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Summary: Awful cover; great book
Review: Booklist is right, the cover is awful. And the title made this memoir sound like another one of those horrible-childhood-but-I survived-books. Nothing could be further from the truth. This book is beautifully written and has just a pinch of cynicism to make even the cynic snicker. And you don't have to be from Indiana or from a small town to enjoy the book. One of the year's publishing surprises, I'm sure.
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Summary: ~ "sometimes you 'can' judge a book by its cover" ~
Review: what a fun journey "zippy" takes you on! i felt like a member of the family as "zippy" takes you along with her, page by page, growing up, in her small little indiana town of 300......"zippy" is a trip, i love the way this girl writes, simple and full of adorable humor!
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Summary: One of the funniest books I've ever read!
Review: A friend of mine opens to any page of "Bridget Jones' Diary" when she needs a laugh, but I prefer to do this with "A Girl Named Zippy." For anyone who grew up in a small town, Haven Kimmel's hilarious memoir is bound to strike a chord and elicit a grin. The stories of her father maniacally packing their camper to bursting for camping trips, his imaginative tormenting of their dog-hating neighbors, and the young Zippy giving haircuts to hippies in exchange for a dog had me in stitches! Aside from being a gifted storyteller, Haven is also a talented writer; her vivid descriptions and characterizations make this book read like a novel or short story collection. As I read this book, I couldn't help but think that if Scout of "To Kill a Mockingbird" had been a real girl, she would've grown up to write a memoir a lot like "A Girl Named Zippy." For anyone who wants to read a book that will make you laugh out loud and also give you a glimpse of an American life in simpler times--when a vacation either meant going out of town to visit relatives or taking a camping trip with your family--this is the book for you. Thanks for bringing back so many fond memories of my own rural Maryland upbringing, Haven!
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Summary: Reads like a novel, very entertaining
Review: Haven Kimmel's account of growing up in the small town (pop 300)of Mooreland, Indiana,is a wonderful look at small town life. Small and hair deprived, she is called Zippy by her father. Quickwitted and imaginative, Haven recounts a pleasant life defined by school and church and a quirky, but supportive family. The fued between Kimmel's father and the neighbor Mr. Reed over the family dogs is hysterical. It is a world where every old lady could be a witch (until proven otherwise), you could still buy a fountain drink at the drug store, and you still believed that you could be bought from the gypsies. She remembers family,neighbors, friends and the expanding world of a child and paints it with a humerous and kind touch. This is immensely readable and provoked many memories of my own growing up.
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Summary: Terrific peek into small town life
Review: Although the author grew up in Indiana, her stories could have been set in almost any small town in America. We all have/had a local drug store with terrific fountain drinks. We all had to learn not to be too attached to the farm animals. Every small town in America has an 'evil' woman who stews puppies for dinner. We all had that one horrible teacher who bedeviled us in elementary school. And, we all had siblings who drove us nuts. What sets this book apart is the sharp, crisp writing of its talented author. I laughed out loud when she described how her sister had told her she was adopted. I laughed even harder when her mother confirmed the sister's allegations with an even more elaborate tale of gypsies and a green velvet bag for trade! This is not Proust, but it is a glimpse into a life/time that we probably will never see again....innocence and a sense of community. Enjoy!
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Summary: a romp through childhood
Review: I disagree with the writer who wrote, a few reviews below this one, that this book "should be" something else -- serious, full of the weight of the world, advocating change & revolution. Yes, life inevitably forces us to confront bad things, but A Girl Named Zippy is supposed to be light and have an air of endless possibility, like the memories and reveries of childhood. It reminds us of the way children think before their mature minds started to sag under the weight of adult responsibilities. It's about those lucky few kids who HAVE a childhood, good health, a strong family and a sense of humor. Finally, it's about appreciating those things upon reaching adulthood.
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Summary: A great book from a young neighbor
Review: Zippy was a wonderful little girl. She grew up in an area familiar to me and a couple of generations of my family. I can vouch for her description of life there --the streets, the cemetery where my grave plot is. Whatever we may think of Zippy's family and some incidents that took place daily, I sensed that Zippy was always loved, and she loved back. It is comforting to know that a loving family can produce a successful child--one who loves--in spite of whatever may befall that family. Long live the Zippys of this world, and their small hometowns. It is a funny, heart- touching book. Please, Haven, write us another!
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Summary: Tells it like it is-but with a lot of humor
Review: Haven has told her story with humor and thoughtfulness. She is a great story teller and is able to find humor in even the most human of circumstances. It's very nice to read a story that allows people to be who they are. Thanks for the trip back to the 60's!
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Summary: The "Me" Generation - Zippy
Review: Well written but it is hardly deep or cerebral. Read about someone who is very taken with herself and wanted to write a book. So is this what our new generation of writers is about? The world is full of miraculous wonders, great pain and suffering, revolutionary ideas that people die for, and Zippy got a "piano" for Christmas. My copy is for sale.
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Summary: Call your childhood friends!
Review: I absolutely loved this book. It's well-written, funny, touching, and entertaining. If you have a friend from childhood that you grew up with, send her/him this book. I plan on sending it to all of my girl friends. I loved remembering what life looks like from the perspective of a child.
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