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The Floor of the Sky

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In the Nebraska Sandhills, nothing is more sacred than the bond of family and land—and nothing is more capable of causing deep wounds. In Pamela Carter Joern's riveting novel The Floor of the Sky , Toby Jenkins, an aging widow, is on the verge of losing her family's ranch when her granddaughter Lila—a city girl, sixteen and pregnant—shows up for the summer. While facing painful decisions about her future, Lila uncovers festering secrets about her grandmother's past—discoveries that spur Toby to reconsider the ambiguous ties she holds to her embittered sister Gertie, her loyal ranch hand George, her not-so-sympathetic daughter Nola Jean, and ultimately, herself.

 

Propelled by stark realism in breakneck prose, The Floor of the Sky reveals the inner worlds of characters isolated by geography and habit. Set against the sweeping changes in rural America—from the onslaught of corporate agribusiness to the pressures exerted by superstores on small towns—Joern's compelling story bears witness to the fortitude and hard-won wisdom of people whose lives have been forged by devotion to the land.

238 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

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Pamela Carter Joern

7 books2 followers

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5 stars
88 (22%)
4 stars
159 (39%)
3 stars
115 (28%)
2 stars
30 (7%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
Profile Image for Donna Jo Atwood.
997 reviews6 followers
March 21, 2009
I won't retell the plot here, except to say that it is a multigenerational story, played out in the Sandhill of Nebraska. Joern has the midwestern characters just right, from the dialogue to the values.
She has been compared to Willa Cather, and I can see that comparison, but she has a more modern approach to storytelling. Give this book a try if you are interested in a solid, non-sensational book.
Profile Image for Candice.
1,514 reviews
July 28, 2007
This was recommended by a friend, and I'm glad she brought it to my attention. It's the kind of book I like. Family secrets and the consequences of keeping those secrets. The characters were believable and, for the most part, likeable. I saw the book compared to books by Kent Haruf, and I would agree that many people who liked Plainsong and Eventide might like this as well.
4 reviews
May 7, 2010
Hope Geiger
The Floor of the Sky
By: Pamela Carter Joern

In The Floor of the Sky, nothing could be more interesting than the Nebraska life. The secrets that are revealed in the family history show that not everything is boring in Nebraska. Guilt and jealousy are resurfaced as a new family member arrives, and they must decide on where the past shall lay.

When Lila discovers she is pregnant, her mother decides to send her to her grandmother’s house, nestled in the sand hills. At first, Lila is wary about the move, and doesn’t seem to want to get along with her grandmother, Toby. Toby is hardened by the years and sticks to keeping Lila healthy while she is pregnant, but has a hard time communicating with her. When Lila finds a new interest in Rosemary, her great-grandmother, she starts uncovering secrets that nobody thought to even mention.

Joern portrays the family turmoil perfectly, and knows just when to attack it, leaving the reader hungry to know more information about the scandal. She connects each character to the family and shows the importance of each relationship. Drama and mystery are the most compelling traits of this book, and Joern knows how to keep suspense in full swing.

The main drama of this story is centered around the death of two people close to the family, whose deaths occurred strangely on the same day. Toby was leaving with her boyfriend, David, whom she had grown very close to in high school. She was leaving home to live with him before he left for the war. Her father, Luther, was a very cold man and he didn’t agree with Toby’s decision so he was infuriated when he found out about her plan. Rosemary accompanied him when they drove to stop the couple, but nobody knew just how mad Luther really was. He leaned out of his vehicle and shot David in the face, causing the young couple’s car to careen into theirs. The accident resulted in the death of David and Rosemary, and the crippling of Luther. And to make matters worse, Toby was also pregnant with David’s baby.

Joern shows Toby’s longing and her struggle to maintain a life in the house that she despised because of her father, and the loss of her first love. Toby’s life and hardships become of great importance in this story, especially in helping Lila through her own journey.

Lila represents the other part of this book. Her self discovery and growth is apparent throughout her time in Nebraska. She began to relate to Toby’s experiences, and that’s what made their relationship blossom. When Toby revealed the secret about her own baby and how Luther made her give him up for adoption, the readers finally began to get a sense of their bond that had grown stronger. It also put Toby’s personality in perspective, and gave an understanding as to why she had thoughts about death.

While the drama is very relevant in most parts of this book, there are some periods that can be confusing. Near the beginning it is hard to keep up with the many different characters that are introduced. It also may seem to be unrealistic that so many people die that are related to this family. The drama is intense but it can sometimes seem to not go together since the secrets tend to be major ones that aren’t always connected to the next. I also didn’t like the ending because it seemed that Lila’s letter to her baby should have been more thought out, and that the ending shouldn’t have been so abrupt.

Overall, I would recommend this book to people who like to read about family drama, and hardships, but not to those who like resolutions in their endings.
450 reviews68 followers
May 25, 2020
This story takes place in The Sand Hills of Nebraska.

Luther Bolden was an evil, corrupt old man. He hated his children; his hatred for them reached from beyond the grave. Luther built a large, ostentatious house in the Nebraska Sand Hill. He was the richest man in the area and he lorded his wealth over all the neighbors. He invited them to fancy parties. They all hated him.

His children are Tobym a gutsy old woman; she was a gutsy kid who didn't like her name of Gwendolyn. When she was three years old she named herself after the family dog. From then on she was Toby; she is the best of the three. Gertie is a witch, John a wimp.

Toby and George, who worked on her father's ranch never had life easy. Toby's first love was David, George's younger brother. David died in an automobile accident. George lost his young wife in childbirth. The baby died also. He never wanted to remarry and was a big brother to Toby. Gertie is an embittered old woman, sharp tongued, always sniping at everything and everybody. Her husband, Howard, has Alzheimers and had to be placed in an Alzheimer's Home. Gertie still thinks, and always has, that every woman is in love with her husband. She lives with Toby in the big house that their father built because she has macular degeneration and can't stay alone. And how she aggravates Toby.

Gertie's grandson, Clay, is living on her farm, her son is dead, her daughter-in-law remarried. She complains Clay is cheating her out of her property.

Then into this house of old people comes Lila, Toby's only grandchild, sixteen and pregnant. The romance was short lived. The young man has another girlfriend.

Lila reconnects with Cousin Clay. He is nineteen. When the two were young they were close. Both are only children. Clay is romancing a young married woman with a small child. Lila disapproves. This is bad news.

The story is seen through the invincible eyes of Toby who is about to lose the land and the house she was born in and loves. Lila tells her story. She is angry because her mother doesn't want to look at her and has sent her away to stay with her grandmother. George Bates has always worked hard, doesn't know who his father was and is a good man and friend to this family. And Gertie, overly religious, quotes from the Bible, but is bitter about the cards life has dealt her.

The characters and setting, descriptions of homes, area, doings around town, the town itself, the land and environment of all bring the reader into the story.

Lila becomes interested in the family cemetery and wonders about the names on the tombstones. Who were these people? How did they die? Clay takes Lila to see the prayer wheel or mantra, rocks dragged from a distance to make this unusual object. This is a special place. Who built it and why? The beauty of the land, its sunrises and sunsets is described.

Lila gets a photograph of her great grandmother, Toby's mother. She places it in her room, talks to the picture, consults with her long dead great grandmother, makes a confident of her.

There is the beauty of the characters naming the stars after deceased loved ones, connecting those have gone with the living.

This is a beautifully crafted story. I highly recommend it.
3 reviews2 followers
October 15, 2010
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It was very suspenseful and a great page turner. I recommend this book to anyone. Toby ,72, lived all her life in the same ornate farmhouse in Nebraska her father bought in 1920. For now, Toby aims to stay there despite the local banker's pressure to sell. Toby is widowed; a long line of family deaths, tragedies and abandonment have left her with no one to pass the farm on to. Then her 16-year-old pregnant granddaughter, Lila, arrives. At first ,Lila, the only child of Toby's adopted daughter, is ungrateful, but eventually her curiosity about country rituals and her grandmother's life leads her to the family cemetery and to uncovering long-buried family secrets.
Profile Image for Shaymetz.
32 reviews
May 3, 2012
A very differant read, one that is told in many different voices. Some of it by the main character, some of it by her granddaughter and some of it by other characters. It's about this grandma who kinda has a hard time in her life right now, her sister just moved in with her, her health isn't the best she has come to realize and she may be losing her land. And on top of all of this, she finds out that her pregnant granddaughter is coming to live with her. Which is the second part of the book, it tells about the granddaughter who used to come and stay all the time but once she grew up, she stopped coming. It talks about finding herself and realizing just what it's going to be like to be a mother.
128 reviews
November 12, 2010
I thought the book was very well written and the characters generally believable.
Having lived in a rural setting, I can appreciate the love of the land
The author developed the characters in a way that you could see the opposing sides of their personalities at once seeming hard but then tender and loving.
I especially liked the way the author described the relationship between
Toby and her pregnant granddaughter.
So many family secrets and old resentments tend to tear this family apart.
Profile Image for Marjanne.
583 reviews4 followers
August 26, 2007
"We don't know who we are until the darkness reveals us. That's when we find out." I think this quote from the book really captures the essence of the story portrayed in its pages. I enjoyed that the story was a little different than what I have read before. I thought the story line was going to be more predictable, though it did not work out the way I thought (which was nice). I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Krista.
481 reviews
April 16, 2008
This book was a cross between Plainsong by Kent Haruf and the movie Juno. I enjoyed the characters very much. The plot seemed a little overused, but I guess it is an important topic. A couple of the subplots were a stretch. Good "slice of life." Does living on a ranch, getting back to nature, living the land really solve all your problems?
Profile Image for Iva.
793 reviews2 followers
May 22, 2008
Suggested Montana 1948 and sometimes Wendall Berry. Great characters and life in present day Nebraska and the problems of ranchers and farmers. A compelling read. (And not a YA book, as the library I borrowed it from had catalogued it.)
Profile Image for Beverly Crowl.
9 reviews8 followers
May 17, 2011
Quick Easy read. The characters are very well written and believable. I was drawn to this book because it was about a farm and family. In the end all the characters could be anyone in any situation, it is not a 'farmy' type book at all.
1 review
November 21, 2009
I loved this book. Pam's writing is as elegantly spare as the landscape of the book's Nebraska landscape. Every word counts - nothing is wasted.
Profile Image for Susan.
131 reviews7 followers
February 16, 2023
I loved this story. The author's writing style reminded me of Kent Haruf.
18 reviews
January 8, 2016
I enjoy books about the midwest, having been born in Iowa. This book, part of a series of books whose stories are set in the Midwest--the Flyover Series from the University of Nebraska Press, is the story of a teenager, Lila, pregnant, who travels from Minnesota to the Sandhills of Nebraska to spend her pregnancy with her grandmother, a woman estranged from her own daughter, Lila's mother. Set on a ranch, adjacent to a small town that has been home to Lila's ancestors for some time, the book does a find job capturing the sense of small town life in the Midwest, the financial struggle to survive, the deep connections between the people who live, places where everyone knows everyone else's business. The ranch community includes Lila's grandmother, Toby; Toby's sister, Gertie; Toby's brother, John; a ranch hand, George; and assorted other family members and neighbors. There is much coming to terms with the past in this story, most of which centers around the complex, fraught relationships family members have with each other as well as people who have died and/or moved on, such as Lila's mother. While some of the characters are well drawn, others are less so, such as Gertie, who is a sort stock sour, disappointed, angry, evangelical Christian who carries a martyr's burdens, at least in her own eyes. In fact, no one does anything surprising in this book. Lila confronts her need to be nurtured; Toby wrestles with financial problems and her perceived failings as a mother and sister, as well as lost love . . . you pretty much know how the characters will fare before the book ends, but not the devices that will be employed to bring the end about. If you are looking for insight into what life in the Midwest or Great Plains states is like, outside major cities, this book provides a good sense of that. But the characters and the dynamic of the story are not particular to the Midwest. Lila is the catalyst by way of which others come to grips with their lives . . . or not, depending on the character. Thus, I'd say this is an average read.
Profile Image for Desirae.
6 reviews
May 11, 2010
Taking place in the boonies of rural Nebraska, Toby and Gertie hold down the Alhambra on their father’s ranch with their ranch hands George and John. The Floor of the Sky tells a widow’s story about love let lost and painful decisions.
Toby and Gertie are determined to do anything she can to save her father’s ranch that is being lost to taxes. When her teenaged granddaughter, Lila, shows up on her doorstep, pregnant, Toby has more problems than she bargained for.
Lila pries around a bit and finds out shocking facts about her grandmothers’ past. Lila reunited with her long-ago, inseparable cousin, Clay and is introduced to his married girlfriend. She finds herself wanting to know more about her family’s past and as to why they are who they’ve become.
Lila and Toby share many deep conversations and reveal a lot about each other. Lila, being pregnant, is told a story about Toby’s first biological child, and what happened to him after one dreadful happening. She found out about why Rosemary (Lila’s great-grandmother) and David (Toby’s first love) have the same death date. Even though there are many wrong doings and horrible pasts, this family is strong and is there when anything happens.
Lila grows to be very fond of Toby and as does Toby towards Lila. They learn to deal with life and what it throws at you. The Floor to the Sky is a fascinating tale that teaches “There is more then meets the eye.”

Profile Image for Holly.
266 reviews3 followers
Want to read
July 18, 2007
Toby Jenkins, now 72, has been living all her life in the same ornate Sears, Roebuck farmhouse in the Nebraska Sandhills her father bought for her mother back in 1920. For now, Toby aims to stay there with her cranky self-righteous sister, Gertie, despite the local weasel banker's pressure to sell. Toby is widowed, resolute and land-scarred; a string of family deaths, tragedies and abandonments have left Toby and Gertie with no one to pass the place on to. Then Toby's 16-year-old pregnant granddaughter, Lila, arrives from Minneapolis. At first the unloved, metal-studded Lila, the child of Toby's adoptive daughter, a bitter airline stewardess, is surly and ungrateful, but eventually her curiosity about country rituals and her grandmother's life leads her to the family cemetery and to archives harboring long-buried family secrets. Playwright Joern's characters are as stern as the land, and the world of her debut novel is sturdy and memorable.
Profile Image for Mary.
1,781 reviews2 followers
December 3, 2008
Toby is just about to lose her family ranch in Nebraska to back taxes when her pregnant teen granddaughter Lila arrives from Minnesota to spend the summer. Both women face painful decisions they must make in the near future, and those they've made in the past. As the summer moves forward, Lila discovers some family secrets which could help or hinder her decision making.
This was a beautiful, evocative story of modern midwestern America. The characters' connection to the land is heartfelt, in fact, the land itself is so deeply part of the story, it almost becomes a character. The characters' relationships with each other are authentic and accessible to the reader. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in human relationships, particularly those concerning the modern American rancher and farmer.
Profile Image for Peg.
668 reviews
June 29, 2022
The Floor of the Sky. My first foray into the Flyover Fiction list from the University of Nebraska. Ron Hansen is the series editor. The Floor of the Sky is a generational story set in Nebraska in a dying ranching community. In comes Lila 16 and pregnant sent to spend the summer and final trimester with her Grandmother, Toby. This is not a new story but one that is always a joy to read if told by a gifted author and Ms. Joern certainly is one.
Profile Image for Sharon.
615 reviews
June 30, 2017
This was a thought provoking story of Midwestern life on a ranch in western Nebraska. The story spans three generations of well developed characters and their relationships. It is told through the point of view of different characters, and I was grateful for the headings. The main characters are 16 year old Lila, who is sent to live with her grandmother on the ranch for the summer. She is pregnant and needs to come to some decisions. It takes an honest approach to life and leaves no lose ends. It would be a great book for a book club to discuss.
Profile Image for Rrshively.
1,591 reviews
January 5, 2017
This is a family story of classic proportions. It has guilt, bitterness, compassion, tragedy, secrets, and grace that is equal to many great multigenerational novels in the setting of the western Nebraska sandhills. As I lived many years in the part of Colorado just south of the Nebraska panhandle and am familiar with Scottsbluff, I found many parts of the novel familiar. My husband interviewed for a job in Arthur, the most isolated county seat in the U. S. I very much enjoyed this novel.
17 reviews
January 10, 2008
I read this for my book club. Most of us liked it.

I thought this book was well-written, and I liked the author's presentation and inter-weaving of the characters, with their pasts and their presents, as well as the inter-generational aspect between the girl and the grandmother.

We all have secrets that seem to direct our futures, as this book illustrates.
Profile Image for Gayle.
191 reviews4 followers
April 30, 2010
Beautiful story. Well written. A lovely portrayal of family relationships across generations. Pamela Carter Joern has a gift for bringing readers into the fold of the story. This will make an excellent discussion book. I'm greatly looking forward to talking with Joern about her approach to this story.
Profile Image for Sarah.
1 review
August 14, 2016
It took me til about 3/4 way in to finally connect all the characters and really get into it. It just seemed too slow-moving for me. But once I got into it, I grew to love the characters and the lives out there at the Bluestem. The ending was unexpected and quite sad (y'all know what I'm talking about!)
Anyway I would probably recommend this. :)
Profile Image for Betsy.
798 reviews66 followers
July 19, 2007
I read a review of this in the Star Tribune and reserved it at the library, and I ended up really liking it. It's kind of bleak and dark, and the darkness never really lifts entirely, but it ends up being uplifting.
21 reviews
November 11, 2007
Set in rural Nebraska, this book depicts the lives of a family on a ranch. Interesting thoughts on how lies can effect our relationships with each other. My family came from Nebraska so I loved and understood the appropriateness of the title.
Profile Image for Briel.
1,044 reviews
July 4, 2008
This was a gripping novel set in Nebraska. The characters were vibrant, and even though the narration changed from one character to the next it did not seem jumpy. Very touching and moving story of love, loss, family and friendships. Loved it (and no, it's not depressing!).
Profile Image for Rebecca.
271 reviews3 followers
August 27, 2009
I enjoyed this family saga set in the Nebraska Sandhills. If you think some of the book's characters are unbelievable, you probably don't know enough about the characters in your own family's history!
Profile Image for Marcia.
252 reviews
April 20, 2010
My book club just finished the book and had the author over for dinner. It was a fabulous book and she is a fantastic story teller. This book is a must read, especially for those who like independent folk!
Profile Image for Kelsey Winn.
185 reviews3 followers
October 6, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. The setting really appealed to me. I love stories about small towns, farms, etc. I also love anything that has to do with families and all of that. So I'm probably a bit biased. But I thought it was really good.
Profile Image for Samantha Walker.
6 reviews
April 6, 2016
I had to read this book for my AP Lit class, and usually I don't enjoy the AP books. However, this book was super good! I highly recommend it to anyone who likes realistic fiction, or young adult literature.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews

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