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 Customer Reviews
A Short but Touching Read, 17 Sep 2008
Just a very short novel of 126 pages, but still a really moving and sometimes heartwrenching read.
Eleven year old Ellen narrates the story - there is very little in the way of punctuation but this only adds to the honest of her story. Ellen's mother dies and she is left to manage on her own as her father is a desperate alcoholic who sees Ellen as something he can ridicule and abuse. Ellen moves in with her maternal grandmother who again, like her father, treats her badly.
Finally after being shoved from pillar to post she finds her 'new mama' - a foster mother who Ellen has seen in Church.
Ellen Foster is a fascinating story - although it is obvious she is abused there is no graphic details - this is fiction and nothing like the masses of 'misery memoirs' that are on almost every book shop shelf these days.
Ellen is a simple and honest girl, but obviously full of insight and intelligence. Throughout the novel her enduring love for her black friend Starletta keeps her going through thick and thin.
A beautiful and touching story. Engrossing, heartwrenching, wonderous ..., 05 Jan 2008
I stood by my bookcase looking at the spines of a half dozen books I haven't read yet and there was a diminutive little hardcover wedged into the mix -- Ellen Foster. I half-heartedly pulled it from the shelf and opened it to the first page and started reading a little just to see if it would be interesting enough to read. Well .... I stood rooted to that spot, standing by the bookcase, reading for some time. I was so engrossed in the story immediately that I forgot the time. This was a story that just pulls you right in and holds your heart until the end.
Poor little Ellen Foster is born to a very sickly mother with an abusive husband. Her poor mother dies near the beginning of the book, the one person who seemed to really love poor little Ellen. She is shuttled back and forth from relative to relative. They are cruel and selfish and let her know right up front that they don't want her. Gosh, your heart just breaks for this dear child. Don't want to say much more as I don't want to ruin the story for anyone.
This story is told in narrative form. It's as though little Ellen, very wise beyond her 11 years on this earth, is sitting right there next to you telling you the story of her life. There are no quotation marks, no dialog in the sense that you are used to, it's a rambling monologue about her life. You know what? You don't notice that, you just live this child's life as she tells it.
It's not all sadness as misery. It's also about triumph over the worst odds, triumph over what would knock most of us down, triumph of this wonderful little girl and where her life takes her. I love Ellen Foster.
You have got to get your hands on this book and dive in. You'll enjoy it to the point of forgetting time itself. You'll feel that Ellen Foster is a real person sitting there telling her story. Read this wonderful book ... doing so will enrich your life.
A modern fairytale with a bit of a twist, 22 Nov 2000
I read this book because I'm determied to read as much of Oprah Winfrey's book list as possible. I was not disappointed! Ellen Foster is the tale of a young girl whose life is quite simply horrific. Kaye Gibbon's page turning account is most certainly enriched by the creation of true to life fairy tale 'baddies' in the shape of Ellen's relatives. She also uses this novel to look at deeper issues such as racism and survival. I highly recommend this book especially if your a sucker for a happy ending. If you have teens in the house this book is a must, I'm passing this on to my 14 year old cousin maybe she'll appreciate what she has when she reads this.
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Customer Reviews
A Short but Touching Read, 17 Sep 2008
Just a very short novel of 126 pages, but still a really moving and sometimes heartwrenching read.
Eleven year old Ellen narrates the story - there is very little in the way of punctuation but this only adds to the honest of her story. Ellen's mother dies and she is left to manage on her own as her father is a desperate alcoholic who sees Ellen as something he can ridicule and abuse. Ellen moves in with her maternal grandmother who again, like her father, treats her badly.
Finally after being shoved from pillar to post she finds her 'new mama' - a foster mother who Ellen has seen in Church.
Ellen Foster is a fascinating story - although it is obvious she is abused there is no graphic details - this is fiction and nothing like the masses of 'misery memoirs' that are on almost every book shop shelf these days.
Ellen is a simple and honest girl, but obviously full of insight and intelligence. Throughout the novel her enduring love for her black friend Starletta keeps her going through thick and thin.
A beautiful and touching story. Engrossing, heartwrenching, wonderous ..., 05 Jan 2008
I stood by my bookcase looking at the spines of a half dozen books I haven't read yet and there was a diminutive little hardcover wedged into the mix -- Ellen Foster. I half-heartedly pulled it from the shelf and opened it to the first page and started reading a little just to see if it would be interesting enough to read. Well .... I stood rooted to that spot, standing by the bookcase, reading for some time. I was so engrossed in the story immediately that I forgot the time. This was a story that just pulls you right in and holds your heart until the end.
Poor little Ellen Foster is born to a very sickly mother with an abusive husband. Her poor mother dies near the beginning of the book, the one person who seemed to really love poor little Ellen. She is shuttled back and forth from relative to relative. They are cruel and selfish and let her know right up front that they don't want her. Gosh, your heart just breaks for this dear child. Don't want to say much more as I don't want to ruin the story for anyone.
This story is told in narrative form. It's as though little Ellen, very wise beyond her 11 years on this earth, is sitting right there next to you telling you the story of her life. There are no quotation marks, no dialog in the sense that you are used to, it's a rambling monologue about her life. You know what? You don't notice that, you just live this child's life as she tells it.
It's not all sadness as misery. It's also about triumph over the worst odds, triumph over what would knock most of us down, triumph of this wonderful little girl and where her life takes her. I love Ellen Foster.
You have got to get your hands on this book and dive in. You'll enjoy it to the point of forgetting time itself. You'll feel that Ellen Foster is a real person sitting there telling her story. Read this wonderful book ... doing so will enrich your life.
A modern fairytale with a bit of a twist, 22 Nov 2000
I read this book because I'm determied to read as much of Oprah Winfrey's book list as possible. I was not disappointed! Ellen Foster is the tale of a young girl whose life is quite simply horrific. Kaye Gibbon's page turning account is most certainly enriched by the creation of true to life fairy tale 'baddies' in the shape of Ellen's relatives. She also uses this novel to look at deeper issues such as racism and survival. I highly recommend this book especially if your a sucker for a happy ending. If you have teens in the house this book is a must, I'm passing this on to my 14 year old cousin maybe she'll appreciate what she has when she reads this.
Excellent!, 09 Jul 2007
I studied The Awakening' at uni and loved it! Chopin's work is beautiful and she deserves more credit in the literary world!
Mixed reaction, 27 Sep 2002
This is a well structured collection of short stories. Personally, I do not find 'The Awakening' to be the best of these. Yet, others, such as 'The Christ Light' are fantastic tales, short, yet with an often powerful moral subtext. Chopin creates dream-like landscapes and uses descriptions of local colour and language to re-create an image in the heads of the readers.
Mixed reaction, 27 Sep 2002
This is a well structured collection of short stories. Personally, I do not find 'The Awakening' to be the best of these. Yet, others, such as 'The Christ Light' are fantastic tales, short, yet with an often powerful moral subtext. Chopin creates dream-like landscapes and uses descriptions of local colour and language to re-create an image in the heads of the readers.
a romamantic and enchanting novel, 04 Sep 2001
I found this the awakening and short stories novel a very classical piece of work, it helped me realize what it was like back in the day
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Customer Reviews
A Short but Touching Read, 17 Sep 2008
Just a very short novel of 126 pages, but still a really moving and sometimes heartwrenching read.
Eleven year old Ellen narrates the story - there is very little in the way of punctuation but this only adds to the honest of her story. Ellen's mother dies and she is left to manage on her own as her father is a desperate alcoholic who sees Ellen as something he can ridicule and abuse. Ellen moves in with her maternal grandmother who again, like her father, treats her badly.
Finally after being shoved from pillar to post she finds her 'new mama' - a foster mother who Ellen has seen in Church.
Ellen Foster is a fascinating story - although it is obvious she is abused there is no graphic details - this is fiction and nothing like the masses of 'misery memoirs' that are on almost every book shop shelf these days.
Ellen is a simple and honest girl, but obviously full of insight and intelligence. Throughout the novel her enduring love for her black friend Starletta keeps her going through thick and thin.
A beautiful and touching story. Engrossing, heartwrenching, wonderous ..., 05 Jan 2008
I stood by my bookcase looking at the spines of a half dozen books I haven't read yet and there was a diminutive little hardcover wedged into the mix -- Ellen Foster. I half-heartedly pulled it from the shelf and opened it to the first page and started reading a little just to see if it would be interesting enough to read. Well .... I stood rooted to that spot, standing by the bookcase, reading for some time. I was so engrossed in the story immediately that I forgot the time. This was a story that just pulls you right in and holds your heart until the end.
Poor little Ellen Foster is born to a very sickly mother with an abusive husband. Her poor mother dies near the beginning of the book, the one person who seemed to really love poor little Ellen. She is shuttled back and forth from relative to relative. They are cruel and selfish and let her know right up front that they don't want her. Gosh, your heart just breaks for this dear child. Don't want to say much more as I don't want to ruin the story for anyone.
This story is told in narrative form. It's as though little Ellen, very wise beyond her 11 years on this earth, is sitting right there next to you telling you the story of her life. There are no quotation marks, no dialog in the sense that you are used to, it's a rambling monologue about her life. You know what? You don't notice that, you just live this child's life as she tells it.
It's not all sadness as misery. It's also about triumph over the worst odds, triumph over what would knock most of us down, triumph of this wonderful little girl and where her life takes her. I love Ellen Foster.
You have got to get your hands on this book and dive in. You'll enjoy it to the point of forgetting time itself. You'll feel that Ellen Foster is a real person sitting there telling her story. Read this wonderful book ... doing so will enrich your life.
A modern fairytale with a bit of a twist, 22 Nov 2000
I read this book because I'm determied to read as much of Oprah Winfrey's book list as possible. I was not disappointed! Ellen Foster is the tale of a young girl whose life is quite simply horrific. Kaye Gibbon's page turning account is most certainly enriched by the creation of true to life fairy tale 'baddies' in the shape of Ellen's relatives. She also uses this novel to look at deeper issues such as racism and survival. I highly recommend this book especially if your a sucker for a happy ending. If you have teens in the house this book is a must, I'm passing this on to my 14 year old cousin maybe she'll appreciate what she has when she reads this.
Excellent!, 09 Jul 2007
I studied The Awakening' at uni and loved it! Chopin's work is beautiful and she deserves more credit in the literary world!
Mixed reaction, 27 Sep 2002
This is a well structured collection of short stories. Personally, I do not find 'The Awakening' to be the best of these. Yet, others, such as 'The Christ Light' are fantastic tales, short, yet with an often powerful moral subtext. Chopin creates dream-like landscapes and uses descriptions of local colour and language to re-create an image in the heads of the readers.
Mixed reaction, 27 Sep 2002
This is a well structured collection of short stories. Personally, I do not find 'The Awakening' to be the best of these. Yet, others, such as 'The Christ Light' are fantastic tales, short, yet with an often powerful moral subtext. Chopin creates dream-like landscapes and uses descriptions of local colour and language to re-create an image in the heads of the readers.
a romamantic and enchanting novel, 04 Sep 2001
I found this the awakening and short stories novel a very classical piece of work, it helped me realize what it was like back in the day
a fascinating and humourous insight into manic depression, 18 Oct 2000
Sights Unseen gives us a fascinating insight into the implications of manic depression for both the sufferer and those around her whose lives are profoundly affected. Through the eyes of Hattie, Kaye Gibbons is able to convey the empowerment the "disease" bestows upon her mother, Maggie, while at the same time showing it as a destructive force, cartwheeling uncontrollably through the family's everyday life. But, Kaye Gibbon's sensitivity is such that she can inject humour into the situation, which in no way detracts from the seriousness of the subject but rather allows the reader to gain a more rounded insight. Adversity is always easier to recall if we can see the "funny side" of a situation in hindsight and this book is an excellent example of this human trait.
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Customer Reviews
A Short but Touching Read, 17 Sep 2008
Just a very short novel of 126 pages, but still a really moving and sometimes heartwrenching read.
Eleven year old Ellen narrates the story - there is very little in the way of punctuation but this only adds to the honest of her story. Ellen's mother dies and she is left to manage on her own as her father is a desperate alcoholic who sees Ellen as something he can ridicule and abuse. Ellen moves in with her maternal grandmother who again, like her father, treats her badly.
Finally after being shoved from pillar to post she finds her 'new mama' - a foster mother who Ellen has seen in Church.
Ellen Foster is a fascinating story - although it is obvious she is abused there is no graphic details - this is fiction and nothing like the masses of 'misery memoirs' that are on almost every book shop shelf these days.
Ellen is a simple and honest girl, but obviously full of insight and intelligence. Throughout the novel her enduring love for her black friend Starletta keeps her going through thick and thin.
A beautiful and touching story. Engrossing, heartwrenching, wonderous ..., 05 Jan 2008
I stood by my bookcase looking at the spines of a half dozen books I haven't read yet and there was a diminutive little hardcover wedged into the mix -- Ellen Foster. I half-heartedly pulled it from the shelf and opened it to the first page and started reading a little just to see if it would be interesting enough to read. Well .... I stood rooted to that spot, standing by the bookcase, reading for some time. I was so engrossed in the story immediately that I forgot the time. This was a story that just pulls you right in and holds your heart until the end.
Poor little Ellen Foster is born to a very sickly mother with an abusive husband. Her poor mother dies near the beginning of the book, the one person who seemed to really love poor little Ellen. She is shuttled back and forth from relative to relative. They are cruel and selfish and let her know right up front that they don't want her. Gosh, your heart just breaks for this dear child. Don't want to say much more as I don't want to ruin the story for anyone.
This story is told in narrative form. It's as though little Ellen, very wise beyond her 11 years on this earth, is sitting right there next to you telling you the story of her life. There are no quotation marks, no dialog in the sense that you are used to, it's a rambling monologue about her life. You know what? You don't notice that, you just live this child's life as she tells it.
It's not all sadness as misery. It's also about triumph over the worst odds, triumph over what would knock most of us down, triumph of this wonderful little girl and where her life takes her. I love Ellen Foster.
You have got to get your hands on this book and dive in. You'll enjoy it to the point of forgetting time itself. You'll feel that Ellen Foster is a real person sitting there telling her story. Read this wonderful book ... doing so will enrich your life.
A modern fairytale with a bit of a twist, 22 Nov 2000
I read this book because I'm determied to read as much of Oprah Winfrey's book list as possible. I was not disappointed! Ellen Foster is the tale of a young girl whose life is quite simply horrific. Kaye Gibbon's page turning account is most certainly enriched by the creation of true to life fairy tale 'baddies' in the shape of Ellen's relatives. She also uses this novel to look at deeper issues such as racism and survival. I highly recommend this book especially if your a sucker for a happy ending. If you have teens in the house this book is a must, I'm passing this on to my 14 year old cousin maybe she'll appreciate what she has when she reads this.
Excellent!, 09 Jul 2007
I studied The Awakening' at uni and loved it! Chopin's work is beautiful and she deserves more credit in the literary world!
Mixed reaction, 27 Sep 2002
This is a well structured collection of short stories. Personally, I do not find 'The Awakening' to be the best of these. Yet, others, such as 'The Christ Light' are fantastic tales, short, yet with an often powerful moral subtext. Chopin creates dream-like landscapes and uses descriptions of local colour and language to re-create an image in the heads of the readers.
Mixed reaction, 27 Sep 2002
This is a well structured collection of short stories. Personally, I do not find 'The Awakening' to be the best of these. Yet, others, such as 'The Christ Light' are fantastic tales, short, yet with an often powerful moral subtext. Chopin creates dream-like landscapes and uses descriptions of local colour and language to re-create an image in the heads of the readers.
a romamantic and enchanting novel, 04 Sep 2001
I found this the awakening and short stories novel a very classical piece of work, it helped me realize what it was like back in the day
a fascinating and humourous insight into manic depression, 18 Oct 2000
Sights Unseen gives us a fascinating insight into the implications of manic depression for both the sufferer and those around her whose lives are profoundly affected. Through the eyes of Hattie, Kaye Gibbons is able to convey the empowerment the "disease" bestows upon her mother, Maggie, while at the same time showing it as a destructive force, cartwheeling uncontrollably through the family's everyday life. But, Kaye Gibbon's sensitivity is such that she can inject humour into the situation, which in no way detracts from the seriousness of the subject but rather allows the reader to gain a more rounded insight. Adversity is always easier to recall if we can see the "funny side" of a situation in hindsight and this book is an excellent example of this human trait.
Charms For the Easy Life, 30 Jan 2004
I began this book with the intention of being the first not to like it yet I read it cover to cover in one sitting; it was incredibly enthralling. Though some may be disappointed at the end because in a way the book seems to stop no where, I believe Gibbons intentions for the book was character development. After finishing the book, the characters, specifically Charlie Kate, are now permanently etched in my mind. It is rare to find such rich and well developed characters in the lower caliber novels of this day in age. Excellent read- I highly recommend.
Beautiful, 02 Jul 1999
The literary equivalent of comfort food!
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A Cure for Dreams
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Customer Reviews
A Short but Touching Read, 17 Sep 2008
Just a very short novel of 126 pages, but still a really moving and sometimes heartwrenching read.
Eleven year old Ellen narrates the story - there is very little in the way of punctuation but this only adds to the honest of her story. Ellen's mother dies and she is left to manage on her own as her father is a desperate alcoholic who sees Ellen as something he can ridicule and abuse. Ellen moves in with her maternal grandmother who again, like her father, treats her badly.
Finally after being shoved from pillar to post she finds her 'new mama' - a foster mother who Ellen has seen in Church.
Ellen Foster is a fascinating story - although it is obvious she is abused there is no graphic details - this is fiction and nothing like the masses of 'misery memoirs' that are on almost every book shop shelf these days.
Ellen is a simple and honest girl, but obviously full of insight and intelligence. Throughout the novel her enduring love for her black friend Starletta keeps her going through thick and thin.
A beautiful and touching story. Engrossing, heartwrenching, wonderous ..., 05 Jan 2008
I stood by my bookcase looking at the spines of a half dozen books I haven't read yet and there was a diminutive little hardcover wedged into the mix -- Ellen Foster. I half-heartedly pulled it from the shelf and opened it to the first page and started reading a little just to see if it would be interesting enough to read. Well .... I stood rooted to that spot, standing by the bookcase, reading for some time. I was so engrossed in the story immediately that I forgot the time. This was a story that just pulls you right in and holds your heart until the end.
Poor little Ellen Foster is born to a very sickly mother with an abusive husband. Her poor mother dies near the beginning of the book, the one person who seemed to really love poor little Ellen. She is shuttled back and forth from relative to relative. They are cruel and selfish and let her know right up front that they don't want her. Gosh, your heart just breaks for this dear child. Don't want to say much more as I don't want to ruin the story for anyone.
This story is told in narrative form. It's as though little Ellen, very wise beyond her 11 years on this earth, is sitting right there next to you telling you the story of her life. There are no quotation marks, no dialog in the sense that you are used to, it's a rambling monologue about her life. You know what? You don't notice that, you just live this child's life as she tells it.
It's not all sadness as misery. It's also about triumph over the worst odds, triumph over what would knock most of us down, triumph of this wonderful little girl and where her life takes her. I love Ellen Foster.
You have got to get your hands on this book and dive in. You'll enjoy it to the point of forgetting time itself. You'll feel that Ellen Foster is a real person sitting there telling her story. Read this wonderful book ... doing so will enrich your life.
A modern fairytale with a bit of a twist, 22 Nov 2000
I read this book because I'm determied to read as much of Oprah Winfrey's book list as possible. I was not disappointed! Ellen Foster is the tale of a young girl whose life is quite simply horrific. Kaye Gibbon's page turning account is most certainly enriched by the creation of true to life fairy tale 'baddies' in the shape of Ellen's relatives. She also uses this novel to look at deeper issues such as racism and survival. I highly recommend this book especially if your a sucker for a happy ending. If you have teens in the house this book is a must, I'm passing this on to my 14 year old cousin maybe she'll appreciate what she has when she reads this.
Excellent!, 09 Jul 2007
I studied The Awakening' at uni and loved it! Chopin's work is beautiful and she deserves more credit in the literary world!
Mixed reaction, 27 Sep 2002
This is a well structured collection of short stories. Personally, I do not find 'The Awakening' to be the best of these. Yet, others, such as 'The Christ Light' are fantastic tales, short, yet with an often powerful moral subtext. Chopin creates dream-like landscapes and uses descriptions of local colour and language to re-create an image in the heads of the readers.
Mixed reaction, 27 Sep 2002
This is a well structured collection of short stories. Personally, I do not find 'The Awakening' to be the best of these. Yet, others, such as 'The Christ Light' are fantastic tales, short, yet with an often powerful moral subtext. Chopin creates dream-like landscapes and uses descriptions of local colour and language to re-create an image in the heads of the readers.
a romamantic and enchanting novel, 04 Sep 2001
I found this the awakening and short stories novel a very classical piece of work, it helped me realize what it was like back in the day
a fascinating and humourous insight into manic depression, 18 Oct 2000
Sights Unseen gives us a fascinating insight into the implications of manic depression for both the sufferer and those around her whose lives are profoundly affected. Through the eyes of Hattie, Kaye Gibbons is able to convey the empowerment the "disease" bestows upon her mother, Maggie, while at the same time showing it as a destructive force, cartwheeling uncontrollably through the family's everyday life. But, Kaye Gibbon's sensitivity is such that she can inject humour into the situation, which in no way detracts from the seriousness of the subject but rather allows the reader to gain a more rounded insight. Adversity is always easier to recall if we can see the "funny side" of a situation in hindsight and this book is an excellent example of this human trait.
Charms For the Easy Life, 30 Jan 2004
I began this book with the intention of being the first not to like it yet I read it cover to cover in one sitting; it was incredibly enthralling. Though some may be disappointed at the end because in a way the book seems to stop no where, I believe Gibbons intentions for the book was character development. After finishing the book, the characters, specifically Charlie Kate, are now permanently etched in my mind. It is rare to find such rich and well developed characters in the lower caliber novels of this day in age. Excellent read- I highly recommend.
Beautiful, 02 Jul 1999
The literary equivalent of comfort food!
I really enjoyed this book!, 16 May 1999
I read ELLEN FOSTER,and A VIRTUOUS WOMAN, and thought that they were excellent books. A CURE FOR DREAMS was not nearly as "deep" as the other two, but equally as thought provoking. I thought a lot about the relationship between generations, and the effect they have on our lives. I think the reason I did enjoy this one so much, was because it was more upbeat, and an easy read. Good vacation book!
Could Have Been Better, 12 Feb 1999
This reads like an author's first novel. Not a bad read, but certainly not as powerful as Ellen Foster, A Virtuous Woman, or Sights Unseen. Usually I'm able to associate the title of a book with the plot, or characters of the novel. I'm at a loss for the correlation here. If you happen to be between reads, and have already read Gibbons other work, then go ahead and give this a shot. If you've never read any of her work and this is your introduction to Gibbons, try one of her other novels first.
A great short little read, 30 Jan 1999
This book goes quick,but you will enjoy every minute of it. It is the story of two women, a mother and daughter. They are strong women. Every character you would love to meet in real life. A very up beat novel, unlike some of Kaye Gibbon's other books.
Insightful Thoughts, Lessons in life, Easy read..., 04 Jan 1999
Kaye Gibbons does it again...I couldn't put this book down, not because I was waiting for the end, but I couldn't get enough, I didn't want to finish it!!! Each chapter provides a unique insight or life lesson that made me pause to think and often laugh at the way people are...it was as if each chapter was its own short story, yet they flowed together to make one outstanding book! I found this book, like others of Kaye Gibbons, a comfortable, easy read that left me wanting more!
THE SPECIAL BOND BETWEEN MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS, 17 Apr 1998
A Cure for Dreams is a well-written story created by Kaye Gibbons. In this novel she traces the close and itimate relationship between four generations of Southern women, beginning with the great-grandmother and ending with the great-granddaughter. I am currently a senior in high school dealing with college applications and barely have any free time to read, but I honestly could not put this book down. I throughly enjoy reading books that have happy, family-oriented plots. Kaye Gibbons did an outstanding job in pursuing this in her book, and I can truly relate to it. My great-grandmother is still alive and she is constantly telling me her life stories, which resemble the stories in Gibbon's novel. I have always believed that there is a "special" bond between great-grandmothers, grandmothers, mothers and daughters, but I believe that the mother and daughter bond is the most precious. In "A Cure for Dreams" Brigette says, "I was in step with my mother, and though I was on friendly terms with young people my age, I perferred to stay right by her side like a little twin." These words really stood out for me. I love going out with my friends on the weekends, but I cherish the moments that I get to spend with my mother, alone. It will be very difficult for me to leave for college in the fall. Another element Kaye GIbbons showed us was during the toughest situations, if the family sticks together, then they can easily overcome any problem. I believe that if the family works together then any circumstance can be resolved. In the 1920s, when the story begins, it demonstrates how important families are and the book ends with the exact same message. In the 1990s families are just as important and maybe even more than they were in the 1920s. To me, my family is and always will be the most important thing to me. I would like to thank Kaye Gibbons for writing such an appropriate novel for a girl like me who is growing up in such a chaotic world!
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Customer Reviews
A Short but Touching Read, 17 Sep 2008
Just a very short novel of 126 pages, but still a really moving and sometimes heartwrenching read.
Eleven year old Ellen narrates the story - there is very little in the way of punctuation but this only adds to the honest of her story. Ellen's mother dies and she is left to manage on her own as her father is a desperate alcoholic who sees Ellen as something he can ridicule and abuse. Ellen moves in with her maternal grandmother who again, like her father, treats her badly.
Finally after being shoved from pillar to post she finds her 'new mama' - a foster mother who Ellen has seen in Church.
Ellen Foster is a fascinating story - although it is obvious she is abused there is no graphic details - this is fiction and nothing like the masses of 'misery memoirs' that are on almost every book shop shelf these days.
Ellen is a simple and honest girl, but obviously full of insight and intelligence. Throughout the novel her enduring love for her black friend Starletta keeps her going through thick and thin.
A beautiful and touching story. Engrossing, heartwrenching, wonderous ..., 05 Jan 2008
I stood by my bookcase looking at the spines of a half dozen books I haven't read yet and there was a diminutive little hardcover wedged into the mix -- Ellen Foster. I half-heartedly pulled it from the shelf and opened it to the first page and started reading a little just to see if it would be interesting enough to read. Well .... I stood rooted to that spot, standing by the bookcase, reading for some time. I was so engrossed in the story immediately that I forgot the time. This was a story that just pulls you right in and holds your heart until the end.
Poor little Ellen Foster is born to a very sickly mother with an abusive husband. Her poor mother dies near the beginning of the book, the one person who seemed to really love poor little Ellen. She is shuttled back and forth from relative to relative. They are cruel and selfish and let her know right up front that they don't want her. Gosh, your heart just breaks for this dear child. Don't want to say much more as I don't want to ruin the story for anyone.
This story is told in narrative form. It's as though little Ellen, very wise beyond her 11 years on this earth, is sitting right there next to you telling you the story of her life. There are no quotation marks, no dialog in the sense that you are used to, it's a rambling monologue about her life. You know what? You don't notice that, you just live this child's life as she tells it.
It's not all sadness as misery. It's also about triumph over the worst odds, triumph over what would knock most of us down, triumph of this wonderful little girl and where her life takes her. I love Ellen Foster.
You have got to get your hands on this book and dive in. You'll enjoy it to the point of forgetting time itself. You'll feel that Ellen Foster is a real person sitting there telling her story. Read this wonderful book ... doing so will enrich your life.
A modern fairytale with a bit of a twist, 22 Nov 2000
I read this book because I'm determied to read as much of Oprah Winfrey's book list as possible. I was not disappointed! Ellen Foster is the tale of a young girl whose life is quite simply horrific. Kaye Gibbon's page turning account is most certainly enriched by the creation of true to life fairy tale 'baddies' in the shape of Ellen's relatives. She also uses this novel to look at deeper issues such as racism and survival. I highly recommend this book especially if your a sucker for a happy ending. If you have teens in the house this book is a must, I'm passing this on to my 14 year old cousin maybe she'll appreciate what she has when she reads this.
Excellent!, 09 Jul 2007
I studied The Awakening' at uni and loved it! Chopin's work is beautiful and she deserves more credit in the literary world!
Mixed reaction, 27 Sep 2002
This is a well structured collection of short stories. Personally, I do not find 'The Awakening' to be the best of these. Yet, others, such as 'The Christ Light' are fantastic tales, short, yet with an often powerful moral subtext. Chopin creates dream-like landscapes and uses descriptions of local colour and language to re-create an image in the heads of the readers.
Mixed reaction, 27 Sep 2002
This is a well structured collection of short stories. Personally, I do not find 'The Awakening' to be the best of these. Yet, others, such as 'The Christ Light' are fantastic tales, short, yet with an often powerful moral subtext. Chopin creates dream-like landscapes and uses descriptions of local colour and language to re-create an image in the heads of the readers.
a romamantic and enchanting novel, 04 Sep 2001
I found this the awakening and short stories novel a very classical piece of work, it helped me realize what it was like back in the day
a fascinating and humourous insight into manic depression, 18 Oct 2000
Sights Unseen gives us a fascinating insight into the implications of manic depression for both the sufferer and those around her whose lives are profoundly affected. Through the eyes of Hattie, Kaye Gibbons is able to convey the empowerment the "disease" bestows upon her mother, Maggie, while at the same time showing it as a destructive force, cartwheeling uncontrollably through the family's everyday life. But, Kaye Gibbon's sensitivity is such that she can inject humour into the situation, which in no way detracts from the seriousness of the subject but rather allows the reader to gain a more rounded insight. Adversity is always easier to recall if we can see the "funny side" of a situation in hindsight and this book is an excellent example of this human trait.
Charms For the Easy Life, 30 Jan 2004
I began this book with the intention of being the first not to like it yet I read it cover to cover in one sitting; it was incredibly enthralling. Though some may be disappointed at the end because in a way the book seems to stop no where, I believe Gibbons intentions for the book was character development. After finishing the book, the characters, specifically Charlie Kate, are now permanently etched in my mind. It is rare to find such rich and well developed characters in the lower caliber novels of this day in age. Excellent read- I highly recommend.
Beautiful, 02 Jul 1999
The literary equivalent of comfort food!
I really enjoyed this book!, 16 May 1999
I read ELLEN FOSTER,and A VIRTUOUS WOMAN, and thought that they were excellent books. A CURE FOR DREAMS was not nearly as "deep" as the other two, but equally as thought provoking. I thought a lot about the relationship between generations, and the effect they have on our lives. I think the reason I did enjoy this one so much, was because it was more upbeat, and an easy read. Good vacation book!
Could Have Been Better, 12 Feb 1999
This reads like an author's first novel. Not a bad read, but certainly not as powerful as Ellen Foster, A Virtuous Woman, or Sights Unseen. Usually I'm able to associate the title of a book with the plot, or characters of the novel. I'm at a loss for the correlation here. If you happen to be between reads, and have already read Gibbons other work, then go ahead and give this a shot. If you've never read any of her work and this is your introduction to Gibbons, try one of her other novels first.
A great short little read, 30 Jan 1999
This book goes quick,but you will enjoy every minute of it. It is the story of two women, a mother and daughter. They are strong women. Every character you would love to meet in real life. A very up beat novel, unlike some of Kaye Gibbon's other books.
Insightful Thoughts, Lessons in life, Easy read..., 04 Jan 1999
Kaye Gibbons does it again...I couldn't put this book down, not because I was waiting for the end, but I couldn't get enough, I didn't want to finish it!!! Each chapter provides a unique insight or life lesson that made me pause to think and often laugh at the way people are...it was as if each chapter was its own short story, yet they flowed together to make one outstanding book! I found this book, like others of Kaye Gibbons, a comfortable, easy read that left me wanting more!
THE SPECIAL BOND BETWEEN MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS, 17 Apr 1998
A Cure for Dreams is a well-written story created by Kaye Gibbons. In this novel she traces the close and itimate relationship between four generations of Southern women, beginning with the great-grandmother and ending with the great-granddaughter. I am currently a senior in high school dealing with college applications and barely have any free time to read, but I honestly could not put this book down. I throughly enjoy reading books that have happy, family-oriented plots. Kaye Gibbons did an outstanding job in pursuing this in her book, and I can truly relate to it. My great-grandmother is still alive and she is constantly telling me her life stories, which resemble the stories in Gibbon's novel. I have always believed that there is a "special" bond between great-grandmothers, grandmothers, mothers and daughters, but I believe that the mother and daughter bond is the most precious. In "A Cure for Dreams" Brigette says, "I was in step with my mother, and though I was on friendly terms with young people my age, I perferred to stay right by her side like a little twin." These words really stood out for me. I love going out with my friends on the weekends, but I cherish the moments that I get to spend with my mother, alone. It will be very difficult for me to leave for college in the fall. Another element Kaye GIbbons showed us was during the toughest situations, if the family sticks together, then they can easily overcome any problem. I believe that if the family works together then any circumstance can be resolved. In the 1920s, when the story begins, it demonstrates how important families are and the book ends with the exact same message. In the 1990s families are just as important and maybe even more than they were in the 1920s. To me, my family is and always will be the most important thing to me. I would like to thank Kaye Gibbons for writing such an appropriate novel for a girl like me who is growing up in such a chaotic world!
Country Death Song, 12 Feb 2004
This short, spare book concerns the unlikely marriage between Ruby Pitt and tenant farmer "Blinking" Jack Stokes, old enough to be her father and physically unprepossessing. The title is from the famous Old Testament passage about the price of a virtuous woman being "far above rubies": hence Ruby Pitt. Except for the last chapter, the novel is made up of alternating first-person narratives from Jack Stokes (after Ruby's death at only forty-five from lung cancer) and from Ruby herself, in the months before her death. Both characters are beautifully drawn. Ruby is the youngest child of well-off, adoring parents who are still cutting up the meat on her plate for her when she is old enough to have a family of her own. She makes her escape by elopement with John Woodrow, a violent low-life who leaves her high and dry when he is fatally stabbed in a bar-room scuffle. When Jack Stokes comes to her rescue, she sees in him what no-one else has seen: a kind and capable man who will allow her space to be herself. Jack Stokes is given a wonderfully earthy voice: the action takes place in the southern U.S.A., and he combines gritty country sayings with a disarming honesty. He is a man who never had much in life before Ruby; and after her death, he is again left empty-handed. Ultimately, then, this is a fairly bleak little book. All the same, it would be worth the admission price for Jack Stokes' country sayings alone; and I'd certainly be interested in reading more of Gibbons' work.
Beautiful language, strong characterisation., 11 Jun 2001
The book is written from the point of view of Jack and Ruby, each taking a turn in narrating a chapter. The language is typical of Kaye Gibbons, as are the strong characterisations of the protagonists. Ultimately, it is the story of two people who, despite their differences, have a fantastic marriage and a very strong bond. The ending is very emotional, as are the majority of the events within the novel.
Beautiful language, strong characterisation., 11 Jun 2001
The book is written from the point of view of Jack and Ruby, each taking a turn in narrating a chapter. The language is typical of Kaye Gibbons, as are the strong characterisations of the protagonists. Ultimately, it is the story of two people who, despite their differences, have a fantastic marriage and a very strong bond. The ending is very emotional, as are the majority of the events within the novel.
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The Other Side of Air
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