"When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy. I would figure out this or that way and run it down through my head until it got easy."So begins the tale of Ellen Foster, the brave and engaging heroine of Kaye Gibbons's first novel, which won the Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Wise, funny, affectionate and true, Ellen Foster is, as Walker Percy called it, "The real thing. Which is to say, a lovely, sometimes heart/wrenching novel...[Ellen Foster] is as much a part of the backwoods South as a Faulkner character and a good deal more endearing."
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"A fast, wonderful read with a fantastic, engaging main character. A tough Holden Caufield girl who takes her insane life in stride and sees the world with a fresh, new point of view. Lovely book and wonderful voice! " — Balika (4 out of 5 stars)
"A fast, wonderful read with a fantastic, engaging main character. A tough Holden Caufield girl who takes her insane life in stride and sees the world with a fresh, new point of view. Lovely book and wonderful voice! "
“Ellen Foster is a southern Holden Caulfield, tougher perhaps, as funny…A breathtaking first novel.”
“A stunning new writer…The life in this novel, the honesty of thought and eye and feeling and word!”
“Filled with lively humor, compassion, and integrity…Ellen Foster may be the most trustworthy character in recent fiction.”
“The story of a redoubtable girl who overcomes adversity with humor, spunk, and determination, Kaye Gibbons’ first novel is a work of considerable subtlety and intellectual sophistication. A terrific book.”
" It continues to amaze me how tough kids can be when faced with no other options. I would recommend this to anyone...although it is older, and most people have already read it! "
" This is a great book. I read it many years ago and still it stands out. "
" Really liked it.Sometimes a bit hard to understand the way the character talks but it is still good.Very short easy read "
" One of the few books that I truly did not like at the time I read it because I thought the author was superficial, even wrong headed in the views espoused. Got myself into discussion trouble at the time over that position on my part. "
" A very quick read which didn't live up to it's early promise. I liked Ellen Foster's voice and story but found the time jumps a little disconcerting. Glad I read it but won't be rushing to her other books. "
" Great story -- Ellen is quite a girl! "
" It had a good lesson but the ending was anti-climatic. My teacher told me to look to see if Ellen's mom was murdered or committed suicide but it never said! So I am disapointed. "
" Guess I was expecting too much when a reviewer compared it to Mark Twain. It is no Mark Twain. I have read several similar books recently, and this one was nothing out of the ordinary. "
" It was very interesting - not fun to read but I'll remember the character. You really had to concentrate on it since it was so short, every word was important - I think I might have skimmed too much to really get the full impact. "
" young adult selection. Okay. Mother/daughter book club selection? "
" Excellent book - accidently came my way via a co-worker. Sad, funny and did I say sad? I admire Ellen Foster and her resilience. Great read! Thanks Jackie! "
" This book is a perfect gem "
" I had forgotten I read this book, but I keep a reading list. When I read the description of the book it was one of those "Ohhhh" moments. How could I forget? This is a haunting book, well worth the read. "
Kaye Gibbons was born in Nash County, North Carolina, and attended North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her 1987 debut, Ellen Foster, received the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction, a special citation from the Ernest Hemingway Foundation, and the Louis D. Rubin, Jr. Prize in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Two of her books, Ellen Foster and A Virtuous Woman, were selected for Oprah’s Book Club in 1998. She is currently a writer-in-residence at the library of North Carolina State University and lives in Raleigh with her husband and three daughters.
Ruth Ann Phimister has appeared off Broadway and in numerous regional productions, including Life with Father with Robert Reed. She has also worked in television, film, and commercial voice-over.
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