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HomeShop at BookSurgeHumorTopicFamilyTommytown |
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2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 A Real Life story of the struggles of Motherhood Dec 04, 2007
A member of my bookclub recommended this novel to me and this was the book that got me hooked onto the author's writing style. I read the story of Helen, the mother and her struggles to raise 7 children with little or no help from her husband. I have to admit that I kept forgetting that this story takes place in the 1950's when women rights were practically non existent. As the author pointed out the law that required a women in the state of Maryland to have 9 children before she was allowed to have a tubal ligation and then she would need her doctors AND husbands approval before the operation was performed. Thank goodness those days are gone. Anyway back to the skillful writing of the author. Mr. Saunders wove such a wonderful story that you didn't feel depressed. He sprinkled humor and wit at the right time with the boys Barry and Noah and their playful antics with their neighbor boys. They reminded me of two Dennis the Menace's running loose in this small hamlet of Tommytown. Still, the author's focus was the mother, Helen. Overall, the story was not only a joy to read but very educational and worthy of your time and it makes an excellent read for young adults. Highly recommend this book.
1 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Good story, awkward style Nov 04, 2007
I read this novel with a book club and found the story heartwarming, however the style distracted from the story from the beginning. I found myself noting that words were missing that were essential to the meaning of the some sentences. The author frequently over used words so that they were repeated within a sentence or two when other vocabulary would have made the style more interesting. By the end of the book I was skimming descriptions just to be able to follow the story to it's conclulslion. The book has worth for it's insight into a poverty stricken family in the 1950's.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 A Real Page-Turner Best Read Aug 25, 2007
This is one of those magical books that takes one back to a time almost forgotten with all the hardships and good times mingled. Not only does the author involve you in the lives of a family struggling for existence in near impossible circumstances, he has an art of putting one in the place of each of the characters alloiwng you to see and feel as they do no matter what the age of the character.
Reminders of the way of society surrounding rural 1950 abound. One can feel the emotions of the characters as they deal with events within the constraints of the times; one can see the landscape and architure surrounding the story; one can smell the odors and fragrances of a time gone by.
This book is a real page-turner. I could not put it down and have begun another book by the same author.
Mr. Saunders is hardworking in his writing and a very pleasant man to speak with.
6 of 7 found the following review helpful:
A Warm and Touching story among a difficult environment Aug 10, 2007
Tommytown is a truly refreshing departure the typical best sellers that are out there today. The exception is A Thousand Splendid Suns and a few other books that I won't mention. Mr. Saunders steps out of the box and encircles a world of writing that I would like to see more of from writers today. His passion and honesty drawn from his own childhood experiences are transposed into this captivating tale. Actually I found it hard to believe that the author was able to sit down and relive his horrible experiences of living in sheer poverty and constant fear of a father that showed no compassion or concern for the welfare of his wife and children. This family was dirt poor and the author made no effort to give me the impression that I would not be paying a visit to the home of the Beaver Cleaver's family. Still, I was glad the author sprinkled a bit of humor here and there because it kept the story from being so depressing. I really enjoyed the horse back ride the two brothers, Barry and Noah took on the hot summer night. I just had to laugh.
The novels takes the reader back to the 1950's where Helen Forman, living in sheer ;poverty makes another lonely decision to keep her 7 children fed, clothed and sheltered. The buck stops with Helen, her husband fails to support her, but still she keeps a small smile on her face smothers her boys with warm hugs and kisses.. Mr. Saunders does a fantastic piece of work of transforming his mind down from the level of a mature adult to that innocent world of young boys. In "Tommytown", Mr. Saunders reveals the thinking of the 11 year old Barry, 9 year old Noah and 13 year old Karen. I don't know too many authors that can make that transformation and still create a story that is entertaining and well written. In summary, this is a warm, wonderful story that deserves every reader's attention. I highly recommend this one.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
The Tommytown books are just GREAT! Jun 01, 2007
I've read both books in the Tommytown series and I think they are ten times better than the Harry Potter books I have read. Plus the stories are based on real people. I kept reading and reading these books. I'm glad my mother got me started on them, because they were just great.
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