Rating: 
Summary: pretty good and quite readable - a little depressing to read
Review: I liked this book - although I have to admit I became a bit depressed reading it - it is quite a sad story and I think because readers can probably relate to at least one horrible thing that occurs. It's well written for sure, and hard to put down - but if you don't have a lot of time to read, and stretch it out - you may become a little depressed! It gets your emotions going - but personally, I like that in a book. I felt anger, frustration, sadness, you name it. It was good. I learned a bit from that time frame and what it would have been like to have a been a woman in her situation - and how maddening it would have been. I would recommend it. I gave it 4 stars because it was a little "heavy" at times (in terms of ... that occurs)
Rating: 
Summary: What a readable book for being so mediocre...
Review: This is another book of the oppressed woman who moves with her 2 children and emotionally maimed/lame husband into the in-laws hourse (oops Freudian slip between house and hearse!) during the early 70's economically constrained times. The book held my interest but it was generally a disappoint. Ellen the wife's dilemmas with dealing with the vile attitudes and treatments of both the in-laws and her husband solicited some empathy from me. The book does a good job at revealing the background that led the mother-in-law to her present condition... But I kept wanting to really want to know more about Ellen, the wife. She kept walking out of the oppresiveness of the house for night walks to regain her emotional sanity. But,I don't think Ansay really portrayed a woman who is making her way in the world. I would have really liked more exploration of her moving past and through the obstacles that are facing her. Even during her decisive moment, it seems like she is copping out; she doesn't succeed in solving the fundamental problems. By the same token, Ansay is a good writer in depicting everyday experience. For me to complete a book (which happens about half the time) says something about the writing quality.
Rating:
Summary: Glimpse of dysfunctional Catholic family in 1970s
Review: An easy, engaging, enlightening read. My favorite part of this book is, while most of it is told from the main character's perspective, you are given chapters from the point of view of other characters. You realize there is so much behind an action that you initially interpretted one way. This strengthens the ability to understand, believe, and empathize. It makes you reflect on how this is true in your own life too. This story can be toxic at times but so can life. The portrayal at first seemed unbelievable (I kept thinking why would someone put up with that?!), but I started to understand how different times were during the 1970s. And how different they are in a 1970s Catholic household (although 30 years probably hasn't changed as much as I would hope when it comes to the Catholic church).
Rating: 
Summary: So true
Review: Now this is a book that speaks to women everywhere.I live in Guyana South America-yet as I read this book about women in another part of the world-I could not help but see my mom, my sisters,my aunts and so many women I know in the story.I cried-I stopped reading and often had to ask myself if this was a book or a peek into my life.I admire the author for her style of honest writing.She shows that events of the past will not just fade away as most of us would like to think.It stays within us and grows with us.She shows that the traditional role of women has seeped into the lives of those of us who appear to be modern.
People believe that by acting like nothing happened solves all problems-but this book shows that what happens to us as children moulds our future and what we become-it influences the way we ourselves treat our own children.
This novel empowers women to get up and realize that they inorder to make changes in their lives they must not accept what life throws at them.Women should get up and find their own STRENGTH!
Rating: 
Summary: Another novel set with much too little kindness...
Review: Great name for the home into which Ellen Grier is forced to move after her husband James is laid off. James' childhood home is not a bad structure but its inhabitants include her miserable, nasty father-in-law (around whom James' character withers) and an insipid, angry, spoiled mother-in-law. Ellen is considered James' 'mistake' by at least her mother-in-law - and Mary-Margaret does what she can to make sure that Ellen is clear on the point.
Although some reviews call this a "portrait of the Midwest's dark side", I might argue that these characters might be found in any states in any sized town. Granted, the location of Vinegar Hill (rural Illinois) adds to Ellen's inability to escape her horrible life. And while late in the novel, Ellen makes a discovery about James' mother that helps her to better understand where the woman is coming from, this does not lift the feeling of despair that Ellen is suffers.
Again we are faced with a novel in which people are cruel to each other, unfeeling and malicious - and this within a family. Again a woman who suffers, in fact suffocates for her selflessness. A couple of men, father and son, who thoroughly disregard what their wives so desperately need. And another novel set with very little kindness. Are there so many people like this out there in the world?
Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: Many people who reviewed this book gave it a "bad grade" for being depressing. I guess they are right that the book was in some ways depressing. Yet, I felt that this was exactly what the book was about - what it's like to live in a depressing living situation with depressing people and perhaps have to deal with your own depression at the same time. The situation is obviously depressing. The family has returned to live with the in-laws because of economic failure. What could possibly be more depressing? The husband is described as becoming "too comfortable" with the living situation. Yet, I felt that this comfort was just a demonstration of his depression. It is always easier to get used to a lower standard (because in reality, who WANTS to live with their parents) than to put oneself out there and risk failure in an attempt to raise themselves up. Of course, it's easier for him to get comfortable and stay where he is. Everyone in this family is carrying out that depression in their own way. The author does a wonderful job of describing the feel and atmosphere of the household. She also goes through the wife depression about having lost her husband to his depression and her mother-in-law. As the wife begins to fight back her own depression she starts walking (weight issues) and that helps her start to feel better. It's about having enough and taking control. Okay :this is a spoiler, be forewarned! Some people did not like the way the book ended. The wife leaves the husband to take a better job and get a place of her own. That pretty much ends the book. However, with the way it was written, I think it was perfect. She tells her children that she and Daddy can't live together write now, but she doesn't know that they won't at some point in the future. It's not about leaving her husband. It's not really even about starting a new life. It is about deciding that she is not going to stay in a situation which is killing her soul, even if that means leaving a loved one (her husband) behind because he is not ready to leave the bad situation yet for himself. It is about her going forward, even though the future is uncertain. It all felt so very real. I have little doubt that many people will relate to this book on very personal levels. If nothing else, it was nice to read a book about real people. People who were neither going through some big titanic-like tragedy, nor who were so rich that they didn't have to worry about day to day living.
Rating:
Summary: hard to read
Review: the book was a little interesting but i think the author spent to much time on the parents. the author should have spent more time talking about what happened the woman left her husband. Overall the book was a C-. hard to get into at first then soon as it started to get interesting it was over.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Oprah "miss"
Review: I am still wondering what the point of this book is. I read many of the readers reviews and agree that the book was depressing, although I would not have minded this (many fine books are depressing), if I had felt that I had gotten something out of it, or if I felt that the charachters had changed in some way, learned something. I don't consider Ellen as having changed much because she was persuaded to seek a better life by her friend; the change did not seem to come from some inner growth or desperate need to escape. I also don't buy the argument that the book was realistic because, in the '70s women had no other choices than to stay in unhappy marital and family situations. I would have respected Ellen's attempt to keep the family together if the author had shared Ellen's fears, confusion and ambivalence throughout the story. Instead, Ellen continues to stay with her dysfunctional inlaws and depressed husband bearing a flatness and resignation which frustrated me. I can agree that Ellen had FEWER choices than women have now, but she could have sought some type of counseling. She had a job, some money, and presumably some health insurance. So what was the point of the book? Was it a historical novel written to help us all understand what the '70s were supposedly like for a woman in her position? The only reason I gave this book any stars is because it did hold my interest--I was waiting for something significant to occur, something which would enlighten me. Maybe I could learn something from the book if I saw Ellen change. Not a chance.
Rating:
Summary: was very descriptive, but
Review: As an avid reader of a variety of subjects, I did not enjoy this book. The writer was very descriptive with the characters, but it is a very sad depressing story that affected me for days! I am not turned off by trajedy, but this is not even good trajedy! If you want a good read, please look elsewhere for something more cheery.
Rating:
Summary: A writer with a great gift of art
Review: I truly savored this book. In the beginning I was a bit anxious and I wanted to knock some sense into this woman, but then I let myself go and get lost in the prose. The writing is almost poetical and is highly stylized. I definitely want to read more from this author.
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