As many of you may know, I am no longer a New Yorker, so please check out my new blog A Library of My Own. If you are just reading Life and Times, you are missing out. Thanks!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

The Mighty Queens of Freeville - Amy Dickinson


I was asked a short while ago by Nicole from Bookreporter, if I wanted to read and review the book The Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson. I jumped on the chance because I've heard Amy Dickinson on my favorite NPR podcast, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me.  She also replaced Ann Landers for the Chicago Tribune and writes the famous advice column Ask Amy.

The subtitle of this book is "A Story of Surprising Second Chances" and what a wonderful little memoir this is.  Amy tells her story of getting married, divorced, becoming a single mom of young daughter, moving and living in London, D.C., and Chicago, and often going back home to Freeville, New York where she is surrounded by the strong women in her family who help her through it all.

The book is just over two hundred pages and is the perfect length with the perfect amount of humor and heartache.  I gobbled it right up.  I've never had a baby or been through a divorce, but this summer, after moving from NYC to Kentucky, trying to find a job and supporting my husband going back to school, this was exactly the type of book I needed to read.  This book made me laugh, want to cry, and wish I had my own Freeville.

For more info, you can check out her site My Second Chance Stories.

The Chicago Tribune and Amy Dickinson are also asking for people to write in their Second Chance stories.  Head on over to their website if you want to participate.

Amy Dickinson is also on Facebook and Twitter if you'd like to know more about her.





4 comments:

  1. Love Amy Dickinson! I read her first memoir, and she's so inspiring. Thanks for the great review!

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  2. I loved this one, too! Dickinson really had a way to make you laugh despite the serious nature of so much of the book. You're the first person I've found that liked it as much as I did, though, which is very disappointing.

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  3. I wish I could live in London! I would like to visit New York and I have visited Chicago and loved every second of my time there (my godfather lived there for awhile). It sounds like a great story!

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  4. I'll have to keep this in mind for when I need a pick-me-up!

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