Customer Reviews

Me & Emma

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Aside from the author occasionally missing the mark with her intreptation of Southern dialogue of poor white folks, this story is told from the point of view of an abused and all but abandoned 8 year old girl named Caroline (Carrie) who is in a desperate family situation.

Emma, the tough-as-nails younger sister, and Richard, the wicked stepfather, join with Carrie's mother, herself a victim of spousal abuse, and together the family moves to a new town, away from their haunting roots, only to set up in an area where the main attraction for the older folks is playing a banjo in the back of a general store and perfecting their shotgun technique on tin cans.

Carrie is in an awful situation at home, constantly bearing witness to the physical and mental cruelties of Richard. She misses her father, who was brutally murdered when she was just a small child, and she finds it difficult to do well in school, make more than one true friend, stay out of trouble at home. Emma is her only salvation, her only guts and defense in a cruel and heartless existence.

I can't say much more for fear of ruining the story. Suffice to say you will be mesmerized by the poignancy of this story, your heart will absolutely break for their suffering, and you will be torn between rooting for a happy ending and just wishing the pain would stop at whatever the cost. There were chapters that left me shaking in sobs, I was so in pieces over the graphic abuse. And reading it from a child's perspective is what made it all the more heart wrenching.

You won't close this book with a smile on your face, rather, with a heavy heart. It is tremendously hard-hitting and will stir your soul.

For eight-year-old Carrie Parker, life is divided into before and after. Before her beloved father's death, her family lived a relatively happy life in the small town of Toast, North Carolina. Now she and her sister, Emma, endure daily verbal and physical abuse at the hands of their stepfather, Richard, and the emotional absence of their mother. "A big sister has to look out for a baby sister," says Carrie, and she does her best to protect herself and Emma from Richard's fists.

ME & EMMA is narrated by Carrie, who lays out the details of her life with a child's intuitiveness and touching simplicity. Central to the story is her relationship with Emma, the one constant in a hardscrabble existence. In many ways, Carrie and Emma are opposites. Carrie has a dark complexion and Emma is fair, "like someone got bored painting her and just left her blank for someone else to fill in." Carrie is older by two years, but it's often the fearless Emma who leads the way. Emma is more of a realist, while Carrie, whose most cherished possession is a book of stamps from around the world, dreams of far away places. In particular, Bermuda, where she believes it's "too pretty for anything to be wrong, and I bet they even have a law that would keep people like Richard out altogether."

As the story unfolds, Carrie devises ways to escape the reality of her home life, from an aborted runaway attempt that has dire consequences to hiding behind the living room couch. "Behind-the-couch," she says, "is like another room for me and Emma. It's our fort. Anyway, we usually head there when we've counted ten squeaks from the foot pedal of the metal trash can in the kitchen. The bottles clank so loud I think my head'll split in two."

The narrative alternates scenes from the past --- dominated by Carrie's memories of her father --- with events in the present, making the difference between the two all the more heartbreaking. Throughout, Elizabeth Flock's imagery and phrasing is pitch-perfect with lines such as this one: "I can barely remember Momma the way she used to be, before Richard broke her into pieces."

Flock's deceptively simple prose belies not only a seriousness in subject matter but also clever subtleties in the plot. Carrie relays information that she doesn't always understand, but to the reader these are important points to look out for in the story. They eventually shed light on devastating family secrets in both the past and the present.

ME & EMMA is not purely escapist reading. The injustices suffered by Carrie and Emma --- and their helplessness --- are stark reminders of the cruelty inflicted on children every day by the adults entrusted to care for them. And yet it's this same austerity that drives the narrative. Suffice it to say, you won't soon forget Carrie Parker and her little sister, Emma.

--- Reviewed by Shannon McKenna

I am so glad that my pleasure of the book was not spoiled by the give-away that many reviewers have shared. If you haven't read the other reviews, don't do it.
This is a touching story told by a child who is the victim of abuse. I will never forget it.

I had never heard of this book until I saw it at Costco with the Costco Book Club Selection sticker. I'm so glad I bought it! Like another reviewer, I started this book one afternoon and did not go to sleep that night until I finished it. My heart went out to Carrie and Emma. Some things that happened during the book that I thought were inconsistencies were totally understandable by the ending. I will be passing this one on to my daughters.

In North Carolina, eight years old Carrie Parker plays makes believe games with her six years old sister Emma. Except for her dreams and Emma, everything else in her life is dreadful or down right abusive starting with her nasty alcoholic stepfather Richard. Their downtrodden mother fails to protect the siblings from Richard's wrath, which does not need anything to trigger it. Emma being the more courageous of the duo receives a greater share of his ire.

When Richard announces they are moving across the state to his new job, Emma and Carrie run away, but their effort fails and results in even harsher treatment by Richard. In their new home, Carrie befriends neighbor Mr. Wilson, who teaches her how to shoot a rifle as a means of protecting herself and Emma from Richard for a confrontation is sure to come one day soon.

ME & EMMA is dark psychological suspense that hooks readers who see the world through the frightened eyes of Carrie. The story line is a well-written yet gloomy character study that enables the audience to observe more than just Carrie as readers obtain a glimpse of Richard, her mom, Emma, and other cast members, but all seen through Carrie's lens. A final twist will shock the audience, but after an initial reaction of disbelief, the audience will ponder what happened and realize yes way. Fans will flock to the back list of this fine author.
Harriet Klausner

I started this book on Saturday morning and finished it Saturday afternoon. I couldn't stop reading. It's such a compelling drama and I felt so connected to the sisters in the story. You root for them and cry for them and get angry for them and just when you think that things are finally going to turn around, they get worse. The twist in this story is a real jaw dropper. It's not the happy ending you hope for but it's more like what would really happen in a case like this. Anyway, don't pass this one up.

I first saw this at a garage sale. I didn't buy it then but the cover haunted me. I finally bought it on-line and I'm glad I did. The psychological issues here are heart-wrenching as are the scenes of abuse as reported in earlier reviews. The ending blew me away. I'm hoping that a sequel to this is in the works as I thought it ended abruptly. All in all, a great read. I read it in 2 days!

Written from a child's point of view, this story is absolutely riveting.....right to its shocking conclusion. The heroine, 8-year-old Carrie, is rather matter-of-fact as she weaves her woeful tale. You can't help but root for her and her little sister Emma as they attempt to navigate through a pretty pathetic existence. I can only hope that women reading this will heed its subtle warning: be careful who you choose for your mate.

I tucked this novel away to save for vacation, as I felt it would need my attention. I'm glad I did. I was lost in Carrie and Emma's world for two days, feeling their heartache, their bravery, their pain and loneliness. Definitely not a feel-good novel, but one that wrenches all your feelings, nonetheless. As one reviewer points out, it makes you want to reread the book as soon as you've finished it,if only to pick up the clues you've missed. I also was reminded of my own blessings in life, as it is not hard to imagine these events occurring in may homes, unbeknownst to us all. I picked up another novel when I finished with Emma and Me, but couldn't give it my full attention as I was still lost in thought, wanting to know the rest of Carrie's story. I hope some day Ms Flock will let us know how Carrie fares. To me, that is a successful novel, leaving the reader wanting more.

When I bought this book I thought I was getting a story about an abused child living a southern lifestyle, what i didnt know was that I would get that and so much more. The writing itself was simple and flowed well, it made you feel as if you were really hearing an 8-year olds perspective. The expierences she went through left me in tears and I myself admire Emma for all her bravery, the "twist" at the end took me by surpirse even though you can sort of tell somethings not right in thte middle of the book- you just cant quite put your finger on it. The bond showed between two sisters is represented in a way that will, in itself, move you. Overall I felt this was an amazing book and would reccomend this heartbreaking(and warming) novel to anyone.