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Babette:The Many Lives, Two Deaths and Double Kidnapping of Dr. Ellsworth
This narrative spans a period from 1998 until 2002, during which in his early twenties, Ross Eliot relocates to Portland, Oregon and eventually moves into the pantry owned by Dr. Babette Ellsworth, an arcane history professor.
Her strange life unfolds in stories, about the 1928 kidnapping in Eastern Washington carried out by a mysterious French woman named Germaine Bonnefont, about life in occupied Europe during World War II, about the Czarist assassin of Rasputin, East Indian soldiers who fought for Nazi Germany and Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, whose cult perpetrated a 1984 bio-terror attack in Oregon.
In between travels with Dr. Ellsworth, Eliot befriends many unusual people within Portland’s diverse subcultures. These relationships lead to dance parties at historical monuments, Scrabble games with a nocturnal jazzpunk and perilous encounters with a beautiful sex scam artist. Eliot cares for his professor until her tragic final death in 2002. However, Eliot has only begun to uncover the layers of Babette’s story and he delves into Dr. Ellsworth’s complicated lives exposing murkier secrets than ever suspected. From gender and sexuality to religious theory and existential philosophy, it’s an unorthodox love saga between pupil and mentor, yet also an ode for the city of Portland where they live.
Her strange life unfolds in stories, about the 1928 kidnapping in Eastern Washington carried out by a mysterious French woman named Germaine Bonnefont, about life in occupied Europe during World War II, about the Czarist assassin of Rasputin, East Indian soldiers who fought for Nazi Germany and Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, whose cult perpetrated a 1984 bio-terror attack in Oregon.
In between travels with Dr. Ellsworth, Eliot befriends many unusual people within Portland’s diverse subcultures. These relationships lead to dance parties at historical monuments, Scrabble games with a nocturnal jazzpunk and perilous encounters with a beautiful sex scam artist. Eliot cares for his professor until her tragic final death in 2002. However, Eliot has only begun to uncover the layers of Babette’s story and he delves into Dr. Ellsworth’s complicated lives exposing murkier secrets than ever suspected. From gender and sexuality to religious theory and existential philosophy, it’s an unorthodox love saga between pupil and mentor, yet also an ode for the city of Portland where they live.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
345 pages, Paperback
First published December 9, 2013
About the author
Ross Eliot
1 book4 followersRoss Eliot is a writer and commercial fisherman based in Portland, Oregon and Sitka, Alaska. He is best known as publisher and editor of the critically acclaimed counterculture gun politics magazine American Gun Culture Report from 2006-2011.
He has been featured on National Public Radio and Restore the Republic Radio as well as in periodicals including the Oregonian, Portland Mercury, The Sovereign, Street Roots and Skanner newspapers.
Ross Eliot served as keynote speaker at the 2010 Liberal Gun Club Annual Convention in Chicago and has also testified before the Portland City Council on Second Amendment issues.
A longtime Northwest political activist, he has worked with diverse organizations from the Portland May Day Committee to Portland Pink Pistols and Portland War Resistance League. In Spring of 2010 he organized “Might: Not Just for the Right,” a convention uniting all major 2nd Amendment advocacy groups in Oregon, from right wing usual suspects to those more leftist, anarchist and GLBTQ oriented.
For two years Ross Eliot as DJ Stiefel hosted a radio show featuring subculture music and local bands called “Sentimentale Jugend” on the Portland Radio Authority.
In 2013, wishing to continue writing about gun politics, he started “Occupy the 2nd Amendment,” a weblog more directly focusing on leftist perspectives than AGCR’s general counterculture overview.
January of 2014 saw the unveiling of Babette: The Many Lives, Two Deaths and Double Kidnapping of Dr. Ellsworth, Ross Eliot’s first book.
He has been featured on National Public Radio and Restore the Republic Radio as well as in periodicals including the Oregonian, Portland Mercury, The Sovereign, Street Roots and Skanner newspapers.
Ross Eliot served as keynote speaker at the 2010 Liberal Gun Club Annual Convention in Chicago and has also testified before the Portland City Council on Second Amendment issues.
A longtime Northwest political activist, he has worked with diverse organizations from the Portland May Day Committee to Portland Pink Pistols and Portland War Resistance League. In Spring of 2010 he organized “Might: Not Just for the Right,” a convention uniting all major 2nd Amendment advocacy groups in Oregon, from right wing usual suspects to those more leftist, anarchist and GLBTQ oriented.
For two years Ross Eliot as DJ Stiefel hosted a radio show featuring subculture music and local bands called “Sentimentale Jugend” on the Portland Radio Authority.
In 2013, wishing to continue writing about gun politics, he started “Occupy the 2nd Amendment,” a weblog more directly focusing on leftist perspectives than AGCR’s general counterculture overview.
January of 2014 saw the unveiling of Babette: The Many Lives, Two Deaths and Double Kidnapping of Dr. Ellsworth, Ross Eliot’s first book.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 12, 2015
When Sage sent me the information on this book, I was immediately drawn in by the cover and the full title - Babette: The Many Lives, Two Deaths & Double Kidnapping of Dr. Ellsworth. I have never started a novel before with so many questions in my head.
I love memoirs, especially when they are about the regular, every day sort, even though that description is far from who Dr. Ellsworth really is. Their are really no "good" words to say how much I love this book. It was fascinating to find out all the different sides to this woman, to learn the things that she had gone through and been part of. The book starts out pretty crazy, then gets a little slow, but quickly picks up the pace again once Ross meets her. She is such an interesting person and I loved the stories that were told about her, the impression she left on this young man, and being able to see what he saw in her through his eyes. Definitely an interesting story and one that I had a hard time putting down. I just wanted to know more and more about her, and the author did not disappoint.
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Please remember that this review is my opinion based on my own personal impressions of the book.
I love memoirs, especially when they are about the regular, every day sort, even though that description is far from who Dr. Ellsworth really is. Their are really no "good" words to say how much I love this book. It was fascinating to find out all the different sides to this woman, to learn the things that she had gone through and been part of. The book starts out pretty crazy, then gets a little slow, but quickly picks up the pace again once Ross meets her. She is such an interesting person and I loved the stories that were told about her, the impression she left on this young man, and being able to see what he saw in her through his eyes. Definitely an interesting story and one that I had a hard time putting down. I just wanted to know more and more about her, and the author did not disappoint.
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Please remember that this review is my opinion based on my own personal impressions of the book.
August 14, 2014
A wonderful read. The genre is a mix - a non-fiction book as memoir of a man's young adulthood in Portland, OR, but reads quickly like popular fiction. I think readers of both genres will enjoy this book. There is a lot of Portland in this book, and while I am not a Portlandian, I didn't feel left out. I enjoyed an exploration of European history, a foray into sexual identity, peeks into sub-cultural lives completely different from my own, and a curious mystery of what else Dr. Ellsworth might do after each turn of the page. Surprises, lies, laugh out loud moments, and an ending that is a true success make this engaging read worth checking out.
January 3, 2016
Piece of Shit. Don't waste your time.
April 26, 2024
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Enter the captivating world of “Babette: The Many Lives, Two Deaths and Double Kidnapping of Dr. Ellsworth,” where author Ross Eliot shares a riveting tale of his formative years in Portland, Oregon. In this remarkable narrative, Eliot recounts his serendipitous encounter with an enigmatic history professor, Dr. Ellsworth, and the extraordinary arrangement that ensued. From quarters in the pantry of her stately home to becoming her trusted companion and confidant, Eliot’s journey with the flamboyant septuagenarian is a whirlwind of adventure, intrigue, and unexpected twists.
With tales of mystery and crime interwoven with religious, cultural, and historical events, “Babette” provides an engrossing look into a bygone period and the remarkable friendship between two unexpected friends. Learning about this woman’s many facets and the experiences and events she had been a part of was interesting. Many questions concerning Babette’s past and personal life are still unanswered by the time the novel closes. Many things remain unsolved, but that’s just the nature of life, in my opinion.
I believe this book will be enjoyable to readers of both fiction and non-fiction. I like how the author crafted her narrative and who she let into her house, a place of precious refuge. Babette, the novel and the person struck me as marvellously weird and charming. One of those novels you want to take your time reading so the plot may develop to its fullest. It’s like having to say goodbye to a dear, old friend; it’s a bittersweet loss.
Enter the captivating world of “Babette: The Many Lives, Two Deaths and Double Kidnapping of Dr. Ellsworth,” where author Ross Eliot shares a riveting tale of his formative years in Portland, Oregon. In this remarkable narrative, Eliot recounts his serendipitous encounter with an enigmatic history professor, Dr. Ellsworth, and the extraordinary arrangement that ensued. From quarters in the pantry of her stately home to becoming her trusted companion and confidant, Eliot’s journey with the flamboyant septuagenarian is a whirlwind of adventure, intrigue, and unexpected twists.
With tales of mystery and crime interwoven with religious, cultural, and historical events, “Babette” provides an engrossing look into a bygone period and the remarkable friendship between two unexpected friends. Learning about this woman’s many facets and the experiences and events she had been a part of was interesting. Many questions concerning Babette’s past and personal life are still unanswered by the time the novel closes. Many things remain unsolved, but that’s just the nature of life, in my opinion.
I believe this book will be enjoyable to readers of both fiction and non-fiction. I like how the author crafted her narrative and who she let into her house, a place of precious refuge. Babette, the novel and the person struck me as marvellously weird and charming. One of those novels you want to take your time reading so the plot may develop to its fullest. It’s like having to say goodbye to a dear, old friend; it’s a bittersweet loss.
May 18, 2024
Babette is an award-winning biography of the trans pioneer Babette Ellsworth. The author Ross Eliot's early years in Portland, Oregon, were when he stumbled upon an unusual living arrangement with an eccentric history professor. His account of those early years living in the pantry, takes along the readers through religious, cultural and historical tales embellished with intrigue, mystery and adventure. Living with the professor he soon discovers her connections with a mysterious abduction, WWII Nazi collaborators, the assassin of Rasputin and an unorthodox Benedictine convent. With a narrative of both their lives, and moving through multiple themes of history, gender, sexuality and numerous human life experiences, this one is a feat to read.
This is a brilliantly narrated story and what a beautiful depiction of the relationship of the pupil and the mentor. The audiobook is narrated by the author himself. It's an exciting, excellent and enticing book with a story so gripping and moving at the same time. A lot happens in the novel and it certainly leaves a lot behind to think about. Reading (Listening) this one was a pleasure and an amazing experience because of the well-structured story. A wonderful story that touches upon multiple themes and portrays the peculiar lives of Ross Eliot and Babette Ellsworth. Definitely worth the time!
This is a brilliantly narrated story and what a beautiful depiction of the relationship of the pupil and the mentor. The audiobook is narrated by the author himself. It's an exciting, excellent and enticing book with a story so gripping and moving at the same time. A lot happens in the novel and it certainly leaves a lot behind to think about. Reading (Listening) this one was a pleasure and an amazing experience because of the well-structured story. A wonderful story that touches upon multiple themes and portrays the peculiar lives of Ross Eliot and Babette Ellsworth. Definitely worth the time!
May 5, 2024
Entertaining and Informative
Thoughts💡
The audiobook was narrated by the writer as he recounted the time he spent with Babette. She was quite the character and had very interesting views and comments about various points in history. I imagine it would have been incredibly interesting to speak with her.
Fun Bits:
⚜️ The Biography of a Trans Woman
⚜️ Hot Takes on Historical Events
⚜️ Interesting Quotes at the Start of Every
Chapter
✨Note✨This is a standalone, but more information and pictures can be found on the author’s blog.
⚠️Content Warning:⚠️
This book provides details about Babette’s paat which includes mentions of war, kidnapping, and the SA of a child.
Stats:📊
Audio 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Biography: LGBTQ+ Biographies, History
First Person, Present Tense, Single POV
Thoughts💡
The audiobook was narrated by the writer as he recounted the time he spent with Babette. She was quite the character and had very interesting views and comments about various points in history. I imagine it would have been incredibly interesting to speak with her.
Fun Bits:
⚜️ The Biography of a Trans Woman
⚜️ Hot Takes on Historical Events
⚜️ Interesting Quotes at the Start of Every
Chapter
✨Note✨This is a standalone, but more information and pictures can be found on the author’s blog.
⚠️Content Warning:⚠️
This book provides details about Babette’s paat which includes mentions of war, kidnapping, and the SA of a child.
Stats:📊
Audio 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Biography: LGBTQ+ Biographies, History
First Person, Present Tense, Single POV
April 17, 2014
This nonfiction memoir about Portland, politics, gender identity, and academia is gripping from the start until the moment you put it down. Babette's incredible, larger-than-life story is mysteriously weaved into Ross's own coming of age tale featuring Portland institutions that no longer exist, late-night adventures, romance, and an exploration of the thriving subcultures that draw him into unpredictable situations. Ross and Babette's relationship is eloquently documented and lovingly reconstructed in a way that makes you feel as though you truly know Babette by the time the book ends, although many mysteries about Babette's personal life and history remain. And although it touches on heavy subjects—gender politics, secrets, Nazi Germany, war, religion—the book never gets bogged down in them and instead presents some of the most absurd, laugh-out-loud-funny scenes I've read. A must read for anyone interested in queer lit, Portland, memoirs, history, or mysteries.
May 29, 2024
Reviewing a memoir poses a bit of a conundrum. The dilemma is finding a balance between critiquing the writing style and the portrayal of actual events.
Although initially presented via audiobook narrated by the author, the prelude quickly prompted a switch to the ebook. Babette: The Many Lives, Two Deaths and Double Kidnapping of Dr. Ellsworth details author Ross Eliot’s “unusual” relationship with his professor.
Set in Portland in 1998, Ross introduces himself as a 21-year-old living paycheck to paycheck but dreaming of going to college. He is drawn to political activism and music subcultures.
The “unusual” aspect occurs a few months later when he enrolls in Dr. Ellsworth’s history class. A random invitation to lunch morphs into an invitation for Ross to move in and serve as her chauffeur/errand boy/travel companion.
The catch? She’s a septuagenarian French transgender Nazi-sympathizing nun. While there is no doubt Dr. Ellsworth is eccentric, the depiction of her character is not favorable. She’s somewhat of a contradiction, leaving readers with a sense that she’s not reliable. Navigating her backstory to sift through fact and fiction is difficult. Her behavior is erratic, making a connection challenging.
The memoir is narrated in first person and focuses heavily on mini-tirades about books, music, and historical events. Each chapter begins with a quote or two, but the relevance isn’t established. The lack of cohesion creates a sense of frustration because things just don’t seem to make sense.
Too many questions, coupled with some horrific depictions such as the hot tub tissue paper incident, led to a rather unsatisfactory reading experience.
Babette: The Many Lives, Two Deaths and Double Kidnapping of Dr. Ellsworth poses an interesting premise, but got hung up in the minutiae. ~ Amy for Novels Alive
Although initially presented via audiobook narrated by the author, the prelude quickly prompted a switch to the ebook. Babette: The Many Lives, Two Deaths and Double Kidnapping of Dr. Ellsworth details author Ross Eliot’s “unusual” relationship with his professor.
Set in Portland in 1998, Ross introduces himself as a 21-year-old living paycheck to paycheck but dreaming of going to college. He is drawn to political activism and music subcultures.
The “unusual” aspect occurs a few months later when he enrolls in Dr. Ellsworth’s history class. A random invitation to lunch morphs into an invitation for Ross to move in and serve as her chauffeur/errand boy/travel companion.
The catch? She’s a septuagenarian French transgender Nazi-sympathizing nun. While there is no doubt Dr. Ellsworth is eccentric, the depiction of her character is not favorable. She’s somewhat of a contradiction, leaving readers with a sense that she’s not reliable. Navigating her backstory to sift through fact and fiction is difficult. Her behavior is erratic, making a connection challenging.
The memoir is narrated in first person and focuses heavily on mini-tirades about books, music, and historical events. Each chapter begins with a quote or two, but the relevance isn’t established. The lack of cohesion creates a sense of frustration because things just don’t seem to make sense.
Too many questions, coupled with some horrific depictions such as the hot tub tissue paper incident, led to a rather unsatisfactory reading experience.
Babette: The Many Lives, Two Deaths and Double Kidnapping of Dr. Ellsworth poses an interesting premise, but got hung up in the minutiae. ~ Amy for Novels Alive
April 29, 2024
I’m almost a month late for Trans Visibility Day with my post about this book. But this book would have made it a perfect candidate for that day’s post (the day was March 31).
I’m an eyehole reader, mostly. But sometimes it’s fun to switch to an earhole read and let someone else read the book for you while you walk. Or do whatever it is you have to do around the house. So, enter this book.
The story is emotional, I think that’s what describes this book best. A memoir with a twist.
Are you one of those who have a hobby of people-watching? I sure love doing that. And this book feels exactly like this. Like, have you ever been out and about, seen someone, and thought how you would like to know more about them? This book is it – the story of someone you didn’t know before and never knew you wanted to know, but then you see them and – yessss, there is a story too.
Yes, and above all, it is still a story of a human connection and an extraordinary life, and yes, there is a lot that is left unsaid, and there is this absolutely charming (in her own unique and quirky way) Babette.
I’m an eyehole reader, mostly. But sometimes it’s fun to switch to an earhole read and let someone else read the book for you while you walk. Or do whatever it is you have to do around the house. So, enter this book.
The story is emotional, I think that’s what describes this book best. A memoir with a twist.
Are you one of those who have a hobby of people-watching? I sure love doing that. And this book feels exactly like this. Like, have you ever been out and about, seen someone, and thought how you would like to know more about them? This book is it – the story of someone you didn’t know before and never knew you wanted to know, but then you see them and – yessss, there is a story too.
Yes, and above all, it is still a story of a human connection and an extraordinary life, and yes, there is a lot that is left unsaid, and there is this absolutely charming (in her own unique and quirky way) Babette.
January 20, 2019
Ross Eliot's award winning memoir gives us a front row seat to the life of a remarkable Portland college professor. Their amazing adventures and bizarre friendship is the stuff of dreams and nightmares.
Eliot has traveled around the world and across time to document the fascinating story of the boy Albert and woman Babette who became his housemate, benefactor, friend, and royal pain-in-the-ass.
A must for those interested in what many Portlanders remember as the good ol' days.
Eliot has traveled around the world and across time to document the fascinating story of the boy Albert and woman Babette who became his housemate, benefactor, friend, and royal pain-in-the-ass.
A must for those interested in what many Portlanders remember as the good ol' days.
May 1, 2024
The book spans from the time of 1998 to 2002, I really did enjoy this book and to put it nicely, there's a lot going on in the novel. Dr. Ellsworth is really a great character, nicely constructed and all her stories are amazing. There's mentions of culture and sexual identity and exploration, all the things that I like in a book and artfully done so. Plus this book has received awards already so you don't need me to tell you how cool this book really is! Go listen/read!
May 10, 2024
This book was a wild ride and I enjoyed every minute of learning about the strange and intriguing Dr. Babette Ellsworth. She is definitely someone I would have enjoyed knowing and I love how Ross painted such a vibrant picture of her life. If you love memoirs/biographies and the city of Portland, you will have to check this out!
January 5, 2015
While I've read a few memoirs in my time, they aren't my favorite thing to read. However, I picked up this one because it sounded interesting.
At first I'll admit that I had a very hard time getting into the story. It seemed like fragments of someone's life just sort of thrown together and it wasn't all that great since there wasn't really a whole lot of explanation as to where the story was, why it started there or who the people were that we were reading about. There were many tense changes that I didn't particularly care for either.
Then we meet Babette. I absolutely adored every word of her story. I loved that she was crazy, but incredibly knowledgeable at the same time. Her story is hard to believe, yet not so hard to believe. I laughed many times at her antics while wondering why she was the way she was. The deeper Ross got to know her and the more she told him, the more I wanted to know.
Until we started getting into too much of Ross' life, while not completely dull, it wasn't about Babette, the woman who had sucked me in. The one who had me turning pages as fast as I could. While at times I understood why we were meeting these other people outside of Babette and Ross' relationship, I also felt that they slowed the story. I hate to say it, but I wanted to know about this woman with so much confusion and twisted tales surrounding her. I did find some happiness that we found that Ross wasn't all that met the eye at first either (aka he has experiences with both genders), but the relationships sort of were just thrown in there at random times it seemed. Even at the end we have no idea what became of any of the relationships Ross had with anyone in the story even though it has been years since Babette.
There is many questions left unanswered, but I think that's how life is. You take what answers you can get and have to let the rest stay as speculation. Boy do I wish I'd known what Babette's deal was with the convent or the erratic changes in her behavior were from... Oh the list goes on. I absolutely loved Babette and her story and was sad to see it end.
I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
Renee
At first I'll admit that I had a very hard time getting into the story. It seemed like fragments of someone's life just sort of thrown together and it wasn't all that great since there wasn't really a whole lot of explanation as to where the story was, why it started there or who the people were that we were reading about. There were many tense changes that I didn't particularly care for either.
Then we meet Babette. I absolutely adored every word of her story. I loved that she was crazy, but incredibly knowledgeable at the same time. Her story is hard to believe, yet not so hard to believe. I laughed many times at her antics while wondering why she was the way she was. The deeper Ross got to know her and the more she told him, the more I wanted to know.
Until we started getting into too much of Ross' life, while not completely dull, it wasn't about Babette, the woman who had sucked me in. The one who had me turning pages as fast as I could. While at times I understood why we were meeting these other people outside of Babette and Ross' relationship, I also felt that they slowed the story. I hate to say it, but I wanted to know about this woman with so much confusion and twisted tales surrounding her. I did find some happiness that we found that Ross wasn't all that met the eye at first either (aka he has experiences with both genders), but the relationships sort of were just thrown in there at random times it seemed. Even at the end we have no idea what became of any of the relationships Ross had with anyone in the story even though it has been years since Babette.
There is many questions left unanswered, but I think that's how life is. You take what answers you can get and have to let the rest stay as speculation. Boy do I wish I'd known what Babette's deal was with the convent or the erratic changes in her behavior were from... Oh the list goes on. I absolutely loved Babette and her story and was sad to see it end.
I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
Renee
January 22, 2015
Oh, Babette. How easily I was sucked into her intriguing life. Dr. Babette Ellsworth was a history professor in Portland, Oregon that lived an almost unbelievable life. In 1928, newborn Ellsworth was kidnapped from Yakima, Washington and spent her early life in occupied Europe with her French mother.
Author Ross Eliot met Ellsworth in 1999 when he enrolled in one of her history classes. The two soon became roommates resulting from Ellsworth’s declining health. Eliot finds himself as caretaker and confidant. Ross begins to unravel the story of Babette and her male-to-female transition later in life.
This memoir touches on Ross’s life in Portland as he spends his days going to school, traveling with Babette wherever she needs to go, and navigating the Portland nightlife. The real meat of the story is the daily dance between Ross and Babette.
I don’t think I could get enough of Babette and her eccentric ways. She was fascinating and had a never-ending supply of historical knowledge which took up much of the book (interesting and enjoyable.) I adored how she controlled her story and who she allowed in her sacred sanctuary that she called home. As much as Babette was an open book, she had a plethora of secrets – some that she took with her when she left this life.
Author Ross Eliot met Ellsworth in 1999 when he enrolled in one of her history classes. The two soon became roommates resulting from Ellsworth’s declining health. Eliot finds himself as caretaker and confidant. Ross begins to unravel the story of Babette and her male-to-female transition later in life.
This memoir touches on Ross’s life in Portland as he spends his days going to school, traveling with Babette wherever she needs to go, and navigating the Portland nightlife. The real meat of the story is the daily dance between Ross and Babette.
I don’t think I could get enough of Babette and her eccentric ways. She was fascinating and had a never-ending supply of historical knowledge which took up much of the book (interesting and enjoyable.) I adored how she controlled her story and who she allowed in her sacred sanctuary that she called home. As much as Babette was an open book, she had a plethora of secrets – some that she took with her when she left this life.
August 3, 2015
I believe I’ve said it before… I’m fascinated by people. Absolutely fascinated! With this fascination comes a love for things like memoirs and biographies. So, given the opportunity to read this wonderful memoir, I just had to jump at the chance.
Babette is a wonderful memoir about the intertwining lives of the complex and mysterious woman that is Babette and her student turned caretaker, Ross. And while this story is about the two of them, I do believe Babette stole the show. I found Babette, both the person and the book, just delightful and wonderfully strange. The more I read, the harder it was to put the book down.
Though this isn’t much of a review, I certainly recommend Babette to those that enjoy memoirs. I greatly enjoyed this book and believe it’s worth the read.
* This book was received from the author in exchange for an honest review. *
Babette is a wonderful memoir about the intertwining lives of the complex and mysterious woman that is Babette and her student turned caretaker, Ross. And while this story is about the two of them, I do believe Babette stole the show. I found Babette, both the person and the book, just delightful and wonderfully strange. The more I read, the harder it was to put the book down.
Though this isn’t much of a review, I certainly recommend Babette to those that enjoy memoirs. I greatly enjoyed this book and believe it’s worth the read.
* This book was received from the author in exchange for an honest review. *
January 28, 2015
BABETTE! A new favorite and magnum opus! This brilliant piece of Pacific Northwestern literature really packs a punch! This story begins with a trip down the I-5 corridor from Seattle to Portland, Oregon, & Ross’ hard landing in the Rose city and the sublime diversity of its population. The development of his relationship with the intriguing Dr. Ellsworth and her alternate take on life, love, history, and gender identity are beautifully woven into this piece. Added to that is his rich descriptions of the vastness of human experience available to anyone with the moxie to LIVE life instead of just observing! All sung with color, tumult, & joie de vivre, to a tune drawn from many important and powerful pieces of classical prose.
I loved this book, and it will definitely be taking a place amongst my keepers!
I loved this book, and it will definitely be taking a place amongst my keepers!
July 9, 2016
Couldn't put this book down. Elliot paints a world so different from my own. I was entranced and couldn't wait to find out what happened next. This real life mystery has so many twists and turns you will find yourself yelling aloud "NO!? WHAT!?" Elliot's voice stands out as distinctly Portland, reminiscent of Katherine Dunn or Chuck Palahniuk. If you enjoy sick and twisted, like I occasionally do, you will enjoy this book.
January 26, 2016
2.5
The real figure of Dr. Babette Ellsworth must have been fascinating and some of it is transpires in the story, which is a mix between biography and fiction. Still, the book was a bit boring at times for me. I suppose it might be more interesting for people from Portland.
The real figure of Dr. Babette Ellsworth must have been fascinating and some of it is transpires in the story, which is a mix between biography and fiction. Still, the book was a bit boring at times for me. I suppose it might be more interesting for people from Portland.
January 5, 2015
Love love love!
December 6, 2015
2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews