“I always enjoy reading a book by an author I have never read before. Its nice not to have any expectations based on previous work, nothing to compare it to, so when I sat down to read Hand Me Downs, The Secrets I was very eager to get to "know" this author, through her words and character construction. From the first chapter I was not disappointed, the opening scene with Daniel and the Doctor just made my heart ache. Ms. Balmer's style of writing flows like a steady stream with only the situations in the story itself to change the direction of the current but not disrupt the flow itself.
If it was the author's intention to make you feel strong hate, compassion, exasperation, and hopelessness she did a fantastic job. I have to admit that this was not a book I could sit down and read in one sitting, although normally a book of this size would be finished in a day. I kept having to stop either because I was very angry or bordering on depressed. The fullness of the characters made me feel as if I were actually there, watching what was going on and I just wanted to shout.....Wake up Daniel!! Get a grip Hildy!!! I cannot recall a book character I have hated more than Bobby Ray, and I have read a LOT of books in my life. I wanted to castrate the man with a rusty knife.
Though my sense of humor may be different from a lot of other people, there were spots of humor that gave my anger a break and for that I'm most appreciative to Ms. Balmer. A person can only take so much heartache and despair and she certainly put humor in, in most needed places to help me be able to momentarily forget my hatred of Bobby Ray (I believe I have mentioned that she wrote him so profoundly well that I abhor him, but did I mention I wanted to castrate the man with a rusty knife more than I did John Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility, or more than Black Jack Randall from Outlander.)
The book gives me a whole different view of the time period my grandparents grew up in. I've always known the depression existed, I've known the things my grandparents did without and had to make do with....but this brought a lot of it home for me, someone that has never "wanted" for anything that was "needed" in her life. As a genealogist, it gives me a much more fuller picture of the statistics and facts I see on census pages and court documents.
I can honestly say that the ending definitely gives the much needed hope for healing and closure that I, as a reader, searched for, and leaves you wanting more, in a good way.”
Shannon B wrote this review Wednesday, December 19 2007.
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