A Girl Named Zippy

Morning television viewers familiar with Today's Book Club endorsements were introduced to Haven Kimmel and her recollections of "growing up small" in Mooreland, Indiana. I was familiar with the author by her previous novel, _The Solace of Leaving Early_ . Her writing is beautiful, and in anticpation of another good read, I purchased _A Girl Named Zippy_. Captivated with the picture of a big eared, cross-eyed, bald and grinning baby on the cover, I began to read and happily shared what it was like growing up again in 1965.Haven Kimmel reached back into her childhood and gave us a picture-book of written memories perfectedly presented in age appropriate style. In a time before computers were in every house, her rememberances were a personal jolt back to my younger years and to recall just what we did with our imaginations and the way we processed the very confusing adult world where children were not indulged and incessantly reassured.As in most childhoods, there is joy, pain and traumatic events. The least notable moment in the daily life of a young girl appealed most, for it is there that Kimmel's eloquence dominates, revealing the intensity of 8 year old Zippy. Short chapters, highlighted with germane photographs of the family/person/place/event augment furthur the kickback experience to a healthy, wholesome childhood. This is a must read for anyone longing to revisit their younger years and feel what it was like to be a kid again.

This was a very bland book for me &I read it as a filled between books as a quick easy, thoughtless read. I am not the right person to ask as I find most of these sort of books very embellished and boring. The overall book itself wasn't bad and several parts I found interesting. However, I got the book free so it was no big deal either direction. I would not have had the same feelings I'm sure it I had to purchase it. If free, it's worth a shot. If you have to pay, .... that is a choice you will have to make.

I was happily surprised to find this book on a table of staff picks at our local library and started to read it. While I was reading it, I ordered it from Amazon for my sister who also a quite enjoyed it. I checked it out of the library to read the whole thing and am glad I did. There were parts I found very funny, but all of it was amusing because Zippy herself was/is quite the character. I looked forward to reading about her life in a small town with her parents and siblings. It's a true story I particularly enjoyed because it's a light read, and I pretty much smiled my way through it - - a nice change of pace.

I bought this book thinking it would remind me of my childhood, as I also grew up in a small town around the same time as the author did. But if you're envisioning barefoot summer days, playing kickball by the light of the street lamp, and catching fireflies in a mason jar, this is not the book you're looking for. A mother who tells her child she was adopted from a band of gypsies and allows her to believe it, a father who borrows multiple crates of hounds just to harass the elderly neighbor who complained about their dog barking, a brother who slaps his sister so hard he knocks her into the bathtub.... this is not your typical family. Add to that the neighbors who move in and out... well, wow. In short, she's an odd child with an odd family who lives in an odd little town filled with odd people. It might be quite entertaining to some, and the writing is good with some amusing parts, but you should just be aware that the stories are not the charming shared memories of a more innocent time that you may be expecting.

It seems like people only pay attention anymore to memoirs that involve people overcoming incredible odds, recovering from addiction, or scaling mountains and sometimes eating those that didn't survive. Don't get me wrong, I am, at times, a fan of those books. However, it was so refreshing to read an incredible book about an "ordinary" life. Kimmel takes the ordinary and makes it shine. I saw my own parents and grandparents in her tales. I also saw so much of my own childhood. I could literally feel characters chasing and losing dreams and somehow learning to live with what they can't rise above. I think I heard Springsteen say that first. When the book isn't making you chuckle, it tends to sneak up on you and break your heart. But, the heartache only lasts briefly as it gets you back laughing pretty quickly.If you're a fan of Garrison Keillor then you will absolutely love this book. I kept flashing back to "Lake Wobegon Days." "Zippy" may possibly be a better book. Hard to say. A little too close to call. Simple, elegant, and touching. A must-read.Chris BowenAuthor of Our Kids: Building Relationships in the Classroom

I have to say that I was almost warned away from this book by the one-star objections of the folks who found the animal stories too much to handle. I'm glad I wasn't. There ARE some scenes that anyone who loves animals would find disgusting--but those scenes are told to demonstrate the fundamental ignorance, baseness, cruelty and ugliness of the perpetrators, not just as relates to animals, but also as individuals. But if readers find the author's acceptance of these characters objectionable, I didn't--I was uplifted, in fact, by the writer's ability to show compassion and sympathy to all these broken, twisted souls. And she shows compassion and sympathy to her own young self as well--she openly reveals her OWN flaws, while never once treating that young self unlovingly. Such an ability reveals a dedicated adherence to the healing, happy-making power of understanding and forgiveness. There are so many stories here; stories of intense LOVE of animals (can anyone really read the story of the Irish Setter for Father's Day and even DOUBT that?), as well as affection for and devotion to the human characters, in spite of their foibles. A completely worthwhile read--joyous, spunky, realistic without being ugly, full of three-dimensional characters and their complexities. Five stars all the way.

I was drawn into reading this book as soon as I started reading it. I could really relate to growing up in those times, although we weren’t quite that poor. Makes one miss the simpler pleasures of youth and naivety and how kids could entertain themselves back then. At first the writing style seemed fractured or disjointed but it really played into the telling of the story the way a child would and SO hilarious. I really admire an author who can write in this way, narrating with that childlike freshness shining through. The only other book I’ve read with that quality is “The Stump Farm” by Robert J Adams.

I've read this before and loved it so much, I put it on my syllabus for my first creative writing class. It was a huge hit. Funny and engaging, with an authentic voice. One of my all time favorites.

I am convinced I could be Zips mum! This book makes you feel good and let's you laugh out loud, I loved it.

bought as gift

I absolutely adored Zippy! A marvelous memoir.