Alexi Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 That's the good thing about Books . They'll sit there waiting patiently on you. I like that! Great reviews Julie, I'd be interested in reading both...more for the wishlist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Pixie Yea, we can drive a few minutes in any direction and see some of the people you're watching on tv . I don't know of any Hutterites close , maybe some in Pennsylvania ? (one state away ) They have lots of Amish over that way too . I don't personally know any of the Sister Wife type people ,which is probably a good thing . I don't think I'd be very good at keeping my mouth shut about that situation ... Who would Voluntarily Share their husband with someone else who lives with you ? You'd see it constantly . I'd be kicking some butts ,bum leg or not . My sister-in-law's family are ex-Amish from the Indiana area. Her step-mom resents the fact that she didn't get a very good education which has made it difficult for her to get a well-paid job. She also says there is quite a lot of hypocrisy where parents will use technology belonging to their children (who are allowed to do what they like from 16 years on until they decide if they want to become committed Amish) as long as they don't own it themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 I like that! Great reviews Julie, I'd be interested in reading both...more for the wishlist! Thanks Alexi , I hope you like them if you get a chance to get ahold of them. I enjoyed them myself ! My sister-in-law's family are ex-Amish from the Indiana area. Her step-mom resents the fact that she didn't get a very good education which has made it difficult for her to get a well-paid job. She also says there is quite a lot of hypocrisy where parents will use technology belonging to their children (who are allowed to do what they like from 16 years on until they decide if they want to become committed Amish) as long as they don't own it themselves. Poppy Yea, living as close as we do, we see and hear the other side of the Amish lifestyle. Not as glamorized as the tv shows and movies make it look. There's quite a lot of child molestation (fathers ,uncles and brothers against the little girls in the family ) They get lousy schooling and medical care . The girls are treated as possessions like cattle . There's a really good book : All about the Amish Rumspringa, or the time when the teens try to decide whether to join the church or leave it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 It seems quite alarming to me that children who have been so over-protected from the outside world are suddenly allowed free rein at 16. They are suddenly confronted with drugs, alcohol, sex, technology, fast cars etc and that's not an age when the best choices are often made. I would never have allowed my children that much freedom at that age and they had been surrounded by the 'real world' to much greater a degree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 (edited) Yes, it's actually a pretty dangerous time for them ,being that they have been so sheltered their whole lives , to suddenly be allowed to go out and experiment with anything they choose . It's not really encouraged by the adults, but it's accepted . The adults would much rather the kids just join the church . Lots of them do get into trouble ,get hooked on drugs and alcohol, get in car and buggy wrecks . The kids who I went to school with were 2 steps down from Amish. One of my best friends belonged to the church and she joined in 9th grade ,which was pretty unusual. Most of the kids don't join the church til they are out of high school so they have the freedom to do anything they want . When my friend joined, she was no longer allowed to attend any football or basketball games, no school dances , etc. No TV , or movies. She was actually advised not to hang out with me any longer since I was an outsider and possibly a bad influence . If you would have known me then, it was laughable. I was the most boring teen I knew . I never did anything remotely risky . Anyhow, she went ahead and hung out with me, but I usually just came to her house and we did homework and such together . We did go shopping a few times . There was a boy who liked her in our senior year. a REALLY nice kid . One of her "church friends" told the preacher that she talked to him at school( in PUBLIC IN THE HALLWAY ) ,and she got called in before the Elders of the church and got reprimanded and told she'd be excommunicated from the church if they heard any further reports on her about it . It's made her life very difficult in many areas and she finally , just recently gave up the church rules. I think she still attends, but she is shunned . Just one of the reasons I don't get too mixed up in churchy-ness . Too much of a chance of a situation like that ! Edited July 3, 2014 by julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Julie, great reviews ! I've read things (and seen things on TV) about the Amish in the US, that must be pretty terrible. Personally, I think there are some good thoughts in the Bible about how to take care of others but some churches take it too far. I can't imagine you being a bad influence! You're such a kind person . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted July 4, 2014 Author Share Posted July 4, 2014 Thanks Athena Yes, I agree, there are lots of good guidelines in the Bible, and lots of really good people out there who follow them and are wonderful people . The problem with organized religion is tht sometimes groups take it too far and men decide on how everyone else in the church should behave . The church my friend joined almost seems as if they don't trust their members to make good decisions on their own, therefore, the church decides for them . Thanks for stopping in ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 (edited) Are you still in touch with your friend at all ? That`s awful that she was so bullied. Edited July 4, 2014 by Little Pixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted July 4, 2014 Author Share Posted July 4, 2014 Yes, we still see each other from time to time . Life moves on and we've both gone our own ways . High school was 38 years ago ! She , I think, is more content with life now than ever before . She is remarried (which the church doesn't recognize. They say she is living in sin ,since they don't believe in divorce ) ,but she's married to a nice man who treats her well. She has a gorgeous house and pets, but never had kids . She's got a wonderful job as a nurse,so I think her life is probably happy . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted July 4, 2014 Author Share Posted July 4, 2014 (edited) Change Me Into Zeus's Daughter by Barbara Robinette Moss Holy Smokes, what a book ! A memoir of a girl growing up in Alabama in a dirt- poor family with lots of kids and an alcoholic father , this is a very depressing book about how bad and low someone's life can be . This huge family goes through so much heartache, the main part of it due to an alcoholic father who caused so much grief throughout the years . He usually drank up all the money if he was working ,but he lost many jobs throughout his life. He got very mean when drunk ,so there was a lot of abuse that all of them suffered . His wife had a miserable life ,which was so sad ,because her early life had been filled with hopes ,dreams and talent. When she met and married this man, it all changed ,but she stayed with him through it all . This book was SO good ,told by the middle girl in the family, yet it was so sad . I've often wondered what people like her must think of their parent if they have one who is abusive , on drugs or drinking, and doesn't provide and take care of them as they should . The author addresses this in her book , describing the feelings that each of them have at the end of their dad's life . It must be such a confusing feeling to have a parent who treats you so poorly ,yet COULD have been a good parent , if not for drinking . It was hard for me to have much sympathy for the mother . She allowed all this to continue, allowed her kids to be beat, starving, wearing rags to school and being made fun of because they were so poor .They got evicted many times due to no money ,yet the mother stayed with the father through it all and made her kids suffer right along with her . Maybe I'd be able to look at it differently if I had lived in a similar situation, but it's so hard to feel sympathy for the mother . I think once you have kids, THEY need to be put before everything else. Their health, safety and happiness should come before all else . Anyhow, it was a terrific read ,even though it was such a downer . 5/5 Edited July 4, 2014 by julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Great review, Julie. I don't think I could manage reading it though.....books about alcoholics really make me mad. What a nightmare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted July 5, 2014 Author Share Posted July 5, 2014 Yes Kate It'd be so frustrating to have a family member like that . Both my grandfathers were drinkers and I know it did a lot of damage in their families and marriages .I've often wondered what my feelings would be if I had a parent who drank that much . My parents didn't drink at all, so it's hard to know how you'd feel. Anyhow, I usually like reading books like that just to try to learn what other people's lives were like and how they handle certain situations . Now I need to find something a bit more fun to read for the next one ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Mine didn't either, I can't imagine having to deal with that as a child. What they don't go through! Definitely need something lighter for your next read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted July 6, 2014 Author Share Posted July 6, 2014 Pray for Silence - Linda Castillo 4/5 Kate Burkholder is the police chief of a very small (fictional ) town in Amish country. In fact, many of the towns and streets she mentions in the book are areas we have been to many times .. There are a few other books in this series and this is book 2, so I've started them a bit out of order . Anyhow, this takes place on night when one of the men in the police force is driving the back roads on his night shift and hears a scream . He goes to investigate and finds an amish man running across the road. He gets out to see what has upset the guy ,and finds out that the man helped on a neighbor's dairy farm .He came into work that morning ,didn't find any of the family awake yet, so thinking they had just overslept, he goes in the back door to holler for them to get up . He finds that someone has come in and murdered the whole family . It's up to Kate and her 4 -man police force to discover who killed this family and why .Soon, she finds that one of the family members was keeping a big secret, which led to the murders . This is a really interesting story and kept me guessing til the end . I'm impressed that is was so good . I finished the book in a day and now want to read the others in the series. I think there are 4 total, and one more to be released this coming week . If you like mysteries, it's well worth a try ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Yes, we still see each other from time to time . Life moves on and we've both gone our own ways . High school was 38 years ago ! She , I think, is more content with life now than ever before . She is remarried (which the church doesn't recognize. They say she is living in sin ,since they don't believe in divorce ) ,but she's married to a nice man who treats her well. She has a gorgeous house and pets, but never had kids . She's got a wonderful job as a nurse,so I think her life is probably happy . I`m glad that things have worked out for her and she`s not being subjugated anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 I`ve Kimpled ( ) the first of the Kate Burkholder books. Thanks for the heads-up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Pray for Silence - Linda Castillo 4/5 That sound good, Julie. Great review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 My Cousin Rachel - Daphne DuMaurier 5/5 This is a re-read from a long time ago. I'm so glad I read it again ! Wow, what a story ! Philip is being raised by his much older cousin, Ambrose ,who is a confirmed bachelor in his early 40's. They have led a very peaceful life in a big old mansion . As the story begins, Ambrose is preparing for a trip to Italy to possibly find some new plants to have sent back to their estate . He loves gardening and is always on the lookout for new foliage . While he is gone, he writes frequently to Philip, but as time goes by , the letters become less ,and then they begin sounding very worrisome. Philip is worried about Ambrose's health, so he leaves to go find Ambrose and bring him home . What he finds is a terrible shock ,with more shocks to follow . Something from Ambrose's time in Italy resurfaces in Philip' life, and soon, he becomes prey to the same situation that Ambrose did . A VERY good book . I used to think that Rebecca was the better of the two, but I'm almost inclined to say they are tied at this point . 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) I haven't yet read anything by Daphne DuMaurier, but heard a lot of great things. I'm glad you enjoyed re-reading this book . I have one or multiple books by the author on my wishlist. Edited July 10, 2014 by Athena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 Thanks Athena , I hope you get a chance to try her someday. Her writing is really good ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 I very much enjoyed the audio book of My Cousin Rachel ; I heard it years ago ( narrated by Mel Gibson, in the time before he turned out to have some very nasty views ... ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 I read My Cousin Rachel so many decades ago, so as to forget it. Great review. I hafta reread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 Hello Julie! So sorry to hear about your knee, but very excited to hear that your other half got a new job! I am so sorry its taken me so long to get to your thread, here is me going on about my problems when you have worse things on your mind! I hope things have settled down into a good rhythm again. i'm glad to see you back. We have missed you. I have missed you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 Hi Devi Good to hear from you ! I hope all is going ok for you as well . Things here are settling down . The job is going well, so maybe that worry is finally over . Knee scheduled for the 28th at 10 AM . I have 3 appts this week, one with the surgeon, one with the family doc and one with the therapist . I'll be really glad to get it over with and back home At least I'm reading again, so that's always a good thing . Thanks very much for stopping in . You're always welcome ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 Daisy Fay & the Miracle Man - Fannie Flagg 4/5 This book is a re-read from a long time ago. The first time I read it , I would have given this a 5 . but on re-reading it will get a 4 . The tale is told by Daisy Fay ,who is a young girl of probably about 10 when the story starts . She grows up in Mississippi in the early 1950's. She's got a pretty dysfunctional family ,due mainly to her dad's hair-brained ideas to get rich. They all fail , and each time, they come out a little worse . He finally goes in half with a friend to buy a restaurant and diner in a small beach town that rarely gets much business ,and when it does, it's very short time-wise . He has always been a drinker ,but as the money situation gets worse, so does the drinking, then the cheating . Daisy's mom finally bails out, leaving her with her Dad . Daisy misses her mom, but she is used to fending for herself most of the time, so she is able to handle whatever life throws at her . The story is really funny in the beginning ,where Daisy tells a lot of funny stories about her dad's new ideas to make money and about her family ,who all sound like a pretty colorful group . I would have enjoyed the book more if it had stayed in Daisy's early years, but the story goes on into her adulthood, and it seems to lose steam for me at that point. Not as funny , sad in parts and almost like the author used up all her good stuff in the beginning , so was out of ideas by the end . Maybe she was just trying to show that as a kid ,we may be able to look at life differently than we do as adults, when we grow up and see that life maybe was a little off-kilter before . Anyhow, I'd recommend the book, as it does have some really funny parts and is a good story . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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