Product Description

An utterly enchanting novel of enormous heart, compassion and insight into the mysteries and magic of everyday life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #652814 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-04
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Richard Russo
`You don't slip much past Doyon, whose wry, wicked, sympathetic intelligence informs every page of her winning, hilarious novel'

New York Times
`She writes with wisdom and humour … a smart, disarming pleasure'

Publishers Weekly
`A sprawling, bustling chronicle of smalltown life, with a passel of intriguing characters'

Customer Reviews

Great book
This is not a masterpiece, instead is a great read, an interesting one and sometimes a very funny story with really great and interesting characters. I must say, I enjoyed it and found it gripping from page 1, but I can't quite explain why.

Robert J Cutler is a boy who everybody has high hopes for, he is extremely intelligent, kind and caring, he's certainly the most likely person to make anything out of their lives out of his town, however he has one major fault, he cares too much.
Francis Pinkham is the 10th child in his family and he is the only boy, his father was so desperate to have a son and then he was too tired to care by the time he did have one. Nobody expects much from Francis and he seems to be quite insignificant in society, however sometimes people do better than is expected of them.

Instead of a strong plot, there is a series of interesting events that happen to a series of very unique and interesting characters. Bernadette Cutler ( Roberts wife ) is one example of a funny and slightly twisted character in this book. Despite there being no main plot, there is a meaning to this book about how everybody has the potential to be great and it isn't always who people expect.

If you want a light read and enjoy excellent characterization, I highly reccomend this book.

An enjoyable easy read
I picked up this book up as a 'wild card'. The story line (seemingly quiet US town where nothing happens) is gentle. What makes the book interesting is the element of unusual goings on, brought out by the personalities of the characters involved. This is the sort of book you can pick up, sit back and not have to work hard at. I would have given this 3 stars, but given Doyon's writing is clever and humerous (which added much to the enjoyment of reading it) I have given it 4 stars.

Trials and tribulations in Middle America
Stephanie Doyon demonstrates a wry sense of humour in her characterisation and depiction of the town of Cedar Hole. She charts the two very different experiences of two boys as they grow up in a town which stifles success and opportunity.

She brings to life the experiences of the characters vividly with some surprising twists and turns, thus ensuring a gripping read. By the end of the book, the inhabitants of Cedar Hole learn to understand that all types of people can turn out well, and not just the ones they expect to do so.