A Cure for Dreams by Kaye Gibbons  (14)  $12.00

The Life All Around Me By Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons  (26)  $5.99

Divining Women by Kaye Gibbons  (20)

Charms for the Easy Life (P.S.) by Kaye Gibbons  (62)

Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons  (304)  $9.56

› Explore similar items : Books (30) Movies & TV (1)

From Publishers Weekly
A girl struggles to relate to her mentally ill mother.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
YA?A story that chronicles the devastating effects of growing up in a dysfunctional family. Hattie's mother, a manic depressive, experiences erratic mood swings and irrational outbursts. She is incapable of nurturing her daughter, shopping, talking, or providing a role model for something as basic as cooking. Narrated by Hattie, the book is permeated with sadness and disillusionment because of her constant disappointment over the lost opportunities for bonding, her fears and embarrassment with peers, and her lack of mothering. The minor characters emerge as shadowy figures who must tiptoe around the mother's moods. Readers witness violent verbal attacks on Hattie's father and experience her brother's protective response of staying in his room. The entire family is grateful for the respite provided by the mother's institutionalization. The novel will elicit empathy in most YAs, providing information to those who have never experienced this type of family situation and reassurance to those who have.?Barbette Timperlake, R.E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

First Sentence:
Had I known my mother was being given electroconvulsive therapy while I was dressing for school on eight consecutive Monday morning, I do not think I could have buttoned my blouses or tied my shoes or located my homework. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Miss Woodward, Aunt Menefee, Uncle Lawrence, Rocky Mount, Bald Head, Miss Maggie, New York, Aye God, Bend of the River Road, Lou Effie, Madame Alexander, Nash County, Robert Kennedy, Maggie Barnes New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book: