I don't like depressing books so its no surprise that I was not a fan of this sad depiction of life in a Reno trailer park.



The writing is good but the overall feel is disjointed and choppy (by design) and it just felt like homework to me from start to finish. ( )

A well written story, but the subject matter is very intense at times. The story is about Rory Dawn, a young girl growing up with a single mother in a trailer park north of Reno. While the book is funny at times it is mostly sad with a very mature subject matter, and description of multiple generations making bad decisions and lifestyle choices including; alcoholism, drug addiction, domestic violence, poverty, teen pregnancy and child molestation. Heavy themes that are very well written by an excellent author. ( )

Powerful, beautiful, wrenching, sad, funny in spots. I'm looking forward to her next book, if she has another one in her. ( )

I wasn't going to finish this book because it was so sad but when I read reviews here on Goodreads, I was convinced to continue. It was still a sad read but with a glimmer of hope at the end. ( )

Hassman is a powerhouse of a writer with beautiful imagery, description and reflection about the ugly subject of child abuse/molestation. Set in Reno, NV in the 70s, this fictional story is told from Rory D.'s point of view about her white trash upbringing and the legacy of her "feeble-minded" Mama and Grandma who were both children having children in part due to ignorance and in part due to circumstances. Hassman's poetic writing allows for short chapters that can stand alone as essays, much like Cisneros' House on Mango Street but for a more mature audience. The abuse itself isn't as vivid as Mary Karr's memoirs, but the after-effects are chilling and heart-breaking. Tragedy is a fact of life on the Calle (the neighborhood where Rory grows up), but the ending is hopeful and promising. ( )