Book of Polly, The
Hepinstall, KathyThe embarrassment that children suffer at the hands of their parents is exemplified by Willow Havens who unexpectedly 'arrives' when her mother Polly is in her late 50s. But it's not all downhill from there; more a case of growing up and growing old together, unconventionally in their conventional Texan town. That is until Polly's health challenges and Willow's fierce determination to uncover the mystery of her mother's early life are set on a collision course.
Narrated by Willow, this is a delightfully entertaining Southern comedy of witty dialogue, quirky characters wrestling with the vagaries of life and testimony to the power of love and family, whatever form it takes.
Pages
322
322
Year
2017
2017
Reviews
27-02-2024
One of the best books we have read, and we would certainly recommend it to others.
23-01-2024
Probably wouldn't be in the 'best book ever' category, but we did manage two hours of animated discussion ( not always on the topic) and all of us read the entire book, which says something.
08-12-2023
Most loved this book, but were a little disappointed with the ending.
16-08-2023
We all enjoyed this book - the characters, the humour, the themes, and we had an interesting discussion.
16-08-2023
Really enjoyed the characters and the "laugh out loud" humour. Willow was such a resilient child and had a great outlook on life.
13-07-2023
Entertaining read, thought-provoking. Characters came to life. Captured the idea of the Southern States. Polly an excellent character.
03-07-2023
Opinions on this book ranged from it's OK to didn't really like it. There were some good character descriptions but on the whole nothing much to recommend it. The questions were very convoluted and didn't really help with discussion.
13-10-2022
Mostly enjoyed. Loved certain characters. Interesting relationships.
15-09-2022
We all enjoyed this amusing but touching story, maybe we all relate to a bit of Polly in ourselves!
22-04-2022
Some very funny parts to the book.
02-03-2022
Enjoyed by all.
15-02-2022
We all thoroughly enjoyed this book. Very well-written, and characters are absorbing and colourful!
05-10-2021
Quirky but entertaining.
17-09-2021
Our group very much enjoyed 'The Book of Polly'. We loved the humour and character descriptions, and the situations the characters found themselves in. Some situations sad but others funny.
15-09-2021
Delightful to read. Characters beautifully portrayed.
25-08-2021
Quirky. Easy reading.
22-07-2021
An interesting read. Characters well drawn. Polly would be a great neighbour. Questions covered a good cross-section of novel.
19-07-2021
Easy read. Enjoyed by all.
13-07-2021
An easy and entertaining read, with a lot of dry humour. Seen by some as 'chick lit'! Interesting view of a mother/daughter relationship, given the almost unbelievable age gap.
31-05-2021
An easy read with quirky characters. Did resonate with those in our group who were only children or 'late additions' of older mothers.
21-04-2021
Every member of our group loved this book. Great characters and very well-written.
08-03-2021
A great book with which to begin the year. Wonderful writing, original and witty.
08-03-2021
A fun, light read. We all loved it.
20-01-2021
The majority of us enjoyed this book and found the quirky character of Polly especially, leavened the seriousness of the subject matter.
30-10-2020
Funny, whimsical, a quick easy read. Focus on mother/daughter relationships. Tackles serious subjects with a light touch.
30-10-2020
A little on the light side. Sweet, but slightly unbelievable at times.
23-10-2020
What an interesting and strong character Polly was! Most enjoyed this book although some felt her character was orchestrated to fit the story. Clearly her past triggered her personality, and the book touched many emotions.
22-09-2020
The group agreed that this was a good easy read, without much depth to it. One of our members thought it would be more suitable for teenagers. Polly and Summer were both believable characters that were entertaining. At times it read like a fairy tale, but a feel good read all the same.
04-09-2020
Gentle, amusing, popular choice.
05-08-2020
The group all enjoyed this book.
27-07-2020
We loved the book.
09-07-2020
Funny in parts; simple enjoyment - not a must read.
05-06-2020
A few differing opinions as to Willow's upbringing, and Polly's relationship with her older children, but all agreed it was an enjoyable read.
01-05-2020
We found this to be a quirky story, easy to read and funny at times. Her life took quite an unusual journey, and explained the different relationships.
27-11-2019
We all loved Polly and her blunt and honest way of dealing with the world! A great, and unpredictable story.