Vinegar Hill [Import] [Paperback]

Manette Ansay (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Headline Review (July 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0755335481
• ISBN-13: 978-0755335480
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.8 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (286 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,091,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Enjoyable, January 31, 2000

By 

D. LEE "dml48221" (Palo Alto, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vinegar Hill (Oprah's Book Club) (Paperback)

Before purchasing this book, I read a number of customer reviews on Amazon.com. The recurring theme was that the book was depressing and that the main character was weak. Notwithstanding a vast number of 'negative' reviews, I purchased the book and was pleasantly surprised. I found that the only way to fully appreciate the story was to view the situation from the standpoint of a 30 something year old woman, living in a small Mid-western farming town, conservative Catholic during the early 1970's. Essentially, I viewed the book as a story about the struggle of a woman to establish and preserve her own identity in the face of outside forces i.e., family, religion, in-laws, expectations etc. I basically saw is as a conflict between what she should do as a good "Christian wife and mother" and what she needed to do as a person and how she ultimately resolved that conflict. I also saw Ellen as a woman who was trapped by those outside forces and expections. Although many reviewers of this book thought that Ellen was somewhat weak and spineless, I felt that she had an enormous amount of strength to do what she needed to do in light of the pressures of outside expectations. I think that the base example was when she went to talk to her sister about leaving James. Her sisters response was one of shock and disbelief and her sisters advice was to have another child. I think that Ellen would truly have been weak if she were not aware that her life was not right and changes needed to be made. However, since she was aware of the problems in her life/marriage and decided to take steps, particularly at a time when leaving your husband (in the Catholic religion) was something that women did not do, showed a great deal of strength. She knew that if she left her husband, she would have absolutely no support or understanding from either her family, church, friends, etc. Her desire to make a better life for herself and her children resulted in her taking measures such that she and she alone was in control of her life and destiny as opposed to outside circumstances. Another point that was interesting was her realization that the killing of the twins was Ann's way of making sure that Mary Margaret was not trapped. It was with that realization that Ellen realized that she was not alone and did not have to be trappped. All in all, good book.

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Enjoyable Read, November 30, 1999

By 

Maurice Williams "mauricewms" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vinegar Hill (Oprah's Book Club) (Paperback)

Kinda wicked, kinda crazy, but definitely a good read. The writing was clear, the story moving. I view this novel as a reflection of how blind faith can lead one astray. Although an excellent tale of one's ability to endure and overcome, I was slightly disappointed that Ansay didn't expose us to the new Ellen, strong and confident, sturdy and assured. Even though most of Oprah's book seem to have a similar theme (struggle, oppression, eventual self-actualization), she does an excellent job of selecting novels that cover the theme creatively, and realistically.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vinegar Hill, December 9, 1999

By 

Linda (Pine Island, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vinegar Hill (Oprah's Book Club) (Paperback)

A beautifully written book that draws you into the story of a couple moved by circumstances to live with the husband's parents. Stingy with both affection and money, the man's parents provide a home as cold and austere as the Wisconsin winter in which the novel begins. Ansay balances the precision of style of a true wordsmith with the compassionate perceptions of a skilled observer as she explores the ways Ellen, the young wife, finds the strength to deal with her increasingly distressing situation. This book looks at relationships, control, and dirty family secrets in ways that may make you wince in empathy if not recognition. But it also considers resilience and inner spirit, and in the end leaves you with hope. Read this book, then read the others she's written. No doubt about it, Manette Ansay is a fine writer.