Julie -2012 Book List

[julie]

Hi James and Poppy

Sorry I haven't replied in so long . I've been kinda Hit-or-Miss in here for the past few weeks again .

I've got a few more book reviews to put on below . Things have been hectic here,but hopefully they will slow down again soon .

I hope you are both doing well. Thanks for dropping in to visit --

Sorry I wasn't home .

 

39-Who Killed Betsy ? Uncovering Penn State University's Most Notorious Unsolved Crime --- 4/5

This book was about a girl who was in Penn state back in the early 60's ,who was originally from Michigan,but changed colleges to be near her boyfriend . She was staying at college through her Thanksgiving break ,rather than make a trip home ,because she had a report due that needed completed for one of her classes .

She was in the college library ,where only a few other students were that night,since most people had gone home for the holiday break .

She was seen getting up and walking down a dark aisle of books to find a particular one,when one of the other students heard a crash,so she went to investigate,and found this girl (Betsy) ,lying on the floor. The girl originally thought she had possibly fainted,but called for help and another student called for the police and ambulance. Come to find out,she had been stabbed once through the heart . Her killer has never been caught,but the author who wrote this grew up hearing stories about this unsolved crime and became interested in finding out more about it .

The boyfriend was immediately cleared, He attended a college in the same state, but was several hundred miles away at the time it happened . They couldnt find a history of her dating around with other guys ,and even tried the stalker possibility . There was one student who seemed to act a little unusual,but they could never place him there either .

The author has looked through the evidence closely,and has a guess as to who he thinks committed the crime,and has followed this person's life for many decades,trying to find a clue to possibly connecting him to the case. He definitely sounded like an odd peron with lots of run-ins with law, courts,etc and also had many failed relationships due to his violent nature .I dont think it was enough to totally convince me of the truth,but there are no other likely suspects that the author could find .

It must have been infuriating to her parents who never saw her murder solved . It sounds like Penn State wanted it covered up and brushed under the rug. They seemed to feel it'd be bad publicity for the college to have a girl in their library who was killed .They felt that students would no longer attend the college if it was found to be that unsafe.

It DID sound like they had a huge problem with Gays that were not comfortable with coming forward ( you gotta remember this was the early 60's),so they had to meet up in secret places so no one found them out. It just so happend that the dark hallway where Betsy needed a book was a meetup spot for the Gays . It sounds like she may have stumbled onto them in an embarassing situation,so one of them disposed of her quickly to avoid being reported . It also seemed to me as though a couple of her professors should have been looked at more closely,as they were very "free" with their students and had records of very inappropriate behavor with many of them .

Anyhow, the book was interesting. I like reading about cold cases,trying to figure out who might have done it and this one was very interesting .

 

40- Adventures of an Ididot Abroad - 4/5

This book was written about more of Karl Pilkington's adventures .He was allowed to use a "bucket list" for this one ,and choose things off it that he would be willing to try .It was interesting and had some funny parts, but I think the first one was funnier. I also watched the videos aftger reading the book. I enjoyed them too,but the first videos were also better . Still an enjoyable read,though .

 

41-Burn Down the Ground: A Memoir --Kambi Crews 5/5

This book was very interesting. I finished it in 2 days. It starts with a young girl visiting her father in jail. In the beginning,you dont know what he is in jail for, so you want to keep reading to find out. It ends up that you have to read clear to the end to discover why he was jailed . She tells about her life growing up -- her parents were both Deaf, although her mom has partial hearing. Her dad was completely deaf . I have wondered about kids who grow up with both parents being deaf,especially when they are small kids, like how do they learn to talk and how do the parents know when they cry when they are small ,so this book goes into lots of detail like that and tells of a lot of things I never thought about that deaf people have to overcome .Simple things like answering the phone, hearing someone at the door, fire alarms, etc . This book started in the 70's so we didnt have the gadgets we do today to help people in these situations. I liked learning more about deaf people and the challenges they have in life ,and also their ability to overcome them and live as good a life as anyone else does.

Rather than give away why her father was in jail, I'll leave that out in case anyone else reads it at some point. wouldnt want to ruin the ending for anyone .

 

42-The Color of Night : A Young Mother, A Missing Child ,and a Cold Blooded Killer 3/5

This review will be pretty blank, only because I read this book several weeks ago,and found that I had already read it at some point before,so this one was skimming through for a quick re-read . Just a typical true crime book,pretty easy to know whodunnit and why from the opening chapters .

 

43-Talking Pictures -Ransom Riggs 4/5

I was really excited to get this book ,since I loved the photos in his last book ( Miss Peregrines Home ........etc) . This book had lots of neat old pictures ,divided up be category . The author wrote a brief bit here and there throughout the book,but it didnt tell a story, it just mainly showed you lots of pictures ,some of them telling a story of sorts, others left you wondering why someone had taken that picture or written that caption below it . Anyhow, it was a quick "read" if you want to call it that .I was a little disappointed that it went so fast and would have liked it to be a lot longer,but it was still neat if you like old pictures .

 

 

 

 

Ok ,I think I'm caught up now ... Hopefully I should hit my 50 books for the year -- I have 7 to go !

Edited November 17, 2012 by julie

[vodkafan]

Hi Julie glad you are still about. Going back to have a good read of your reviews now.

[poppyshake]

Hi Julie

Lovely to see you, I have missed you Was interesting to read your comments on Talking Pictures .. I've been wondering whether to get that or not, also Adventures of an Idiot Abroad .. I thought it wouldn't be quite as good as the first one .. that would've been difficult though.

Good luck with reaching your target, nearly there

[julie]

^{hi James and Poppy}

^{Will come over and visit your pages now to catch up wth you on what you are reading .}

[Kylie]

Great reviews, Julie. I was hoping as I read through your review of Who Killed Betsy? that the author was going to figure out who the killer was. What a shame that it is still unsolved. It sounds like a very intriguing case with many possible suspects. There may have even been a witness if it's true that she stumbled upon a couple of lovers. I hope they solve it one day. As for the university trying to cover it up to save its reputation, I would be more put off attending it for that reason than knowing that someone had been killed and it had done everything it could to help find the killer (does that make sense?)

 

I bought Talking Pictures recently and had a quick flick through. It looks great (although I love old pictures, so I may be biased). Did you know that there's a sequel to Miss Peregrine due out next year? I can't wait.

[julie]

Hi Kylie

Great to see you .

As for the "Betsy" book, yes, it is terribly sad that the murder has never been solved. There actually were 1 or 2 students who saw a man exiting the door quickly after the original big crash was heard ( from her falling and some of the books being pulled off the shelves as she fell ). No one paid a lot of attention to the guy leaving, only taking a quick glance. I don't know how their library is set up,but it's probably huge,and maybe several places in which someone could exit without everyone seeing them. It also happened during a holiday when most students are gone would lessen the number of people who woul be possible witnesses.

I'm not saying that the author was wrong on who he thinks is the guilty party, I'm just saying I'm not totally convinced either .He isnt any type of a policeman or investigator, just an author who had heard about the case as he was growing up and had an interest in learning more about it . If he is right, the guilty party is 6 feet under,so he can't be punished at this point. I think the author said Betsy only has a few family members left - her mother is still alive ,but very elderly,and her sister ,who I think lives with the mom to take care of her. They didnt want to take part in the book or be interviewed ,so you really didnt hear their thoughts as to who they think could have done it . I am surprised at the number of cold cases we have over here . There is actually one in a town about 15 minutes from us -- a little 4 year old boy came up missing back in 1904, I think it was. Never found --no idea who did it or why . I think that would be such torture to be in a family like that,you'd always have this big hole in your life with never an answer .

As for Miss Peregrine, no, I didnt know they were working on a part one that took place before that . It should be interesting to see how they begin the story .

I think you'll like the picture book I mentioned . The pictures are really interesting to look at .I think I was a bit disappointed that it took such a short time to complete the book . The pictures do have very unusual writing on them or on the backs ,so some of them are sad, others make you wonder what they were talking about . I think you'll enjoy ,it ,though .

Thanks for your input !

[julie]

Conversations with Capote by Lawrence Grobel 5/5

 

This book was done as a series of interviews between the author and Truman,and covered many topics ,from his early childhood,which was very difficult .His mom was very young when she gave birth, his parent's marriage ended soon after and he rarely ever saw his father after that. His mother remarried and Truman took his stepfather's last name,but that marriage soon fell apart and Truman's mother committed suicide .

He always loved to write,from age 8 ,and made a trek to New York in his teens .He worked for newspapers and magazine companies and started his writing career in earnest .

He had quite a lot of colorful adventures during his short life . At the age of 11, he ran away with a 13 year old girl,who later murdered several people and was the first woman to be killed in the electric chair at SingSing prison . He mentioned his lifelong friendship with Harper Lee ,and seemed so very honored that she used him as a character in "To Kill a Mockingbird" .

He also talked quite a bit about the writing of "In Cold Blood",which took him 6 years to write and 8000 pages of notes and research . He said he was so bothered by the entire event that he rarely slept for more than 3 hours a night while working on it . He had somehow been able to humanize the Clutter Family , but also became "friends" of a sort with the murderers and didn't judge them nearly as harshly as the general public. He almost felt connected to them in a way, understanding why their lives went down such a bad path. He also talked a little of the day of their hangings and him being there to witness it . They both wanted him there ,so he honored their request,but I dont think he ever totally recovered from the emotions and the writing of that book. I think he left a piece of himself in it .

He spent quite a colorful life and loved the spotlight. He became good friends with lots of famous people,writers, movie stars, political people,etc. He loved parties and loved meeting people . He was very opinionated about just about everything,and very critical of many people he met . I wish I had learned to like him more after reading this. I love his writing and think he was such an interesting character,but he actually sounded like he would have been a challenge to LIKE . He was so outspoken with people, it often caused severe arguments and enemies for life because of it .

I guess by finding out more about him, I found out that he was quite a character and they broke the mold after he was made ,so maybe in a way, I CAN like him even more .

If anyone is interested in learning more about the real Truman, read this book. It 's a quick read --- took me less than 2 days .

Edited November 21, 2012 by julie

[chaliepud]

Great to see you back Julie, hope you're well? Some great reviews there, I don't know how you sleep at night!

[julie]

Hi Chalie

Great to be back Thanks for the nice comment .

I'm hanging in here -- trying to postpone a knee surgery that needs done . You get really sick of this stuff after awhile .. the knee doc says it probably wont be a total replacement at this point ,but the possibility is there if he gets in there and the knee looks worse than it showed on the MRI .

On top of that, our insirance dropped one of my asthma meds that works really well. It is REALLY expensive. We paid 160 bucks for 3 month's woth last year. This year, it doubled to 320 . About a month ago,they said I can no longer get it because of the cost. My lung doc sent in an order to them stating that it is medically necessary that I have this drug. They contacted me after that and said they will approve it again,but now,OUR cost is $1400 bucks for 3 months. Last time I checked , I wasn't related to the Queen of England and don't think she'd loan me a few thousand,so I have had to drop the medicine. My breathing is hideous .

Story of my life, it sounds like all Ido is MOAN

I should have chosen Eeyore for my screen name .

**As for the above book reviews, I didnt just lately read them all, These have been in the past several weeks .

 

How's life in your neck of the woods ? Getting excited for the holidays coming up ?

[chaliepud]

Oh Julie, that doesn't sound good.. I don't really understand how it works over there with insurance, can you change insurance companies or do they all have the same rules re the same drugs, are there no cheaper drugs your Dr can prescribe that are more cost effective and yet still effective?

 

Sending you hugs {{hugs}} (sorry I'm on my phone and I can never remember the blessed emoticons!) and hope your knee doesn't need such serious surgery x

[Inver]

Hiya Julie...nice to see you popping in again...keep well.

[julie]

Hi Chalie

We have insurance through the Hubster's work,so they take money out each check to pay for our useage fees . We can't switch companies or add aother one to help pay for the meds . I already tried doing that,and spent a day calling all the insurance companies I could find. They all told me the same thing : Since I have Chronic kidney disease , no NEW company will cover me as a patient because I'm not a good gamble I don't guess --the kidney disease is already pretty advanced ,and the longer I live ,the larger chance that I may have to do dialysis at some point.

One insurance told me that if the Hubster loses his job, they have an emergency type insurance we can buy -- it's 600 bucks a month just for me -- how are you supposed to have that much if you lose your job ?

Our insurance stuff over here is a mess,but no one seems to have a good solution .

 

Oh,and yes, the asthma doc DID order another med that I was on once before. It's nasty and makes me really ill -- you constantly feel like you have the flu -- body aches, bad sore throat, eyes and nose hurt ,rash and the world's worst nausea .

Not fun getting old and worn out .

Edited November 21, 2012 by julie

[julie]

Hi Diane

thanks very much ! Good to be back again ... hoping to meet my goal of 50 books for the year. I think I will be able to make it . This is the first year I have ever kept a record of books read for a whole year .

[poppyshake]

I'm hanging in here -- trying to postpone a knee surgery that needs done . You get really sick of this stuff after awhile .. the knee doc says it probably wont be a total replacement at this point ,but the possibility is there if he gets in there and the knee looks worse than it showed on the MRI .

On top of that, our insirance dropped one of my asthma meds that works really well. It is REALLY expensive. We paid 160 bucks for 3 month's woth last year. This year, it doubled to 320 . About a month ago,they said I can no longer get it because of the cost. My lung doc sent in an order to them stating that it is medically necessary that I have this drug. They contacted me after that and said they will approve it again,but now,OUR cost is $1400 bucks for 3 months. Last time I checked , I wasn't related to the Queen of England and don't think she'd loan me a few thousand,so I have had to drop the medicine. My breathing is hideous .

Story of my life, it sounds like all Ido is MOAN

I should have chosen Eeyore for my screen name .

Oh bless you Julie we moan about the National Health Service here but when I hear things like that it makes me ashamed to whinge about it (but then something else would only take it's place ) I pay about £15 a month for two lots of meds (about $24) and that makes me mad enough, whenever they say it's going up by 25p my blood pressure rises. I know we pay National Insurance too to cover it but it's as nothing compared. I can't imagine what it must be like to have to pay thousands of pounds a quarter .. like you say if peeps can't afford it they have to go without that's not right.

You don't moan anyway, you're always positive. I don't know how you do it.

Loved your review of Conversations with Capote .. one for the list I think All writers are challenging to like aren't they? .. they're an opinionated lot (not like us )

Sending lots of hugs your way

[vodkafan]

Hi Julie, sorry to hear about the knee and the kidnies and the asthma med let down. That's terrible. I don't know how you cope but I guess it is just a case of having no choice. Nice review of Truman Capote.

[julie]

Hi Miss Poppy

Yes, we always hear over here how good you and Canada have it for insurance compared to how we do it here . People here complain because the low income and homeless need health care,and the middle and upper class people have to pay for it through tax increases, etc . I really dont mind that we have money coming out each month for others to get the health care needed. Everyone deserves to be taken care of in the best way possible ,and someone has to pay for it . It's REALLY a scarey feeling to know I have so many health disorders and so many specialists and medications . My monthly medication bill runs about 200 bucks a month .(after dropping the most expensive one ) We have a list of medical costs I have had this year ,including surgery, hospital stays and tests. Those equal almost $ 62,000 . Those costs don't include doctor visits .- I have my family doctor,then I have 6 specialists who I go to usually once every 3-6 months, depending on what they are for . Our insurance does pay most of that --we only owe specialists 25 bucks and family docs 15 . Some of my specialists charge 275 bucks for an office visit,so that is where insurance helps a lot .My neurologist wants me to get Botox injections INTO MY HEAD AND NECK to block the nerves which are causing the migraines. I asked him if I'd look like Jennifer Lopez when I got done,and he said no, so I am passing on those . They would have been 600 bucks ,4 times a year . Something tells me insurance would have pitched a fit over those too,so it's just as well I decided against them .

 

Anyhow, I try really hard to not moan about it .It's sometimes kinda overwhelming but there's nothing I can do to change things,so I have to learn to adapt .

[julie]

Hi James

Yep,you hit the nail on the head,you just have to cope with things life throws at you .You can get mad and throw a hissy fit,or buy a case of Budweiser and drink yourself silly,but you will still wake up having the same issues. You cant run from them .

I've even thought about going out and kicking the heck outta the tree in our front yard,but then I'd have another doctor bill to fix my foot.

 

Forgot to say - Poppy and James,both--thanks, I'm glad you liked the review on Truman . I have thought so much about him when reading that book,and I'm thinking how hard life must have been for him to be born in the deep South ,and grown up with people who are bible-thumping Christians ..It must have been extremely difficult to by Gay in that time and place . With him coming to NY as an olderkid ,then young adult, he was probably judged severely by some people,but others would have possibly accepted him for who he was,since the early 60's were more of an "anything goes" time ..

 

Poppy

you are also right about writers being a little off-kilter maybe -- they had a profession which needs to be done mainly in a "hermit-like" way ,but yet you are pouring yourself into your work so that others can read your most personal feelings .

The book mentions a lot about Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal -- it seems that they all 3 had running problems with each other --at times they'd get along,then get really angry at each other .A lot also had to do with jealousies if one had more success than the others . It seemed to be interesting to read back to a time when talk show hosts like Johnny Carson would have authors on his show . That happens very rarely anymore, that authors are lauded for their works on talk shows ,unless they wrote a nonfiction account of something that might fit into a talk show topic .

I also think Truman ,with his unusual looks and voice would have stuck out in any crowd. It's neat to watch the little snips of him they have on youtube,and get to see and hear him .Such an odd little fellow,but such magical words and talent come from him .

The Grass Harp ,if you've never read it,is an absolute beautiful dream --the words make you want to laugh and cry and remember people who are no longer with you,and food and songs ...it all just comes together in the most beautiful story . It's amazing that something THAT special came out of that wee little squeaky-voiced man .

[vodkafan]

Hi Julie, sorry to go on about the health thing again, but it does seem that US docs will offer some strange things (like the botox) that seem just about getting money rather than any true health benefit. One thing about our health service, everything is cut to the bone so you only get offered what you REALLY need , although things have got a bit iffy.

I had no idea old Truman was gay, or that he was little with a squeaky voice.

[julie]

Hi James

It's ok, you can comment or ask questions. Not offensive at all . I know the docs do seem to try odd things at some points . I don't know how to take some of them. In a way, maybe it's good that they are experimenting with new treatment options that may be succcessful and help lots of people. We have the FDA over here which takes years worth of study before allowing drugs to be used ,so if you go to a reputable doc, he will follow guidelines perfectly . I don't like how they have so many drug commercials on tv here -- it's not surprising to see 20 in a day --many anti-depressants are being given now for multiple disorders -- chronic pain,arthritis ,etc .. I know many drugs are used for many different illnesses,but they seem to be handing out anti -depressants like candy. That worries me because so many of them have really serious side effects which may do more harm than good .

I researched the botox for migraines before making a decison on it . I have had migraines my whole life, and lately they have become almost daily,so I'm willing to try some "new" ideas if they sound safe to me. The botox had so many dangerous effects .I called pharmacies,our family doc ,and did research on the internet on it . It seemed to me the dangers far outweighed the benefits ,so I chose not to try it . He has also mentionedd acupuncture. The jury is still out on that . Not decided .

 

As for Truman, yes, he was openly gay -- in fact, he seemed to flaunt it, but I sometimes think he did that because it was more taboo back then and he seemed to like to invent his own aura ,for lack of a better term. He loved going to fancy parties and meeting celebrities,and he knew that his openly being gay would make him be well remembered by people. His voice was so unusual -- that's why I mentioned it -- never heard a voice like it before .. If you look him up on youtube they have many small clips of him talking,and you'll see what I mean by squeaky -- best way I can describe it .

Edited November 22, 2012 by julie

[julie]

Born on the Night of the Living Dead: Growing Up With Talking apes, Killer Sharks, and Flesh Eating Zombies ---David Young --- 3/5

 

This book caught my eye mainly because of the weird title . Sometimes I'll choose a book based just on the title to see what's inside .

This is a memoir I guess you'd call it ,about a boy growing up who LOVES movies . I'm not much of a movie fan myself, so I'm actually surprised I completed the book. The writing was good ,and I guess the background of the story was interesting enough to keep me reading. I'd seen a few of the movies mentioned ,like Star Wars ,Jaws ,some of the really big movies that probably most people have seen at some point. The book would have been more interesting to me ,had the boy told more about the REST of his life ,not just movies.

He didnt grow up in a very good home life,so he kinda lived through the movies he watched,and soon,the characters in the movies became more real to him than his own family . Maybe it's a bit of escaping from real life to live someone else's ,if only for a couple hours of a movie .

I've heard it said that kids who read a LOT are sometimes escaping from their home life,and trying to take themselves elsewhere into a book,where they can pretend to be someone else for awhile . So, maybe I can understand this kid's fascination with movies if I compare it to my fascination with books .

Overall, I'll give the guy credit for being a pretty good writer that kept me reading to the end about a subject that I don't have a whole lot of interest in . If you love movies, you'd probably enjoy it even more

[vodkafan]

Yeah definitely a boy book that one Julie, I liked the sound of it. Going on my wishlist.

[julie]

James

Yea, the price was right too. I think I may have gotten it when it was free . I can't remember . It's only 3.99 now ,I think . It only has a one -star review (from one person),but has 4 "Likes",so someone must have liked it . I thought the writing was good ,and if someone was a huge movie fan,they'd probably really like it .

[julie]

Daughters of Zion:A Family's Conversion to Polygamy ---Kim Taylor 4/5

 

Wow --this book is hard to review in order to tell the story properly. I've tried twice and written a novel trying to explain it all. So much happened in the book,where to start ?

Many years ago, a group of Mormon brothers decided to found a splinter church,so they went to Mexico and made a small village for their followers. They believed in polygamy,so the village grew quickly, each man marrying several wives and having huge families.

The girl who told the story was the youngest in her family,having 3 older sisters. They went down there and became quickly involved .The 3 girls were soon married off to the older men and began having kids. The living conditions were horrid .The brothers who started this group soon began bickering amongst themselves as to who should have the most power in the group .

Tensions quickly grew,as did the number of people living in this village . You know ,as you are reading it,that another Waco or Jonestown is brewing .

Many really good people became involved ,and as time went on,many of them became zealous and fanatical .That's when the whole thing began to crack .

Rather than give away the entire story, let's just say it was a quick read,but also extremely difficult due to the horrendous conditions these women and children lived in. There was widespread abuse, neglect, horrible birth defects due to intermarrying among familes .

The last hundred pages build up to a crescendo of violence, death, heartbreak and sadness. It shows what happens when people go overboard with power and greed .

I liked the book because it does explain a lot about the Mormon faith and their beliefs,and how the people get so wrapped up in these splinter groups,then become unable to get out .

At the end, the girl tells what happened to everyone involved. It's not a happy ending .There are many murders ,strange unexplained deaths ,and unanswered questions.

You become so involved with these people so quickly, you want to reach into the book and yank them out and save them before it's too late .

Definitely interesting reading if you like learning about cults and how they can control people and make them do things they normally would never consider.All in the name of religion . 4/5

[julie]

Two Egg, Florida --Dale Cox 2/5

 

This book is aout an actual village in Florida named Two-Egg . The way the town got its name ,was when a few settlers first moved to the area , a man opened a small trading post . The residents who lived close by would bring a couple of eggs to his store in exchange for a small item ,sometimes s small bit of sugar ,which was considered to be a treat to the farmers since it wasn't easily available to them like it is now .

The writer grew up in the area .When he was a small child, he remembers when it was still considered a "town". There are pictures througjout the book,showing different things that pertain to the stories he tells and in one photo, you can see the remains of a few small stores of some type, which made up the villlage of Two Egg.

It tells a lot of history of the first settlers to the area and how difficult life was in the area,with so many swamps and woods. Diseases like Malaria were common ,and most people died at young ages due to disease,lack of close medical care and the difficulties of settling such a wild area.

There are stories of supposed ghosts , huge alligators that ate people ,buried treasures that have never been found.

This area also has a rumor that this is the location of the original Garden of Eden,with pictures . It looks like more swamps to me, but I'm far from a Bible scholar,so your guess is as good as mine .

The last couple of stories were about a few people from the area who joined up to fight in the Civil War ,and told of their duties and battles during that time,and their fates in the end . If you are a history buff, you'd enjoy reading about these things. I think the book would have been more interesting if it had been one big long story from beginning to end ,going into lots more detail about the people's lives and interactions .Instead, it's just several short stories patched together to make a book .

This book was interesting ,mainly because I like reading the history of different places and how certain weird towns got their names .

I'm only giving it a 2/5 because it's fairly short and I think I'd find it more interesting if it were someplace closer to home,so I could identify with it more.

All in all,the writing is good and the stories are entertaining .

Edited December 11, 2012 by julie

[julie]

Medicine Men : Extreme Appalachian Doctoring --- Carolyn Jourdan ----3/5

 

This book was written by a lady who grew up in the Smoky Mountains . Her father was a country doctor down in the hills . He treated mostly low income families ,back when they made house calls . Doctors were rarely paid with cash by the poor people ,but many times,they bartered with him for his services,so he was paid by chickens or eggs, freshly-killed animals ,home-made preserves and canned goods, etc.

This book is written sorta like a short story,as it doesn't flow in one continual story . It tells about a lot of her father's cases, but also tells of other Appalachian doctors and some of their more memorable cases .

A lot of times,they would use unconventional methods ,such as some type of herbal item growing in the woods, or an old fashioned home remedy,which sometimes actually helped.

It told of the serious cases when poor familes had a gravely ill family member,and the doctor feeling so helpless because he knew there wasn't much he could do for the patient .

Many times, the patient would come to the doctors' house at all hours, even in the middle of the night in case of emergencies .His family was woken up frequently by people who had been in a domestic abuse situation and needed stitched up,or a bullet cut out of them .

It was a short book, but interestingly told ,with funny stories too,not all sad and tragic ones.

I "think" this one was also in the freebies or very low cost, I can't remember ,but it was a quick and interesting book . 3/5

Edited December 12, 2012 by julie