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 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: One of the best books I've ever read.
Review: Contrary to some of the reviews I have read for this book, I found it believable and enjoyable. Just because you come from a rural background does not mean you cannot develop an appreciation for fine literature or are unable to rise above your origins to make a better life for yourself -- college education notwithstanding. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Charlie Kate was an inspiration and reminded me of similar older people who I grew up with here in the much-disparaged rural state of South Dakota. Most of the people living in the 1930s had no other resources besides themselves. They had to rely on their own ingenuity and that of their neighbors, to pull them through. I think that was very well-illustrated in Gibbons' narrative. The main reason I enjoy Gibbons' books is because in spite of all the trauma her characters go through, they rely on humor to deal with it. That is one of the most valuable lessons that can be learned whether you live in urban America or not.
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.
Rating:
Summary: Brighten a wintry afternoon!
Review: I have wearied, in recent years, of reading novels by authors whose characters are interesting only by virtue of their being from the South, and whose plots depend on rural Southern details and the characters' Southern eccentricities. I feel this is a cheap ploy, so I wasn't particularly interested in picking up Gibbons' book, Charms for the Easy Life. But I'm glad I did! OK, the novel benefits from its "Southerness", but I got the sense that such a skilled writer as Gibbons could make proper Bostonians glow in realism. This book is not only a delightful read, but it also touches on the not-so-easy relationships between mothers and daughters, and the equally difficult relationships between women and men. Gibbons also exhibits a detailed (but not obvious) research of the Depression Era, and, on top of it, she makes a sturdy comment about the value of non-traditional medicine. My only complaint is about the book's resolution, which came too quickly and tidily for me. Although I read it in one afternoon, the characters have stuck to my ribs and, the more I think about the book, the more its layers are revealed to me.
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 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: This is one I'll remember for a long time
Review: The three women in this book are possibly the strongest characters I have ever read about. The story is told in lovely prose, reading this book is like sharing a weekend with your best women friends. I wish this exquisitely told tale was one without an end.
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: 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.
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