Rating: 
Summary: A novel to enhance your empathy and insight
Review: My mother, my wife, my sister, and Oprah recommended Ellen Foster to me. Ellen Foster is a very young, very mis-treated Southern girl who tells her story in simple, compelling language. She takes us energetically into her world and lets us see adult behavior through her worldly but never cynical eyes. Her saga is funny, clever, and heart-rending. But most of all, it is a true human experience. To enter another person's world, to see things as they see them, to allow for different reactions to similar circumstances is to connect with people in a powerful way. Such empathy, compassion, and insight are essential for succeeding with the Genuine Selling system and to living a fulfilling life of Genuine Success. Listening to the stories of people in circumstances different from your own is entertaining exercise that develops this important skill. This is one of three novels (Along with When the Sons of Heaven Meet the Daughters of the Earth and Spidertown) that I recommend to my clients for their unusually intimate and immersive experiences of worlds most business people never encounter. The practice these novels offer with escaping our own narrow versions of reality can help us to be more receptive to the various worlds of the people we manage and sell to every day.
Rating: 
Summary: I was quite unimpressed with this novel.
Review: The main character, Ellen, came across as a ungrateful little girl who had some problems in here life. When the parents of her blck friend are so hospitable and nice to her she can't even bring herself to drink from the same cup as them. Also the style of writing in the book resembled that of a fourth grader and was tedious to read. I would not recomend this book to anyone and would not hesitate to discourage people from reading this novel.
Rating: 
Summary: mediocre
Review: This was a quick, easy read, but I can't say that I enjoyed it particularly. I found the writing style to be distracting. It was a good story that needed to be developed a lot more than it was. Had I have known that it was a movie, I would have watched it and probably would have enjoyed it more. Not a horrible book, but I would recommend it only with caution.
Rating:
Summary: Part of the world we sweep from sight.
Review: I find Ellen a wonderful character; full of hope despite a tragic life. The story seems a little forced at times -- almost like a Dickens' plot -- but I find myself drawn to the wit and strength of the lonely girl. The book cover contains a blurb likening Ellen to Holden Caulfield. Caulfield's journey little resembles that of Ellen; she finds herself immersed in a world lacking of love but finds the strength to overcome.
Rating:
Summary: Right - who is this girl ???
Review: There were just too many inconsistencies in this girl to have the story be believable. She supposedly had a mother (for most of her life) who had a wealthy (at least middle class) family. She is totally illiterate and totally a racist even though there doesn't appear to be any racism from her parents (where did she get this). I mean she wouldn't even eat food at her black friend's house. The setting appears to change from the early 70s to the late 80s. She is supposed to be so saavy but we are supposed to believe that she wasn't familiar with the term "foster family" and that no social worker explained it to her. I found the poor grammar to be annoying and not even believable. ( I guess we are supposed to believe this girl didn't go to school even though we are also supposed to believe she is pretty smart). I can't recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Listen to the Audio
Review: Just finished listening to Kaye Gibbons read her first novel, Ellen Foster. There is no substitute for hearing the author with her soft, warm sugar North Carolina drawl tell the story of Ellen. I heard words pronounced like I never had before. This is story telling at its very best, and it works so well because the book is written in the first person. If you enjoyed this, read Charms for the Easy Life which also has a happy ending.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: Ellen wraps herself around your soul and take you on an unforgettable journey of survival. No matter what calamity befalls her, she refuses to become a victim of a situation and grown up rules. She fights her way out and leads herself to a place of heart and warmth. And she still has the maturity to recognize that other may have more difficult lives to lead. Wow!
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Having read numerous Oprah selections and having heard all the hype about this novel, I opened Ellen Foster with great expectations. But to my disappointment, these expectations were far from reached. Rarely do I have to push myself to finish a novel, but was forced to do so with this one. Slow, monotone, and emotionless, I found it difficult to sympathize with Ellen's tragic story. The underdeveloped and almost expressionless characters, the underemphasized setting, the lack of dialogue and insight to Ellen's pain--all were severe drawbacks to the potential of this heartbreaking story. And although this is a matter of personal taste, I must also comment on the fact that the continuous use of poor grammar and language throughout the book were a pain. Sorry. I don't recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: If you've seen the movie, don't read the book!
Review: I'm sure this would be an excellent book had I not seen the Hallmark Presentation. The movie followed the book WORD-for-WORD. I was hoping that the book would have different insight to the characters. I was disapointed when I discovered that I was reading the script...
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: I'm seventeen years old and just read Ellen Foster and I just couldn't put it down. It was sooooo wonderful and it moved me so much that I gave it to my mom to read. This book I would suggest everyone to read!! It does not matter how old you are.....It's excellent!
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