Customer Reviews

Starting Out Sideways

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Roseanna Plow knows her life has fallen apart. Her husband Teddy has left her after admitting to an affair with her best friend Inga; they live together. Her vocation as a social worker focusing on career counseling is difficult yet rewarding when she places one of her developmentally challenged clients; however, now one of her successes Milton Beyer seems to be stalking her as he is everywhere. Her dad has prostrate cancer and now her mom the steamroller, who informs everyone with mirth that her daughter came down the birth canal sideways, has moved in temporarily to give her maternal support, TKO style.

The only positive note is Milton's boss at the SaveWay Mickey "Ham" Hamilton seems nice. However, before she can decide whether to forget cheating Teddy and move on perhaps with Ham, she learns a dark family secret. Soon she and her mom are going toe to toe over what she now knows.

This is a well written poignant family drama starring a likable heroine who believes she must be the female reincarnation of Job as everything suddenly has gone wrong. Roseanna is a wonderful character who holds the deep tale together although the support cast is fully developed and enhances the plot. Contemporary readers will enjoy Mary E. Mitchell's amusing yet discerning character study.

Harriet Klausner

Roseanna Plow is one of the wittiest, wisest, most enjoyable characters I have read in ages. With humor she tells her tale of her cheating husband leaving her for Inga, her best friend. Roseanna's Ma vexes her with the most hilarious antics that are to "aid" Rosie. Her clients, mentally disabled people being acclimated to life in the main stream, all provide hilarity as well as warmth. She discovers a very hidden secret that totally unnerves her and yet the book never bogs with "woe is me" ideology. The cast of characters that support Rosanna are truly just that....eccentrically funny characters.

This is such a wonderful read; if you need your attitude adjusted, need a good laugh and a solid lesson in accepting life, or if you just want to have a breezy time putting your life on the back burner, then this book is tailor-made to fit.

Wonderful story that you should treat yourself too.

What a hoot... As I read, I wished I were a character in the book and could yell "Rosie! - WAKE UP!". Like Stephanie Plum, Rosie is a lovingly flawed heroine, helping others and blundering through her personal life, struggling and juggling with the lemons life hands her.

Rosie has 'Plan B' thrust upon her - time after time; and happily discovers that 'Plan B' was where she needed to be all along.

Ms. Mitchell's wonderfully oddball characters all love Rosie - but on their own terms, and in ways Rosie struggles to appreciate. I can't wait to see who plays Marcie, Rosie's cute, kinky, caring, and all-seeing supervisor in the movie!

How to describe this book?.....The characters are so diverse and all of their experiences so easy to relate to....as someone said, you feel that they are, or have been, a part of your life/neighborhood at some point in time.

Rosanna's "chosen" surname (Plow) was appropos, for she seemed to be "plowing" through her life, with all it's twists and turns, and yet, learned invaluable lessons along the way. Mary Mitchell dealt with common life issues (death, the mentally challenged, infidelity, divorce, conflicting family personalities, etc.) with UNcommon insight. The issues were deeply moving, but handled with the ability to see the humor in even the most difficult situation.

An easy, enjoyable read.

These characters are full of life, dimension, edges..they are beautifully developed and ring true. There are laugh out loud passages as well as poignant moments..highly recommended!

"Sideways" is a wonderful story, perfect for summer leisure reading. Roseanna Plow and the other characters are so well developed, you will think they are people in your neighborhood. The story is as captivating as the cast. Nothing goes as you might expect!

What a fun book! My book group chose this novel and it led to a wonderful discussion full of laughter, but also personal sharing. It had a bit of everything - humor, sadness, conflict, loss and happiness. The characters were believable (all) and tremendously likeable (most!) We will definitely be reading Ms. Mitchell's next novel.

I have about 5-10 books teetering on my bed at any one time, each one clamoring for attention, and I have to say this is the one I reached for in that precious half an hour of chill time before sleep every night. It was so refreshing to read a genuinely funny book that is NOT SNARKY (it's so easy to be a snark, harder to be funny and human). I really look forward to Mitchell's next book!

Starting Out Sideways met my primary criteria for a good book: it was fun to read. Roseanne Plow is a heroine you care about. Her story touches on a number of important issues (creating a viable relationship, how to love and live with your family (& friends), body image for women, our society's attitude toward the differently abled), but it is never ponderous and is often funny. Roseanna grows through the course of the book, as she face a variety of situations which challenge her in way more ways than anyone should be challenged at one time. You won't be bored, and you will appreciate the quality of the writing along with the twists of the plot.

A nice read. I think it is definitely a girlie type of book. No big message to interpret. Nothing to strain your gray matter. Simply a fluffy, distracting, amusing and nice story that was PERFECT for a relaxing rainy weekend. You know, not every book has to be a "War and Peace" type of academic challenge. Not unhappy with the purchase. Passed it on to my daughter. I'm not big on anaylzing the story content in my reviews. The description tells you about the story line. If you think you are interested ...buy the book. I enjoyed it.