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The Sometimes Daughter
Judy Webster is born in a mud-splattered tent at Woodstock, just as Crosby, Stills, and Nash take the stage. Her mother, Cassie, is a beautiful, flawed flower-child who brings her little girl to anti-war protests and parties rather than enroll her in pre-school. But as Cassie's husband, Kirk, gradually abandons '60s ideals in favor of a steady home and a law degree, their once idyllic marriage crumbles.
Dragging Judy back from the Kentucky commune where Cassie has taken her, Kirk files for divorce and is awarded custody. When Cassie eventually moves to an ashram in India, Judy is grief-stricken. At school, she constructs lies to explain her unconventional home-life, trying desperately to fit in to the world her mother rejected.
Cassie calls and writes, occasionally entering Judy's life just long enough to disrupt it. But little by little, Judy is growing up. As she grapples with her father's remarriage and her own reckless urges, she encounters all the joy and heartbreak that goes with first love, first loss, sex, drugs, and self-discovery. And when Cassie comes home again, Judy, who has tried so long to find a place in her mother's life, must finally decide what place Cassie claims in hers...
Dragging Judy back from the Kentucky commune where Cassie has taken her, Kirk files for divorce and is awarded custody. When Cassie eventually moves to an ashram in India, Judy is grief-stricken. At school, she constructs lies to explain her unconventional home-life, trying desperately to fit in to the world her mother rejected.
Cassie calls and writes, occasionally entering Judy's life just long enough to disrupt it. But little by little, Judy is growing up. As she grapples with her father's remarriage and her own reckless urges, she encounters all the joy and heartbreak that goes with first love, first loss, sex, drugs, and self-discovery. And when Cassie comes home again, Judy, who has tried so long to find a place in her mother's life, must finally decide what place Cassie claims in hers...
366 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
55 people are currently reading
1188 people want to read
About the author
Sherri Wood Emmons
6 books92 followersSherri Wood Emmons is a freelance writer and editor. Prayers and Lies is her first work of fiction. She is a graduate of Earlham College and the University of Denver Publishing Institute. A mother of three, she lives in Indiana with her husband, two fat beagles, and four spoiled cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
October 1, 2020
Sweet Judy Blue Eyes was born at Woodstock to a high hippie mother, Cassie. Cassie later becomes upset when her husband Kirk “sells out” and goes to school to become a lawyer, so she leaves Kirk and Judy when Judy is only 6-years old to live on a commune. Cassie pops in and out of Judy’s life as the years go on and as Judy grows up.
I really liked this. Have to admit this was a rare book that started stronger than it ended – at least for me. Overall, though, I’m going to keep it at the 4 star rating I was thinking throughout the first half of the book. I was a bit disappointed in some choices Judy made as a teenager. I did love the relationship between Judy and her dad, though.
I really liked this. Have to admit this was a rare book that started stronger than it ended – at least for me. Overall, though, I’m going to keep it at the 4 star rating I was thinking throughout the first half of the book. I was a bit disappointed in some choices Judy made as a teenager. I did love the relationship between Judy and her dad, though.
February 26, 2012
The Sometimes Daughter is a beautiful, deeply poignant novel. It is a story about a daughter often abandoned by her emotionally and physically absent mother.
Born at Woodstock, surrounded by "free love", Sweet Judy Blue Eyes grows up feeling unloved by the person whose love she seeks the most: her mother. Her father, Kirk, matures, taking his marriage and parenting Sweet Judy seriously. Cassie, her mother, continues the carefree hippie lifestyle, neglecting all responsibility. Eventually, she leaves Kirk and Sweet Judy to follow a communal life, with tragic consequences. Judy and her father move in with his parents, forming the only stability that Judy will ever know. They are Sweet Judy's salvation, never letting her down.
Throughout the years, Judy struggles with her mother's lack of responsibility. She watches her mother make serious mistake after critical mistake, including remarrying and its sad outcome. Over and over she trusts her mother, only to be let down. As she matures, Judy must deal with the same issues all young people do, but hers are colored by the feelings of maternal abandonment. While she has her father and grandparents, she feels the physical and emotional void of not having her mother, whom she so loves.
This book delves into the intricacies and dynamics of the mother-daughter bond. Sherri Wood Emmons lays bare the frailties of this connection, and also the necessity of it. A mother's love is the first love we feel, and the one most of us count on when all others fail us. The neglect of this essential ingredient of childhood leaves one feeling broken.
Sherri Wood Emmons has keen insight and is an amazing author. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.
Born at Woodstock, surrounded by "free love", Sweet Judy Blue Eyes grows up feeling unloved by the person whose love she seeks the most: her mother. Her father, Kirk, matures, taking his marriage and parenting Sweet Judy seriously. Cassie, her mother, continues the carefree hippie lifestyle, neglecting all responsibility. Eventually, she leaves Kirk and Sweet Judy to follow a communal life, with tragic consequences. Judy and her father move in with his parents, forming the only stability that Judy will ever know. They are Sweet Judy's salvation, never letting her down.
Throughout the years, Judy struggles with her mother's lack of responsibility. She watches her mother make serious mistake after critical mistake, including remarrying and its sad outcome. Over and over she trusts her mother, only to be let down. As she matures, Judy must deal with the same issues all young people do, but hers are colored by the feelings of maternal abandonment. While she has her father and grandparents, she feels the physical and emotional void of not having her mother, whom she so loves.
This book delves into the intricacies and dynamics of the mother-daughter bond. Sherri Wood Emmons lays bare the frailties of this connection, and also the necessity of it. A mother's love is the first love we feel, and the one most of us count on when all others fail us. The neglect of this essential ingredient of childhood leaves one feeling broken.
Sherri Wood Emmons has keen insight and is an amazing author. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.
April 20, 2016
The Sometimes Daughter is well written, and has a very strong message. Sherri Wood Emmons did a wonderful job keeping the readers attention. The Sometimes Daughter shows the struggle of Judy, with the life without her mother, and when she is around she leaves. This book is very deep, and will keep you flipping pages.
January 17, 2019
Even though I thought some of the plot points were trite, the feeling of the girl being left by her mother was true to real life. It must be horrible to know your mom cares for herself more that her child and is willing to disappoint with little forethought.
September 9, 2018
This book was so freaking good! I could not put this book down. I just loved the story line.
October 9, 2017
Ironically enough, this earned five stars from me but sat on my shelf for close to a year. It was passed down to me from my mom, who raved about it. I guess you could say I was on my thriller kick, so the subject matter just was not piquing my interest. Fast forward to the present, got in the mood to change things up a bit, and this one seemed to fit the bill. Well it did just that and more. This was one impressive, evocative read. The author did a nice job of exploring the complicated and mostly dysfunctional relationship between a mother and daughter from infancy to adolescence. It brought out so many emotions that I hadn't felt from a book in a long time. What a book! As a mother myself, I went from disgusted, to angry, to sad, to hopeful, to happy- I was all over the place with this one. I highly recommend you put this one on your list, (and don't let it sit on the shelf for a year ;D)
February 26, 2012
“A Very Emotionally-Charged Volume You Should Not Miss!!”
I was hooked by the first sentence—“I was born at Woodstock”. And indeed, the beautiful baby girl was, as she arrived to the beat of “Crosby, Stills and Nash” on stage performing their tune; “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”. As a matter of fact, the young lady was named “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes” by her hippie parents; Cassie Skylark and Kirk Webster. From the very start, Judy’s young life was filled with a “revolving door of personalities”, confusion, doubts, guilt and upset as well as being assured that she was indeed loved. This only intensified as she grew older and realized she was not like other children in her class and felt somewhat like an outcast with girls her own age until she met her best friend for life, Lee Ann Dawson. She could pour her heart and soul out to Lee Ann and eventually Lee Ann’s Mother; Mrs. Dawson; ( the “Mama” she wished she had,) in ways she couldn’t with her own Parents or Grandparents. Her Father is a workaholic, studying law and trying to give Judy some sort of normalcy in her life, while, in stark contrast, her fly-by-night Mother; Cassie, acts immature and selfish as a Wife and Mother and creates hurt and heartache for her growing Daughter and anyone who find themselves in a situation with her. Ms. Emmons handles such topics as the Jonestown Tragedy, abortion, unwed motherhood, the Baha’i Faith, love found and lost and the effects divorce has on the family unit quite handily. She has also written this novel in first person (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and it made the story that much more intense. Your stomach will churn with Judy’s. You’ll hold your breath in anticipation of the worst, gasp at revelations, and will be ready to shake some sense into not only Cassie, but a fast-maturing Judy as well. This is a very emotionally-charged volume. It takes a really good story to bring me to tears and this novel did just that—not once, but twice! Please make sure you add this to your “To-Be-Read” list. You will not be disappointed. I certainly wasn’t, and I look forward to reading the Author’s first book, “Prayers and Lies” as well as any future works. Thank-you Ms. Emmons…Excellent story, well told!!
Nancy Narma
April 12, 2012
The Sometimes Daughter is a story highlighting the bond between mother and daughter. In this case, it is the mother who is irresponsible, afraid of commitment and brazenly forgoing rules in search of freedom and fun.
The book begins with Cassie and Kirk, at Woodstock. Sweet Judy Blues Eyes, as she was named by her mother, is born in a tent. Kirk, eventually is pulled toward a more conventional life and returns to law school to create a secure household for his family. However, Cassie is unable to shake her hippie ways. She craves an unconventional life by cheating on her husband and eventually sneaking off with Judy to a commune in the Midwest. This is the last straw for Kirk. He eventually finds Judy and Cassie and files for divorce.
The book focuses on Judy and her on and off relationship to her mom. She is raised by her grandparents and her dad, Kirk. Dad is a great character, patient, hardworking and committed to creating the best home-life for Judy. In contrast, Cassie is such an immature, errant mother who seems weak-willed and naive.
Cassie calls and writes, occasionally entering Judy's life just long enough to disrupt it. But little by little, Judy is growing up. She is dealing with all the normal childhood dilemas, and finally teenage issues, and it affects her greatly not to have a mom to gain insight and advice. This book is about Judy and how she carries on with a mom who only occasionally appears. She finally must decide if Cassie really deserves a place in her heart at all.
I loved reading this book. It was interesting throughout. A great read for older teenagers and all adults. Highly recommend. I received this book as part of the Goodreads First reads program.
The book begins with Cassie and Kirk, at Woodstock. Sweet Judy Blues Eyes, as she was named by her mother, is born in a tent. Kirk, eventually is pulled toward a more conventional life and returns to law school to create a secure household for his family. However, Cassie is unable to shake her hippie ways. She craves an unconventional life by cheating on her husband and eventually sneaking off with Judy to a commune in the Midwest. This is the last straw for Kirk. He eventually finds Judy and Cassie and files for divorce.
The book focuses on Judy and her on and off relationship to her mom. She is raised by her grandparents and her dad, Kirk. Dad is a great character, patient, hardworking and committed to creating the best home-life for Judy. In contrast, Cassie is such an immature, errant mother who seems weak-willed and naive.
Cassie calls and writes, occasionally entering Judy's life just long enough to disrupt it. But little by little, Judy is growing up. She is dealing with all the normal childhood dilemas, and finally teenage issues, and it affects her greatly not to have a mom to gain insight and advice. This book is about Judy and how she carries on with a mom who only occasionally appears. She finally must decide if Cassie really deserves a place in her heart at all.
I loved reading this book. It was interesting throughout. A great read for older teenagers and all adults. Highly recommend. I received this book as part of the Goodreads First reads program.
June 11, 2012
I received this book through First Reads and was excited to read it. I found the book to be a poignant and deeply moving book spanning "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes" life through high school. I had a really hard time putting this book down and could not wait to pick it up each night. I felt as if the writing really transported me into this family's life. The story starts off at Woodstock...if that says anything. The story is about a mother and daughter's relationship...the constant desire for love and acceptance from Judy and the revolving door her mother chooses to walk through. Cassie, Judy's mom, has a significant issues with love, acceptance, and commitment...even with her daughter. She is like a lost soul on a lifelong search for what will fill her heart and keep her satisfied. Cassie's issues effect not only her adult relationship, but her relationship with her daughter as well. I felt so sorry for Judy...she opened up her heart so many times, wanting to believe this time was different, only to have the door slammed in her face. I loved the relationship that Judy shared with her father. Reading this really touched me and brought to mind the relationship many kids experience with their absent parent...in one sense or another. Great book, great story line, with characters that were very endearing and believable. Now I need to get Prayers and Lies (which has been on my list)
April 19, 2022
Received this book via bookbrowse.com in order to provide the critique that follows in addition to participating in an on-line book club.
Rate "The Sometimes Daughter" with a 2 for several reasons. The first, is the lack of sophistication in the prose - this book read as a YA book rather than one aimed at adults. The characters ended up as stereotypes as their personalities and relationships with each other were not fully developed. Understand the author's intent of demonstrating that an authoritarian/emotionally absent mother married to a passive father creates another dysfunctional generation and so on. In addition, do not believe that Cassie's joining The People's Temple was necessary to convey her psychological need to create an alternate family definition & the negative effects this had on Judy - concepts were already covered with her move to the commune. Specifically do not recommend this for a reading group as there is not enough substance for a discussion.
Rate "The Sometimes Daughter" with a 2 for several reasons. The first, is the lack of sophistication in the prose - this book read as a YA book rather than one aimed at adults. The characters ended up as stereotypes as their personalities and relationships with each other were not fully developed. Understand the author's intent of demonstrating that an authoritarian/emotionally absent mother married to a passive father creates another dysfunctional generation and so on. In addition, do not believe that Cassie's joining The People's Temple was necessary to convey her psychological need to create an alternate family definition & the negative effects this had on Judy - concepts were already covered with her move to the commune. Specifically do not recommend this for a reading group as there is not enough substance for a discussion.
April 4, 2016
This is one of those books that grabbed my attention from the very first sentence. I thought the story was very moving, emotional and heartbreaking at times. I love when a story intrigues me so much that I do not want to put the book down. This is the first book I have read by this author, but I'm most certainly going to look into her other books.
April 22, 2012
Meh. It captured me in the beginning, but it really fell flat. It was a boring read, not deep at all. The end of the book seemed rushed, or at least the things that happened to the main character seemed forced simply to throw in some bad things. I wouldn't really recommend it.
June 26, 2012
Started out great. The first few pages were probably the best part of the whole book for me.
March 13, 2020
Hard to rate. This is more of a YA novel, but I enjoyed most of it. The main character is 4 years old when this starts and 16 or 17 when it ends. It deals mostly with the relationship between a child and a wayward mother (she had her daughter at Woodstock), one who joins communes and doesn't take responsibility for herself or her kids. The writing seems kind of elementary, but then it is told through the eyes of a child. It would be a completely different story if the child wasn't pretty (something all novels seem to have: a pretty protagonist) and a great dancer and was too shy to make a small group of friends. Or if she didn't have someone buying her great clothes and had to wear the same thing everyday until she got old enough to get some kind of job. But still I think it is worth reading and it does have a lot of feeling. And I enjoyed all the references to songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s.
May 24, 2020
Wow! This book has been sitting on my shelf for 4.5 years and I finally picked it up to read because it would help me finish a GR challenge. Maybe there's a reason for that, I don't know, but this was an amazing read. Warning, the subject of child neglect and rape may be triggers.
Sweet Judy Blue Eyes was born at Woodstock during the famous Crosby Stills Nash concert of said song. Thus begins the story of her relationship with her emotionally and physically unavailable mother and the ever present and loving father. As a mother, it was difficult to be on the sidelines and watch Cassie float in and out of Judy's life and not be able to shake some sense into her. As a reader, it was difficult not to be able to reach out and hold Judy as she grows up and realizes that her mother just isn't there for her. This was a great read!!!
Go Cards! L1C4!!
Sweet Judy Blue Eyes was born at Woodstock during the famous Crosby Stills Nash concert of said song. Thus begins the story of her relationship with her emotionally and physically unavailable mother and the ever present and loving father. As a mother, it was difficult to be on the sidelines and watch Cassie float in and out of Judy's life and not be able to shake some sense into her. As a reader, it was difficult not to be able to reach out and hold Judy as she grows up and realizes that her mother just isn't there for her. This was a great read!!!
Go Cards! L1C4!!
May 29, 2023
A friend of the family lent me this book. She told me it's about a mom and a daughter and that it takes place in the 60s/70s of Indiana. She kept ranting and raving about how great it was. I kept thinking, "this book sounds boring," however I decided to give it a shot based on how highly she spoke about it.
How wrong I was, because it was far from boring. The dynamic between the hippie/irresponsible mom and her daughter was quite a fascinating one. And despite how awful of a mother she was, I couldn't hate her either.
I read this book a few months ago and haven't stopped thinking about it since. This is one of those books that stay with you. Yesterday the woman who originally let me borrow this book, told me that since I loved this book so much, I can have it! I can't wait to read it again.
I even hope to visit Indiana one day because of this book.
How wrong I was, because it was far from boring. The dynamic between the hippie/irresponsible mom and her daughter was quite a fascinating one. And despite how awful of a mother she was, I couldn't hate her either.
I read this book a few months ago and haven't stopped thinking about it since. This is one of those books that stay with you. Yesterday the woman who originally let me borrow this book, told me that since I loved this book so much, I can have it! I can't wait to read it again.
I even hope to visit Indiana one day because of this book.
January 22, 2020
I guess anyone can be an "author"...... just write a book and get it published. If you want totally inane dialogue, this is your book. Written in the first person (author actually brags about this in the following notes), from a 4 year old's perspective, up to a 17 year old's.... No offence to teen agers or pre-schoolers, but if I had to read how the main character Judy had to eat her Mom's lentils and rice again, or, wonder if her mom was all right, (over and over and over, and of course she (Mom) was a real nut case and clearly NOT all right, ever...) and her Dad saying that the Mom "just needed rest" one more time, I would scream! Lousy book, lousy author, no two ways about it. BOO, HISS.
July 12, 2023
This had the potential to be a good story, but the repetition drove me crazy - for example:
"Are you okay?"
"I'm okay."
"Do you want something to eat?"
"No, I'm okay."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Okay, kiddo."
I'm sure the word 'Okay' was used thousands of times throughout the book. Another repetitive phrase...'he/she pulled me onto her lap' - 'he/she put their hand on my shoulder' - the word Mama could have been substituted by mother once in the hundred times it was used.
Several times I lost track of the story thinking of words that could have been substituted and wondering why an editor didn't pick up on this.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm okay."
"Do you want something to eat?"
"No, I'm okay."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Okay, kiddo."
I'm sure the word 'Okay' was used thousands of times throughout the book. Another repetitive phrase...'he/she pulled me onto her lap' - 'he/she put their hand on my shoulder' - the word Mama could have been substituted by mother once in the hundred times it was used.
Several times I lost track of the story thinking of words that could have been substituted and wondering why an editor didn't pick up on this.
March 4, 2018
Incredibly written, deeply felt, vividly conveyed. Every page kept me turning and anticipating the next, I literally could not stop thinking about what would happen next. I love how she clearly delineated the time frames, the shifts in life “chapters”, if you will... Each chapter drew guy to the next and each section connected the pieces of the stages in this young girls life. I absolutely loved this book and will be recommending it again and again. Oftentimes I cannot remember the author or the title, this read is different though and I’ve already raved to many about it.
February 17, 2019
As the title says, the sometimes daughter, Judy is sometimes a daughter as her mother is constantly in and out of her life.
Judy is born in a tent at Woodstock. Her mother Cassie is a flaky flower child, going to protests, eventually getting involved with a cult, drinks, and does drugs. Judy's father, Kirk, loves Cassie, but he changes, starts going to school to get a law degree and wants a stable home for his daughter. Cassie and Kirk end up divorcing.
The mother floats in and out of Judy's life causing such a conflict of feelings for Judy. Judy wonders why she isn't good enough for her mother to stick around. She wonders if the mother she will see will be the loving, caring, mother or the one who will be selfish, have a crazy rant, and just make life miserable.
Kirk still loves Cassie, and you see him and Cassie's parents keep trying to help her as she is involved in drugs and then her mind is just really messed up after getting out of the cult and near missing a near mass suicide.
Cassie didn't have a good relationship with her mother, the few times Cassie's mother is in the book, she comes across as a very cold woman. Cassie's father seems to care, it just looks like history repeating itself with a father who is home and cares and a mother who does not.
The novel goes from Judy's birth to Judy as a teenager, where she starts making poor decisions. She gets into drugs, and there is another incident that is another poor choice and I do not agree with how she handles that. Lucky for Judy through all this she has a father that is there that cares about her, and a stepmother who also genuinely cares.
Spoiler.
Abortion is murder. Then you find out that Cassie had a baby a couple years before she had Judy and she gave that baby up for adoption. And then shortly after Judy has an abortion, she finds out that her stepmother is pregnant and they are all happy. So they are happy about that baby, yet murder the one.
Overall it was an interesting book, it could be a good book discussion book.
More of my book reviews can be found at http://bookswithkari.blogspot.com/
Judy is born in a tent at Woodstock. Her mother Cassie is a flaky flower child, going to protests, eventually getting involved with a cult, drinks, and does drugs. Judy's father, Kirk, loves Cassie, but he changes, starts going to school to get a law degree and wants a stable home for his daughter. Cassie and Kirk end up divorcing.
The mother floats in and out of Judy's life causing such a conflict of feelings for Judy. Judy wonders why she isn't good enough for her mother to stick around. She wonders if the mother she will see will be the loving, caring, mother or the one who will be selfish, have a crazy rant, and just make life miserable.
Kirk still loves Cassie, and you see him and Cassie's parents keep trying to help her as she is involved in drugs and then her mind is just really messed up after getting out of the cult and near missing a near mass suicide.
Cassie didn't have a good relationship with her mother, the few times Cassie's mother is in the book, she comes across as a very cold woman. Cassie's father seems to care, it just looks like history repeating itself with a father who is home and cares and a mother who does not.
The novel goes from Judy's birth to Judy as a teenager, where she starts making poor decisions. She gets into drugs, and there is another incident that is another poor choice and I do not agree with how she handles that. Lucky for Judy through all this she has a father that is there that cares about her, and a stepmother who also genuinely cares.
Spoiler.
Abortion is murder. Then you find out that Cassie had a baby a couple years before she had Judy and she gave that baby up for adoption. And then shortly after Judy has an abortion, she finds out that her stepmother is pregnant and they are all happy. So they are happy about that baby, yet murder the one.
Overall it was an interesting book, it could be a good book discussion book.
More of my book reviews can be found at http://bookswithkari.blogspot.com/
April 1, 2021
I picked this up at a thrift store on a whim. I did not expect this book to touch me the way it did! It’s a very easy read, and I could relate to all of the main characters. At times, even given her past, I began to dislike sweet Judy. But I had to remind myself of teenage angst, amongst her families background, and in the end all I wanted to do was hug her. The book was great throughout, but I felt like the ending was very rushed. It easily could have pulled out a bit further to see sweet Judy as a young adult coming in to her own, but overall it was a great read.
April 8, 2025
Having loved "Prayers and Lies," I looked forward to reading "The Sometimes Daughter" while on vacation. It was a great story about a young girl, growing up with a hippie mom who is in and out of her life, and a stable a loving father and set of grandparents. What I especially loved about both books was they are set in Indianapolis! Having grown up in Indy in the 60's and 70's, it was fun to see references to places I loved as a child, like the LS Ayres Tea Room! Thanks Sherri Wood Emmons for another great read!
June 28, 2019
Immature, repetitious writing style filled with inane dialogue. This book is sold as adult fiction but reads as YA. I enjoy fiction but the absolute implausibility of this story ruined it. The connection between Woodstock, Jonestown, and a Hindu ashram for a single character is ludicrous. Equally ridiculous is the plot line of a shy, well behaved daughter tuning into the local drug dealer. I rate this book as a zero. Waste neither your time nor money on this.
January 16, 2023
It starts “I was born at Woodstock “ to a hippie irresponsible mother, who abandons her daughter “to find herself.” This is such a great well written book. Would be a fabulous book club read as the discussion would be lively. We probably all have at one time thought what if I chucked my responsibilities and took off. Certainly this is a sad story as is written from the child’s perspective. Will be recommending to everyone. Loved this book
July 19, 2018
Started and finished within one day -- this was a don't-want-t0-put-down book from the very first sentence: "I was born at Woodstock." Written in the first-person perspective, with complex and realistic characters, this novel delves into damaged mother-daughter relationships, the lasting effects of parental abandonment, and themes of acceptance, belonging, finding oneself, and forgiveness.
July 30, 2025
This is probably more on the young adult side but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The main character is a bit boring but I also found her life story relatable in some ways in terms of growing up with challenging family dynamics. I think there was something healing about it. Almost reads like a memoir from birth to her teenage years.
October 6, 2017
What a great book! I couldn't put this book down. Sweet Judy went through a lot of emotional stuff all her life because of her mother. Loved the ending. Finally found out what happened in her life to cause her to always leave. Happy for Kirk and Treva.
October 15, 2017
A fairly interesting easy read about a girl born in the sixties to a loving father and a messed up mother who mostly means well. Story jumps time periods sometimes and it takes a while to figure out where you are. Overall, not a bad read.
July 25, 2021
If you could give half stars I would have given this book 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed it and felt the characters were all skillfully portrayed. I probably didn't learn anything, which is what stopped me going to a 5.
December 6, 2023
I loved this book. It's been a few years since I read it so I can't give any specifics, but I know it's not something I would typically read and yet I still loved it. It kept me invested throughout the whole book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews