Over What Hill: Notes from the Pasture [Paperback]

Effie Leland Wilder (Author), Laurie Allen Klein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2002

Hattie McNair and her cohorts at the FairAcres Home are back!

The popular novel Out to Pasture left readers begging for more, so Effie Leland Wilder approaches her second novel with the same good humor and strong faith found in her first.

This time, romance is in bloom at FairAcres, as Hattie's friends Retta Gooding and Sidney Metcalf ("the unelected but undeniable Most Eligible Widower of FairAcres Home") are drawn closer together while delivering Meals on Wheels. Hattie's writing career takes off and the FairAcres folks make new friends: elderly Ben Stringfellow and his two young neighbors, Jamie and Jeffrey. Ben's not quite ready for FairAcres but he is in need of some assistance, and Jamie and Jeffrey, stuck in a difficult home life, are looking for some honorary grandparents. Once again, different generations come together, and the results are entertaining and moving.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At first glance, readers may feel that octogenarian Wilder's sequel to Out to Pasture and Over What Hill? is a cliche-ridden trifle aimed only at those who laugh at the oldest of jokes and enjoy hearing about the ailments of the elderly. But after three chapters with the denizens of the barely fictional Fair Acres retirement home, one begins to see why Wilder's books have been so well received. The tales, gossip and ruminations of the author's canny alter ego, Hattie McNair, not to mention her very competent light verse, subtly work their magic and draw the reader into her little world, constricted now by age. Gently entertaining, the novel brims with the sweet and sour sensation of having achieved a considerable lifespan, including the poignant knowledge of mortality. McNair continues to "eavesdrop" on her friends at the home, through such events as the purloining of a hated portrait called "Ole Pukey Face," a tale-telling fund-raiser and a contest for naming a new car. Amid all this, she finds time to get gainfully involved in the life of her very young pen pal, Amanda. Fans hoping for further tales of Wilder's Southern characters can only cross their fingers and hope that Wilder is only kidding by sub-subtitling this effort "My Last Short Novel." Editor, Marian Gordin.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"[Effie Wilder] has the writer's eye and the storyteller's gift. Her tales are wry, funny, melancholy, philosophical. Her reflections strike a common chord." --James Kilpatrick, syndicated columnist
"Hattie's disarming and thoughtful first-person observations, recorded in diary form, display the good and bad to be found among seniors trying their hand at communal living." --Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Peachtree Publishers (April 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561452661
• ISBN-13: 978-1561452668
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,014,838 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aging Humor is Ageless !, July 19, 2000

By 

Iris Amick - See all my reviews

This review is from: Over What Hill?: (Notes from the Pasture) (Hardcover)

Over What Hill ? is another very entertaining short novel by Effie Leland Wilder. It touches your heart and then makes you laugh. The book is written as a diary in which Hattie shares the her thoughts and the events that happen at FairAcres retirement center. The point of view of an eighty something with a sense of humor is refreshing. If you have to choose between this book and Out to Pasture (But Not Over the Hill) then buy Out to Pasture. This book is the sequel.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Over What HIll?, April 28, 2008

By 

Vivian S. Sitton "Near the hill" (rutherfordton, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Over What Hill?: (Notes from the Pasture) (Hardcover)

This book is a delightful humurous realistic read giving insight to aging gracefully. My mother lived in a community living situation which she loved and this book brings back so many memories of things that happened to her. I would like to thank Effie for giving us insight as to how living can have meaning and purpose where ever we are. As my momma said, "Bloom where you are planted." Vivian Sitton

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Pleased, March 13, 2011

By 

cheekyreader - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Over What Hill?: (Notes from the Pasture) (Hardcover)

Looked everywhere for this series of books,was told they were our of print, glad to have found them on Amazon.