Customer Reviews

The Queen of Sleepy Eye

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Queen of Sleepy Eye by Patti Hill is a stand out book about the relationship between mother and daughter as well as faith of the heart instead of faith of the head. It's 1975, and Amy Montiero is finally breaking free from her mother Francie by going to college in California. But on the drive out there from Illinois, Francie gets sidetracked in the little town of Cordial, Colorado, and before Amy can say "Help!", she's working for the summer at a funeral home and trying to come up with another escape plan while Francie flirts her way through town. Amy is a fantastically three dimensional character. She's firm in her faith, until she starts visiting a hippie community where a handsome man named Falcon plies his trade making stained glass windows. He challenges her notions of what Christianity means and awakens feelings Amy was certain she knew how to control. Amy lives her life believing that her faith puts her above everyone else. She tolerates her mother's frequent failings, she shakes her head in disgust at the rigidity at the old ladies in the local church, and takes on a hippie family and an elderly widow as charity projects. Cracks start to show in her facade when first her best friend from home commits a sin Amy can't forgive, then a good friend is killed, bringing Amy to discover sin in her own heart. Hill writes Amy with compassion and humor. You can't help but love both her and Francie. The story is bookended with chapters about Amy and Francie 30 years later returning a stolen car. The two stories seem disconnected until Amy reaches out her hand in forgiveness and love to someone who least deserves it, offering up the grace she had learned so many years ago. Put this book on your must read list; it's a real winner!

It was the summer of 1975.

Maria Amelia Casimiro Monterio "Amy" for short and her mother Francie, a former beauty queen of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota decide to take a road trip. Amy thought they were heading to sunny Santa Barbara, California. Boy was she ever in for a surprise.

With not much luggage or a care in the world. Amy and her mother head for the open road in a 1958 Pontiac Bonneville Sport Coupe Jubilee in mint condition. The car looked like it had just come off the assembly line it was in that great a shape. With the wind in their hair, Amy and Francie said good-bye to Sleepy Eye for the last time.

Suddenly the transmission blows. With no money to repair the car. Amy and her mother settle down in the town of Cordial, Colorado. Amy can't help but suspect of her mom of planning this all along. What would all of a sudden the transmission go on a vehicle that is in perfect condition? Amy doesn't have much time to ponder that as she will be busy getting really familiar... literally with the residents of Cordial. Francie finds a place for them to stay, which just happens to be a mortician house. The question now is what secret is Francie hiding and will Amy be able to handle the truth?

The Queen of Sleepy Eye is the first book I have read by Mrs. Hill. I thought this novel was good. The storyline as well as the characters had this fun upbeat, I want to get to know you better attitude. What I liked is that both Amy and Francie grew up that summer and discovered their heart's desires. It was harder for Francie to grow up then it was Amy. I mean can you imagine that after all these years; Francie still has her tiara and sash. She tells everyone she knows that she was the former queen of Sleepy Eye. I am so pleased to have discovered a new Christian author. Some of my favorite authors are Christian writers likes Janette Oke, Beverly Lewis, and Dorothy Garlock to name a few. I am proud to add Patti Hill to this list of famous authors. I plan to check out Mrs. Hill's other novels.

The Queen of Sleepy Eye by Patti Hill was a disappointment. I received this book for free through an on-line book group. In a brief description of the book, no mention was made that it was Christian fiction. Although I have read other Christian fiction and enjoyed it very much, this book had just a bit too much proselytizing.

This is the story of Amy, a 17-year-old, and her mother Francie on their way to California in the 1970s, where Amy will start college on a scholarship. They become stuck in Cordial, Colorado with car trouble. Francie finds a home for them in the local funeral home where Amy ends up doing all the work while her mother gets a job as a cashier elsewhere. There was very little about this story that rang true. Amy seemed to have very little awareness of the outside world. She was, however, extremely judgmental about those around her. At any point where I might have become interested in the story, Amy turned to the scriptures. For all her proselytizing, I never got the impression she herself learned much from her faith. I have read other Christian fiction and enjoyed it very much. The message of faith in those books was a lot more subtle and did not leave me feeling I was being beaten over the head.

Ms. Hill writes very well and this was a very easy read. I enjoyed the character of H and his development. His desire to be accepted by his peers rang true and made him easy to identify with. Although many potentially interesting characters were introduced into the story, the stories never went anywhere and most threads were just left dangling at the end. In my opinion, a much more interesting story could have been written about Amy's time after she left Cordial, finally arriving in California and going to college.

Once again, author Patti Hill has written an excellent novel! In 1975, Amy is 17 and on her way to college in California in the company of her mom. Somehow, while she is asleep, her mom Francie ends up way off the road to California in a small Colorado town. Her beloved 1958 Pontiac Bonneville sports coupe needs major repairs. They end up living in and working at a funeral home (of all places)waiting for the repairs to be done while earning money to pay for them. During that summer, Amy learns much about herself, her mother, love and friendship, people in general and the struggles we all face on our journey through life on this earth.

This book wasn't quite what I expected. Although, I don't expect an author's books to all have the exact same voice, I did expect it to be a little more like Hill's other books. I've read all three in the garden series and loved the humor and style. However, this one was a little different. Once again, I enjoyed Hill's ability to spin a story and capture her reader. And her characters are rich and fascinating. I loved the eccentric ones and her ability to create each personality through dialogue and description captured me. I liked it, yet I struggled with the battle between worldliness and faith.

I know that this depicts an era of free-spirited hippies, and I understand that the lack of innocence fits the personality of main character Amy Monteiro, but a few times it bordered on crude. Early in the book there was a reference to flatulence with the word fa*t. Not horribly offensive to most, I know, but I refuse to let my family use it. Call me a prude, but unfortunately, certain aspects of the story (and its depiction of a lifestyle that yes, I'm aware is all too real) would limit me from freely giving the book as gifts to certain friends. I came away with the same sense I had in junior high when I might visit the homes of friends who lived in a much more liberal household than mine--eyes opened but feeling ever to slightly dirty.

I was disappointed with some parts of the story. I longed for Amy's convictions to stand the test of temptation. And even though Christians do struggle and many fall, I wanted Amy to rise above her environment. Despite the importance of teaching the reader about grace, I fear that some readers might miss that message, instead coming away with a sense of doubt that it's possible for even the strongest of believers to resist temptation.

Despite my misgivings about this particular book, I have faith in Hill's writing ability, and I know I'll want to read her next book. I'd give this one 3.5 stars but I'd give her previous books 5 stars.

The Queen of Sleepy Eye begins with Amy and her mother searching for her mom's 1958 Pontiac Bonneville Sports Coupe. Amy's mom had sold the car many years before. In the course of trying to find the car Amy's mother reveals that she had stolen the car from Amy's father. The problem though is that her mother also reveals that Amy's father is not dead like Amy has been told all of her life. But he is alive and well still living in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. Her mother is bent on returning the car to Amy's father~the man her mother never married.

Switch to the past. Amy and her mother are on their way to take Amy to California to college. Their car breaks down in Cordial Colorado. Amy finds herself working and living in a mortuary. Throughout the summer in Cordial Amy learns a few life lessons. She finds a friend in H one of the local boys. She befriends a group of hippies. Amy is a "good girl" and works hard at maintaining that image. During the summer so many of her values and morals are challenged. Through the death of her friend H and a mistake that she makes, her faith in God is rocked. By the end of summer much spiritual growth has occurred. Her mother is determined to get her to California to college. She sells the Bonneville for money to make the trip.

Switch back to the present. Amy and her mother arrive in Sleepy Eye with the Bonneville. Turns out the police have been watching for that car for years. They are stopped on the way into town. Amy is able to meet her real father and they are able to return the car to it's rightful owner.

The Queen of Sleepy Eye was at times entertaining and then at times frustrating. Amy's "holier than thou" attitude was frustrating when we as the reader could see her flirting with sexual situations. The mother/daughter relationship was very disfunctional. The characters were engaging though and there were a couple humorous parts. By the time the story ended I was wanting more information between what happened at the end of the summer and the present.

Another book having to do with funeral homes. I had no idea about this one being so.

The beginning of the book is found hard to follow but once you get the hang of it, it becomes somewhat easier to adjust to the different time periods.

Amy's mother is very self-centered and uses people to her advantage. Especially Amy which she can do with ease since Amy is her obedient daughter. Amy and her mother are driving to California so that Amy can attend college there. Her mom plans on moving out there with her. On the way, the car breaks down and what was suppose to be a temporary stay until the vehicle was repaired, ends up being a much longer stay. Very early on in Cordial, Colorado her mother finds them a home to live in, in exchange for keeping it tidy. She, however, fails to mention that the home is a funeral home. Part of the live-in deal is to be there for viewings (of the deceased), which Amy's mother easily finagles her way out of by pawning off the job to Amy as well as seeing to it that Amy is there at the times when the owner is away -- another rule of the owner -- that someone is always there when she is away.

Although there are many quirky characters, they are all too real. From the pew hen who makes excuses for being at the liquor store to the many hippies who smoke weed, they are all generously brought to life. You have to love Leoti who tells Amy that she has to keep her girlish figure while Amy is thinking "Hmph, Her breasts overlap her belt. Did she just say 'girlish shape?'

One person desperately wants to fit in with the populars. A mother is frantic over her daughter's ill health. There's a senseless death and deaths of the elderly.

I would perhaps have given this a 2 1/2 stars if that were possible.

I love the realistic relationships in this book, and the issues com[pounding their lives. I have gifted several copies of this book to mothers with teenage daughters, and to older teenage girls. Everyone of them has thanked me and are looking for more books like this. (Great job, Patti Hill, and I hope to read more of you soon!)

I loved this story of a seventies-era daughter obliged to parent her wayward mother just when it was time for her to forge a life of her own. Patti Hill has written a tender story full of laughter and wisdom. Prepare to be enchanted.

Patti Hill is such a fun writer. She describes outrageous situations and makes them entirely believable. The emotions of all the characters are totally authentic. The writing is so poignant that it brings tears, then turns around and makes me laugh out loud (waking up my husband!). I'm still telling my friends about my favorite part: Each time Amy's loose-moraled mother has a date with a new man, she asks Amy to entertain her gentleman caller while she "finishes dressing". Amy plops down on the couch beside each man and says, "Is Jesus Christ Your Lord and Savior"? What a hoot! This is definitely "Christian fiction" but escapes the bland and preachy attitude other authors fall into. The quirky characters are wonderful and beautifully illustrated. Poignant, funny and quirky -- a great combination!