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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Humorous and Heartwarming Parenting Essays, May 29, 2001
Beth Bruno really knows families, and she really knows writing. Melding these two areas of her greatest expertise, she has recently published her first book, "Wild Tulips." Each chapter begins with a vividly-described vignette drawn from her life or from the experience of one of her children or other relatives, and concludes with an insight into human nature. For instance, the section "Late Bloomers" starts with the story of her now-grown son's attention difficulties in kindergarten and first grade, and ends with a reflection on teacher-student "styles" and the necessity for parents to be advocates for their children. She says, "Significant differences between student and teacher learning styles or personalities may strongly affect learning outcomes for individual students...Parents usually know their children best...Cooperation and persistence will most likely lead to effective changes." Beth Bruno's style is conversational and friendly, and she tells a good story. The details she describes, like "I rolled a sheet of 4" x 6" paper into an Underwood manual typewriter" and "Geoff and David scampered down the hill to the family garden, opened the chicken-wire gate, and began snacking on plump strawberries, lettuce, and sugar snap peas right off the vine," draw readers into the scene of the tales. At the end of each vignette is a piece of wisdom or advice-never heavy-handed-but one which readers can often apply to their own lives. The author writes with honesty about the mistakes she has made, as well as about the satisfactions and joys she derives from her family and her work. Many of her pieces are grounded in family values from a gentler, slower time: kids riding their bikes around the neighborhood instead of watching TV, extended family vacations at a cabin on the shores of Lake Michigan, mother-child talks over a sink full of dishes. Yet she is never saccharine: she acknowledges marital conflicts, strong-willed children, and the need for discipline. Her candid style does not gloss over the fact that it is difficult being a stepmother, parenting a teen, or raising an infant. Beth Bruno has spent decades as a daughter, granddaughter, wife, mother, stepmother, teacher, and counselor, and each of her roles as a student of human nature deepens the wisdom from which she draws her writing. Each brief section of "Wild Tulips" indicates that the author lives fully and thoughtfully. She is a close observer of the people around her-ranging from an employer (a former SS commander) for whose daughter she acted as nanny, to a lively four-year-old who would rather count dead flies than answer assessment questions--and she recounts her wide-ranging experiences with them in a way that makes the reader ponder, wipe a moist eye, or chuckle. Wild Tulips' unifying metaphor is that of a flower garden, the essays falling under such chapter headings as "Seedlings, " "Nutrients, " Harvest," and "Pests." Each piece is 1 ½ to 3 pages long; readers can sample specific topics, for instance, reflections on spanking, Alzheimer's, making a marriage last, and environmental allergies, or can go through the chapters consecutively. The beauty of this format is that even people with little unbroken time to devote to reading-young parents, harried businesspersons, hassled teachers or overburdened students-can partake, and be refreshed by Bruno's humor and wisdom in just a few moments. The book's lessons are accessible, yet lasting. (I envision copies of the book kept in the bathroom book-and-magazine basket, in the car for reading during traffic jams, and at the back of the bed for those few minutes before a person drops off to sleep.) In "Wild Tulips," Beth Bruno reflects on her experiences as the wife of a public figure, as a parent, and as a mental health professional. She holds master's degrees in clinical psychology and education from Yeshiva and Harvard Universities, and has worked as a school psychologist. She began her professional writing career with a newspaper column in 1995, and has since written and edited for other print publications and for internet sites. She is a member of several organizations, including the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association, and is a contributing editor of CAPA's monthly newsletter, "The Authority." The beauty, humor, and wisdom which Beth Bruno expresses in her book stem from what parents and children have taught her during ordinary times in homes and schools. She concludes her introduction with these words: "I know intuitively that you and I--regardless of differences in race, culture, religion, or circumstances-have a common bond. We deeply love our children and strive to do what is best for them; at the same time we strive for personal growth, to do what is best for ourselves. Each life, like each flower in a garden, has a beauty all its own." Anyone who has ever been a child or loved a child will find something to appreciate in "Wild Tulips."
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Humorous and Heartwarming Parenting Essays, May 29, 2001
Beth Bruno really knows families, and she really knows writing. Melding these two areas of her greatest expertise, she has recently published her first book, "Wild Tulips." Each chapter of her book begins with a vividly-described vignette drawn from her life or from the experience of one of her children or other relatives. Each concludes with an insight into human nature. For instance, the section "Late Bloomers" starts with the story of her now-grown son's attention difficulties in kindergarten and first grade, and ends with a reflection on teacher-student "styles" and the necessity for parents to be advocates for their children. She says, "Significant differences between student and teacher learning styles or personalities may strongly affect learning outcomes for individual students...Parents usually know their children best...Cooperation and persistence will most likely lead to effective changes." Beth Bruno's style is conversational and friendly, and she tells a good story. The details she describes, like "I rolled a sheet of 4" x 6" paper into an Underwood manual typewriter" and "Geoff and David scampered down the hill to the family garden, opened the chicken-wire gate, and began snacking on plump strawberries, lettuce, and sugar snap peas right off the vine," draw readers into the scene of the tales. At the end of each vignette is a piece of wisdom or advice-never heavy-handed-but one which readers can often apply to their own lives. The author writes with honesty about the mistakes she has made, as well as about the satisfactions and joys she derives from her family and her work. Many of her pieces are grounded in family values from a gentler, slower time: kids riding their bikes around the neighborhood instead of watching TV, extended family vacations at a cabin on the shores of Lake Michigan, mother-child talks over a sink full of dishes. Yet she is never saccharine: she acknowledges marital conflicts, strong-willed children, and the need for discipline. Her candid style does not gloss over the fact that it is difficult being a stepmother, parenting a teen, or raising an infant. About parenthood's lifelong, fulltime commitment, she says that beginning with the birth of a baby, "Spontaneity is history." Delighted as she has been with her own years as a parent, she still cautions against unrealistic expectations: So, just remember, all you teenagers and young couples who romanticize parenthood. Think twice and be prepared. Because when you say, "Hello, baby," you simultaneously say, "Goodbye, freedom." Beth Bruno has spent decades as a daughter, granddaughter, wife, mother, stepmother, teacher, and counselor, and each of her roles as a student of human nature deepens the wisdom from which she draws her writing. Each brief section of "Wild Tulips" indicates that the author lives fully and thoughtfully. She is a close observer of the people around her-ranging from an employer (a former SS commander) for whose daughter she acted as nanny, to a lively four-year-old who would rather count dead flies than answer assessment questions--and she recounts her wide-ranging experiences with them in a way that makes the reader ponder, wipe a moist eye, or chuckle. Wild Tulips' unifying metaphor is that of a flower garden, the essays falling under such chapter headings as "Seedlings, " "Nutrients, " Harvest," and "Pests." Each piece is 1 ½ to 3 pages long; readers can sample specific topics, for instance, reflections on spanking, Alzheimer's, making a marriage last, and environmental allergies, or can go through the chapters consecutively. The beauty of this format is that even people with little unbroken time to devote to reading-young parents, harried businesspersons, hassled teachers or overburdened students-can partake, and be refreshed by Bruno's humor and wisdom in just a few moments. The book's lessons are accessible, yet lasting. (I envision copies of the book kept in the bathroom book-and-magazine basket, in the car for reading during traffic jams, and at the back of the bed for those few minutes before a person drops off to sleep.) In "Wild Tulips," Beth Bruno reflects on her experiences as the wife of a public figure, as a parent, and as a mental health professional. She holds master's degrees in clinical psychology and education from Yeshiva and Harvard Universities, and has worked as a school psychologist. She began her professional writing career with the Record Journal column in 1995, and has since written and edited for other print publications and for internet sites such as Snet.net and Teachers.net. She is a member of several organizations, including the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association, and is a contributing editor of CAPA's monthly newsletter, "The Authority." The beauty, humor, and wisdom which Beth Bruno expresses in her book stem from what parents and children have taught her during ordinary times in homes and schools. She concludes her introduction with these words: I know intuitively that you and I--regardless of differences in race, culture, religion, or circumstances-have a common bond. We deeply love our children and strive to do what is best for them; at the same time we strive for personal growth, to do what is best for ourselves. Each life, like each flower in a garden, has a beauty all its own. Anyone who has ever been a child or loved a child will find something to appreciate in "Wild Tulips."
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
In Beth Bruno's Garden, May 26, 2001
Beth Bruno's "Wild Tulips" takes us through the seasons in the garden of life, taking clippings from her experiences as a child, young adult, wife, parent, educator, psychologist and writer. "Wild Tulips" is sprinkled with anecdotes from her own, her family's, friends'and clients' lives that show how precious this garden is though it may be occasionally invaded by pests. It is cultivated with wit and Bruno's common-sense philosophy of life. Readers, no matter what their stage in the garden, will harvest a greater appreciation of the wonders of life.
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