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Durable Goods :
Durable Goods
Author: Elizabeth Berg
On the hot Texas army base she calls home, Katie spends the lazy days of her summer waiting: waiting to grow up; waiting for Dickie Mack to fall in love with her; waiting for her breasts to blossom; waiting for the beatings to stop. Since their mother died, Katie and her older sister, Diane, have struggled to understand their increasingly distan...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780812968149
ISBN-10: 081296814X
Pages: 224
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 106

3.8 stars, based on 106 ratings
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

nursenancy avatar reviewed Durable Goods : on + 51 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This was a quick read and not a very good one. The characters are not well developed and you never really find out why certain characters are the way they are. I don't care for books that leave you guessiing at the end as this one did.
reviewed Durable Goods : on + 79 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
A very quirky and quick read about the life of a 12 year old who is going through a rough time in her life and how she deals with it. Well written, I will definitely pick up another Berg novel.
reviewed Durable Goods : on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I read this in eighth grade and I have to admit to not remembering very much about it. However, what I do remember is that it is extremely subtle; while the subject matter is domestic abuse, there is very little action of that kind in the text.
reviewed Durable Goods : on + 49 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I absolutely LOVED this book because I could relate to Katie in so many ways and her sister reminded me a lot of my own big sister. I read this book start to finish in about 2 hours.
texasreader avatar reviewed Durable Goods : on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Quick read; good writing of a 12 year old's perspective of life.
Read All 40 Book Reviews of "Durable Goods "

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reviewed Durable Goods : on + 6 more book reviews
A story of loss, friendship and about coming of age for a young girl. A quick read.
reviewed Durable Goods : on + 48 more book reviews
1st in a trilogy by Elizabeth Berg. Precedes "Joy School" and "True to Form". All of her books are great!
reviewed Durable Goods : on + 22 more book reviews
A good, quick read. Great for flying!
jazzysmom avatar reviewed Durable Goods : on + 907 more book reviews
Elizabeth Berg is wonderful with this super novel. This is a read you will take with you long after you are finished. I found i could'nt put the book down to fold laundry. I just wanted to stay in the place Ms. Berg had created in this novel. I loved the setting in rural Texas and everyone in the book except the father, who was very abusive to Katie as she grew up. Katie who just knew that there would come a day when her father would not be able to hit her, was creeping into my heart and i loved her so. I would read again.
reviewed Durable Goods : on + 19 more book reviews
A far too short story about a 12 yr old girl who has lost her mom to cancer and lives w/ her abusive father. Katie is a wonderful character, so up and hopeful, considering her circumstances. I wish this book had gone on and on.
toni avatar reviewed Durable Goods : on + 351 more book reviews
my only complaint is that it was too short!
marcijo28 avatar reviewed Durable Goods : on + 325 more book reviews
I loved this book. Great writing, enviable talent. I will read all of her books.
reviewed Durable Goods : on + 152 more book reviews
Got this book through paperbackswap.com after it was on someone's list of books to read. Short book--I started it one day and finished the next. Some critical Amazon reviews noted that there's really no plot to the book. That's true and if you're a hard core action fan, this book likely would disappoint. I gravitate towards mysteries. Yet, when I finished this book, I felt like I wanted to know how Katie's life turned out. Then I discovered that this book was the first in a series of three about Katie, the protagonist. I requested Book 2 ("Joy School") from the local library--started it yesterday and finished today (2/29/2020).

I was bothered by the mother's (deceased but references made to her in Katie's musings) blind eye/excuses for the dad's abusive behavior toward his daughters. Of course, this book--based on descriptions of hairstyles, clothing, music, etc.--is set in the 50s or 60s when domestic violence was swept under the rug.
reviewed Durable Goods : on + 385 more book reviews
Ok read
reviewed Durable Goods : on
I love reading books written by Elizabeth Berg...I especially love the books about Katie. It is so easy to "be there" with her and understand what she is going through. This is an excellent read.
bothrootes avatar reviewed Durable Goods : on + 207 more book reviews
This is the story of one year in the life of 12 year old Katie whose mother has died of cancer, father is in the military and Diana, her 18 year old sister spends all of her time with Dickie, the love of her life. Both Katie and Diana walk on egg shells at home because dad becomes physically violent when he is angered. The story is told from Katie's perceptions. When the book was over, I really wanted to know what happened to Katie after the end of the story.


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