Finding Laura Buggs

Cal Gant #2

by Stanley Gordon West

In this companion novel to Until They Bring The Streetcars Back, Stanley West transports the reader to 1949 Minneapolis/St. Paul-- those memorable days of corner grocery stores, big band music, and filling stations that check the oil and wash the windshield. Against this nostalgic backdrop, West has set his riveting and heartwarming novel, the devastating story of young Sandy Meyer. Bright and outgoing, having grown up through the Great Depression and the World War II years, she is suddenly given a perplexing clue to her past that sets her on an incredible and harrowing journey in search of her lost family-- a pilgrimage that brings her face to face with nerve-shattering suspense, unbearable terror, and the magnificent capacity of the human heart.

Surrounded by juicy and wacky characters, and without the support of her adoptive parents, her devil-may-care friends, or the boy she desperately loves, she summons the courage to doggedly follow where the faint trail leads. When she stumbles upon the buried past and long-hidden treachery, she is confronted by an evil that knows her by name and is drawn into a darkness she never knew existed. Tenaciously refusing to quit, she discovers a heartbreaking heroism and an extraordinary triumph that changes her life forever.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Book Club

277 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1999

About the author

Stanley Gordon West was born in 1932 and attended St. Paul Central High School in Minnesota. He lived in Bozeman, Montana for several years, and now resides in Shakopee, MN. All of his novels are popular book club selections: Blind Your Ponies, two other novels set in the same time and place as Until They Bring the Streetcars Back - Finding Laura Buggs and Growing an Inch - and his most recent, Sweet, Shattered Dreams. His novel Amos was made into a CBS Movie of the Week starring Kirk Douglas that stirred national controversy over abuse of the aged in America. When Kirk Douglas testified before Congress and wrote in the New York Times on the issue, he pointed out that animals had been protected by law for one hundred years before children or the aged. While Amos focused on elder abuse, Until They Bring the Streetcars Back explores the other vulnerable end of the age spectrum.

Reviews

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like I was reading an old Nancy Drew mystery. Golly, it was swell. (kind of drove me nuts)

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s kind of weird the way he describes women in this book, and made the main character’s basically only focus boys. The ending felt kind of rushed

[Kevin Kern · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book and thought I had written a review. It is full of teenage slang from the late 40's/early 50's, which can get annoying. But then again, it is refreshing how they expressed themselves, without swearing. They do fool hardy things, just like teens today, but there is still an air of innocence. I enjoyed the story, and will try to find the other 2, he has written about the same group of youngsters. It was a time of huge change in our country and eliminating the streetcars was a huge mistake, no matter the city.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book randomly at the library, just by its title and cover. When I read the premise and locality it sounded more interesting as I grew up in Minneapolis.
The pros: I found the main character Sandy Meyers endearing and funny. I liked her matter-of-fact outlook on life and her sensitivity without being overly emotional. i could relate to her. I found her interaction with Arnold Shapiro very loving without being sappy. She was funny. My laugh-out-loud line was on p50 where her self-deprecating comment about being flat-chested was that a guy would "need a magnifying glass and a working knowledge of braille" to pet with her.
The cons: The swells, gollys and keens were a bit annoying but mostly the teenage pranks, especially the ones in class were so juvenile and not cool that I speed read past them after a while.
I had heard of people a generation before me racing down Lake Street but I had never heard to Rotation. I knew that my older sister's generation did daring things at Minnehaha Falls and climbed the Ford bridge for excitement. Mine didn't.
I liked the book enough to try and find the authors earlier book that supposedly is about the same group of kids. I doubt that I will like it as well as this one though with Sandy's story (as I really didn't care for her friends).

[Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this companion novel to Until They Bring The Streetcars Back, Stanley West transports the reader to 1949 Minneapolis/St. Paul-- those memorable days of corner grocery stores, big band music, and filling stations that check the oil and wash the windshield. Against this nostalgic backdrop, West has set his riveting and heartwarming novel, the devastating story of young Sandy Meyer. Bright and outgoing, having grown up through the Great Depression and the World War II years, she is suddenly given a perplexing clue to her past that sets her on an incredible and harrowing journey in search of her lost family-- a pilgrimage that brings her face to face with nerve-shattering suspense, unbearable terror, and the magnificent capacity of the human heart.

Surrounded by juicy and wacky characters, and without the support of her adoptive parents, her devil-may-care friends, or the boy she desperately loves, she summons the courage to doggedly follow where the faint trail leads. When she stumbles upon the buried past and long-hidden treachery, she is confronted by an evil that knows her by name and is drawn into a darkness she never knew existed. Tenaciously refusing to quit, she discovers a heartbreaking heroism and an extraordinary triumph that changes her life forever

[Beatrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding Laura Buggs is a companion novel to Until They Bring the Streetcars Back. You'll find familiar characters and a similar world to that novel. Much like Streetcars, the pacing of the novel is a treat. The characters are just so wholesome. They get caught up in teen dances and football games and playing pranks on their teachers. Sandy Meyer takes the lead of this story. Sandy knows that she was adopted but has very little knowledge of her biological family. One clue sets her on a journey of finding her biological family and figuring out who she is. Sandy befriends an older man, Arnold Shapiro, who is a real curmudgeon-y delight. He tells Sandy, "Make friends with an angel if you ever get the chance." There is also a running theme of hope with an Emily Dickinson poem heavily referenced: "Hope is the thing with feathers/ That perches in the soul,/ And sings the tune without the words,/ And never stops at alll..." Because this is a Gordan West novel, be prepared for some dark twists and turns sprinkled amongst the charm of the characters.

[Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked how the main character Sandy was brave and intuitive, but she was hopelessly in love with boys and it was not necessary to the story at all. Her best friend was also very helpful and patient with Sandy throughout her whole journey. I liked the plot twist it came out of nowhere, but the rest of the story there was nothing absolutely going on. The writing style was definitely interesting, but I didn't understand what was going on but I figured it out anyway. I learned to be content with what my life is now and not to follow sketchy situations. This book was geared toward teenagers when it first came out, but the teenagers now wouldn't get a lot of the references in the book. So, I would say this is geared toward older age groups, then teenagers at least. No I would not recommend this book to others, because I found it kind of boring and didn't understand the jumps in time and why certain parts of the book were necessary to the story line.

[Ricky Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters in this story were all side characters, none of them were companions. This whole story was about Sandy who goes solo and doesn’t really have any people with her all the time. Sandy’s character development was slow and it was kind of boring to read it. The storyline was very bland and nothing really happened until the end. The story went all over the place, from talking to a person, to in a building with an old man. The writing style was pretty smooth and there were some words that I didn’t know. The transitions weren’t as good; jumping from place to place and not giving any context. One thing I can take away from this book is that sometimes you have to do things solo and you have to learn how to never give up and have hope. This story should be recommended to teenagers because the main character is a teenager and shows how one struggles through friendships and looks of others. I would not recommend this book for others because it’s very slow and boring.

[Sienna · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was a good book, i loved the lawyers (Arnold Shapiro) story line and he was definitely needed in the book. if he wasn't in the book it would not be very interesting in the beginning. a lesson i learned through this story is to not always assume everything because it could get back at you and if you take risks to make sure you have a plan if you know what you're gonna do and all the good and bad possibilities. the age group should definitely be meant for teenagers. the main character in the book is a teenager that goes through many real teenager things so i think the age group meant to read this is very accurate. i would recommend this book to others unless you're expecting something more big to happen at the end of your book there is lots of suspense towards the end which i liked. but the ending felt very rushed.

[Liv · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked best about this book was the plot. I enjoyed reading the plot twists that always make you want to read more but there wasn't much of that until the end of the book. The begining was very slow and repetitive. There were multiple characters and scenes with those characters that weren't as interesting or needed for the book. I liked how the title didn't make complete sense until the end where everything was finally put together. I learned more about the struggles of many teens that could be dealing with close to the same thing with heartbreaks, problems with parents or at home, and the journey of an average teenager, because of that the age group this book is directed towards is mostly teens and young adults. I recommend this book to people who enjoy books based more in the past or mysterious adventures.

[Rhonda Spilde · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the first half of this book but the ending was way too over the top. I also had a hard time with all of the "keen, swell, and gosh" verbiage. I tried to let it go, but it grated on me.

Spoiler: Why at the end didn't Clara come looking for her after sounding the alarm? Are we really supposed to believe she sent the warning signal and then just went about her business? The first time it happened, Clara told Sandy she had been so worried the whole time. Next time, Sandy better find a more reliable look-out.

It also bothered me how Sandy began referring to her mother as Gladys in the last few chapters. I understand the author was trying to avoid confusion between the two mothers, but it made Sandy seem like she has disowned her adoptive mother.

[Frankie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn between being honest and being nice. don't get me wrong this book wasn't awful or anything it was just unnaturally boring. if I was to divide this book into 4ths I would say 3/4ths of it was extremely long and boring. if I were to read it again I would read the last 5 chapters and skip the first 20, what a waste of time. the characters were mean, annoying, and extremely awkward. sandy made me cringe and Myron was psychologically not okay, the only character I really like was Clara. this book does deserve credit though the twist put me in shock. however like I said it all happened at the end, if I didn't have to read this for school I would have given up on it within the first chapter or two.

[Joey Leafblad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The thing i liked the best about the characters in the book was that they are all very nice to each other. The story line is very interesting but nothing really happens in the book until the end. I liked the writing style because it was easy to read. One lesson that i learned from the story was to make the most out of every moment because before you know it you will be all grown up. I think that this book connects to teenagers because the characters in the story are teenagers so there is a lot of relatable stuff. I would recommend this book to others because it really takes a twist and has a good lesson in it.

[Piper Bonnema · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book, it kept me interested. It shows the relationships that teenagers will go through in high school and the friends they will make and lose, but since the book is based on a little later time they talk different and do things a little differently than now. The storyline was interesting because the book started off slow, then towards the end, a lot of things started to happen, which made me want to finish it. I would recommend this book if you like books that keep you guessing and surprise you.

[Connor Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters there were not very main characters we only really got to no sandy no won else for the most part. The story line was very hard to follow it would jump around from place to place from day to day with no context on how they got there. I feel like older people because it takes a lot of time for the story to get going and it takes time witch older people will be able to handle. I dont recommend because it is boring.

[Chelsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, fast read. If you were adopted, would you want to be told, and when? What age? Sandy finds out she was adopted as a baby and her adopted mother only knows the name of the lawyer who handled it in 1933. Nothing more. This story is of Sandy’s struggle and quest to find her birth parents, she wants to know the why. Which I completely understand. I would look to read more by this author.

[Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

i thought the charcters were pretty cool i think the story line was confusing it kind of jumped everywhere the writing style of this book was ok. i didnt really learn a lesson from this story. i think this is a older age demo becasue it was kind of confussing. i would not because the storyline was very bland.

[Quinn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the book was pretty boring an interesting plot twist and a new type of writing style ive never seen before but over all i wouldn't recommend it to someone. the characters arent very interesting some are very pointless, the story line is not very predictable but interesting,
dont look for things in dark places
older age groups
no not at all

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful story of an adopted girl trying to find her mom, and ends up solving a mystery from 1933. Loved the heartwarming high school feelings of friendship and carefree feelings of youth. Great ability by the author to tie in the other high school feelings of insecurity and love. Definitely I would read this again! I own the book if someone wants it...

[Kathy Schulstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

1949 St Paul young girl learns she is adopted and searches for her real parents. We also hear about the boys she dates, etc. Story line is pretty interesting but could have used some editing to move things along a bit. Overall a good read.

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the mystery of the book. The book is pretty boring in the beginning but in the middle towards the end it gets really good. almost addicting. I liked the characters and the time setting of the book. I would recommend this book to people who like mystery.

[Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked connecting to the main character and gradually getting to know her throughout the book. the story line was kind of confusing and all over the place. the writing style was ok but still confusing.

[Bev · Rating 2 out of 5]

First chapter was exciting, last bit of the book was good. 2nd chapter through about page 170 was boring. Lots of highschool stuff that I wasn't interested in when I was in highschool. Not something I'll ever read again.

[Anh Danh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it’s good for me.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good book by SStanley Gordon West. Sandy was determined to find her mother. I didn't suspect the outcome. Great book!

[Honcho Mooring]

I found the book fine. It was boring at first and started getting good I enjoyed the last part and i would consider recommending the book to someone else.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

What I liked best about the book is the place. this story is directed toward teens. it jumped all over the place and the storyline is not very good. it is not a very good in general.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So CORNY! But sometimes corny is okay. 😉 There were some sweet moments between characters.

[Lisa Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably more like 3.5 then 4 but I enjoyed it and did not expect the end at all!

[Callie Huus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a heartwarming story