Vinegar Hill

It was interesting but very dark. It was neat to see the generations of women in the story and see how similar they were, as well as how much they effected each other without knowing or caring.

I read this book in about two days. I kept thinking there was going to be a point to the book but there really wasn't one. She could have done a lot more with the premise.

To me, Oprah's Book Club seal of approval guarantees me at least a few of the following: 1) Female, middle-aged protagonist, typically a mother 2) Generally bleak and depressing 3) Emotional and/or physical abuse 4) Jackass husband 5) Horrible children 6) Death Vinegar Hill offers 5 of the 6 - no horrible......more

What is it with Oprah? Really. I don't always know when I'm reading an Oprah book (I come into possession of a lot of books with no covers somehow), but after I read this one I just knew it was on her list, had to be. It was very bleak, as most of her selections are, and had very little to make me w......more

There are many ways to describe Ellen Grier: wife, mother, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, caregiver, teacher. All of these different roles and yet Ellen still feels incomplete…invisible almost. She had been happy in Illinois in their rented house, but after her husband lost his job, she and her......more

I'm giving this novel 3 stars only because of the quality of the writing. The actual story itself is morose, and rather self-indulgent... I'm afraid that novelists often feel that to write well they must include and focus upon the truly horrible aspects of life while ignoring any of the light. There......more

This book is definitely not for everyone. It is stark and depressing. The characters are not likable. I would only read bits at a time, which is why it took me so long to finish it. However, it still resonated with me. For those who have grown up in a dysfunctional family, have been in a dysfunction......more