Customer Reviews

A Can of Peas (Lake Emily, Book 1)

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Oh, what a pleasure this book is. Redemption, grace, and kindness nurture the story just as sun, water, and tender care nurture a family farm. Story lines of family and friends line up like rows of peas, beans, and corn in the fields that march across the heart of America.
Peter and May face a huge decision when Peter's grandfather dies, and, tantalized by the romance of the notion, they choose to abandon city life/careers and try to save the family farm in rural Minnesota. Predictably, the stress and strain of such a choice puts a cramp in their marriage - and their dream is in danger of withering on the vine.
Wonderful story, wonderful storytelling, wonderful author. Try it. You'll never look at the shining produce in the stalls of a farmers' market thru the same eyes.

Real-life characters in over their heads, but trusting in God and community to pull them through. The small-town virtues of honesty and hard work. The toughness it takes to make a go of it on the family farm. And the tenderness needed to care for those who've entrusted their lives to you. These are the simple ingredients in this marvel of a book.

Kind of like if Jan Karon set her books in America's heartland, A Can of Peas has that same gentle yet tough-minded sensibility. Filled with memorable characters, heartwarming stories, and unforgetable snapshots of rural Minnesota, A Can of Peas is almost perfect. I can't wait for this author's next one!

There's nothing canned about this book--it offers some of the freshest prose I've come across in a long time.

The author has an uncanny way of making Lake Emily and its diverse cast of characters come fully alive. I grew up on a farm in the Midwest, and I can attest to the truth of Traci's portrayal of farm life. Think of Jane Smiley without the darkness, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what's going on here.

I predict a very bright future for Traci DePree when word gets out about her.

Every once in a while a book comes along that just completely captures my imagination. A Can of Peas is such a book. No, it's not flashy, no it's not a typical "page turner," but it's got a whole lot more staying power than all those glitzy thrillers that dominate the best seller lists. The characters are so well drawn that by the end of the book you feel you really know them. And the whole premise of a professional city boy going back to the family farm strikes me as completely true to life.

Want something truly uplifting? Try A Can of Peas

A bunch of us farm gals have a monthly get together, and one of us (can't remember who) said she'd read this fabulous book, A Can of Peas. I didn't think much of it at the time, but next month two others had read it and were raving about it. So I decided to check it out.

Let me tell you, I picked it up and couldn't put it down. That's the fastest I've ever read any book. The next time we got together, everyone but Suze Dennison had read it. Boy, was that a lively meeting! We couldn't quit gabbing. Everyone had their favorite scene that they wanted to read out loud. Our group hasn't gone this crazy about a book since the first Mitford.

Want something fresh and lively without even the slightest whif of prurience? Then get a hold of this dandy. You won't be disappointed.

What a wonderful Midwestern town Lake Emily is. Reminds me of the place I grew up, Redfield, SD. Same slightly neurotic but basically friendly people, same restless kids, itching to get out and get to the Big City (Sioux Falls, in our case), same small-town officiousness.

Living as I do near San Francisco, perhaps the most cosmopolitan city on this continent (if not the planet), A Can of Peas brought back some long-forgotten memories. But you know what? You don't have to have grown up on the farm to appreciate Traci DePree. Lots of my native Left Coast friends have read her book, and they get a kick out it too. Probably some kind of nostalgia wish-fulfillment trip or something.

In any case, thank you, Ms. DePree, for the wonderful memories. Can't wait to go back for another visit.

I don't read a lot of fiction, but I picked this one up because a friend who knows my likes and dislikes better than I do said I'd go nuts over this book.

And she wasn't wrong. A Can of Peas was unlike anything I'd ever read before. There's this deep down--I don't know what--sincerity? versimilitude? honesty? glee? Maybe all of that at once. All I know is I'm buying a car load and giving 'em away for Christmas.

Wow, what can I say about this presentation of Americana? I was amazed by how Traci Depree captured the essence of life on the farm. I do wonder how she was able to sneek around my home town and find all the characters there. I am from a small town and dairy farming has been in my family for generations. I too have had to hide behind a few cows.

The characters reminded me of real people in my community. Real people and real issues. The story reminds me of something I would see from Hallmark Presents.

The story was very moving with "down to earth feel good" situations surrounded by issues real people encounter on the farm and in everyday life.

If you don't have a farm background or not even interested in farming. This is a story about following your heart and living your dream.

Way to go Mrs. Depee I for one will be awaiting more from this author.

A Can of Peas is a charming, gentle story that blossoms in the reader's heart, like the land bringing forth crops for harvest. I fell in love with all the people of Lake Emily. If you have enjoyed any of Jan Karon's Mitford series, then you will definitely want to visit Lake Emily. Traci DePree is a new author to watch!

--Robin Lee Hatcher, author of Firstborn & Ribbon of Years

Certainly not my typical fare (the last book I read was The Corrections, and before that, Mason & Dixon), but there's an attractive naivete (just a teeny bit manered?) that carries the day.

Really, do places like Lake Emily still exist at the dawn of the third millenium? I wonder, but deep in my cold sophisticate's heart, I hope so.