Helpful Score: 4
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2014/01/looking-for-me.html
Looking for Me is a story of a family bound by love but driven apart by a lack of communication and by an unresolved tragedy. At the heart of the story is Teddi, a young woman from a small town in Kentucky whose passion is antiques. She sees beauty in old, forgotten and broken things. This passion leads to a career and full life in Charleston and also leads away from her family.
Teddi's mother tries to have Teddi take the safe route and make compromises that lead to a safe life. She seemingly does not understand Teddi's passion and fights her flight to a new life. Yet, as Teddi discovers, there is a lot she does not know about the woman her mother was - a woman with dreams like hers beyond the family she raised.
Josh is Teddi's younger brother. Since the day he was born, Teddi adored him. Josh always had an other-worldly feel to him and an affinity for nature and its creatures. As a young man, Josh disappears. His family is devastated, and remains so because they are never able to discover what happens to him.
The book starts the story in the middle. Teddi is living in Charleston, running her own antiques shop and surrounded by a host of colorful characters. The book then weaves in the back story that makes Teddi the person she is and moves forward as she tries to deal with changes in her life and her family.
This is story about family, about defining yourself, and about learning what to hang on to and what to let go of. As Teddi's grandmother teaches her, "Each day was a gift and how we chose to unwrap it would determine our happiness." This book is a beautifully woven tale. I can't wait to see what Beth Hoffman writes next.
Looking for Me is a story of a family bound by love but driven apart by a lack of communication and by an unresolved tragedy. At the heart of the story is Teddi, a young woman from a small town in Kentucky whose passion is antiques. She sees beauty in old, forgotten and broken things. This passion leads to a career and full life in Charleston and also leads away from her family.
Teddi's mother tries to have Teddi take the safe route and make compromises that lead to a safe life. She seemingly does not understand Teddi's passion and fights her flight to a new life. Yet, as Teddi discovers, there is a lot she does not know about the woman her mother was - a woman with dreams like hers beyond the family she raised.
Josh is Teddi's younger brother. Since the day he was born, Teddi adored him. Josh always had an other-worldly feel to him and an affinity for nature and its creatures. As a young man, Josh disappears. His family is devastated, and remains so because they are never able to discover what happens to him.
The book starts the story in the middle. Teddi is living in Charleston, running her own antiques shop and surrounded by a host of colorful characters. The book then weaves in the back story that makes Teddi the person she is and moves forward as she tries to deal with changes in her life and her family.
This is story about family, about defining yourself, and about learning what to hang on to and what to let go of. As Teddi's grandmother teaches her, "Each day was a gift and how we chose to unwrap it would determine our happiness." This book is a beautifully woven tale. I can't wait to see what Beth Hoffman writes next.
Helpful Score: 3
I absolutely loved Saving CeeCee Honeycutt and waited longingly for another book from Ms. Hoffman. Looking for Me was worth the wait. With beautifully written characters and story line, I didn't want the book to end. It moved me, and loved it.
A friend had mentioned that she liked CC Hunnicut better than this one, but I like this one better. Lammia is an amazing narrator, and that might be why. Very interesting story that flips time from Kentucky to Charleston, farming, wildlife, and antique restoration. Loved all that stuff. After a while though, I realized that it was merely a day to day accounting, no real plotting here, with an occasion throw-the-dog-a-bone clue to her missing brother that went no where. The injured hiker with the note in his pocket was just one lame way of keeping us interested in the mystery. Then, when the mystery was finally solved in the last few minutes of listening, it just annoyed me. YET, I truly enjoyed listening to Lammia tell me this story.
This book is no Ceecee Honeycutt. I loved Ceecee Honeycutt. That said it is a good story. It starts slowly for the first 100 pages. Then it picks up and I couldn't put it down. It is worth reading. I would recommend it if you want a good read.
