Rating: 
Summary: Tried twice
Review: Tried twice to get into this book and then gave up. It only got worse! Since there are so many good books to read out there, I would not suggest you waste your time trying to get into this one.
Rating:
Summary: Tried twice
Review: Tried twice to get into this book and then gave up. It only got worse! Since there are so many good books to read out there, I would not suggest you waste your time trying to get into this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Fall in love with a whole town !!
Review: Undoubtedly this book has a slow beginning. But it is definitely worth the effort. The author brings a whole town to life - Waynesboro, Ohio. Each and every character is described so vividly that I felt as though I actually knew these people. The book follows post-Civil War "Waynesboro" (a fictional name for a real city - Xenia, Ohio) through the next 50 years of the townspeople's lives. The main group of characters are the members of the Waynesboro Ladies Club. The story unfolds when Anne and Sally are 18 years old and the character list widens as each gets married, has children, etc. Before the end of the book I calculated there were almost 40 characters to keep track of - but it was well worth the effort. By the end of the book (a hearty 1,400 pages ) I was sad because I didn't want to leave the town of Waynesboro and its inhabitants. The author had succeeded in making me feel as though I knew each and every person. I've read this book 3 times in the past 15 years and will assuredly pick it up and read it again some time in the future. It took the author over 50 years of her life to complete this book (and finished it while living in a nursing home at the age of 80+ years). It was her life's work and I wish she had known before she died how many lives this book would touch. )
Rating:
Summary: Connecting with the women of my past
Review: Very unchallenging and lightly pleasant. Not deep and eventually rather repetitive in its choice of topics - love, politics, births/deaths, parties. Buy it used!
Rating:
Summary: Should be a "Lifetime" made-for-TV movie
Review: Very unchallenging and lightly pleasant. Not deep and eventually rather repetitive in its choice of topics - love, politics, births/deaths, parties. Buy it used!
Rating:
Summary: I read this 10 years ago and it still haunts me!
Review: Very well done! This tale of small town life not only rings true but it still haunts me after reading it over 10 years ago. I am just disappointed that this fine author has written anything else that I can find. Ladies..will go down in my history books as one of my all time favorites!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful portrait of small-town Ohio
Review: What a wonderful tapestry of families in a small Ohio town! This could appeal to geneologists since many generations are explored here. It's long, but I didn't want it to end! And I could picture everything, especially since I live in a small town in central Ohio, not unlike Waynesboro.
Rating:
Summary: HALF CENTURY IN THE MAKING!
Review: While I haven't read the book as yet, I still give it 5 stars because anyone who spent a half century writing a book, deserves 5 stars. I discovered this book when reading "How To Become A Bestselling Author" by Stanley J. Corwin. Thought you'd be interested in the following information, quoted from this book."An eighty-eight year old woman living in a nursing home had written an epic novel about small town life. After a half a century in its creation And Ladies of the Club had been discovered as the most heralded writing property since Gone with The Wind. The story began in the early 1920's when Helen Santmyer was a young writer living in Xenia, Ohio. She was disturbed by Sinclair Lewis's controversial best-seller Main Street, which depicted the drab complacency of small town American life. ..... she began to write her response to Main Street ..." "With her companion and editor Mildred Sandow at her side, Helen Santmyer wrote and wrote and wrote, until in 1981 she had finished her novel. When Mr. Corwin asked Heln Santmyer what message she could give to aspiring writers. "Believe in what you're writing" she answered "and finish it." This indomitable woman had devoted her life to writing a book that she believed in. And she had never given up. It was the most important lesson that I or any writer could every remember." After reading this I was on a mission to find the book. It took me four years. While in Paris this year I found a paperback copy at Shakespeare and Company Tumbleweed Hotel - how magical! Since then I found two more paperbacks and a hardcover copy at library used book sale. I suggest every aspiring write to read How To Become A Bestselling Author even if it is just to read about Helen. Her story is fascinating and inspiring. What a surprise to find out that Ladies of the Club has been re-issued. I plan on reading it during my Christmas vacation. Thanks to Amazon for letting me share this with others. Happy Holidays.
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