I loved this book. I loved Francie who lived in a world of poverty but maintained a stoic determination throughout her difficult childhood. Her love for her family is touching and her unfailing love for her father, beautiful, inspite of his faults. I have given this book to friends as a gift so I can talk about it with them and share the pleasure of it. I would have to say it is probably my favourite book. ( )

This is one of the best books I have ever read!

This novel is billed as a coming-of-age story, and it seems that it holds a pivotal spot in most people's reading memories. So many people I know have just raved about this book. But, to be honest, I can't say that it really felt like much of a coming-of-age story. It seemed more a story about the whole family's journey than about Francie's adolescence in particular. I actually find myself struggling to write a solid plot summary, because what the book is supposed to be and what I found it to be are so drastically different.

Nevertheless, it is quite a poignant story. Katie and Francie have such an intriguing mother-daughter relationship -- and at times, the two characters seem to be almost indistinguishable. I can't tell if that was Smith's intent, or simply the product of poor character development, but it was interesting to observe as the story progressed.

I should perhaps note that (quite unfortunately) I read the abridged version and not the full version -- a mistake I didn't notice until I was almost done reading it. I found this copy shoved to the back of one of my shelves and, having no idea where it came from or when, I went ahead and read it without examining the cover as I would have done had I found the book in a book shop. Anyhow, because I read the abridged version, I don't know how much of my underwhelmed response is attributable to the abridgement and how much to Smith's writing. The pace of the plot seemed to quick, and the narrative style felt a lot like that in All of a Kind Family (written for a younger audience), but that might be the case in the unabridged version as well. Maybe the plot and story feel fuller in the longer version?

For now, though, I feel that my curiosity about this book has been satisfied. It was an enjoyable read, and quite touching in parts, and certainly a story I'd consider returning to at some point (in the full-length version, of course!).