(Larger Image)
|
Quaker Summer (Women of Faith Fiction) (2007 Novel of the Year)
by Lisa Samson
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (2007-02-06)
ISBN: 1595542078
EAN: 9781595542076
Dewey Decimal #: 813.6
Binding/Media: Paperback - 336 pages
SKU: 00-S5SX-0FHA
Condition: Good
Comments: Personalized and signed by author on title page. Otherwise unmarked. Appears to be unread. No creases to spine. Binding is tight. Expedited shipping is available.
|
Editorial Reviews
|
Product Description
Sometimes you have to go a little bit crazy to discover the life you were meant to live. Heather Curridge is coming unhinged. And people are starting to notice. What's wrong with a woman who has everything--a mansion on a lake, a loving son, a heart-surgeon husband--yet still feels miserable inside? When Heather spends the summer with two ancient Quaker sisters and a crusty nun running a downtown homeless shelter, she finds herself at a crossroads.
|
Customer Reviews
|
Strong message, nicely told
Rating  (5)
Date: 2009-08-11
I purchased this book over six months ago and just now got to it. I spent a couple of summer days out on my porch reading this and enjoying every minute of it. It conveys a wonderful message and does it well.
The main character, Heather Curridge, is a doctor's wife who was raised by her dad without a lot of financial advantages. She is a hair stylist by training and falls in love, and marries, a handsome med student who goes on to become a very successful cardiac surgeon. By the time the novel begins, they have a 15-year-old son going to private school and lots of material advantages but nothing ever seems to be enough for her. The spending she continues to do causes strain in the marriage and doesn't fill whatever hole she is trying to fill. The story follows Heather along as she begins to question the status quo and wonder what God would have her do -- something she hasn't spent much time contemplating until now.
While some people may not view Heather as a sympathetic character, I thought she was very realistic (except for the fact she never seemed to do laundry or clean house and no mention was ever made of a housekeeper). While she has every material advantage now and a loving husband and wonderful son, she is battling the demons inside (including a lot of insecurity) and isn't happy. She tries to feed the demon by buying things, trying to be the perfect school volunteer and keeping herself busy doing a contant list of tasks that never ends. None of this works and she ends up yearning for simplicity of both possessions and life-style. There are great supporting characters which enrich the story on their own, plus help her clarify what she really wants out of life. Other mothers at her son's school, a friend she met at a charity function, a nun running a support center for people down on their luck and two elderly Quaker women are terrific characters and add so much to the story.
While the story has some flaws and the writing isn't in the category of great literature, the way it makes you think and re-examine your life and priorities brings this up to a 5-star for me. There is a repeated reference to white place settings - 8 of each piece and only 8. It becomes a symbol of simplicity throughout the novel. Since finishing the last page of the book, I can't tell you how many times I have thought of that 8-piece settng. Enough but not too much. That kind of recurring thought that comes to me days later is the mark of an excellent book in my mind.
|
|
Disappointing
Rating  (2)
Date: 2009-08-10
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I had really high hopes for this book. It won the Women of Faith Novel of the Year and the premise of it sounded good. At the halfway point, I just can't stomach anymore for the following reasons:
1.) None of the characters are believable. For example, her son is a deeply theological 15 year old boy who likes hanging out with his mom. Yea. Right.
2.) The main character is hard to sympathize with. I'm sorry I find it hard to see the struggles of a pampered doctor's wife.
3.) This took waaaay too long to get going. I spent half of the book waiting for it to get started. The author spent too much time trying to convey the point that the woman lacked direction in her life. The reader got that point after a few pages, but she kept hammering it home over and over.
|
|
Heather has it all.... but why isn't it enough??
Rating  (3)
Date: 2009-05-04
Heather Curridge has it all: A great family, ritzy lake-front house, possessions aplenty, and enough money to buy more "things" whenever she wants. Her husband is a surgeon, her son goes to a private school. This is the perfect life, what many people aspire to have but never achieve. Heather loves her stuff, she knows she is fortunate...but then why is she feeling so discontent? Shouldn't she be content with her pampered life? And why have the sins of her childhood started to haunt her?
Many people have said this book is life-changing, and I can certainly see how it could be. It did cause me to look around at my possessions, and it effectively and truthfully gets the message across that "things" can't and won't fulfill us....and that is a message we often need reminding of. I did find the story kind of slow in spots, especially in the beginning, but it did pick up. Overall, this is a fairly interesting/entertaining book, with the added bonus of a good message!
|
|
Hard for me to get through.
Rating (3)
Date: 2009-04-15
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Although I understood and enjoyed the message for this book, which is you can have all kinds of stuff, volunteer, but what kind of heart are you doing it with, and what is inside?
I think we forget this on a daily basis. This book is a wonderful reminder. However, I felt like our main character was just lacking something for me. I struggled to finish this book.
I will however look for more books by Ms. Samson and here's to hoping the next one I enjoy a bit more!
|
|
Contrived and Overbearing
Rating  (1)
Date: 2009-01-31
2 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
As an actual Quaker, I was drawn to this book by it's title. But the contrived writing and overbearing message of this book is anything but Quaker. The whole book is just silly. Rich, white, Christian Mom with love of shopping, baking and eating seeks fulfillment through helping black, less-educated, drug-addicted, homeless folks. Said mom speaks of Jesus and "WWJD" in every other sentence, as if this is normal conversation for everyone. Author keeps hitting you over the head with her overly strong message. I agree with a previous reviewer that it actually smacks of a bit of racism.
If you would like a seriously good read with excellent writing, Christian messages, and lots of laughs, look up Philip Gulley. His "Home to Harmony" series of books are fantastic!!
|
|
|
|
|