Ellie Hodesdon Hodesdon itibaren Zendek, Polonya
Life's truly crappy for Dimitri. His mother hates him, so he lives with his dad and uncles at the grandmother's house. Except for his dad, not one of them has a job, and except for his grandmother, all are proud alcoholics. If you're one of the Verhulsts, all innkeepers know you by name, and unfortunately, so do all the police officers and bailiffs. If you're born into this family, your career path becomes fairly obvious when you're about an hour old and your father rides with you to every filthy rundown joint in Buttcrack, Flanders, your home. It's disheartening. There's not much in the way of education, and your family has only one thing to teach you - how to successfully ruin yourself. Yeah, it's pretty bad, but then, not all bad. Being one of the Verhulsts also means that your (paternal) family will stick up for each other, come what may, and it's never boring. Whether it's competitive drinking, naked bike riding, or watching Roy Orbison's concert with your new best Iranian friends, after the bailiff took your TV, there's always something going on. It's entertaining. Verhulst tells his (autobiographical) anecdotes with a measured laconism and such dry wit, it makes you look for something to drink. There is a sense of a strange nostalgia for a life that is so far removed from the grown-up Dimitri, and an appreciation for the exuberant flowers that can grow on a dung heap. It's bittersweet.
This was my copy. Has been recycled. Very good. Concise and practical and well backed by Scripture. Especially liked the servanthood and endurance chapters.
an interesting view of what life would be like as a man. at times, a bit preachy but overall a good topic to ponder. when i booktalked this book to my SSR students, they were baffled that this was nonfiction and that a woman would actually spend a year of her life dressed as a man. :)
Most of the Alex Delaware novels tend to run into each other after reading a few - the plots are different, but it's usually just the same song, different verse. This one, however, stands out for me as one of the better ones. Maybe I was more engaged with the plot - I don't know - but I really liked this book. Two young men have murdered a toddler and after the trial and a month into his incarceration, one of the boys is murdered. After spending 8 years in a juvenile facility, the second your man is released and is murdered a week later. From there on, the plot twists and turns and comes out the other side completely altered from where it began. Good one!
Well written. Makes me glad I voted for this man and does actually give me some hope that we can begin to solve some of the huge problems we are facing as a nation. Worth the read.
Loved it. I've always drifted toward fantasy more than science fiction, but I had to read it to see if it was o.k. for my 10 year old. It isn't, but I really enjoyed it and only after I read it did I realize that it was published back in 1985, and actually was first created in 1977! Great plot development, no annoying romance (I guess all the young adult novels are getting on my nerves), great characters -- just well written. Looking forward to the rest of the series!