Customer Reviews

Finding Laura Buggs

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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."

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!)

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.

Author Stanley Gordon West is on a mission. In his novels "Until They Bring the Streetcars Back" and this one, "Finding Laura Buggs," he takes every available opportunity to tirade about the death and dismantling of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro) streetcar system. This reviewer agrees. It was a dumb move (if memory serves, funded in part by Ford/GM who wanted to sell petro guzzling buses, and Oil Companies who wanted to sell it.) But now we're getting "back on track." Those of us from up here in God's Country a/k/a "Greater Minnesota" will rejoice when they get the "light rail" line in as far as St. Cloud so that us sane folk, when required to journey and toil in the Metropolis, can just park at the St. Cloud station, leave the driving to the engineer, and not have to play bumper cars on the Twin Cities' freeways.

Back on book track: In turns at times a mite too juvenile for adults and then too adult for juveniles, "Finding Laura Buggs" is a post WWII coming-of-age story in which, in addition to High School romance, our heroine is on a quest to find her biological parents - East Side, West Side, all around Minneapolis and St. Paul on the handy streetcars with their Guardian Angel-like drivers. Think aspirations of Salinger mixed with V.C. Andrews narrated by a female Napoleon Dynamite. /TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer

this is a wonderfully deep and interesting book, that asks a lot of questions about what really matters in life. Laura's search is more about finding out who she really is than finding out who her real parents are. This self-searching renders the book a different read for everyone, as each individual reader fills in the gaps for themselves, in their own way. This is certainly a book I shall return to, and would encourage anybody with a penchant for soul-searching to make their next book.

The story of an adopted girl seeking her real mother is only the beginning. Stanley Gordon West explores what it means to be adopted, and what families are about, in such vivid, tender, emotionally rich prose that this book simply glows.

Reader be warned that this book takes a little while to get started. I pushed through, though, sitting through the author's laments about the demise of the streetcar in Saint Paul/Minneapolis in the 1940's and other nostalgic details of life in those days. The book really was a treat once I reached the end, however. The plot twists definitely kept my interest to carry on after the first 3/4 of the novel, and it did not disappoint. During the last few chapters I literally could not put this book down, the details were so gripping and the suspense was so beautifully developed by the author.

I have not read Mr. West's other book "Until They Bring the Streetcars Back," but between its title and the number of times the streetcar was mentioned in "Finding Laura Buggs," I gather that the issue is quite important to the author. I personally care very little about the issue, though, and could have done without the nostalgia. For anyone passionate about or interested in the 1930/40's in Minnesota, I think that they could really enjoy some of the details the author uses to tell his story.

Overall I really enjoyed the book...I just wish I could have said throughout the book, instead of deciding I liked it after reading the ending. I docked two stars because of the sometimes lagging pace and the amount of time spent describing in detail about riding streetcars, going to dances and out for malts with her group of friends (which for me didn't really contribute much to the story besides adding pages). Otherwise, this book has a lot to offer and themes include adoption, love, insecurity, mystery, longing, loss, and friendship.

I was frustrated throughout the book by the many details thrown in that added nothing. Items that did not develop characters or story line. Too many high school friends and their romances, the story of the baby brother, even the mother's illness never lead anywhere. I found this book boring and predictable.

This book was written in the style of a 17 year old girl. I really felt myself drawn into her life. We read this for our book club and it was one of the few books that everyone really liked.

I love reading about places I've been. This was a great story and a quick read. I can't wait to read "Growing an Inch", the 3rd book set in the same time period.