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Summary: Long live Lake Emily!
Review: What a wonderful Midwestern town Lake Emily is. Reminds me of the place I grew up, Redfield, SD. Same slightly neurotic but basically friendly people, same restless kids, itching to get out and get to the Big City (Sioux Falls, in our case), same small-town officiousness.Living as I do near San Francisco, perhaps the most cosmopolitan city on this continent (if not the planet), A Can of Peas brought back some long-forgotten memories. But you know what? You don't have to have grown up on the farm to appreciate Traci DePree. Lots of my native Left Coast friends have read her book, and they get a kick out it too. Probably some kind of nostalgia wish-fulfillment trip or something. In any case, thank you, Ms. DePree, for the wonderful memories. Can't wait to go back for another visit.
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Summary: Hottest thing happening around here
Review: A bunch of us farm gals have a monthly get together, and one of us (can't remember who) said she'd read this fabulous book, A Can of Peas. I didn't think much of it at the time, but next month two others had read it and were raving about it. So I decided to check it out. Let me tell you, I picked it up and couldn't put it down. That's the fastest I've ever read any book. The next time we got together, everyone but Suze Dennison had read it. Boy, was that a lively meeting! We couldn't quit gabbing. Everyone had their favorite scene that they wanted to read out loud. Our group hasn't gone this crazy about a book since the first Mitford. Want something fresh and lively without even the slightest whif of prurience? Then get a hold of this dandy. You won't be disappointed.
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Summary: Simply the best
Review: I've read a lot of Christian fiction over the past ten years, and this strikes me as simply the best novel I've ever read coming out of the evangelical subculture. Yes, I've read Dee Henderson, Terri Blackstock, Francine Rivers, Lori Wick, Bodie Thoene, Janette Oke, Lisa Samson, and Beverly Lewis. But none of them holds a candle to Traci DePree. How did she do it, and on a first novel, no less? I don't know. All I do know is this book has maturity, wisdom, seasoning, humor, insight seldom encountered in the best fiction, let alone in a maiden voyage. My hat's off to Traci DePree. May her tribe increase.
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Summary: Most honest, ingenuious book I've ever read
Review: I didn't know what to expect when I picked this one up. Some of my friends were raving about it, giving it such a big build-up I knew they couldn't be right. And they weren't. This book isn't a big block buster sort of thing. It's gentler, slyer, more of a sneak-up-on-you kind of a book. But let me tell you, it's got a huge payoff. I literally couldn't get it out of my mind. I've gone through whole days replaying certain scenes, hearing dialog in my head, thinking about these unique characters, their problems, their faith, their true-to-lifeness. Please, please, please, GIMME MORE. WHEN'S THE NEXT ONE COMING OUT?!?!?!?
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Summary: What a hoot!
Review: I don't read a lot of fiction, but I picked this one up because a friend who knows my likes and dislikes better than I do said I'd go nuts over this book. And she wasn't wrong. A Can of Peas was unlike anything I'd ever read before. There's this deep down--I don't know what--sincerity? versimilitude? honesty? glee? Maybe all of that at once. All I know is I'm buying a car load and giving 'em away for Christmas.
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Summary: Delightful, peaceful read!
Review: Don't you just want a break from life once in a while? Enter DePree's charming, lovely, imperfect world of Lake Emily and enjoy! I had a great armchair visit and you will too. Meaningful plot, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny dialogue, and endearing characters make this a delight, through and through. Cuddle up with a cup of tea and open to page one--you'll be glad you did.
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Summary: Surely the beginning of a series!
Review: This book was wonderful, charming. For anyone who was raised on a farm or in a small community and now lives in the city, this book is a long-awaited reunion. A friend lent me this book and I'm now going to purchase copies for my mother (who still lives on the farm!), and friends..a GREAT Christmas gift! If you have read the Mitford series, you will love this book.
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Summary: Returning to the heart and soul of traditional Values
Review: In a day when people are shedding their values as a dog sheds his winter coat, "A Can of Peas" is a fresh breath of air for those of us that are hungry for a return to character in people and purpose in life.
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Summary: Not only for the gals
Review: I'm a guy, and I don't usually pick up this kind of book, but a friend of mine recommended it and I have to say I was really quite impressed. Some of the characters and their situations really got to me. I usually read action thrillers, so this was really a change of pace. It was a little slow in the beginning, but once I got into it, I was hooked. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because I'm not that familiar with this type of book, so I didn't want to overdo it, but it really had a lot going for it.
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Summary: Fresh from the farmer's field
Review: There's nothing canned about this book--it offers some of the freshest prose I've come across in a long time. The author has an uncanny way of making Lake Emily and its diverse cast of characters come fully alive. I grew up on a farm in the Midwest, and I can attest to the truth of Traci's portrayal of farm life. Think of Jane Smiley without the darkness, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what's going on here. I predict a very bright future for Traci DePree when word gets out about her.
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