Sometimes A Wheel Falls Off [Hardcover]

Connie Cronley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2000

For years now, fans of public radio have enjoyed the warm, witty and uplifting essays of famed commentator Connie Cronley. Now, for the first time, she has written them down, in a collection sure to please her legion of fans.

Sometimes a Wheel Falls Off is a how-to book for life. Cronley covers all the Big Stuff--elderly parents, broken hearts, ailing pets–and lends insightful advice on dealing Life's Vexations--baffling computers, rebellious gardens, sizzling sibling rivalry, hair like Hector Berlioz. And at the heart of it all, Cronley has some true wisdom to share, about finding your passion, living at peace, aging with grace. And preparing for the unexpected. Because at times loss and change hound us. The prevailing winds turn brooding and ominous. We find ourselves in unfamiliar territory. And sometimes a wheel falls off! But Cronley describes the process of picking up the pieces, scrambling for higher ground, and completing life's journey.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The majority of these short essays by Cronley, a freelance writer and communications consultant, were originally broadcast as commentaries on both local and National Public Radio; the others were written for publications from her hometown of Tulsa, Okla. Her subjects run the gamut, from aspects of contemporary culture, like feng shui and e-mail, to the pleasure she takes in living in a small city and in welcoming the onset of spring. Many of these pieces sing with sharp humor and poke fun at the author's own foibles, such as her obsessive reading of exploitative celebrity bios or playing computer solitaire to avoid writing. Cronley, however, also takes on more serious issues with sensitivity and intelligence. The title article deals with a time in her life when everything was going wrong and when the support of friends kept her going. She also shares her grief over the death of her mother, which is somewhat mollified by her reminiscences of the happy times they shared. An adventurer at heart, Cronley also takes readers along on her journeys of discovery, such as her visit to an Amish kitchen, where she greatly relished the rich food, and her trip to France, where she visited the American Library in Paris, first established for U.S. soldiers in WWI and later serving as a refuge for writer William Styron when he was a marine. Entertaining and touching by turns, this is a pleasingly well-crafted collection.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Connie Cronley has the unique ability to tweak a feeling or a memory we thought to have cleverly hidden." -- Joyce Sequichie Hilfer, author of A Cherokee Feast of Days

"Sometimes ... we're lucky enough, in the midst of our frustrations, to discover a wonderful writer like Connie Cronley." -- Teresa Miller, author of Family Correspondence and Remnants of Glory

"This string of pearls is an endless delight." -- Donald Westlake

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 266 pages
• Publisher: Hawk Pub Group (September 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930709137
• ISBN-13: 978-1930709133
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,797,920 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cats, Moonlight, Gardening and Warm Sun, November 23, 2000

By 

Tom Ledbetter (Cañon City, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sometimes A Wheel Falls Off (Hardcover)

This book may make you see things differently. You may see cats differently, or flower gardening, or bright moonlight nights, or crisp spring days. Ms. Cronley's gift for imagery makes this an enjoyable reading experience. Her wit is a bonus. I experienced many giggles and a few really good laughs while reading it. I couldn't decide whether to buy the book or the audio cassette, so I bought both, and I'm glad I did. I enjoy the book at home and the cassette in my car.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deft touch and winsome observations, November 21, 2000

By 

"hkitz" (Tulsa, OK USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sometimes A Wheel Falls Off (Hardcover)

Connie Cronley's "Sometimes a Wheel Falls Off" is a collection of wry observations and smothered giggles. Each piece, originally drafted for NPR, has a deft and gentle humor reminiscent of the Talk of the Town brief assays from the New Yorker. Ms. Cronley describes the small universe of her home and cats, her cosy neighborhood, and the larger world she visits when she travels. But some essays are more worldly than these perfectly crafted intimate essays. She provides wise and thoughtful analysis of well known authors and their work. The best part of this collection is the voice of a friend, admiting fraility and finding gentle humor in the vagaries of her life. It's a thinking person's inspiration. I bought twelve copies as Christmas gifts and I realize that I need few more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Connie Cronley at her Best, November 10, 2000

By 

Edward Swift - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sometimes A Wheel Falls Off (Hardcover)

I give Connie Cronley 5 glittering stars for this enchanting book of essays about all the things we experience but are often too busy to stop and observe. She has recorded most of these essays (first heard on Public Radio) and what a recording it is. Listening to it over and over is like visiting with a good friend.