelley Abate, movie buff and avid reader.

I read "Hollywood Be Thy Name" with great interest and curiosity. Author, Ms. Cass Warner Sperling has kept her unspoken "promise" made to Grandpa Harry (patriarch of the Warner brothers) at his deathbed when she was a ten year old girl, to convey to others his deep beliefs and ideals.

I rate it 5 stars because the story and writing style paints an incredible picture of not just another "rags to riches" story but one of tragedy and great sacrifice leading to an enduring legend of the motion picture industry directly because of the "can do and make it go right" attitudes of the Warners.

From the family gold watch (later to be hocked in order to secure payment for the brothers first projector) placed in 1883 into the secret pocket of Benjamin Warner for his immigration to America into New York and the arrival of wife Pearl and children less than a year later, to a realization of a movie empire that had as its motto "Educate, entertain, and enlighten" which is a Hollywood legacy.

A must read for movie buffs and those interested in the beginnings of Hollywood. This is a book that has "all the right stuff" for the making of a fascinating mini-series as told by granddaughter Cass and others.

Shelley Abate, movie buff and avid reader.

Kentucky Chances was a very enjoyable book to read. It also carried a very positive Christian message. I would highly recommend it.

I liked this book, along with the other Chance family stories. Reading them all together was a real treat!

I loved this Book! I very much enjoyed reading it. So much! that I bought more books like it! I hate to read. But find myself not willing to put books like this down! 5 stars!

I loved this book - so much that I read it twice within 3 weeks. Lovejoy was my favorite character! Cathy Hake writes with humor, great love, and perfect doses of scripture. Absolutely ADORE this book and would recommend it to any of my friends who LOVE happy endings. All the stories in this book have heavenly endings and that's what pleased me the most. This book is Enchanting!

If you like Cathy Hake's books you will love this one. I waited anxiously for this one to come out to find out about the three remaining Chance bachelors. Was not disappointed. Am looking forward to more books by this mother-daughter pair.

Although perhaps some of the grand Kentucky scenery is missing, there are some wonderful pictures in this book. Barnes best photographs are perhaps in the subtle colors of the prairie, the Pennyrile and Barren. flowers and insects. Some of the snow dusted scenery, such as Rock Bridge in Daniel Boone National Forest is also well done.

Sometimes the writing tries to be too antidotal; for example he writes that he forgot the price that a five pound mussel would fetch in the commercial market; but I would have preferred knowing the price rather than his forgetting of it. The chapter on biodiversity provides an introduction to each of the regions, but a good map of each each of the regions would have helped me relate to the preserves he discusses.

I might be a little biased as Tom Barnes is my uncle... ok, ok, so I'm really biased, but I have read it all the way through and looked at the pictures on numerous separate occasions, and it never ceases to amaze and inspire me. It makes me wish I lived in Kentucky. :) He truly is a skilled and passionate photographer/writer. Buy this book!

I bought this book to show friends here in Germany how lovely my home state is, since so few of them even know it exists. I was very disappointed. The photography is okay, but far from inspiring, and does not really capture the "great" places of Kentucky, nor why they can be so lovely. The response from people who have looked at the book at my house is just a shrug -- no "ooohs" or "aaaahs". It really doesn't do Kentucky justice.

I thought the photography and composure of this book was well done. The pictures are beautiful and make you want to explore the unknown places. I live in Kentucky and love to travel. My logo is: Simple Life~~~Simple Books. This falls into that category- simple yet breath-taking. Please get this book. Travel to Kentucky!

This author's photographic work is gorgeous but this is not only a "picture book". It is a book of nature, ecology and environment and is worth exploring. I love Kentucky and grieve for the assaults and damages it has suffered for so long. It is my hope that if Kentuckians can see their home state as this book shows it, they will be more protective of it. Greed and exploitation have harmed Kentucky as have poverty and ignorance. The state and the nation need to protect Kentucky's natural environment. One complaint about the book: it needs a state map showing the regions the author writes about! There was no way to refer to the regions because there was no map of that sort. (There was a very limited map but not cross-referenced to the regions covered in the book.) This was an annoying omission from the book, but the book still merits high ratings for its beauty and information.

This book paled in comparison to The Glass Castle [which I could not put down].
I did not find the individuals very interesting and I did not think they were developed to where they became complex, real characters.
I found myself skimming through the last chapters waiting for something dramatic to happen.
And I found the swimming metaphors too constant and annoying.

I enjoyed reading the author's story and thought the writing was great. It really took me to the time and place. And very clever how she tied so much into water, emotions, etc. Hard to articulate my thought there, but it was brillant in places. Those that have read the book will know what I'm referring to. I will recommend this book to my book club. In reading the back flap about Ms. McCall, it appears she's settled and happy and that's nice to see.

This book stands a part from other family stories for me because of the author's ability to discuss her family's strengths AND shortcomings with such honesty and such tenderness. So often authors who share family stories are skilled at detailing either the tremendous adversity of their childhoods or the greatness of the characters they have known. McCall does an excellent job of sharing the simple humanity of her family members, making them real to the reader, not simply characters to admire or villianize. I also appreciated the honesty with which McCall shared her coming out process and the deep understanding she seems to have of the role of her partners and their importance to her life. A tender, meaningful, and enjoyable read.

Treading water, deciding whether to sink or swim, Catherine McCall's "Lifeguarding" is a stunning memoir and well worth the read.
"Lifeguarding" is about a middle class family leading a country club life but what appears to be real is false. Her father, a mediocre insurance salesman, drowns himself in booze and debt. To keep their lives afloat, Catherine's mother gets a job teaching. As she hides their family secrets, Catherine hides one of her own . . .
She is gay.
Catherine's struggle to understand her sexuality, her unconventional desires in a conventional time, makes "Lifeguarding" an unusual story. Her feelings and frustrations flow from pen to page. It is beautifully written, poignant and moving. Going into bars to remind her father to come home, or waiting for him to arrive for a day at the state fair, the reader is right there with the writer.
Catherine McCall takes us back to the agonies of adolescence, when life was supposedly simple. It reminds me of trying to win in the wrong lane. I'm happy to report . . . Catherine McCall is victorious!

Laurie Ames Birnsteel
Kahala

I thought i was burned out with memoirs and along comes "Lifeguarding." Congratuulations to Catherine McCall for an honest, truthful memoir written in a straightforward manner, without the strident, over-the-top, self-proclamation and heavy-handed confessionals that have dominated the genre. This story flows gently but strongly and is a blessed change from the norm in this genre. Read it!