Rating: 
Summary: Don't be misled by the negative reviews!
Review: This book has more substance to it than some of the readers have recognized. If midwives and stories about medicine in the early to mid 1900's interest you, try this story. Or, if exploring mother-daughter relationships that are positive and make you feel good, try this story. If you love learning how people who love each other interact and take care of each other, read this. If you have ever longed for someone that could have the insight to tell you what is best for you and have a riotous sense of humor, read this. If you enjoy a read that takes a difficult time (WWII) and weaves it through the lives of some incredible women, try this story. You can make it very complex, if you must, or simply take the story as it is, and as it was meant to be. You will find yourself thinking back to these characters often, and wishing for that charming life that made living with each other easy. When you have that, you just may have what it takes for an "easy" life. This book can help in the meantime.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as subtle as her first three novels...
Review: ...but I really liked it anyway. In Charms for an Easy Life, talented Kaye Gibbons sticks to what she does best: write about several generations of Southern women. Written as a fictional memoir, it chronicles the lives of a trio of strong willed women within one family, led by Charlie Kate, a turn-of-the-century unlicensed midwife in North Carolina. None of the women in this book have much use for any of the men, remaining together (if conflicted) in their cynical self-sufficiency...until...Read it and find out. A good read.
Rating:
Summary: A Charming Read
Review: This book is a wonderful view of truly strong women. In a time when it was nearly improper to go walking unescorted by a man, three women live virationsly, no one can hold them down.
Written from the view point of the young daughter,a witnessthe strong and willful moves of her grandmother. She has nothing but pride for the bold field doctor insticts and motives that she seeks. Each character is rich in complexity and truly a story of their own.
Together their lives grow and evolve. The town and lives grow around them and they manage to keep up. Saw mill accidents, the sick and abandoned, and those paying for others mistakes all strengthen each one of these strong women.
Rating:
Summary: A delightful, easy read
Review: Three generations of women are the focal point of this novel, and though their familial bonds are tight, there are unique characteristics of each that make the reader care for each. Charlie Kate, a headstrong "medicine woman", says it like it is and won't take no for an answer. But she is not just forthright with her opinions, but also with her feelings for her family. Her daughter Sophia tends to "need" to be someone's companion, whether it be a man, her mother, or her own daughter. Margaret, my favorite character, was raised by the women and gets to experience things in her life that truly define her. I loved how close the three were, and that their traits complemented one another. A book that you hope goes on and on. I read it in two evenings.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: I picked up this book on a clearence rack of a used book store, not expecting too much, and I fell in love with this author's writing. I loved the way she portrayed her characters; compassionate, practical (about some things), with definite peculiarities, and with the importance of family at the very core. The book is narrated by Margaret, who has a strong and very interesting Grandmother who had strong, but not very practical daughter, who had a very practical and intelligent daughter. They all help out the Grandmother who is a midwife/herbalist/medicinal-do-it-all give medical services to the poor and bereft. Margaret is shy and very smart, and it's fun looking at her life through her point of view. Very, very good book. I just ordered two more books by this author (full price!:) and you should too!
Rating:
Summary: A Top Notch Novel...
Review: Charms for the Easy Life, written by Kaye Gibbons, was in my opinion, very heart-warming and inspiring. The novel was set in the mid 1930's to 1940's in Raleigh, North Carolina. Margaret, the narrator of this novel, shares with the reader her story of the women she lived with: her gorgeous mother, Sophia, and her grandmother Charlie Kate-Birch, an unlicensed physician/healer. Although there were two unsuccessful marriages within the two generations before Margaret, in the end, all found love and happiness. Charlie Kate made a name for herself for being one of the kindest, hard-working physicians in North Carolina and was included in an edition of Busy North Carolina Women. Sophia became involved with an intelligent, handsome, charming lawyer, Mr. Baines, a graduate of Yale. The three generations of women were engaged in helping those who were ill. Hence the reason why Margaret became a doctor. The Birches were women who promoted strength, loyalty, love, and compassion, not only to their patients, but also to each other. Kaye Gibbons has done a grade A job. She provided the reader with great plot elements, showing each character's strength to carry on a good life. Charlie Kate's will to continue her legacy of reaching out to the community, regardless of her aging, was an inspirational aspect of the novel. As was the journey to finding Sophia's future love. Gibbons presented to us a lovely story, not just another unbelievable fiction.This story of how women made it through life during the time of World War II is not only inspirational, but also engaging.
Rating:
Summary: A Rambling Narrative, But a Good One
Review: This book is good, but only if you can tolerate the rambling narrative style it is written in. The characters are solidly developed, and the anecdotal episodes are well-done. It can be predictable at times, and I'm not sure if a male audience will like as much as a female audience, but both genders could find this book entertaining. Only the femaile audience may find it enlightening, however. As a college literature professor, I read this book in hope of perhaps using it in a course, but I decided against it. That doesn't mean it's bad; it just means it's a nice piece of light, easy reading which women will enjoy ... and men probably won't.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book
Review: This is my favorite book. I have recommended it to so many people and even given it as a gift to a few. It's wonderful to read a book about 3 strong women. I laughed and cried and thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book. Kaye Gibbons really lets us know these women. As I finished the book, I truly felt as if I were leaving folks I had come to know very well.
Rating: 
Summary: A very nice read
Review: This book is a kind and gentle read. There are no startling insights or life-altering observations, but it is worth reading because it does speak of values and ethical behavior. The grandmother is a strong woman whose opinions are revered and who doesn't tolerate fools. She is unfailingly consistent in her outlook and mission, which is to help other people - with or without their consent. Her daughter is lonely and well-meaning, and the granddaughter is growing into herself and her beliefs with help from her grandmother. This book has charm.
Rating:
Summary: If you only read one book this is the one to read!
Review: I do not have the gift for words so I will just say that spending time with this book makes you a some what better person because of it.
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