Helpful Score: 29
This book brought a host of memories rushing back for me, and most of them were sweet and precious. This is a very vivid and powerful novel that reads like a memoir. I had to keep reminding myself that it was fiction, though the author did base many characters on people in her life (including her 10 year old self) as a child in 1959. Not only is this a wonderful book about two girls growing up in a less than secure and healthy time, but it is also a mystery that kept me guessing. I felt I knew the characters in this book as my own friends, and I was very disappointed to let them go at the end of the book. I was deeply touched by this book, and even though it has been nearly three days since I finished the book, I am loathe to start another because Sally and Troo are still living in my head and in my heart.
Author Lesley Kagen wrote this book at age 57, and though it is her first, I dearly hope it isn't her last book. Her website is http://www.lesleykagen.com
Author Lesley Kagen wrote this book at age 57, and though it is her first, I dearly hope it isn't her last book. Her website is http://www.lesleykagen.com
Helpful Score: 20
This book is written through the eyes of 10 year old Sally who details the summer of 1959: one that would be like no other. Her sister Troo reminds me of mine so much, and I think made it more endearing. It reads like a memoir and captured me from the first chapter. The author actually based some of the details loosely on her own life. It very much reminds me of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, and it is not at all as dark as As The Crow Flies, by MacDonald, for those who have read those books. I do hope this author has more books planned. A great read & very highly recommended. 4.5/5
Helpful Score: 17
I loved this book. It took me back to the 50's. I was about the same age as the main character in the book st that time. I like the way she spoke as a 10 year old. It was very belivable. There was alot of suspense and a good ending too.
Helpful Score: 12
Whistling in the Dark was a wonderful story told by Sally O'Malley about her and her sister's adventures one summer in the 1950s. The story was very intriguing and unique. I could imagine everything as the author described it and found myself devouring the pages and seeing how the story would unfold. It was a great depiction of how life used to be, before we locked our doors. Highly recommended book, I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
Helpful Score: 12
A beautifully written and engrossing book! I absolutely loved it. The characters were real and you truly cared for the; the voice of the narrator (a 10 year old girl) was believable. I highly recommend this one!
