" I wanted to love this book if for no other reason than I really like Barbara O'Connor. Her How to Steal a Dog is one of my favorites, a funny and heartbreaking ethical dilemma. I love her lyrical writing, her themes, and her characters. But not this time. The writing is still suffused with gentle beauty and Southern charm, but the theme and characters both fall woefully short. Popeye, the protagonist, doesn't grow and become a better person for his experiences. Rather, the belligerent, foul-mouthed Elvis prompts Popeye to be disobedient and deceitful. Princess, the Yoohoo-boat builder, is simply odd, what my great-grandmother would have called "touched." Like I said, I really wanted to love this book. My expectations of O'Connor are high. I've always been a little sad to finish one of her books because I've come to love the characters; but again, not this time! "
— Terri, 1/13/2014