Myself and I

Keeping Days #6

by Norma Johnston

When "wild" Paul Hodge returns from California, Saranne once again finds herself defending him, even as she faces problems of her own

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Childrens

224 pages, Paperback

Published June 28, 1982

About the author

Norma Johnston was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey, USA, the only child of Marjorie (Pierce), a teacher and Charles Eugene Chambers Johnston, an engineer. She read voraciously--especially mysteries, to which her family was addicted. She was ducated at Ramsey public schools and Montclair State College, later studied acting at the American Theatre Wing and elsewhere, and received a teaching certificate from Montclair College. She was actress, director, designer, stylist, retailer, teacher, counselor, entrepreneur, preacher, editor, ... and in between all her other careers she was the author of more than 70 novels, mainly gothic romances for teens. She become a a full-time writer in 1973.

Johnston also wrote under the pseudonyms of Nicole St. John, Pamela Dryden, Lavinia Harris, Kate Chambers, Catherine E. Chambers, Elizabeth Bolton, and Adrian Robert.

Reviews

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/2014 Oh, Paul. Slap, slap, slap. There, I feel better. I don't buy his overnight conversion, either. There's a lot of stuff in this book to not like, but I'm still always happy to see the continuation of the Tish/Kenneth & etc. story. Though Aunt Sadie could have suffered more.

6/2010 This book strikes me objectively as overwrought. However, I think it's a very interesting and true look at how easily a person can get completely overwhelmed and subsumed by someone who's attractively broken. Watching Saranne try to fix Paul is painful and reminiscent of many of our adolescences. Paul is hugely annoying in this book. I can't count the number of times I wanted to slap him. I love the weaving in of the stories of Tish, Ben, Mary and the rest. It's a satisfying conclusion to the whole series.

I'm actually kind of glad to be finished with this re-read. I found myself slipping into dangerously sentimental territory with Tish and Saranne- I kept finding myself standing, aimless, eyes full of tears. That sensitive misunderstood stuff is easy to fall back into. Fortunately I got through the series before I could write any poetry.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Tish, people who leave their ancient journals sitting around in attics should not be terribly shocked when their nieces read them.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm just going to review this and A Nice Girl Like You together, because I read them back to back and it's really one story anyway.

Sometimes I thought Saranne was really good as her own person, but other times I thought Johnston was really just rehashing Tish's emotional life through Saranne.

I thought the relationships of all ages were handled well -- with the recognition that one does need to learn to be one's own person in order to have a healthy relationship. Horrible sentence, but if you've read the book, you know what I mean.

I would have liked to see Celinda in these books, and I wanted to know what happened to Mrs. Owens and Mr. Grimes.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shoot. Not quite sure how to rate this book. I loved it as a teen. Reading it this time was hard. Saranne and Paul had such a toxic relationship. I started to dislike him so much and wished just part of the time they would have had a normal good time instead of strait drama through the entire book. But I did love how it was resolved. And I do wish I knew the ending to their story.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last in the Keeping Days series. Still as good as good as the rest of them.

[Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love , love this whole series! If you are a L.M. Montgomery fan (Anne of Green Gables) you will love this more angsty- but very involving series.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the more frustrating books in the series. Paul is very unlikeable, and their toxic relationship is painful to see. At least Saranne figures it out in the end.

I do have to say, it never made sense to me that it had to be such a giant secret about Paul's father, and it still doesn't. Why?! What difference would it make to just give him a name, and save everybody a lot of anguish...? Saranne sees his picture and asks who he was, and they literally pretend they don't know. It was still unsatisfying upon re-reading.

I'm really glad I re-read these books from my youth (and grateful for Interlibrary Loan!); fun to remember these characters I loved. But I don't think I'll feel like I have to again.

[Katrina Van Grouw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't tell you how much I love this series. This book highlights a troubling, unbalanced and unhealthy relationship and how it affects the two main characters, while also encouraging growth for both of them. Norma Johnston has the particular gift, much like Jane Austen and L.M. Montgomery, of writing in such raw, relatable and vivid ways- of expressing so many emotions I don't know I even have until I see them on paper. Reading this series was like feeling deeply understood. I will be rereading these books over and over and over- new favourites for sure.
Plus, knowing the author lived 20 minutes from my house, and the fact she writes about places I've been is hugely entertaining as well.

[Vicki Jaeger · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, the last book in the series. (And I've applied for "Librarian" status on goodreads, 'cause it's driving me crazy that these 2 books aren't noted as part of the Keeping Days series!!) A bit melodramatic for my taste. It starts to become an all-consuming relationship between Saranne and Paul, and not in a good way. He's not quite abusive, but a tempermental self-centered boy. She eventually makes the right choices, but it takes a while. Eventually it sends the right message to tweens/teens about relationships (healthy & otherwise), but I would have some discussions with my child after they read this. Again, nothing hugely bad happens, but I think it's important to reinforce how she *could* have reacted better earlier. I don't think I ever read this book, or the one before it, so I was definitely seeing this through adult eyes. And Tish and Kenneth come back for this one, which helped resolve unanswered questions for me.

[Becky Keeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted more books in the series when I first read this series. I must admit that back then, I dream up different stories, especially for the 2 main characters. Paul would come back from WWI and seek Saranne out and marry her! But now, I'm not so sure . . . This time I was a little annoyed at both Paul and Saranne because it was all about them-- But it was their first loves, etc.

[Barbara Mader · Rating 3 out of 5]

maybe two-and-a-half stars. Found it much like #5 (A Nice Girl Like You) and not as satisfying as, say, the first two books in the series. Not having read them before (or in my youth), I am lacking the nostalgia factor.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that holds up well after repeated readings.

[Elizabeth]

Sequel to A Nice Girl Like You.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, what a great book. I read it in one day because I couldn't get the characters out of my head!!