Finding Laura Buggs [Paperback]

Stanley Gordon West (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

A companion novel to Until They Bring The Streetcars Back, Stanley West takes the reader back to the same neighborhoods, with some of his beloved characters, to 1949 Saint Paul/Minneapolis--those memorable days of corner grocery stores, big-band music, burning leaves and filling stations that check the oil and wash the windshield. On this nostalgic canvas West has set his riveting and heartwarming novel, the devastating story of young Sandy Meyer.

Bright and outgoing, having grown up through the Great Depression and the World War II years, she is suddenly given one perplexing clue to her past that sets her on an incredible and harrowing journey in search of her lost family, a pilgrimage that brings her face to face with nerve-shattering suspense, unbearable terror and the magnificent capacity of the human heart.

Surrounded by juicy and wacky characters, and without the knowledge of her adoptive parents, her devil-may-care friends, or the boy she desperately loves, she summons the courage to doggedly follow where the faint trail leads. When she stumbles upon the buried past and long-hidden treachery, she is confronted by an evil that knows her by name and drawn into a darkness she never knew existed. Tenaciously refusing to quit, she discovers a heartbreaking heroism and an extraordinary triumph that changes her life forever.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...a heartwarming, thought-provoking, memorable story...Most importantly, it is a wonderfully delightful read by a master storyteller. -- Connie Daugherty, Montana Senior News, April 2000

Powerful storytelling...Stanley West is becoming one of my favorite writers. I recommend him to everybody. -- Steve Thayer, author of Weatherman and Silent Snow

[It] reaffirms the miracle of life and ultimately its preciousness...a terrific, uplifting read, written with great insight and compassion. -- Harvey Mackay, New York Times best-selling author of How to Swim With the Sharks.

From the Publisher

We are extremely pleased to bring lovers of Until They Bring The Streetcars Back another helping of great storytelling in the same time and places they acclaimed and cherished. Finding Laura Buggs doesn't miss a beat in the chronicles of those 1949 characters who brought, and are still bringing, tears and laughter, suspense and joy, to thousands of readers.

We are very proud to bring Laura to the reading public. We're receiving the same comments we did from Streetcars: "...didn't want it to end." "Couldn't put it down." "...read until two in the morning to finish it." Stanley West says he wrote Finding Laura Buggs because so many readers wanted more of the same. When we ask him if there'll be a third, a trilogy, he only smiles.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 277 pages
• Publisher: Lexington-Marshall Publishing; 1st edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965624773
• ISBN-13: 978-0965624770
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finding birth parents, finding yourself., December 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Finding Laura Buggs (Paperback)

My father-in-law made me read it! And he was right; this is a great book! I couldn't wait for some free time to get back to the story. Adoption wasn't any less common in the 1940's then it is today, but finding your birth parents was nearly taboo. Follow Sandy's journey to find out who she really is, and enjoy the rollercoaster ride that will scare you page by page!"This is the deal: It doesn't matter who your parents were or how they treated you, we've each been given the gift of a life. And what really matters is what we choose to do with that gift."

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid Writer!, May 10, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Finding Laura Buggs (Paperback)

Wow! Stanley Gordon West is an amazing writer, who really knows how to capture an era; and with it, he introduces us to a character who is funny, smart, and really not so different at heart from many young girls today. The book was suspenseful, yet touching. It is truly a novel about searching for oneself, and finding what's important in life. While Laura's family isn't "normal," she manages to find her own type of family in rather unexpected places. It is inspiring! The ending was a bit "out there," but the book was a worthwhile read overall. I would reccomend it to anyone who likes mystery, suspense, historical, or coming of age novels, but I think the list could go on forever. If you ever get the chance to meet him, or read any of his other books, do so! He is a brilliant author, and a genuinely wonderful man. (And, he gave me a Nut Goodie!)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book with a huge twist, May 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Finding Laura Buggs (Paperback)

This book was so well written that it did not hit me until half way through that a man was writing in first person of a teenage girl. The main character is fun loving and going through so much that you hope that everything turns out for her. A shocking twist that you don't want to tell anyone, but demand that they read for themselves.