One way to realize just how trivial and silly us Americans are: read Wild Swans, and then follow it up with this book by Haven Kimmel. Wild Swans: full of tragedy, integrity and survival. Girl Named Zippy: full of petty big sisters, Quakersand “evil” old women named Edythe. Not exactly much of a comparison there. Still, it wasn’t a bad book, as memoirs about childhoods in towns of 300 go. Not great, either. If I had an interesting childhood, spent in a town of under 300 (rather than in sizeable cities in California, Utah and Michigan) then I probably could have written a book and gotten it published, too. But I didn’t. Oh, well. I could have, though.
The Book Nut 
Yeah, straight up! You totally could have! Me too!I was interested to see your review of Wild Swans. I haven’t read it, but a friend of mine, actually a woman in her 80s, raved about it. It’s been on my “gotta read that some day” list ever since.
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I have “A Girl Named Zippy” on my bookshelf, but I haven’t read it yet. But my new rule is to read 50 pages of a book and if I’m not obsessed with it, then I don’t feel obligated to finish it. There are too many great books out there!
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You know, lb, I generally have the same rule, though my cut off point is 100 pages… I do have to admit, though, that there are those books (and Zippy was one) where I keep hoping it’ll get better. In the end, though, I’m often disappointed and wished I could get my time back. Sigh.Julie, Wild Swans is really quite excellent. You ought to bump it up to the “gotta read soon” list… though it is quite long and takes some time to get through. It’s probably good book group book…
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We all could have . . . sigh . . . but so far, we haven’t. At least, I haven’t. I’m trying Joan Aiken right now. Loving the Welsh but not so into the plot yet.
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