Helen Peppe

Thanks to goodreads and the author for a free copy!

I've been procrastinating on reviewing Pigs Can't Swim because I still haven't worked out what I want to say about it. But I do want to talk about the use -- or lack -- of names, so let's start with that.

Instead of using her siblings' names, Helen Peppe gives them titles instead -- her blustery-and-favoured-brother or her sister-who-holds-grudges-longer-than-god, for example. When I first started reading, I wasn't sure what I'd think of that. But as the memoir progressed, it became really effective.

Firstly, it helps to instantly characterize her siblings every time they appear. Blustery-and-favoured conveys a lot more than a first name does. It provides meaningful information; it makes the people more vivid. And secondly, it also simultaneously makes them more familiar, in that I could easily recognize people from my own life in their actions and characteristics. And I think a big part of that came from not having a name to clearly distinguish the person on the page from the person I know.

I haven't previously encountered this way of referring to people in any other book, and it was incredibly effective here.

Pigs Can't Swim is one of those books that is sticking with me. The upsetting moments, the funny moments, the lamb in the pressure cooker, they keep on coming to mind. This combined with the beautiful writing style and all of the messages about animals, love, and the power of books... It all combines to make Pigs Can't Swim a powerful memoir.… (more)

The youngest of nine in a rough brood raised in poverty on a remote farm at the end of the road, the author recounts all the misadventures and escapades as she recalls them. Her overworked parents, an uninvolved, dispassionate father and well meaning but somewhat insensitive mother, do their best with limited parenting skills and old fashioned sensibilities. The narrative is very interesting and makes you wonder how the kids managed to survive to adulthood. I enjoyed that the author used identifiers that use descriptions of personality traits and physical features in lieu of proper names for her siblings. It was reassuring to find out that she grew closer to her mother as an adult and her mother had eventually realized and admitted some of her shortcomings. Being from a relatively large brood myself, I can definitely relate to a lot of the author's story. I have also come to realize that as a child, you misinterpret many things you are told and that, though well intentioned, some of your parent's methods and messages may be misguided and even harmful. Fortunately, my childhood was much more loving, nurturing and affluent. I could tell some stories, though!… (more)

The youngest of nine in a rough brood raised in poverty on a remote farm at the end of the road, the author recounts all the misadventures and escapades as she recalls them. Her overworked parents, an uninvolved, dispassionate father and well meaning but somewhat insensitive mother, do their best with limited parenting skills and old fashioned sensibilities. The narrative is very interesting and makes you wonder how the kids managed to survive to adulthood. I enjoyed that the author used identifiers that use descriptions of personality traits and physical features in lieu of proper names for her siblings. It was reassuring to find out that she grew closer to her mother as an adult and her mother had eventually realized and admitted some of her shortcomings. Being from a relatively large brood myself, I can definitely relate to a lot of the author's story. I have also come to realize that as a child, you misinterpret many things you are told and that, though well intentioned, some of your parent's methods and messages may be misguided and even harmful. Fortunately, my childhood was much more loving, nurturing and affluent. I could tell some stories, though!… (more)

It took me a bit to get into it but once I did I really enjoyed it. I loved the fact Helen was a true animal lover and loved to read. I felt a strong kinship with her.

She was the youngest of nine brothers and sisters. Her parents didn't have much money to provide for them so the mainly lived of the land in the far countryside of Maine. Her mother and father didn't have much of an education so they were not really wise in some ways of the world. They tried to be the best parents they could be though. Having that many children had to have been hard. The first 6 were about a year apart so they were somewhat older than the last three who were spread out a bit I loved the way Helen had named her different brothers and sisters in the book.

She takes us through what many families seem to have gone through like early pregnancies and marriages that weren't meant to last.… (more)