Thursday, August 30, 2012

Throwback and the Review Pile ~ 8/31/12

The read and the unread.
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We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles (released 5 or more years ago) that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.



"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"
Author:  Betty Smith
Publication Date: 1989

The beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness -- in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.
I remember when I plucked this book of the library shelf as a kid thinking, "Don't trees grow everywhere?"  I was quite taken aback by the title.  Of course, I'm a country kid so reading about life in the city was a new experience for me.  This was one of my first tastes of a life so different from my own.
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From the Review Pile is hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.
The aim is to showcase books that you've received but haven't yet got around to reading.

River's End

"River's End"
Series:  The Inn at Shining Waters
Author:  Melody Carlson
Publication Date:  8/1/2012

In the final story of The Inn at Shining Waters, Anna Larson's granddaughter Sarah is beginning to find her independence. But her relationship with her parents suffer as a result and she travels away from all that is familiar.

While the solace of the river calls Sarah back, surprises await upon her return. Three generations of family heartbreak and disappointments converge at Shining Waters as Sarah finds God right in the center of it all.
 
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I look forward to getting lots of great book ideas for my TBR from everyone's Throwbacks and Review Pile.

Happy Reading!


4 comments:

  1. This sounds really good. I quite like coming of age stories from around the turn of the century because there was so much going on and changing. Thanks for sharing :)
    My Thursday Answer
    Juli @ Universe in Words

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  2. I haven't read either of these, but I always meant to read the first one - and I used to be a big fan of Melody Carlson. I'll have to check them out. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. I'm trying to think if I ever read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and I don't think I have. It's one I always meant to read, but never did. I should, since I have family in Brooklyn ;-)

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  4. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn..swoon, love that book. I had the same impression as you did! It was one of my first "city reads" and as a girl who grew up in the country it was so interesting.

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