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Ellen Foster (Oprah's Book Club) (Paperback)

by Gibbons (Author) "When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy ..." (more)
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage Books (31 Dec 1990)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0375703055
  • ISBN-13: 978-0375703058
  • Product Dimensions: 20.1 x 13 x 1 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,596,365 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review
"Ellen Foster is a southern Holden Caulfield, tougher perhaps, as funny. . . . A breathtaking first novel." --Walker Percy
"A stunning new writer. . . . The life in this novel, the honesty of th0ought and eye and feeling and word! --Eudora Welty
"The story of a redoubtable girl who overcomes adversity with humor, spunk, and determination, Kaye Gibbons's first novel is a work of considerable subtlety and intellectual sophistication. A terrific book." --Jonathan Yardley, "The Washington Post Book World"
"Filled with lively humor, compasion and integrity . . . Ellen Foster may be the most trustworthy character in recent fiction." --Alice Hoffman, "The New York Times Book Review"

ALICE HOFFMAN
'Filled with lively humour, compassion and integrity ... ellen Foster may be the most trustworthy character in recent fiction ' --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing, heartwrenching, wonderous ..., 5 Jan 2008
By Mary C "NurseMare" (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)      
I stood by my bookcase looking at the spines of a half dozen books I haven't read yet and there was a diminutive little hardcover wedged into the mix -- Ellen Foster. I half-heartedly pulled it from the shelf and opened it to the first page and started reading a little just to see if it would be interesting enough to read. Well .... I stood rooted to that spot, standing by the bookcase, reading for some time. I was so engrossed in the story immediately that I forgot the time. This was a story that just pulls you right in and holds your heart until the end.

Poor little Ellen Foster is born to a very sickly mother with an abusive husband. Her poor mother dies near the beginning of the book, the one person who seemed to really love poor little Ellen. She is shuttled back and forth from relative to relative. They are cruel and selfish and let her know right up front that they don't want her. Gosh, your heart just breaks for this dear child. Don't want to say much more as I don't want to ruin the story for anyone.

This story is told in narrative form. It's as though little Ellen, very wise beyond her 11 years on this earth, is sitting right there next to you telling you the story of her life. There are no quotation marks, no dialog in the sense that you are used to, it's a rambling monologue about her life. You know what? You don't notice that, you just live this child's life as she tells it.

It's not all sadness as misery. It's also about triumph over the worst odds, triumph over what would knock most of us down, triumph of this wonderful little girl and where her life takes her. I love Ellen Foster.

You have got to get your hands on this book and dive in. You'll enjoy it to the point of forgetting time itself. You'll feel that Ellen Foster is a real person sitting there telling her story. Read this wonderful book ... doing so will enrich your life.

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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A modern fairytale with a bit of a twist, 22 Nov 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Ellen Foster (Virago modern classics) (Paperback)
I read this book because I'm determied to read as much of Oprah Winfrey's book list as possible. I was not disappointed!

Ellen Foster is the tale of a young girl whose life is quite simply horrific.

Kaye Gibbon's page turning account is most certainly enriched by the creation of true to life fairy tale 'baddies' in the shape of Ellen's relatives. She also uses this novel to look at deeper issues such as racism and survival.

I highly recommend this book especially if your a sucker for a happy ending. If you have teens in the house this book is a must, I'm passing this on to my 14 year old cousin maybe she'll appreciate what she has when she reads this.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Short but Touching Read, 17 Sep 2008
By Lincs Reader (Lincolnshire, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Ellen Foster (Virago modern classics) (Paperback)
Just a very short novel of 126 pages, but still a really moving and sometimes heartwrenching read.

Eleven year old Ellen narrates the story - there is very little in the way of punctuation but this only adds to the honest of her story. Ellen's mother dies and she is left to manage on her own as her father is a desperate alcoholic who sees Ellen as something he can ridicule and abuse. Ellen moves in with her maternal grandmother who again, like her father, treats her badly.

Finally after being shoved from pillar to post she finds her 'new mama' - a foster mother who Ellen has seen in Church.

Ellen Foster is a fascinating story - although it is obvious she is abused there is no graphic details - this is fiction and nothing like the masses of 'misery memoirs' that are on almost every book shop shelf these days.

Ellen is a simple and honest girl, but obviously full of insight and intelligence. Throughout the novel her enduring love for her black friend Starletta keeps her going through thick and thin.

A beautiful and touching story.
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