Rating: 
Summary: A Story That Captures Life And All Its Sadness And Joy
Review: "I know these people." That was the thought that stayed at the forefront of my mind as I read Diane Hammond's remarkable first novel, "Going To Bend." Sure, it's a work of fiction, set in two Oregon coast towns that don't exist, Sawyer and Hubbard. The characters are not based on real people. But I know them, nevertheless, and I'm sure you do, too. The central characters are two natives of the area, Petie Coolbaugh and Rose Bundy. These women, so different in personality and temperament, are united by a bond of friendship going back to their grade school days, and by the fact that they, like so many others, are struggling to build meaningful lives in the face of poverty, illness and the thousand other challenges that make daily life a struggle for so many. At the beginning of the story, Petie and Rose are brought together by a new job they will share, preparing soup on a daily basis for a new restaurant that's built its menu around soup and is called--what else? Souperior's. The cafe has been opened by Nadine and Gordon, a brother and sister who, like so many, have fled the craziness of Southern California for the peace and beauty of the Oregon coast. But like so many of the refugees, they find that it's not always possible to escape life's slings, arrows and outrageous fortune. As their stories unfold, we learn that bad--sometimes terrible--things have happened to Rosie, Petie and the other good people that inhabit these pages. But perservering, sometimes just having the courage to get out of bed and face each new day, is a key element to how they live their lives with sometimes surprising grace. Along the way, we get to know the spouses (current and ex), children, and townspeople who inhabit Rose and Petie's world. My one fear is that this book may get pigeonholed as "chick lit," because the central characters are two wonderful, complex women who will quickly win your heart. This isn't just a book about women, though; it's a book about (and for) all of us who make up the human race. Hammond has done a wonderful job of capturing the beauty, joy, misery, humor and pain that all comes together to make up this puzzle we call life. This book is going to stay with me for a long time. I think it will do the same thing for you.--William C. Hall
Rating:
Summary: A Story That Captures Life And All Its Sadness And Joy
Review: "I know these people." That was the thought that stayed at the forefront of my mind as I read Diane Hammond's remarkable first novel, "Going To Bend." Sure, it's a work of fiction, set in two Oregon coast towns that don't exist, Sawyer and Hubbard. The characters are not based on real people. But I know them, nevertheless, and I'm sure you do, too. The central characters are two natives of the area, Petie Coolbaugh and Rose Bundy. These women, so different in personality and temperament, are united by a bond of friendship going back to their grade school days, and by the fact that they, like so many others, are struggling to build meaningful lives in the face of poverty, illness and the thousand other challenges that make daily life a struggle for so many. At the beginning of the story, Petie and Rose are brought together by a new job they will share, preparing soup on a daily basis for a new restaurant that's built its menu around soup and is called--what else? Souperior's. The cafe has been opened by Nadine and Gordon, a brother and sister who, like so many, have fled the craziness of Southern California for the peace and beauty of the Oregon coast. But like so many of the refugees, they find that it's not always possible to escape life's slings, arrows and outrageous fortune. As their stories unfold, we learn that bad--sometimes terrible--things have happened to Rosie, Petie and the other good people that inhabit these pages. But perservering, sometimes just having the courage to get out of bed and face each new day, is a key element to how they live their lives with sometimes surprising grace. Along the way, we get to know the spouses (current and ex), children, and townspeople who inhabit Rose and Petie's world. My one fear is that this book may get pigeonholed as "chick lit," because the central characters are two wonderful, complex women who will quickly win your heart. This isn't just a book about women, though; it's a book about (and for) all of us who make up the human race. Hammond has done a wonderful job of capturing the beauty, joy, misery, humor and pain that all comes together to make up this puzzle we call life. This book is going to stay with me for a long time. I think it will do the same thing for you.--William C. Hall
Rating:
Summary: A FIRST NOVEL OF NOTE
Review: Conceived with heart, mind, and pen, Diane Hammond's debut novel takes place in small town Hubbard, Oregon. It is "...one of the oldest no-account towns on the coast of Oregon. Men there fished commercially or helped others deep-sea fish for sport.....They lived hard, bore scars, coveted danger and died either young and violently or unnecessarily old. The women worked, or not. The children belonged to them." The story focuses on two women; they're best friends, have been for as long as they can remember. Both are now in their thirties. Rose is a Mother Earth type, warm, nurturing. Petie is "small and hard and tight and flammable, like the wick of a candle." In order to augment their almost nonexistent incomes the two begin working together as soup cooks in a newly opened restaurant, Superior's Café. It's a strain rising at dawn's first light to make soup from scratch, but their efforts are well received. Nadine and Gordon are the restaurant's owners. They're fraternal twins and an unlikely pair to make their home in Hubbard, but they fled stress city, L.A., for a quieter place so Gordon, who is terminally ill, might find some peace. As the lives of Rose and Petie unfold we meet a host of characters including Jim Christie, a commercial fisherman; Ryan, the youngest of Petie's boys who is quiet and a bit of a bookworm. His father has a harsh description of him, while Petie concedes that he's a bit "odd" - at least for Hubbard, Oregon. Life is not easy for any of these folks yet we are reminded through them that there is happiness to be found in the most unexpected places and even in inauspicious events. We are also reminded of the strengths of an enduring friendship - "...your mom may let you down, your boss may let you down, life may let you down...but your best friend never will." With her first novel Diane Hammond shows herself to be a writer of note. She has served as a spokesperson for the Oregon Coast Aquarium and, yes, she has lived in Bend, Oregon.
Rating:
Summary: A FIRST NOVEL OF NOTE
Review: Conceived with heart, mind, and pen, Diane Hammond's debut novel takes place in small town Hubbard, Oregon. It is "...one of the oldest no-account towns on the coast of Oregon. Men there fished commercially or helped others deep-sea fish for sport.....They lived hard, bore scars, coveted danger and died either young and violently or unnecessarily old. The women worked, or not. The children belonged to them." The story focuses on two women; they're best friends, have been for as long as they can remember. Both are now in their thirties. Rose is a Mother Earth type, warm, nurturing. Petie is "small and hard and tight and flammable, like the wick of a candle." In order to augment their almost nonexistent incomes the two begin working together as soup cooks in a newly opened restaurant, Superior's Café. It's a strain rising at dawn's first light to make soup from scratch, but their efforts are well received. Nadine and Gordon are the restaurant's owners. They're fraternal twins and an unlikely pair to make their home in Hubbard, but they fled stress city, L.A., for a quieter place so Gordon, who is terminally ill, might find some peace. As the lives of Rose and Petie unfold we meet a host of characters including Jim Christie, a commercial fisherman; Ryan, the youngest of Petie's boys who is quiet and a bit of a bookworm. His father has a harsh description of him, while Petie concedes that he's a bit "odd" - at least for Hubbard, Oregon. Life is not easy for any of these folks yet we are reminded through them that there is happiness to be found in the most unexpected places and even in inauspicious events. We are also reminded of the strengths of an enduring friendship - "...your mom may let you down, your boss may let you down, life may let you down...but your best friend never will." With her first novel Diane Hammond shows herself to be a writer of note. She has served as a spokesperson for the Oregon Coast Aquarium and, yes, she has lived in Bend, Oregon. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: The best book I've read in months
Review: Diane Hammond's book "Going to Bend" had me hooked from Chapter One. It's wonderfully well crafted, with a pair of main characters you can care about, a small-town Oregon coast setting you can practically SEE and a thousand small details that make the book live. What really impressed me about the book, though, was the friendship between Petie and Rose. Best friends, they never let each other down, and in the little one-horse town of Hubbard, that's saying a lot. If you want to read a "souperior" book about friendship and redemption, this is the book for you. (P.S. This book has been compared to "Thelma and Louise", but in my opinion it's better).
Rating:
Summary: This Book Is One You Will Read More Than Once
Review: I have read many books in my lifetime and I cannot remember reading a novel whose characters were so alive! It was as if I was right there observing them as they struggled to survive. I knew them, they were real to me, as real as people I have known all of my life. I have never read a book that moved me as much as this one. I wanted to jump right into the story and help those poor suffering people. Diane Hammond has written a masterpiece about the human condition from the purest to the darkest evil of souls. How the main character was able to overcome her terrible childhood and discover she could love has to be one of the most inspirational stories I have ever read. Never having written a book, I have often wondered where an author gets the inspiration and knowledge to develop the characters in a novel. It is hard to believe that a person could have such intimate knowledge of how such a disparate group of people think and act. Every character is so believeable. This is a book that you will treasure. My hope is that the story of Petie and Rose continues. As great as the ending was, there must be happier days ahead for those two brave and courageous women.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Is One You Will Read More Than Once
Review: I have read many books in my lifetime and I cannot remember reading a novel whose characters were so alive! It was as if I was right there observing them as they struggled to survive. I knew them, they were real to me, as real as people I have known all of my life. I have never read a book that moved me as much as this one. I wanted to jump right into the story and help those poor suffering people. Diane Hammond has written a masterpiece about the human condition from the purest to the darkest evil of souls. How the main character was able to overcome her terrible childhood and discover she could love has to be one of the most inspirational stories I have ever read. Never having written a book, I have often wondered where an author gets the inspiration and knowledge to develop the characters in a novel. It is hard to believe that a person could have such intimate knowledge of how such a disparate group of people think and act. Every character is so believeable. This is a book that you will treasure. My hope is that the story of Petie and Rose continues. As great as the ending was, there must be happier days ahead for those two brave and courageous women.
Rating:
Summary: A Spectacular Entry in the Fiction Genre
Review: If you have ever lived in a small town, be prepared to run into some of your neighbors in Hubbard, Oregon, the setting for this fresh first novel. If you haven't, GOING TO BEND will give you a marvelous peek into life in a community of fewer than 5,000 souls. Rich in lush details, this great big slice-of-life story has characters who may surprise you, especially in how much you care about them. But there's more than just a likable --- and spunky --- cast. Diane Hammond's prose sparkles with wonderful sentences like, "Rose's life was gliding by in a lovely blur of good soup and purposeful days and warm uncomplicated nights with Christie. A good life." Nadine and Gordon, a brother and sister team, move up from L.A. to this tiny Pacific village. They want to escape the feverish rat race that is the city. While planning to open Souperior's, a restaurant focusing on --- you guessed it --- soups, they hold a contest for recipes. The grand-prize winner will be offered a job. For Rose Bundy and Petie Coolbaugh, making soup has always been a way to survive. Perpetually short on money, for them it meant the difference between eating and going hungry. It is their recipe that comes out on top and that lands them a job they split between them, a job they sorely need. Now they find themselves humming along, creating chowders, minestrones, purees and anything that involves broths, veggies, meats and fish. This may not sound like the makings of a great novel, but the characters take over and live on these pages. Petie has a husband, two kids about as opposite as salt and pepper, and childhood baggage even her best friend knows nothing about. Rose lives alone with her daughter, except for when the fishing boats dock for a while and her fellow comes to stay for a few months. Hubbard is a small town; everyone knows everyone --- and everyone's business. But the new business in town struggles. Small towns don't like newcomers. They carry a grudge against outsiders. It will take Rose and Petie's greatest effort to keep themselves employed, which means keeping Souperior's running. Meanwhile, other star players, like Petie's deadbeat husband, are hanging out doing what townsfolk do: dropping by the tavern, haggling for items automotive, and helping neighbors. And there's the inveterate ladies' man, flashing his impish grin and showing a side of himself even his insanely jealous wife never knew existed. The people are so real, I wondered how the author had come to know some of the same people I did. She gave them heart. She gave them flaws. They come with an attitude, and a lot of love. If this is indeed a first novel, Diane Hammond is going to blow the socks off the fiction world. This is a spectacular entry into the genre. The glimpse into the lives of Rose Bundy and Petie Coolbaugh is so authentic (right down to the "gargantuan pink wooden butterflies with three-foot wingspans nailed to the siding"), I could smell the soup. --- Reviewed by Kate Ayers
Rating:
Summary: A rare treat from a talented new author!
Review: This first novel by Diane Hammond is a wonderful book full of characters that end up feeling like they are close personal friends. The story is about two women who share a rare and true friendship, understanding and accepting each other in spite of the fact that they are as different as two individuals can be. The author exhibits sensitivity and understanding when dealing with the difficulties that life throws at these two friends. The writing style is charmingly unique, fun, and heartfelt and her descriptions of events, people, and places easily draw you into the life of a small Oregon Coastal town. I will be anxious to read her next book!
Rating:
Summary: Compelling
Review: This is the story of 2 remarkable women who transcend their upbringing, circumstances, and environment. More remarkable, is how well written this first novel by Diane Hammond is. Her particular talent is to make even a series of ordinary events absolutely compelling. While the women have a marvelous friendship, it is real and nuanced. The secondary characters are naturally drawn.
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