A wonderful set of stories to be enjoyed from coast to coast, on sunny California days or chilly New England nights.
You can take the girl out of California, but you can’t prepare her for a New England winter, as Parker learns in her witty memoir.
In a funny and breezy voice (one can guess at the inherent levity based on the subtitle), Parker details her bold move from temperate Northern California to snowy, rural New England following her job loss in the financial disaster of 2008. Parker is disillusioned by Wall Street, skeptical of politicians and searching for new professional direction. In a move spurred by financial desperation and emotional burnout, Parker and her partner, Raj, pack up their three cats and drive cross-country to settle at a farm in Massachusetts owned by Raj’s brother. The beautiful, historic farmhouse desperately needs some loving care, an opportunity that appeals both emotionally and financially to the struggling couple. The plan consists of spending a year at The Fahm, and the travelers arrive in time to enjoy a glorious New England autumn prior to the deep freeze of winter. What follows is a year’s worth of hilarious observations and amusing anecdotes. The Fahm is covered in mouse poop and appears to be a vortex of bad luck, yet Parker adapts beautifully using a combination of wry humor and a full measure of patience. Despite mice and snakes, an old belching furnace, massive snowstorms and floods of biblical proportion, Parker perseveres, all the while documenting her everyday experiences. Initially a series of blog posts, the book holds together well; posts are sprinkled with observations and insightful quotes on topics ranging from politics to economics. Despite a few slow moments, her voice and sense of humor come through loud and clear. Parker’s stories should inspire laughter and groans at the couple’s continuous run of mishaps, yet one cannot help but applaud her strength and perseverance. She is on a journey to find meaning and direction in life, a path that is certainly familiar to many of us.
A wonderful set of stories to be enjoyed from coast to coast, on sunny California days or chilly New England nights.Pub Date: April 12, 2012
ISBN: 978-1468150612
Page Count: 180
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A blissfully vicarious, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a Manhattan burlesque dancer.
A former New York City dancer reflects on her zesty heyday in the 1970s.
Discovered on a Manhattan street in 2020 and introduced on Stanton’s Humans of New York Instagram page, Johnson, then 76, shares her dynamic history as a “fiercely independent” Black burlesque dancer who used the stage name Tanqueray and became a celebrated fixture in midtown adult theaters. “I was the only black girl making white girl money,” she boasts, telling a vibrant story about sex and struggle in a bygone era. Frank and unapologetic, Johnson vividly captures aspects of her former life as a stage seductress shimmying to blues tracks during 18-minute sets or sewing lingerie for plus-sized dancers. Though her work was far from the Broadway shows she dreamed about, it eventually became all about the nightly hustle to simply survive. Her anecdotes are humorous, heartfelt, and supremely captivating, recounted with the passion of a true survivor and the acerbic wit of a weathered, street-wise New Yorker. She shares stories of growing up in an abusive household in Albany in the 1940s, a teenage pregnancy, and prison time for robbery as nonchalantly as she recalls selling rhinestone G-strings to prostitutes to make them sparkle in the headlights of passing cars. Complemented by an array of revealing personal photographs, the narrative alternates between heartfelt nostalgia about the seedier side of Manhattan’s go-go scene and funny quips about her unconventional stage performances. Encounters with a variety of hardworking dancers, drag queens, and pimps, plus an account of the complexities of a first love with a drug-addled hustler, fill out the memoir with personality and candor. With a narrative assist from Stanton, the result is a consistently titillating and often moving story of human struggle as well as an insider glimpse into the days when Times Square was considered the Big Apple’s gloriously unpolished underbelly. The book also includes Yee’s lush watercolor illustrations.
A blissfully vicarious, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a Manhattan burlesque dancer.Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-27827-2
Page Count: 192
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2022
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.
A carefully curated personal portrait.
First ladies’ roles have evolved significantly in recent decades. Their memoirs typically reflect a spectrum of ambition and interests, offering insights into their values and personal lives. Melania Trump, however, stands out as exceptionally private and elusive. Her ultra-lean account attempts to shed light on her public duties, initiatives, and causes as first lady, and it defends certain actions like her controversial “I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?” jacket. The statement was directed at the media, not the border situation, she claims. Yet the book provides scant detail about her personal orbit or day-to-day interactions. The memoir opens with her well-known Slovenian origin story, successful modeling career, and whirlwind romance with Donald Trump, culminating in their 2005 marriage, followed by a snapshot of Election Day 2016: “Each time we were together that day, I was impressed by his calm.…This man is remarkably confident under pressure.” Once in the White House, Melania Trump describes her functions and numerous public events at home and abroad, which she asserts were more accomplished than media representations suggested. However, she rarely shares any personal interactions beyond close family ties, notably her affection for her son, Barron, and her sister, Ines. And of course she lavishes praise on her husband. Minimal anecdotes about White House or cabinet staff are included, and she carefully defuses her rumored tensions with Trump’s adult children, blandly stating, “While we may share the same last name, each of us is distinct with our own aspirations and paths to follow.” Although Melania’s desire to support causes related to children’s and women’s welfare feels authentic, the overall tenor of her memoir seems aimed at painting a glimmering portrait of her husband and her role, likely with an eye toward the forthcoming election.
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781510782693
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: yesterday
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