Over What Hill?: Notes from the Pasture

Fairacres #2

by Effie Leland Wilder, Laurie Allen Klein (Illustrator)

Hattie McNair chronicles the adventures of the residents of the FairAcres retirement community while her own writing career gains momentum

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Christian Fiction, Chick Lit, Realistic Fiction, Adult Fiction, Adult

180 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1996

Reviews

[Ryan Mead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not the kind of book I thought I’d ever read, but I loved it!! Such a beautiful outlook on the ending stages of life portrayed with lots of humor!

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author Effie Leland Wilder started writing at 85 years old! These are her tales at the retirement community she lives at.

Book #2 in the series of 5. I just found out there were that many, I thought it only went to 3. What a wonderful surprise! I read the first book a few years ago, and when I came across #2 in a second hand book shop last Thursday, I was thrilled. Yesterday I finished this book, so I've started on #3 (I already had it).

Short novels in the "notes from the pasture" series, these books are in under 200 pages. These are fast and enjoyable reads.

We are taken back into the world of Hattie and the retirement community at FairAcres with lots of laughing out loud moments for the readers to enjoy. Hattie writes in a Dear Diary format, not every day, just when she wants to write or has something to say. She shares with us the tales of conversations that take place with fellow residents, or shares with us what is going on in the retirement home, as in Sidney and Retta's romance, or helping out the Davis family.

Some laughing out moments for me:

Conversation between Hattie & Pearl:

As I passed her room in the infirmary, she called out, "Who's that?" I backed up and said, "It's Hattie."
"Come in, Hattie, please, and help me find it."
"Find what" I asked as I stepped through her door.
"You know. What we're lookin' for."
I said, "What are you looking for?"
"You know, Pearl said, impatiently, "the thing we want to find."
"But I don't know what we want to find," I replied.
"Then why are we lookin' for it?"
Oh, dear.

And then there's Paul and Curtis, who unknown to the pair, Hattie enjoys ease dropping on their conversations because they are a hoot:

They were quiet for awhile, and then Paul said, "I see you're not smoking tonight. How come? Haven't you been smoking most of your life?"
"Sixty years, I recon," said Curtis. "I just decided yesterday that it might get to be a bad habit, so I quit."
On that good line I left them and came upstairs to do some "jotting."

Yep, good clean humor, for all to enjoy.

Now I'm back on a mission, I need to find books 4 & 5.

[Nora Sykora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book has heart and soul.

[Laurie S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume two in a five book series. This author hit it on the ballpark again with funny and hilarious tales of living in a retirement home and the people who inhabited it.

[Phyllis Barlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as much as I did the first one; Out to Pasture. As I said in my first review, I had bought both books in 1999 from Guideposts, put them in my book shelf and promptly forgot about them. In a way I'm glad I did, because I would not have appreciated them near as much twenty years ago as I do now.
This is a wonderful little book full of humor, a bit of romance, and a touch of sadness, but mostly humor and optimism. The main reason I regret not reading these books earlier is I could have let the author know how much I enjoyed them. She passed away in 2007 at the age of 98. She wrote her first book at the age of eighty-five and wrote a total of five books altogether. Well, actually four, I believe. I think the other one is a compilation of her first three novels. The point is, never say you're too old to be of use or to be creative. You never know what life and God have in store for you.

[K.J. Tiller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Retired Lady Whistledown meets The Golden Girls, and this is their love child.

Fast, summertime relaxing read, and wholesome tales of memories about the days that are gone and will never return, this novel is full of virtuous wisdom told from Hattie at a retirement home. Her main goal is to finish the publishing process for her new book, which is about her life and stories with the other residents. After a series of delays and pushbacks, we end up with some humorous tales and a heart that's grown just a tad.

"Over The Hill" is a saying for being in the "Twilight Years,": old age, beyond the salad days.

So many themes were spread throughout the book:
-Divorce
-Being grateful for each day
-Helping people without expecting anything in return
-Spending time with your eldery family
-Alcoholism
-And many more.

I recommend this to everyone, regardless of age. It's so sweet and gives you subtle tips for situations you might find yourself in at some point in life.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little book inside the world of gracefully aging and small town, southern charm. I felt as if Effie was a grandmother teaching me that there is nothing to fear in old age, only more laughter and resiliency with years of growth and maturity. I felt genuinely uplifted reading this book, much more appreciative of the elderly, and a little less scared of old age myself.

[Almira · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle read about living in a retirement community - the up's and down's of senior living.

[Cheryl Licata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is the sequel to Out To Pasture (but not over the hill.) Hattie is at it again writing in her diary about all the funny, nostalgic, poignant goings-on at Fair Acres retirement home. Romance is a possibility, not for Hattie, but for her friend Henrietta (Retta.) The prospective groom, Sidney, has proposed 19 times, but the hesitant Retta doesn't know if it's the right thing to do. Retta told the women in the sewing circle about a lovely evening she had with Sidney. As she told of their dinner and the lovely sunset, there were sighs and smiles around the room. Hattie supposed "it was better to sniff romance in the air than just to smell liniment or cough syrup or the stuff they grease wheel chair wheels with." I believe the author was 86 when this book was published -- another enjoyable story from "the home."

[Ramona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a timeless book. Humorous, educational - dealing with older family members- and encouraging for all of us who are reaching those "golden years". There is life after 70! Your life is what you make it, and if you can share your experiences with others, to show why we should cherish and love our older ones, you are a national treasure! Enjoy this "year " journal in the life of a Senior Housing complex resident with her friends, neighbors, and others. We are encouraged to keeps journals, memorabilia to share, but not let it stifle our life, or cause us to become hoarders, in which our family members will have to deal with that, after our passing.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in the series of books taking place in a retirement community, but it's not necessary to have read the first book. The story is told in the voice of one of the residents who tells the stories of a group of her friends in the community. Lots of humor as it addresses the real-life concerns of the senior citizens. Although it was written almost thirty years ago, it could have been written recently.

[Shelley Alongi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice light read. I usually read pretty heavy books so sometimes it’s nice to just get away and read something cute. But at the same time this book shows that older people still have interests although I thought the romance was a little forced. I think we kind of knew it was going to happen at the end but all the intervening storylines are nice. Like I said it was a light read.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars as it's a nice read, funny moments and lifts a person's spirits. It was a perfect read for me at this time after reading a serious book.

Hattie and friends at the retirement community find ways to help others, tell stories and enjoy life. This was book 2 of 5 and I have managed to hunt them all down as they are a bit older. I plan to save them for days I need some cheering up and smiles.

[Danielle Routh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sidney/Retta romance was fun, and the CQ questions were a good motif throughout the story, but overall, this sequel just wasn't as strong or as humorous as the first in the series. I'll be holding on to the first but not this one.

[Tony Pope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift from close friends. I was skeptical that I would like it...after all, if someone had told me I would enjoy reading a series of books about life in a retirement community...I wouldn't have believed them! Eye-opening and funny...an enjoyable series to read.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light hearted amusing read about a “community” of people formed within a senior care facility who find their purpose in this stage of life caring for those within with humor and love and being useful to others outside the facility as well. A feel-good, light read

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humorous take set in The Home, where the narrator relates the funny, the sad, and the surprising events that make up the days of the residents. Anyone who is in their golden years, or has spent some time with those who are, may recognize some of the scenarios. It’s a touching, easy read.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in a series of five fun little books about an elderly woman living in a southern retirement home. I have previously read the first and third in the series and enjoyed them both, now I am glad to have been able to read this one and enjoy it as well.

[Bookwyrm · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, sometimes funny, sometimes sad diary of life at Fair Acres Retirement Home. Recommended by my mother-in-law and enjoyed.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and fun book that is also an inspiration to those over that hill! I've had it on my to read shelves FOREVER; now I want to read the other books, too.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book, but not as good as the first in the series.

[Sue Maryon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, I laughed and worried right along with the narator.

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful book!

[Carol Nease]

Fair #2

[Susan Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining and a quick read!

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining. Heart warming.

[Wendy Fuess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book sale find. Harmless little charmer.

[Pattie Woodson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute collection of short stories about a lady and her friends at a retirement home.

[Deemcgdiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light read written in journal/diary entry form.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite a good as her first