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This Is the Place
Sky Eccles has a father who is Mormon and a mother who is Protestant. Her father's roots go back to the founder of his church and the pioneers; her mother's roots are foggy and forgotten. Because she was born and raised with a double identity, Sky sees her surroundings in duplicate, like a Kodak color print sitting beside its own filmy negative. A new career in journalism is giving her clarity of vision
Paperback
Published May 4, 2001
8 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
45 books332 followersCarolyn Howard-Johnson brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, and retailer to the advice she gives in her HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers and the many classes she taught for nearly a decade as instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program. The books in her HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers have won multiple awards. That series includes the flagship book now in its third edition and published by Modern History Press, The Frugal Book Promoter and second edition of The Frugal Editor. Both won awards from USA Book News, Readers’ Views Literary Award, the marketing award from Next Generation Indie Books and others including the coveted Irwin award. How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically launched to rave reviews from Jim Cox, Editor-in-Chief of Midwest Book Reviews and others:
“How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically [and other books in the series] could well serve as a textbook for a college Writing/Publishing curriculum.”
Howard-Johnson is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, and her community’s Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly’s list of “Fourteen San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen” and was given her community’s Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts.
The author loves to travel. She has visited eighty-nine countries and has studied writing at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom; Herzen University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Charles University, Prague.
“How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically [and other books in the series] could well serve as a textbook for a college Writing/Publishing curriculum.”
Howard-Johnson is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, and her community’s Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly’s list of “Fourteen San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen” and was given her community’s Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts.
The author loves to travel. She has visited eighty-nine countries and has studied writing at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom; Herzen University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Charles University, Prague.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 21, 2013
From the very beginning, "This is the Place" cast its spell over me: I just had to keep on reading.
Music is important in this novel as a theme. Carolyn Howard-Johnson uses the importance of Harriet Eccles' (the central character's grandmother) piano to hint at her srength of character -- a direct and fresh way of "showing, not telling", as the writing books tell us.
Howard-Johnson's style is polished (for the most part)and genuine (ie, not affected, flash or show-offy), drawing the reader relentlessly along to the novel's conclusion, which is truly moving, almost unbearably poignant and, somehow, comforting.
It is clear, too, that a lot of thought has gone into the characterising details. For example, Sky's (the central character) surname, Eccles, means "church", which is of course apt given that the novel concerns Mormon culture; Sky's initials spell "SHE", which is also appropriate since one of the major themes of the book is the prejudice and oppression suffered by women in 1950s Utah.
Unfortunately I found some stylistic "gear grindings" that jarred, one overlong somewhat clumsy sentence in the early pages that made me do a "double take", and a few typos. However, in the final analysis, "This is the Place" is a finely crafted, multi-layered novel that reveals a little more with each reading. It is a treasured find for me.
Music is important in this novel as a theme. Carolyn Howard-Johnson uses the importance of Harriet Eccles' (the central character's grandmother) piano to hint at her srength of character -- a direct and fresh way of "showing, not telling", as the writing books tell us.
Howard-Johnson's style is polished (for the most part)and genuine (ie, not affected, flash or show-offy), drawing the reader relentlessly along to the novel's conclusion, which is truly moving, almost unbearably poignant and, somehow, comforting.
It is clear, too, that a lot of thought has gone into the characterising details. For example, Sky's (the central character) surname, Eccles, means "church", which is of course apt given that the novel concerns Mormon culture; Sky's initials spell "SHE", which is also appropriate since one of the major themes of the book is the prejudice and oppression suffered by women in 1950s Utah.
Unfortunately I found some stylistic "gear grindings" that jarred, one overlong somewhat clumsy sentence in the early pages that made me do a "double take", and a few typos. However, in the final analysis, "This is the Place" is a finely crafted, multi-layered novel that reveals a little more with each reading. It is a treasured find for me.
January 24, 2008
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, This Is the Place (America House, 2001)
....The comparison on the back jacket between This Is the Place and Gone with the Wind is ludicrous. Mitchell's first (and blessedly only) novel was an overblown, unreadable piece of melodrama that should better have been published, in the words of Melville, to the flames. Howard-Johnson's first novel is exactly the opposite; it's a spare novel, rarely a word out of place and with very little filler, without long diversions that have little to do with the central characters. No, Gone with the Wind this isn't, and I, for one, couldn't be happier.
Set in 1959, This Is the Place gives us Skylar Eccles, between high school and college, working for the local paper, and a non-Mormon living in the state of Utah. She's dating a mormon seriously, and it looks as if she's treading the same route as most of her ancestors that we get to know in this novel: she's going to marry a Mormon. But how that affects her, how her wordless battle against pre-ERA workplaces, and the various other strings of plot here are of secondary importance. This Is the Place is a novel about the Eccles family and Sky's attempt to put the recent family history into words. It is a love affair with genealogy, and that is what makes this novel shine. More than once while reading this, I found myself making comparisons to Lee Smith's brilliant novel Oral History; I get the feeling that the audiences for the two books would cross over perfectly.
Since I felt compelled to mention the prejudice angle previously, I might as well attempt to justify it. Sure, there's prejudice to be found here. Anyone who grew up with Tom Fitzgerald's wondrous Great Brain books has a basic understanding of the ins and outs of Utah society. Not much changed between T. D. and his family at the turn of the century and Sky in 1959. Much is made of the oppression of the Mormons by American society; much is made of the oppression the Mormons foist on others, as well, both the non-Mormons living in Utah and those places to whom the mormons send missionaries. There's also a rather biting passage about the non-Mormon minority's feelings towards the Mormons that had me wanting to stand up and cheer for our heroine. Yes, prejudice is pervasive in this novel, but it's not thrown in our faces with the tacit understanding that we should Do Something About It. It's presented in a more Nietzschian fashion-- what doesn't kill us,
etc. Does that make this a bad book, or a "sell-out" as far as prejudice goes? Far from it-- would that more American literature treated prejudice in such a pragmatic fashion.
My main problem with the book has nothing at all to do with Carolyn Howard-Johnson and the tales she spins within its pages, but with the publishers. The editor fell asleep at the wheel more times than I can count, and every spelling and grammatical mistake jars, especially when there are ten or twenty per page (this is commonplace in the large italicized blocks towards the end where Sky actually starts writing down all this family history). If you're a nitpicker, beware-- there are large blocks of this novel where you'll be slowed down by a shoddy editing department. I thought the book was well worth reading despite that, but your mileage may vary. *** 1/2
....The comparison on the back jacket between This Is the Place and Gone with the Wind is ludicrous. Mitchell's first (and blessedly only) novel was an overblown, unreadable piece of melodrama that should better have been published, in the words of Melville, to the flames. Howard-Johnson's first novel is exactly the opposite; it's a spare novel, rarely a word out of place and with very little filler, without long diversions that have little to do with the central characters. No, Gone with the Wind this isn't, and I, for one, couldn't be happier.
Set in 1959, This Is the Place gives us Skylar Eccles, between high school and college, working for the local paper, and a non-Mormon living in the state of Utah. She's dating a mormon seriously, and it looks as if she's treading the same route as most of her ancestors that we get to know in this novel: she's going to marry a Mormon. But how that affects her, how her wordless battle against pre-ERA workplaces, and the various other strings of plot here are of secondary importance. This Is the Place is a novel about the Eccles family and Sky's attempt to put the recent family history into words. It is a love affair with genealogy, and that is what makes this novel shine. More than once while reading this, I found myself making comparisons to Lee Smith's brilliant novel Oral History; I get the feeling that the audiences for the two books would cross over perfectly.
Since I felt compelled to mention the prejudice angle previously, I might as well attempt to justify it. Sure, there's prejudice to be found here. Anyone who grew up with Tom Fitzgerald's wondrous Great Brain books has a basic understanding of the ins and outs of Utah society. Not much changed between T. D. and his family at the turn of the century and Sky in 1959. Much is made of the oppression of the Mormons by American society; much is made of the oppression the Mormons foist on others, as well, both the non-Mormons living in Utah and those places to whom the mormons send missionaries. There's also a rather biting passage about the non-Mormon minority's feelings towards the Mormons that had me wanting to stand up and cheer for our heroine. Yes, prejudice is pervasive in this novel, but it's not thrown in our faces with the tacit understanding that we should Do Something About It. It's presented in a more Nietzschian fashion-- what doesn't kill us,
etc. Does that make this a bad book, or a "sell-out" as far as prejudice goes? Far from it-- would that more American literature treated prejudice in such a pragmatic fashion.
My main problem with the book has nothing at all to do with Carolyn Howard-Johnson and the tales she spins within its pages, but with the publishers. The editor fell asleep at the wheel more times than I can count, and every spelling and grammatical mistake jars, especially when there are ten or twenty per page (this is commonplace in the large italicized blocks towards the end where Sky actually starts writing down all this family history). If you're a nitpicker, beware-- there are large blocks of this novel where you'll be slowed down by a shoddy editing department. I thought the book was well worth reading despite that, but your mileage may vary. *** 1/2
July 28, 2010
This Is The Place – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat
‘UTAH 1959’ Sky Eccles sat in the old ’49 Buick convertible she shared with her mother, its fenders riveted with salt decay from the Utah roads…. She sat in silence looking at her grandparents’ house at the edge of Holladay, a small farming community turning suburb at the edge of Salt Lake City…. Located at what was once the dead-end of Meander Lane, the little house had been built by her grandfather, Brock Eccles, and her polygamist great-grandfather, Hart Eccles. The house and land was in Sky’s soul, both sweet and scary, like finding a dark spot in the core of a sugar apple.
Sky is in love with Archer Benson and expects him to pop the question any day. It could be a beneficial marriage but Sky isn’t sure what her answer will be. The Benson name is as strong as the Eccles name in the Salt Lake area as well as through the Mormon religion. Sky’s problem is that she’s a half-breed, half Mormon and half Protestant, just as her Grandmother Harriet had been and just as her own mother Stella had been. Her Gram Harriet solved her problem by joining the Church, Sky on the other hand was brought up to make her own choices and with that came her decision to become an Episcopalian. The decision to marry could tear both families apart. Archer’s father is running for political office and his marrying outside the church is simply not acceptable. Archer has just been accepted to Harvard but without help from his father, he can't afford a wife plus education.
Gram Harriet has turned her back on Sky since the ceremony won't be taking place in the Temple. If Sky and Archer marry, she will have no choice but to give up her journalism education and work to help pay for Archer's education. Being a journalist has been her dream forever. Would her dream ever be fulfilled or would she be expected to be a wife and have children.
So what choices do these two young people really have in deciding their own futures? And what will Sky’s answer to Archer’s proposal be? Will he even ask?
Following Sky as she drops back into the past with hopes of finding answers, made me aware of just how hard times really were, not just with religious differences, but also with nationalities differences, especially when it came to marriage. I can remember people being outcasts if they went outside their own “kind” for marriage and even socializing.
Times have changed tremendously over the last 50 years, I feel for the better, but they still have a way to go. “Mixed marriages” are being accepted more and more every day and the children of these marriages are being given the chance to make their own decisions, not just about religion but about life in general. And as this happens the pressures of following in our parent’s footsteps are being lifted.
Now, for a personal note on this book. As a child I lived in Utah twice. My mother’s family is still there and I have a trip planned to revisit the beautiful state of Utah in September of this year. This is the Place reminded me of the beauty of the mountains, the fields and the cities. This will be a trip to revitalize my childhood memories.
2001
292 Pages
Available Through Amazon www.budurl.com/ThisIsThePlace
ISBN 1588513521
Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com Stir, Laugh, Repeat
‘UTAH 1959’ Sky Eccles sat in the old ’49 Buick convertible she shared with her mother, its fenders riveted with salt decay from the Utah roads…. She sat in silence looking at her grandparents’ house at the edge of Holladay, a small farming community turning suburb at the edge of Salt Lake City…. Located at what was once the dead-end of Meander Lane, the little house had been built by her grandfather, Brock Eccles, and her polygamist great-grandfather, Hart Eccles. The house and land was in Sky’s soul, both sweet and scary, like finding a dark spot in the core of a sugar apple.
Sky is in love with Archer Benson and expects him to pop the question any day. It could be a beneficial marriage but Sky isn’t sure what her answer will be. The Benson name is as strong as the Eccles name in the Salt Lake area as well as through the Mormon religion. Sky’s problem is that she’s a half-breed, half Mormon and half Protestant, just as her Grandmother Harriet had been and just as her own mother Stella had been. Her Gram Harriet solved her problem by joining the Church, Sky on the other hand was brought up to make her own choices and with that came her decision to become an Episcopalian. The decision to marry could tear both families apart. Archer’s father is running for political office and his marrying outside the church is simply not acceptable. Archer has just been accepted to Harvard but without help from his father, he can't afford a wife plus education.
Gram Harriet has turned her back on Sky since the ceremony won't be taking place in the Temple. If Sky and Archer marry, she will have no choice but to give up her journalism education and work to help pay for Archer's education. Being a journalist has been her dream forever. Would her dream ever be fulfilled or would she be expected to be a wife and have children.
So what choices do these two young people really have in deciding their own futures? And what will Sky’s answer to Archer’s proposal be? Will he even ask?
Following Sky as she drops back into the past with hopes of finding answers, made me aware of just how hard times really were, not just with religious differences, but also with nationalities differences, especially when it came to marriage. I can remember people being outcasts if they went outside their own “kind” for marriage and even socializing.
Times have changed tremendously over the last 50 years, I feel for the better, but they still have a way to go. “Mixed marriages” are being accepted more and more every day and the children of these marriages are being given the chance to make their own decisions, not just about religion but about life in general. And as this happens the pressures of following in our parent’s footsteps are being lifted.
Now, for a personal note on this book. As a child I lived in Utah twice. My mother’s family is still there and I have a trip planned to revisit the beautiful state of Utah in September of this year. This is the Place reminded me of the beauty of the mountains, the fields and the cities. This will be a trip to revitalize my childhood memories.
2001
292 Pages
Available Through Amazon www.budurl.com/ThisIsThePlace
ISBN 1588513521
Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com Stir, Laugh, Repeat
September 25, 2007
This is a review taken from the web. It's from an anonymous post:
Masterful first novel, February 6, 2003
Reviewer: A reader from Sherman Oaks, CA United States
In "This is the Place," Carolyn Howard-Johnson sheds light on the mysterious world of Mormonism. Growing up Methodist in a Mormon-populated town, I had never understood the beliefs of the Mormons until I read this book. Despite the push-pull that forces Sky Eccles to reconsider her place in Utah -- and, subsequently, in her family -- the author's tone is compassionate for all her characters, both Mormon and not. Particularly satisfying is the twist ending, a delightful surprise that left this reader happy for the journey. In an age that doesn't quite appreciate literary authors, Ms. Howard-Johnson has created a work of depth and ambition that doesn't speak down to its readers but rather allows them to become a part of the tale. Well-done!
Masterful first novel, February 6, 2003
Reviewer: A reader from Sherman Oaks, CA United States
In "This is the Place," Carolyn Howard-Johnson sheds light on the mysterious world of Mormonism. Growing up Methodist in a Mormon-populated town, I had never understood the beliefs of the Mormons until I read this book. Despite the push-pull that forces Sky Eccles to reconsider her place in Utah -- and, subsequently, in her family -- the author's tone is compassionate for all her characters, both Mormon and not. Particularly satisfying is the twist ending, a delightful surprise that left this reader happy for the journey. In an age that doesn't quite appreciate literary authors, Ms. Howard-Johnson has created a work of depth and ambition that doesn't speak down to its readers but rather allows them to become a part of the tale. Well-done!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews