Haven Kimmel

What a gem of a memoir, I can't believe it had escaped my notice all these years. Haven Kimmel writes of "growing up small" in a very small town in Indiana, where the population always remains at 300, someone always replacing one who leaves. Her memories are funny, bittersweet and strikingly accurate--whether it's the neighborhood bully, the grumpy druggist, a best friend who doesn't talk much--Zippy takes every little bit of minutae and makes it humorous and real. I would have to think that show more her being that youngest third child, that those much older siblings Melinda and Dan helped keep some of those funny Zippy stories alive as she grew up. From how to name a rooster, a strange love of Kojak, or a shrine to her first bike with streamers and a banana seat, Zippy brought back many great memories of those simply childhood days. show less

Having trashed “A Girl Named Zippy” previously, I had very low expectations for “The Solace of Leaving Early.” Zippy made Kimmel famous, got her a spot on The Today Show, but Solace is much superior.

Amos Townsend is a thoughtful preacher suffering a crisis of fault in a small Indiana town. One of his parishioners has been murdered, leaving two daughters orphaned and witness to her death. Langston Braverman, a washed up PhD candidate caught in a haze of existential contemplation, has show more returned to childhood bedroom to hide from the world. Langston’s wise and affecting Mother, AnnaLee, knows just the medicine the egocentric Langston needs. The orphan girls need guidance and AnnaLee won’t rest until Langston starts thinking of someone other than herself. There’s a quirky grandma, a pillar of strength father, and a town of oddballs so real I can attest to their existence (I’m from close to the same place as Kimmel). The story progresses as we find out, along with Langston, what happened to the girl’s mother and the fate of the two orphans.

Kimmel certainly has a kind pen. There were so many passages of simple beauty in this little gem; I’ve a page full of quotes. One thing Kimmel does especially well is limiting the words while keeping the most thoughtful of meaning. However, her characterization is a bit uneven. I hated Langston for the first half of the book and wanted to throw fire on Amos to get him excited. They were developing into nice little souls. And then she dropped the ball. The last third is too contrived, with a neat little bow and all. The plot is assisted by a ‘who-done-it.’ There are just enough hints and secrets to keep us guessing as to the circumstances of the murder.

One imperfection in the novel is one of the things I found most interesting. Kimmel uses lofty philosophers and authors like adjectives. All the name-dropping can be distracting. Some might have difficulty believing that Indiana farmers sit around reading Kierkegaard and John Donne; but I know that not everyone in a small town is a peabrain. And her analogous use of lofty ideals does a good job juxtaposing the simplistic nature of small town life.

My favorite thing about the novel was Kimmel’s faithful rendering of small town folks. They live their lives without question, in application and not theory. Langston’s life has been one of theory, her Mother’s one of application. - Worth a look for anyone interested in the nuances of small town life or the human implications of our choices, consequences and flawed perceptions.

Review first published on Many A Quaint & Curious Volume show less

I agree with the book jacket quote that it is rare to see a memoir of a happy childhood. The writing has to be good, otherwise it’s like being captive to someone’s photo albums or home movies. The writing here is good and the book enjoyable. It felt strangely familiar and I think I know why. The book hits exactly the same note as the “Leave it to Beaver” TV series. That show was complete fantasy but the small town, happy family, life lessons theme is very similar. What struck me the show more most was the obvious poverty that Zippy grew up in did not factor in much to her story. I like that it was not left out or minimized. We see it from her happy childhood perspective.
From an adult perspective, there is a lot awry with the household. show less

Another great collection of stories from Haven Kimmel. I really love her style of writing and story-telling. I really feel like it's Zippy, the precocious 11-year-old child telling the stories more than Haven, the 39?-year-old woman recollecting her life. I think that's what makes it so enjoyable for me. I can almost hear my own daughter saying some of the same things.

I think I liked Zippy a little bit better, but this one is also definitely worth reading. You should probably read Zippy show more first, but not absolutely necessary to enjoy this book. show less