Customer Reviews

Baby of the Family (Harvest Book)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

BABY OF THE FAMILY read like two seperate novels, and that was a problem for me. The first few chapters dealt with Lena's sixth sense and I was captivated. Then, the book shifted into a coming of age story that took up the majority of the novel. Lena's powers were not addressed anymore until the last three chapters, and by then, I didn't care anymore. Had the novel stayed true to the plot, I am sure it would have been a great read, but because it deviated and didn't jump back on track until the end, the entire novel was a let down.

I had read so many great things about the author that I decided to check out all her books starting from the beginning with Baby of the Family. Although I think the author did a great job with imagery and detailed description, I was somewhat slightly disappointed with the plot. It started off great - Lena's birth with the veil over her face, visits from ghosts, and the superstitious undertones set the tone for a juicy plot and then NOTHING for the majority of the book. I was so disappointed; the novel had great potential to be so much better.

It went on to become an elongated coming of age story that concentrated on select moments of Lena's adolescence. Interesting characters were sprinkled in the book; but often exited with no closure to their story lines. I actually found myself wanting to know more about other characters, as they were more interesting than the mediocre clips into Lena's teenage years.

I enjoyed the author's style but questioned the delivery of plot. I haven't given up on the author, I hope to jump into Ugly Ways next.

I liked this book mainly for the realism. The story line was excellent but I felt there could have been more to it. When I read the synopsis before purchasing the book, it made me think there was going to be a whole lot of ghosts, good and bad, and the nurse was going to constantly enforce the importance of the caul and the formula that she had made. But the story read to quickly through everything. Lena's teenage years were no more than a couple of chapter's, her young years in school was recognized only a few times in the novel and a lot of other stuff that should have been included, wasn't. I think it would have been a great story if it had a little more time put into it.

This book was excellent! Very deep and detailed. I love the way the author talks about the relationship of the whole family. Many people expected this to be more sci-fi than fiction...I think this had the right combonation of both elements. A must read for anyone.

While I feel that this was not Ansa's best work. The book was very amusing. This was my first time reading about a baby born with a caul. After reading, I felt enlightened.

I like this quaint little town of Mulberry and its cast of characters. This book is about Lena, the baby of the McPherson family, and her supernatural gifts. Lena was born with a caul over her face. Because her mother didn't believe in superstition, she did not follow the rituals or dispose of the caul properly. Hence, Lena is plagued by ghosts and demons.

I picked this book up after reading about Mudear and the hilarious characters of Mulberry in "Ugly Ways." This author's forte is writing about families with all their flaws and idiosyncrasies. Unlike the ornery Mudear, the mother in this book is loving, and indulgent, even if she is a little high strung. One of my favorite scenes in this book is when she tells her hyper children that they were making her very azzhole quiver. You have to read that in context to get it. I also liked how the patriarch of the family, Jonah McPherson, was a shrewd businessman. He owned "The Place" -- the local watering hole -- and a couple of other businesses.

I'm the youngest of a southern family, so I could relate to a lot of this book. The baby of the family definitely occupies a prized position in the household. And let's face it, most of our older relatives still hold on to some superstitions.

This was a very good book. I passed it along to my sisters, and they enjoyed it as much as I did.

The story is not very interesting. The book has too much discription of the furniture in the house and not enough of a story line. I wanted to read more about ghosts and Lena's supernatural powers. This is a typical coming of age story with one or two ghost stories thrown in. I was truly disappointed.

I was so glad to find this book in a hard cover version. I brought this as a gift for a co-worker. We had both read the sequal to this book, "The Hand I Fan With," but we could never find the Baby of The Family . I really enjoyed Tina McElroy Ansa's books. I wish she would've written more.

The book arrived quickly and in good condition. I was very happy.

I'm a big fan of Tina McElroy Ansa. I just can't get enough of her. She hits it every time. She never dissapoints.

I have always wondered about the caul and this book was informative. My brother was born with one and he always had the gift to see the future and I thought he was just pulling my leg. I guess there is some truth to the power of the caul.