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Flavors
Emily Sue Harvey’s first novel, Song of Renewal, was praised by New York Times bestselling author Jill Marie Landis as “an uplifting, heartwarming story,” by bestselling author Kay Allenbaugh as a work that will “linger in the memory long after readers put it aside,” and by Coffee Time Romance as “a must-read book for anyone doing a little soul searching.” New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry said, “It captures your attention, and whets your appetite for more,” while Peeking between the Pages called it “quite simply a beautiful book.”
Now, in Flavors, this master storyteller of the human heart sweeps us along with twelve-year-old Sadie Ann Melton as she enters a life-altering season. The summer of 1950 will change everything for her. For in that summer, she will embark on an odyssey at once heartbreakingly tender and crushingly brutal. At times, she will experience more darkness than she has ever witnessed before. At others, she will thrill to lightness and joy she never imagined. By summer’s end, the Melton women in Sadie’s journey &ndash loving her, coaxing her, and commanding her &ndash will help shape her into the woman she becomes. And they will expose Sadie to all of the flavors of life as she savors the world that she brings into being.
Filled with charm, wisdom, and the smorgasbord of emotions that comes with the first steps into adulthood, Flavors once again proves Emily Sue Harvey’s unique ability to touch our souls with her unforgettable stories.
Now, in Flavors, this master storyteller of the human heart sweeps us along with twelve-year-old Sadie Ann Melton as she enters a life-altering season. The summer of 1950 will change everything for her. For in that summer, she will embark on an odyssey at once heartbreakingly tender and crushingly brutal. At times, she will experience more darkness than she has ever witnessed before. At others, she will thrill to lightness and joy she never imagined. By summer’s end, the Melton women in Sadie’s journey &ndash loving her, coaxing her, and commanding her &ndash will help shape her into the woman she becomes. And they will expose Sadie to all of the flavors of life as she savors the world that she brings into being.
Filled with charm, wisdom, and the smorgasbord of emotions that comes with the first steps into adulthood, Flavors once again proves Emily Sue Harvey’s unique ability to touch our souls with her unforgettable stories.
116 pages, Paperback
First published January 26, 2011
2 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Emily Sue Harvey
13 books11 followersEmily Sue Harvey’s writing to make a difference. Her upbeat stories have appeared in dozens of anthologies including “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” “Chocolate for Women,” “From Eulogy to Joy,” “A Father’s Embrace,” “True Story,” “Compassionate Friends Magazine,” and “Woman’s World.” Emily Sue served as president of Southeastern Writers Association in 2008-2009. Her first novel, Song of Renewal, published by Story Plant, was released in the spring of 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 24, 2011
This one started off really slow for me. It took me several attempts to get through the first 20 pages. I found myself skimming and just not caring about it, wondering why I had agreed to review it. However once I was 20 pages in I stopped skimming and started enjoying the story.
This had a memoir - remembering the past feel to it. The book takes place over the course of a summer and is the recollections of twelve year old Sadie. I saw this categorized as young adult on someones goodread shelf but think that is inaccurate. The way it is written seems to be a book aimed at adults looking back at the good old days with a sense of nostalgia.
A heartfelt touching story of love and loss.
This had a memoir - remembering the past feel to it. The book takes place over the course of a summer and is the recollections of twelve year old Sadie. I saw this categorized as young adult on someones goodread shelf but think that is inaccurate. The way it is written seems to be a book aimed at adults looking back at the good old days with a sense of nostalgia.
A heartfelt touching story of love and loss.
December 22, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed Emily Sue Harvey’s book, flavors. Set in 1950 rural South Carolina, it’s the coming of age tale of a young girl who spends her weeks on her grandparents’ farm and her weekends in town with her parents, who both work. Harvey does a fine job capturing the angst and insecurities of those pre-adolescent days, as well as the passion and exuberance. It’s a quick, compelling read with a satisfying ending; highly recommended for those who enjoy stories about relationships and Southern settings.
March 1, 2011
*Rated 4.5*
After twelve-year old, Sadie Ann Melton's babysitter, runs off and gets married, chaos prevails as both her parents are too busy with their work. It's decided that Sadie and her little brother would be taken care by their grandparents on their farm. Sadie is excited at the prospect of spending an entire summer with her aunt, Nellie, who is just one year older to her.
"The summer at Grandma and Grandpa Melton's South Carolina farm would ne a season from which I would therafter mark time. The prospect of actually living there for an entire summer loomed before me like a chocolate treat."
I never expected to like this book as much as I did. Flavors evoked so much of nostalgia in me. Two years ago, when I stopped being a teenager, I remember feeling so sad and excited at the same time. I often look back to my childhood and my early adolescence. There were so many experiences and incidents that shaped the person I am today. Flavors took me back to so many memories. As I become older, I find myself reminiscing more and more. What an apt title for a great book! Flavors is about a woman who journeys back to her childhood, as she recalls a summer spent in her granparents' farm. She underwent myriad of experiences, each with a different "flavor"- some sweet, some bitter, some bittersweet - all of which made her evolve, change and shaped her into the woman she is.
"Funny thing. Nowadays, I am challenged to remember last week's happenings. Even yesterday's. But there's something about musings of past youth. They are perched right there on the periphery of my brain, ready-set-go to dive in. And once one gains entrance, it sends out this telepathic signal to all the others, announcing a grand reunion."
Truth be known, of all life's slices, adolescence is the most poignant. The abrupt transition from childhood - a magical time when emotions are sterling, distinct and spontaneous - to puberty (when nothing is defined and everything postured) is both brash and mystical
Sadie soon realizes that life at Melton farm is much harder than at home. She starts to miss the luxuries of her home. Grandma favours the men of the family. Sadie often feels rejected and lonely. She no longer has the luxury of being one of only two children in the family. The environment at Melton farm is not particularly warm or affectionate. However, it's there where she truly experiences all the ups and downs of life, each a different flavor.
One of my favourite things about the book is how Sadie ascribes a different flavor to each experience.
To me, life is a huge pie, each slice a different flavor. Childhood is definitely lemon. Yet youth cannot completely contain it because a bit of its tanginess pops up still, a half century later. Not as often, and maybe not as strong, but during an exceptionally joyful time of love or discovery, a triumph, I whiff it.
I could never have thought of experiences in terms of flavors. There are some experiences which are bad, some which are good.In case of Sadie, each of these events teach her some important life lessons. Eventually she grows up to be a stronger, more mature woman. Under Nellie and grandmother, she learns many of life's truths which she had been shielded from earlier.
During her stay at her grandparents' farm, Sadie undergoes a lot of anger, pain and loneliness due to her grandmother's coldness. It's only when she has grown-up, she develops a greater understanding of how her grandmother played a major role in her life. She learns to understand and respect her grandmother more, in retrospect.
Before her stay at the farm, Sadie would expect everyone to be perfect. It's the unrealistic expectation which leads her to be disappointed again and again in Nellie and her grandmother. Later, as a more mature woman, she comes to love and accept everyone with their flaws.
Ultimately, what this book teaches us, is to enjoy life in all its bitter-sweet moments. Flavors is a book which, I believe, can be read and loved by anyone. No matter how "grown-up" we become, childhood memories still remain with us.
Overall:
Flavors is a heart-warming story and a learning experience.
Recommended?
Yes! To everyone - adult or young adult.
After twelve-year old, Sadie Ann Melton's babysitter, runs off and gets married, chaos prevails as both her parents are too busy with their work. It's decided that Sadie and her little brother would be taken care by their grandparents on their farm. Sadie is excited at the prospect of spending an entire summer with her aunt, Nellie, who is just one year older to her.
"The summer at Grandma and Grandpa Melton's South Carolina farm would ne a season from which I would therafter mark time. The prospect of actually living there for an entire summer loomed before me like a chocolate treat."
I never expected to like this book as much as I did. Flavors evoked so much of nostalgia in me. Two years ago, when I stopped being a teenager, I remember feeling so sad and excited at the same time. I often look back to my childhood and my early adolescence. There were so many experiences and incidents that shaped the person I am today. Flavors took me back to so many memories. As I become older, I find myself reminiscing more and more. What an apt title for a great book! Flavors is about a woman who journeys back to her childhood, as she recalls a summer spent in her granparents' farm. She underwent myriad of experiences, each with a different "flavor"- some sweet, some bitter, some bittersweet - all of which made her evolve, change and shaped her into the woman she is.
"Funny thing. Nowadays, I am challenged to remember last week's happenings. Even yesterday's. But there's something about musings of past youth. They are perched right there on the periphery of my brain, ready-set-go to dive in. And once one gains entrance, it sends out this telepathic signal to all the others, announcing a grand reunion."
Truth be known, of all life's slices, adolescence is the most poignant. The abrupt transition from childhood - a magical time when emotions are sterling, distinct and spontaneous - to puberty (when nothing is defined and everything postured) is both brash and mystical
Sadie soon realizes that life at Melton farm is much harder than at home. She starts to miss the luxuries of her home. Grandma favours the men of the family. Sadie often feels rejected and lonely. She no longer has the luxury of being one of only two children in the family. The environment at Melton farm is not particularly warm or affectionate. However, it's there where she truly experiences all the ups and downs of life, each a different flavor.
One of my favourite things about the book is how Sadie ascribes a different flavor to each experience.
To me, life is a huge pie, each slice a different flavor. Childhood is definitely lemon. Yet youth cannot completely contain it because a bit of its tanginess pops up still, a half century later. Not as often, and maybe not as strong, but during an exceptionally joyful time of love or discovery, a triumph, I whiff it.
I could never have thought of experiences in terms of flavors. There are some experiences which are bad, some which are good.In case of Sadie, each of these events teach her some important life lessons. Eventually she grows up to be a stronger, more mature woman. Under Nellie and grandmother, she learns many of life's truths which she had been shielded from earlier.
During her stay at her grandparents' farm, Sadie undergoes a lot of anger, pain and loneliness due to her grandmother's coldness. It's only when she has grown-up, she develops a greater understanding of how her grandmother played a major role in her life. She learns to understand and respect her grandmother more, in retrospect.
Before her stay at the farm, Sadie would expect everyone to be perfect. It's the unrealistic expectation which leads her to be disappointed again and again in Nellie and her grandmother. Later, as a more mature woman, she comes to love and accept everyone with their flaws.
Ultimately, what this book teaches us, is to enjoy life in all its bitter-sweet moments. Flavors is a book which, I believe, can be read and loved by anyone. No matter how "grown-up" we become, childhood memories still remain with us.
Overall:
Flavors is a heart-warming story and a learning experience.
Recommended?
Yes! To everyone - adult or young adult.
March 25, 2011
This review first appeared on my blog: http://www.knittingandsundries.com/20...
In "Flavors", the narrator, Sadie Ann Melton, looks back from middle age to a particular period in her life when her summer was spent mostly at her grandparents' farm in South Carolina, with weekends with her parents after their live-in babysitter eloped. The author was 12 years old and her little brother was 4, and the extra income for her grandmother allowed her to buy a washing machine to help her with the huge amount of laundry generated by her large family (a total of 11 children, many of them still at home, and many aunts and uncles very close to Sadie Ann's age).
With many of the experiences and times described as having particular flavors, this reader (really a born country girl, now in the city), was easily transported back to country life, where you had to grab your own switches for your spankings, and the fields and woods beckoned you, where a coin could get you a bag full of candy, and where poverty often forced teens to drop out and go to work to help support the family.
Weighing in at only 120 pages, this was a fast read. Some of the prose felt "over the top" to me, and it feels more like a vignette a little deeper than a surface sketch, BUT I still "got it" and liked it. The family drama felt real, and the sudden loss of a family member, along with the stoicism of Sadie's grandparents, also brought to mind some of my own country cousins.
Altogether an enjoyable read, this one feels like a truly reminiscent novella that will likely take the reader back to their own childhood years, even if it's a totally different type of childhood.
QUOTES
What fun to dive into a passel of kids who looked and behaved remarkably like Ma and Pa Kettle's brood. No kid could have been happier than me at the turn of events.
The thing about Conrad was that he celebrated rather than tolerated me, as was the general regard thereabouts. How quickly my period of grace had expired. But with Conrad, I was totally okay. That was my first whiff of strawberry-flavored pleasure, a prelude to the age of teens.
Life was good.
"Nellie Jane," I whispered. "where's Frances?
She looked at me for a long time, sadness heavy in her gaze. Then she nodded to the platter of sausage and the bowl of ham and red-eye gravy.
"There's Frances," she said, puckering and quickly sniffing back tears.
Writing: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Plot: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Characters: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Reading Immersion: 3 out 5 stars
BOOK RATING: 3.25 out of 5 stars
In "Flavors", the narrator, Sadie Ann Melton, looks back from middle age to a particular period in her life when her summer was spent mostly at her grandparents' farm in South Carolina, with weekends with her parents after their live-in babysitter eloped. The author was 12 years old and her little brother was 4, and the extra income for her grandmother allowed her to buy a washing machine to help her with the huge amount of laundry generated by her large family (a total of 11 children, many of them still at home, and many aunts and uncles very close to Sadie Ann's age).
With many of the experiences and times described as having particular flavors, this reader (really a born country girl, now in the city), was easily transported back to country life, where you had to grab your own switches for your spankings, and the fields and woods beckoned you, where a coin could get you a bag full of candy, and where poverty often forced teens to drop out and go to work to help support the family.
Weighing in at only 120 pages, this was a fast read. Some of the prose felt "over the top" to me, and it feels more like a vignette a little deeper than a surface sketch, BUT I still "got it" and liked it. The family drama felt real, and the sudden loss of a family member, along with the stoicism of Sadie's grandparents, also brought to mind some of my own country cousins.
Altogether an enjoyable read, this one feels like a truly reminiscent novella that will likely take the reader back to their own childhood years, even if it's a totally different type of childhood.
QUOTES
What fun to dive into a passel of kids who looked and behaved remarkably like Ma and Pa Kettle's brood. No kid could have been happier than me at the turn of events.
The thing about Conrad was that he celebrated rather than tolerated me, as was the general regard thereabouts. How quickly my period of grace had expired. But with Conrad, I was totally okay. That was my first whiff of strawberry-flavored pleasure, a prelude to the age of teens.
Life was good.
"Nellie Jane," I whispered. "where's Frances?
She looked at me for a long time, sadness heavy in her gaze. Then she nodded to the platter of sausage and the bowl of ham and red-eye gravy.
"There's Frances," she said, puckering and quickly sniffing back tears.
Writing: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Plot: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Characters: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Reading Immersion: 3 out 5 stars
BOOK RATING: 3.25 out of 5 stars
May 27, 2012
The summer of 1950 has arrived, and Sadie's parents are in need of a babysitter for her and younger brother Joe for the summer while they work. Sadie's parents work the second shift at a mill. Sadie and her brother are sent to stay for the summer at their paternal grandparents farm in South Carolina. On weekends their parents would visit the farm, often picking up the kids and taking them to the drive-in movie theater. They were a close family, laughter and affection was prominent. On the other hand Sadie's grandmother was a stern stoic no-nonsense person.
"She was not into sweet-talk. Her dialogue was as plain and unadorned as her battered washboard. Her vocabulary was the same, plain enough for a moron to understand. When she meant 'flighty,' she said 'flighty.' The upside was you never misunderstood her."
Sadie's father was the 5th of 12 children, grandma was having children while her children were having children. Sadie had an aunt only 1 year older. Aunt Nellie Jane did not have time to squander. Her duties were as full as any adult. Cooking and cleaning and laundry and caring for the farm animals took up most of her day. Although Sadie was given chores as well, she was not an expert as dear Nellie Jane. There were moments that the 2 girls were able to take a break from chores and just be the young adolescent girls they were. Sadie's teenage uncles were usually busy with their father working in the fields.
Flavors is a coming of age story nestled deep in southern wording and southern culture. The year being 1950, was before technology took away from a child's imagination and outside creativity and pleasures.
Sadie is a sensitive, articulate, observant, perceptive girl. Her observations are of her grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, and their behavior and choices. She ponders them, and then makes decisions about her own life. The title flavors is alluded to often in the book----as she analyzes her surroundings and feelings and compares them to flavors.
This is a transparent and honest look at other humans. At what mistakes were made, and what can and should be the observer's response----an education in life. During this process of an education in life, a child grows-up.
Flavors is more than well-written, it is magical. Sadie's story swept me away and I was there, in the stifling humid heat, of 1950 South Carolina. When Sadie felt something, I could as well.
Emphatically, this is in my top 5 of BEST stories I've read. I loved it that much!
Thank you to Emily Sue Harvey and The Story Plant for my free review copy in exchange for an honest review!
"She was not into sweet-talk. Her dialogue was as plain and unadorned as her battered washboard. Her vocabulary was the same, plain enough for a moron to understand. When she meant 'flighty,' she said 'flighty.' The upside was you never misunderstood her."
Sadie's father was the 5th of 12 children, grandma was having children while her children were having children. Sadie had an aunt only 1 year older. Aunt Nellie Jane did not have time to squander. Her duties were as full as any adult. Cooking and cleaning and laundry and caring for the farm animals took up most of her day. Although Sadie was given chores as well, she was not an expert as dear Nellie Jane. There were moments that the 2 girls were able to take a break from chores and just be the young adolescent girls they were. Sadie's teenage uncles were usually busy with their father working in the fields.
Flavors is a coming of age story nestled deep in southern wording and southern culture. The year being 1950, was before technology took away from a child's imagination and outside creativity and pleasures.
Sadie is a sensitive, articulate, observant, perceptive girl. Her observations are of her grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, and their behavior and choices. She ponders them, and then makes decisions about her own life. The title flavors is alluded to often in the book----as she analyzes her surroundings and feelings and compares them to flavors.
This is a transparent and honest look at other humans. At what mistakes were made, and what can and should be the observer's response----an education in life. During this process of an education in life, a child grows-up.
Flavors is more than well-written, it is magical. Sadie's story swept me away and I was there, in the stifling humid heat, of 1950 South Carolina. When Sadie felt something, I could as well.
Emphatically, this is in my top 5 of BEST stories I've read. I loved it that much!
Thank you to Emily Sue Harvey and The Story Plant for my free review copy in exchange for an honest review!
March 1, 2011
Three Reasons Review
1) Reasons I Chose This Book:
* Of course, the first reason I chose this book is because I got an e-mail from the Pump Up Your Book Tour looking for people to review it!
* Before I even read anything about this book, the cover really caught my eye. Who can resist a book with beautiful flowers on the front?
2) Reasons You Liked or Disliked This Book:
* Reading this book was like taking a trip down memory lane. I know it takes place in the 50's, but there were so may memories that came flooding back to me along the way in this book.
* Sadie Ann Melton was spending the summer at her grandparents and was looking at a hay baler and the sights and sounds reminded me of the barn that used to be behind my parent's home that is no longer there because it was so old and had to be torn down..
* They went to the Saturday night drive-in and got Pepsis and popcorn. I could just remember times from my childhood when we used to go to the drive-in! I can just taste the ice cold Pepsi and the crunchy popcorn!
* I loved this quote from the book: p.19 "To me, life is a huge pie, each slice a different flavor. Childhood is definitely lemon."
* Sadie found out a lot about herself this summer. She had some hard truths revealed to her, and she really grew up this summer.
* Sadie camped out with her grandparents and it reminded me of camping at my grandparent's cabin. I could just smell the campfire and the love of my family all sitting around and having a good time. At the cabin there was no phone or TV just the good old cabin and the wildlife. The river ran behind the cabin and we could hear the people floating by on their canoes.
* Everything that happened in Sadie's life had a flavor and I just loved how she put the flavors with the moment.
* There was nothing about this book that I disliked--I loved everything about this book!
3) Reasons You Are Recommending This Book:
* This is just an all around excellent book that is sure to bring memories back from times when life was a lot more simple.
* I want to thank Emily Sue Harvey for bringing back so many wonderful memories from my own life. There was a lot of flavor packed in this short book!
1) Reasons I Chose This Book:
* Of course, the first reason I chose this book is because I got an e-mail from the Pump Up Your Book Tour looking for people to review it!
* Before I even read anything about this book, the cover really caught my eye. Who can resist a book with beautiful flowers on the front?
2) Reasons You Liked or Disliked This Book:
* Reading this book was like taking a trip down memory lane. I know it takes place in the 50's, but there were so may memories that came flooding back to me along the way in this book.
* Sadie Ann Melton was spending the summer at her grandparents and was looking at a hay baler and the sights and sounds reminded me of the barn that used to be behind my parent's home that is no longer there because it was so old and had to be torn down..
* They went to the Saturday night drive-in and got Pepsis and popcorn. I could just remember times from my childhood when we used to go to the drive-in! I can just taste the ice cold Pepsi and the crunchy popcorn!
* I loved this quote from the book: p.19 "To me, life is a huge pie, each slice a different flavor. Childhood is definitely lemon."
* Sadie found out a lot about herself this summer. She had some hard truths revealed to her, and she really grew up this summer.
* Sadie camped out with her grandparents and it reminded me of camping at my grandparent's cabin. I could just smell the campfire and the love of my family all sitting around and having a good time. At the cabin there was no phone or TV just the good old cabin and the wildlife. The river ran behind the cabin and we could hear the people floating by on their canoes.
* Everything that happened in Sadie's life had a flavor and I just loved how she put the flavors with the moment.
* There was nothing about this book that I disliked--I loved everything about this book!
3) Reasons You Are Recommending This Book:
* This is just an all around excellent book that is sure to bring memories back from times when life was a lot more simple.
* I want to thank Emily Sue Harvey for bringing back so many wonderful memories from my own life. There was a lot of flavor packed in this short book!
April 6, 2011
"Flavors" by Emily Sue Harvey was a real treat to read, and such a diversion and a different mix of "flavors" than my usual reads. Ms. Harvey gathers her readers up, and travels them on a trip back to 1950 where television and radio were not so commonplace, and simple walks with your friends were all the enjoyment that you needed. It was a simpler life then, less complicated, more black and white and, if you ask Sadie Ann Melton, just plain fun.
However, as the years go by for Sadie, she soon finds herself in complex situations, and realizes that life is not all fun and games like it used to be...especially when you grow older. She comes to the realization that, just like seasons, your life changes, sometimes for better and sometimes for worst, and a different "flavor" is associated with each.
Ms. Harvey does a fantastic job of attaching a flavor to each stage of Sadie's life. I believe it helps the reader come to understand more of how Sadie really felt about that particular situation and how it affected her. I would recommend this to readers who like reading about everyday life and who enjoys transforming themselves back to a place in time.
I give it 4 stars.
However, as the years go by for Sadie, she soon finds herself in complex situations, and realizes that life is not all fun and games like it used to be...especially when you grow older. She comes to the realization that, just like seasons, your life changes, sometimes for better and sometimes for worst, and a different "flavor" is associated with each.
Ms. Harvey does a fantastic job of attaching a flavor to each stage of Sadie's life. I believe it helps the reader come to understand more of how Sadie really felt about that particular situation and how it affected her. I would recommend this to readers who like reading about everyday life and who enjoys transforming themselves back to a place in time.
I give it 4 stars.
March 5, 2011
Emily Sue Harvey is like a fine wine, getting better and better with each book. The first one was ok. This second book, Flavors is defintely a good book. A novella, set in the South, a coming-of-age story. Very cute, Sadie Ann Melton describes things in Flavors as she has to stay at her grandparents during the week for the summers since her parents are both working during the 1950's. She is a very young spirted girl. I enjoyed her immensely, as I am sure you will too! She will have you laughing till your side aches!
At the end I think it needed a bit of refinement and I wish the "flavors" would have been capitalized a bit more but I really enjoyed this read a TON!!!!
Bravo indeed Ms Harvey!! You are on your way! I see that you are due to have a novel, Homefires out in June of this year, I already have that on my wish list...
At the end I think it needed a bit of refinement and I wish the "flavors" would have been capitalized a bit more but I really enjoyed this read a TON!!!!
Bravo indeed Ms Harvey!! You are on your way! I see that you are due to have a novel, Homefires out in June of this year, I already have that on my wish list...
June 4, 2011
This book reminds me a lot of childhood memories.The story of Flavors is like reading my diary, I could relate to some of the things mentioned in this book. I remember those summers spent at my grandparents house. Wow, reading this definitely made me stop and think of those people I met during those summer vacations and my crushes! And look at the book cover, loved that book cover! I'm really fascinated with flowers and the color is perfect for the theme of the book.
Though I have to mention that while I liked the story, this was kind of slow read for me. I don't know. This is one of those books I liked to read but couldn't finish in one sitting. I guess I could say that the story is good but the narration of Sadie's life wasn't that great. Overall, if you want something relaxing to read, a heart-warming story, you might want to try this book.
Though I have to mention that while I liked the story, this was kind of slow read for me. I don't know. This is one of those books I liked to read but couldn't finish in one sitting. I guess I could say that the story is good but the narration of Sadie's life wasn't that great. Overall, if you want something relaxing to read, a heart-warming story, you might want to try this book.
May 13, 2011
This short book highlights the summer of Sadie's life that she turns the corner into adulthood. It is a quick enjoyable read and brought back memories of my own teenage years in which I spent a lot of time at my best friend's farm.
She highlights the title, Flavors, by associating flavors with different seasons of life. Such as: "To me, life is a huge pie, each slice a different flavor. Childhood is definitely lemon. Yet youth cannot completely contain it because a bit of its tanginess pops up still, a half century later." (p19) And when talking about her cousin Conrad: "How quickly my period of grace had expired. But with Conrad, I was totally okay. That was my first whiff of strawberry-flavored pleasure, a prelude to the age of teens." (p33)
This book has the capability of bringing nostalgic memories back to mind. Do you associate flavors with different memories?
She highlights the title, Flavors, by associating flavors with different seasons of life. Such as: "To me, life is a huge pie, each slice a different flavor. Childhood is definitely lemon. Yet youth cannot completely contain it because a bit of its tanginess pops up still, a half century later." (p19) And when talking about her cousin Conrad: "How quickly my period of grace had expired. But with Conrad, I was totally okay. That was my first whiff of strawberry-flavored pleasure, a prelude to the age of teens." (p33)
This book has the capability of bringing nostalgic memories back to mind. Do you associate flavors with different memories?
March 3, 2011
Sadie looks back at her adolescence during the 50's when she spends the summer at her Grandparents house. She only spends the weekends with her parents. During this time she develops relationships with her aunts and uncles which helps shape the woman she will eventually become. The book was short and sweet but I think the characters could have been better developed.
May 24, 2011
It was okay...the story line was great, but the verbiage just felt a little forced, and despite being in the head of a twelve-year-old, I definitely felt like there were big words thrown in for the sake of being big words...
March 14, 2011
A solid novella, that had a great message in it. Love. Unconditional love.
At least that it was I took from it.
This was a beautifully written story, that has moments that will touch on your emotions.
Well-rounded and fun characters too, with unique personalities.
At least that it was I took from it.
This was a beautifully written story, that has moments that will touch on your emotions.
Well-rounded and fun characters too, with unique personalities.
March 12, 2011
Emily Sue Harvey has a way with words. Sadie grew dear to my heart with every page I read. Flavors is a beautiful story of a summer that forever shaped the woman Sadie became.
October 22, 2016
I would highly recommend everyone read this one! This book transports you to 1950. Great writing. I will be reading more of Ms. Harvey's works!!!
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April 5, 2011its alright get a copy of Scent of the Black Bouquet by Anthony Jackson at Amazon.com a know you will love this one
May 16, 2011
Sad but a good read!
July 13, 2012
It's such a shame when a good plot is ruined by bad writing.
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