Customer Reviews

The Education of Ellie

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have read most of Calhoun's books and thought the Education of Ellie is her best to date. While one of the themes of the book - dealing with child abuse - is dark and disturbing at times, it is a more realistic reflection of what happens in our society to some unfortunate children, and this book offers a child's and an adult's view of living in or near abuse.

I thought Calhoun captured the differences between the two children and their families quite well - the safety and joy one child felt and the fear and anger the other felt - and the curiousity that each had for what was unknown to them that helped drive their friendship. Calhoun's weaving of past memories and present life gave the characters more depth and interest.

This was a surprise for any reader who was expecting a romance. This is more a memorier of a two year period in childhood with immensely emotional events occurring. The reader see the events through the eyes of the children experiencing them.

The story is smooth and readily flows from preent day and back 30 years and more - this author has a talent for writing.

I would have enjoyed a more in depth exploration seeing the events through the eyes of the children (ages 8 through 14) as felt by them as adults (ages 47 & 45).

I found the scenes with and about Ellie's mother especially touching.

I don't want to give any plot away but it's not a story I'll soon forget. I especially liked that none of the loose ends were tied up by the last page - I thought it very true to life.

The author has 19 titles in print.

Writing is gut-wrenching enough without choosing difficult topics like people abuse. But that's just what Jackie Calhoun and her taste for truth has done. In "The Education of Ellie," Ms. Calhoun has shown how the path of abusive behavior ultimately ends at the beginning of a new life or no life at all. She opted for a new life, a decision that highlights Ms. Calhoun's desire to show how lesbian lives have the same satisfying options as anyone else. Ms. Calhoun also cleverly used past and present tense to flow into and out of Ellie's past as a growing teenager, and present as a sexual adult. I'm also happy to report that Ms. Calhoun doesn't dramatize her sex scenes with a lot of excessive imagery that tends to vulgarize sexual encounters. Ms. Calhoun knows when to close the door. Also, except for the occasional confusion that arises when using the word "she" much of the time in identifying who's speaking, Ms. Calhoun's use of dialogue still keeps the story moving. In summary, "The Education of Ellie" seems to keep asking if Ellie and Helen are meant to be together? In seeing each other through a series of terrifying incidences, there's no doubt in my mind that Ellie and Helen have earned the chance to be a couple. Once again, Ms. Calhoun has used her accomplished writing skills to observe and report the truth of her characters' actions, the truth of abusive behavior.

I have found all of Ms. Calhoun's books very readable, realistic, and entertaining. The Education of Ellie is told from the protagonist's view as both child and adult, so we see how her experiences as a girl influence her as a woman. The characters and settings feel like real, down-to-earth people, developed with the sense of place Ms. Calhoun portrays so lovingly. I felt the fear that Ellie feels about her best friend's father; I felt the excitement of first real love; I felt the fresh air, and the scent of pine at their lakeside home; I felt the sadness of their loss too. This is a story that everybody can relate to in one way or another. It doesn't matter if you're gay or straight, and it would be shallow to state that it's "just about romance". Thanks again for another great story from Wisconsin!

I enjoyed her books in the past but it was difficult reading this book about women in their late forties who still cannot make up their minds. Too much ambivalence and sneaking around.

The poor backwoods environment of bad grammar was harder to digest than the issues of sexual and physical abuse which was the main theme.

Very difficult reading and to be honest I was rooting for the two women to go their separate ways because of their dysfunctional involvement.

Ellie and Helen are childhood friends who meet again at the funeral of Ellie's mother. When they were young they went beyond the bonds of friendship into sexual experimentation, but that ended when they were separated as children. Each went on to have a career, family and get divorced, now they meet again and find there is still an attraction. Trauma from Helen's childhood and doubts about her own sexuality make Ellie hesitant to reopen anything, but she can't seem to resist the temptation. As they try to establish a relationship though, shadows from the past can't be forgotten and threaten to separate them again.

One of the major themes in the book is abuse. Helen is abused routinely by her father when she is young and he terrifies Ellie whenever she is around him. Helen goes on to marry an emotionally abusive husband and produces at least two of four sons who she is afraid may beat her up if they find out about her relationship with Ellie. That is unfortunately a situation that often occurs in real life, but it makes the book very trying to read. It's never quite clear why Ellie would choose to be friends with Helen when they are younger except that they live on the same street. Not only is Ellie scared of the father, but Helen doesn't really treat her well much of the time either. As confusing as the attraction is when they are young, it's even more confusing when they are older. Although it's easy to grasp that Ellie would hope to rekindle something she once felt emotionally with Helen, the reader has to wonder why she would want to continue when they have to sneak around constantly and hide from possible violence from Helen's sons. Helen is almost a pathetic character as she is mistreated by her father and then her sons and is hardly appealing, so it's always puzzling what the attraction is for Ellie beyond the fact that the sex is apparently pretty good. The ending of the book is abrupt and doesn't ring true, although it does follow the normal pattern of the book. In the end, it's not really clear what it is that Ellie is supposed to be educated about because she doesn't appear to have learned much at all.

The Education of Ellie is a serious picture of the effects of abuse in more than one form; however, as a romance it plods. It's puzzling what Calhoun hoped to accomplish with this book.

I titled the review dysfunctional novel because that's what I feel about his book. The book has two storylines: the life of two young girls one of whom is sexually abused and the life of the two when they meet again as adults. I found the first storyline after the third repeat totally repetitive, the second storyline left me bewildered: how come the molested woman was so "sane" and how come the "normal" one sleeps with someone she doesn't seem to like much and is reluctant even to meet and how will the relationship work in such a dysfunctional setting?

Regardless of the author's personal history, I am often disenchanted by Jackie Calhoun's tendency to write about infidelity. It's really nice to stumble across a book by this talented author that doesn't center on an affair. In fact, this book doesn't have an extra-marital affair at all. The author introduces Ellie and Helen as the main protagonists.

Ellie and Helen were friends as children. However, the childhood neighbors were from vastly different families and had very different adult lives. As children, they played together, sometimes experiencing the petting and kissing of young love, but circumstances kept them apart. This was primarily due to their parents. Ellie's parents were loving and attentive, caring that she finished her homework and brushed her teeth. Helen's father abused her in many ways, eventually driving the 14-year old girl to get pregnant so she could marry and get away from the monster she called "Dad."

Eventually Ellie married as well. Both women had children, but by the time Helen's mother died both were already divorced. When they met again at the funeral, many old feelings unsurfaced. Getting to know each other again, they begin to deal with the past as well as their newfound awareness of each other. As they deal with their own hesitation, they also have to understand the potential reactions of their families.

These characters and storyline certainly have depth and are well-developed. The personalities are consistent and the book is engaging. The only thing I'm not really sure about is how this title was determined. I'm not sure Ellie was educated about anything, per se. However, it's still a good story and worth the time to enjoy.