Melissa B. (dragoneyes) -
Helpful Score: 3
There were parts of this book I really liked and parts that I didn't. The story was set around three women - sisters Edith & Helen and also Edith's granddaughter, Diana. What I liked about the book was how strong and hard working these women were. I just adored Edith and, slowly, Diana grew on me. Unfortunately, I couldn't stand Helen and hated when her chapters came up. She just came off as too selfish and had this "poor me" syndrome. Besides dreading her chapters, there was a LOT of talk about beer. How to make it, what type of ingredients, different types of beer, etc. When these parts came up, they went on and on for a long time. I like beer but I sure don't want to read that much about it. At those points in the book, it made it a struggle for me to keep reading. I almost stopped a couple times throughout. Luckily, the old ladies at the latter part of the book kept me reading. I was happy that I finished it for it was a satisfying end. It is a hard book for me to recommend though but it does seem like most readers enjoy it.
I enjoyed the author's last book, I have always enjoyed books narrated by Judith Ivey. That said, this book did not hold my interest at all, and I truly think a good portion of it was due to Ivey's narration. She irritated me, her voice. I quit the book without finishing and didn't miss it at all.
