Rating: 
Summary: Homesick...........
Review: In the tradition of Southern storytelling, Ms. Ward shares her life experiences in a manner that paints literary pictures that are larger than life. It may appear, at first, that the sentimental story will simply end up a Hollywood tall tale. But the skill in which it is written lulls the reader into hearfelt longings of comfort that touch all of us. What she speaks of is HOME not only of location, but of the heart. It is not a typical "star" memoir. It is as if you've picked up someone's diary to discover that a real person wrote it, and not a Hollywood "name." The honesty of her sentimentality makes you want to belive that there is still hope and possibility of comfort in today's world; her quiet truthfulness resonates our common longing to fit in and find internal peace while the world around us seems to be turning upside down. For fans and non-fans alike, it is well written and gives evidence that the author is not just a pretty face, but has internal beauty that is far more fetching.
Rating: 
Summary: Sela touches the world's heart with her words
Review: In this book, put down your palm pilot and enter the world of the south, fishing with a pole, good old southern food, and loving family values. Using her own life experiences Sela teaches you that no matter what happens in your life you can always come home and find comfort in your roots. Her heartwarming tales will cause huge laughs and many tears. You may even find yourself picking up the phone and calling Mom and Dad once you finish, I know that I did. Sela may be an inspiration to many as an amazing actress, but she is also a person who has a real life, and she opens up that life with a warm heart and a hug. Her thoughtful words are ones that I know will touch your soul. So snuggle up with a good blanket and a cup of tea in front of the fire and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Going home again, too.
Review: Only a person who also grew up in Meridian, Mississippi and was even a classmate of her mother can relate so fully to Sela Ward's wonderful memoir "Homesick". But that is not a prerequsite for enjoying this warm and satisfying tale of how our roots, especially our Southern roots, pull us home. How refreshing to read a story such as this one--full of love and honesty and dignity with nostalgia as sweet as blue ribbon cane syrup. I walked every step of the way back in this memory book and can only say, "Y'all come back now, ya hear?"
Rating:
Summary: Charming and Heart Touching
Review: Sela Ward has delivered what is certain to be a classic for any southern woman who has ever left the roots of her raising to plant herself in distant soil, only to discover that a southerner can never emotionally detach from the people and the land that she calls "home." The South and her upbringing will continue to sustain her existence and renew her spirit. From the perfectly chosen title of the book to the prose perfect opening chapter, this book is nothing short of charming, gracious, earnest, heartfelt and lyrically written. Writers always carry with them a heartful of lines they wish that they had created and for me, one of those lines will be from the first page of "Homesick" --- "...a gentle town in the Deep South cradled by family and friends, worshiping Bear Bryant on Saturday night and Jesus Christ on Sunday morning..." That line, of course, speaks to the two great religions of the South, one, of course, being college football. Even more than the words of this book, I love the heart of it. Ms. Ward writes longingly and appreciatively of a gentle culture where graciousness and kindness are the cornerstones of a neighborly existence, a culture where casseroles and sweet tea reign supreme. This is a memoir of the most moving kind, the story of a young girl who followed her dreams but left a big piece of her heart behind in the land of her upbringing. It is uplifting to see a Hollywood star who never "got above her raising" and remains loyal to those and to that which she loves. Her mama, who passed away shortly before the book's release, would surely be proud of the woman she raised and the words she has written. I admit that we share the same publishing company so I was fortunate enough to snag an early copy but I am so touched by this beautiful book that it will be THE book that I buy for Christmas gifts --- but only for the special ones who can really understand what a special gift it is.
Rating:
Summary: Touching Story
Review: Sela Ward's Homesick is such a warm, touching and engaging book, that I could not put it down. It shows a very personal side of a very public person that makes you want to see her continue her success. While a big time celebrity, Sela seems to be a real person, interested in helping other people and in using her celebrity status to do good works. She has obviously stayed in touch with her hometown and her past and wants to make sure that she passes on her Southern Heritage to her children. Causes you to stop and think about what is really important in life. A must read!
Rating:
Summary: Touching Story
Review: Sela Ward's Homesick is such a warm, touching and engaging book, that I could not put it down. It shows a very personal side of a very public person that makes you want to see her continue her success. While a big time celebrity, Sela seems to be a real person, interested in helping other people and in using her celebrity status to do good works. She has obviously stayed in touch with her hometown and her past and wants to make sure that she passes on her Southern Heritage to her children. Causes you to stop and think about what is really important in life. A must read!
Rating:
Summary: Told With Grace
Review: Sela Ward, in HOMESICK, has written a memoir full of heart, grace, and love. She tells the story of her life, of her family, of her Mississippi with an all-embracing spirituality and faith. Sentimental, but not saccharine. Strongly and confidently told, without overbearingness. Cynical people or those looking for some explicit "Hollywood tell-all" will be disappointed. Sela doesn't even identify those former actor boyfriends by name. If you're looking for "dirt" all you'll find in this book is Sela's love for the rich soil of her home. Highly recommended, not only for Ms. Ward's fans, but for anyone who is searching for their own definition of just what "home" really means.
Rating: 
Summary: Fine for fans, others... not so much
Review: Someone who is a fan of the author's acting gave me a copy, raving about its charms. If you've followed Ms. Ward's career, you'd probably like this book, as it has a chatty just-between-friends feel. If, like me, you don't really know who she is, you might be more likely to have a "ho hum" reaction. A lot of reminiscences and reflections are shared, but in a superficial way that makes it feel more like a marketing tool than a real piece of writing. For example, the author comments on the dilemma of whether to raise her children in the Jewish faith of her husband or in her own Christian tradition. This issue is resolved breezily when a pastor says one can worship just as easily in a synagogue as a church. Voila, problem solved, no fuss, no muss, no internal struggle or philosophical debate...
Rating:
Summary: A Lady With Inbred Southern Charm
Review: The memoir of a beautiful woman who went to NY City and then
Hollywood but longed to go home again.
A person can never really go home again, as another Southerner,
Thomas Wolfe wrote, but Sela Ward tried very hard to duplicate
her upbringing,when she married and had two chidren.
This is a book of a woman who developed in Meridian,Miss-
issippi;during the 1960's and 1970's.Her family isn't perfect
but they are good people.
A younger Sela neede more in her life to express her ambitions so she moved away.What she also found was she also needed
stability and family.
Unable to have a realistic family life in Hollywood-she
and her husband Howard Sherman set about building a new family home back in Meridan, Mississippi.Here they are surrounded by Sela's close relatives and their children are
able to lead a more rustic life.As often as possible they
reside in comfort and live here.
This is unlike any Hollywood story.People respect each
other and help one another.
It is refreshing to read about a Hollywood star, who is just like other ordinary folks.Her lovely Southern charm comes
through in the telling of her Family's customs.
Rating:
Summary: Indelible and Amazing
Review: There are almost no words to describe this book . . . Sela is a gifted writer, a wise and beautiful soul, and she is an example of true compassion. She chronicles her life without any trace of egotism and her modesty enables any reader to relate to her experiences. Her meditations on modern American life are wise and insightful. Buy this heartwarming book and read it over and over.
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