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The New York Times Bestseller from the beloved author of Bird by Bird, Hallelujah Anyway, and Almost EverythingMattie Ryder is marvelously neurotic, well-intentioned, funny, religious, sarcastic, tender, angry, and broke. Her life at the moment is a wreck: her marriage has failed, her mother is failing, her house is rotting, her waist is expanding, her children are misbehaving, and she has a crush on a married man. Then she finds a small rubber blue shoe--nothing more than a gumball trinket--left behind by her father. For Mattie, it becomes a talisman--a chance to recognize the past for what it was, to see the future as she always hoped it could be, and to finally understand her family, herself, and the ever-unfolding mystery of her sweet, sad, and sometimes surprising life.… (more)
User reviews
The story revolves around a woman's quest to understand her family, her history and her own life. She longs for relationships and yet sees
I wonder if the people who aren't as fond of this book perhaps haven't had the experiences that are the focus of the story. As a woman from a dysfunctional family with a geriatric mother, I'm always trying to understand the circumstances in which I find myself. This book was like a friend saying, "Yeah, I've felt exactly that same way. I've been through the same thing." Lamott's books aren't for everyone, but they are full of integrity and her own spirit. This book, in particular, is well written, with great dialog and a wonderful insight into people you know.
Another favorite of mine is Lamott's, "Rosie". Wonderful book.
So why didn't I like it more? I think it's because there's just too much happening. Too many events, described in minimal detail
That's not to say it was a lousy book, by any means. I didn't even seriously think about abandoning it part way through. I liked very much the story of Mattie's relationship with her aging mother; perhaps because I'm going through the same thing myself.