Rating: 
Summary: Lovely, lively, enchanting memoir
Review: A beautifully written memoir - my mother recommended it to me, that's always a plus. The author really made me feel connected to her, and women/girls growing up in general. Although my childhood was completely different (on the surface), I could completely identify with the feelings and experiences Gildiner describes. Too Close to the Falls is one of those archetypal stories that describes a life that we've all lived to some extent. Message to the author: PLEASE WRITE A SEQUEL!
Rating: 
Summary: An unconventional childhood
Review: Catherine Gildiner, a clinical psychologist and advice columnist, has written a fascinating memoir about her years growing up in Lewiston NY in the 50s. As a hyperactive and precocious child of four, she was put to work in her father's pharmacy under "doctor's orders." Her unconventional upbringing by older, free-thinking parents, who gave her a lot of leeway to think for herself and take responsibility for her actions, contrasted sharply with her stringent Catholic school education. Gildiner deftly uses her psychology training to show how young Cathy perceived herself and others, and how she struggled to peel through the layers of social and religious convention to see small-town Lewiston as it really was. The author does an excellent job of painting portraits of the people that influenced her life. These include her mother, a very atypical 50s housewife who never cooked or kept house, her hard working civic-minded father, and Roy, the black pharmacy deliveryman who took Cathy on his rounds. Through her prescription deliveries, Cathy met Warty, a disfigured outcast who worked at the garbage dump, Mad Bear, the chief of the Tuscarora Indian tribe, and Marie, a retired prostitute/abortionist. Cathy bumped heads with an assortment of classmates, nuns, and priests at school and church. This is a wonderful coming of age story that is poignant and thought-provoking. There were many humorous touches as Cathy described the world through an innocent child's eyes. There was also a dark side to this memoir as she puzzled over the disturbing and often contradictory elements of society that were often kept under wraps during that era. Having grown up in western New York in the 50s, I recognized many of the details of Cathy's childhood, such as beef on weck, early TV programming with its frequent test patterns, the use of fluoroscopes in shoe stores, and the severe lake effect snow storms in the area. This book makes an excellent selection for a discussion group, and the paperback edition includes a reader's guide for that very purpose. Eileen Rieback
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been splendid
Review: Here is a memoir that deserved far more care in editing than it received. As a result, the misspellings and anachronisms seriously detract from the pleasure of reading about one of the most eccentric families ever. As the overactive only child of two truly fascinating people, Catherine Gildiner started working in her father's pharmacy at the age of four. Her adventures with customers and with her peers, but most especially with her parents are told with great good humor and kindness. Unfortunately, the problems mentioned above get in the way so badly that it made for tedious, sometimes maddening reading of what would, with judicious editing, have been a wonderful autobiographical piece. Just to cite two examples: the Jackie Gleason show aired on Saturday nights, not on Fridays. And the spelling of famous names often varies within a single paragraph. Unfortunate, too, are the last few chapters. They come as a letdown to an otherwise thoroughly engaging memoir. Ms. Gildiner deserved far better treatment. One can only hope that her next publisher/next editor will do the job right.
Rating:
Summary: A view of a quaint era from the viewpoint of a unique child.
Review: I don't read much non-fiction, but I received this book as a gift and thoroughly enjoyed it. The author describes her unconvential childhood growing up near Niagara Falls, NY. Today, Gildiner would probably be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, but back then, she was put to work in her father's drugstore at age four to burn off some of her "excess eneregy"--her doctor's orders! As Gildiner describes her experiences from pre-school through her teen years, she talks in the voice of the child she was then rather than the adult she is now. Her style is extremely effective in transporting the reader into her past life, a life that seems to have been both bewildering and magnificent at the same time. There is something for everyone here: television, racial conflicts, religious questioning, teen sexuality, Hollywood, and much more in this unique view of the "Leave it to Beaver" era.
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Summary: From a fellow Lewistonian...
Review: I grew up in Lewiston 20 years after Ms. Gildiner (in the same neighborhood, I believe) and really enjoyed her book. She did a great job at capturing the essence of the place... small town charm filled with careless (dangerous) adventures in the gorge and river plus an assortment of oddball characters. I make it a point to visit at least once a year. The only problem I had was that she seemed to stretch her facts a bit at times. Catherine, did you really ride your sled from the power project cliffs to the Riverside Inn? I need some clarification on that one.
Rating:
Summary: Nostalgia
Review: I grew up in Lewiston, which during my childhood was a small, sleepy village where my father was mayor for four terms (He ran on both tickets!) Tho I left a few years before this book, I recognized names and places the author mentioned. My Catholic school education differed from hers, as I went to a different school but am enthralled with her changes, both as a Catholic and a person. I had heard only sketchy stories about the take over of the Tuscarora land and was incensed when I read her account. I'm almost finished with it, and I hate to get to the last page. At some point, I'm sure I'll reread it and digest more. Good book! Excellent storytelling!
Rating:
Summary: Funny, poignant, thoughtful
Review: I loved this book. A friend recommended it, knowing I grew up in the east and went to parochial school. Yet, anyone can relate to the honest, sometimes hysterically funny, sometimes bittersweet and thought-provoking writing. Read the first chapter and if you're not hooked I'll be amazed.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant recall of thoughts and feelings
Review: I was there during the '50's, although I did not know the author, I did know the characters and places she describes so well. How in the world she remembers her reactions so clearly--as a concrete-thinking child her conclusions are so funny to us as adults--yet we remember making similar absurd conclusions as children, and accepting them. Both versions available from amazon, I prefer the version with the authentic names and locations. I would give anything for another book of hers--it is her memory and writing, not the events, that are so endearing.
Rating:
Summary: It would be perfect for your book group
Review: Oh, what a yummy treat! This was my era, too: childhood in the 50s, a time when men worked and learned to barbecue, woman baked and played bridge, and children ran free in a world that was threatened by Communism from without but was seen as safe from within. Of course, all is not as safe as it appeared - but that doesn't dilute the hilarity of this tale. A coming-of-age memoir by a gifted story-teller, Too Close to the Falls is told in the child's voice - her world seen through her eyes - but as a microcosm of a larger world with dark woods and threating waterfalls at the edges.
Don't miss it. Read it, laugh, think about it more deeply, then share it with a friend.
Rating:
Summary: Too :Close to the Falls
Review: One of the most charming books I've read. The story of innocence in an unconventional childhoodto to an awareness of the reality of life. Delightful memoir, but it's much more than just a memoir.
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