Durable Goods

I have just discovered the magic that is Elizabeth Berg in the last year. I began with "Pull of the Moon" and am gliding my way through the remainder of her precious works. "Durable Good's" is her first book which is amazing when you read the stellar quality of this effort. Katie, a tender, blossoming 12 year old, steals your heart at first page and never let's go. Berg writes effectively in choppy paragraphs the feelings, the observations, the problems, the joys, the experiences of our Katie. Exactly like a child would think....darting from one subject to another without elongated deliberations. So magical and beautiful, that the more maudlin theme of this book can be digested by the reader with the hopefulness of a twelve year old girl. This is brilliant, impassioned, wise, cultured writing. Elizabeth Berg never fails to thrill me with her inventive techniques and tender stories.

Durable Goods is a story of a young girl named Katie who is anxious to grow up and at the same time is dealing with problems that the average teenager should not have to go through. She's just lost her mother to cancer, her father beats both her and her sister Diane, and she often feels lost and alone. She misses her mother very much and often envisions seeing and talking to her under her bed. I thought the author created a very likeable character in Katie. The first half of the book builds the character and introduces her relationships with her father, who is abusive; her sister-who is kind to her sometimes and mean other times; and her best friend CherylAnne-who is two years older and is very wise and womanly for her age. atie is a strong person for being so young, and that is what makes her so likeable. Dealing with the death of her mother and her father's abusive actions show how strong she really is. Whereas Dianne tries to escape from her problems by running away to Mexico with her boyfriend, Katie confronts them. Since the book was written from Katie's point of view, I got a more personal perspective. Of Elizabeth Berg's books, this is the first one that I have read. I think it was an excellent book. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading short yet intriguing books.

As a big Elizabeth Berg fan, I was surprised to discover that I had not yet read this book. So I was delighted to be able to spend a few fast hours one day this week in reliving the angst of childhood in this bittersweet novel. This spare book is a delight and the author's skill in fully developing a memorable character comes shining through. This is a heroine that the reader immediately cares for and wants to root for as she travels the byroads of youth all alone. The only regrettable aspect of this book is that there is no sequel. I would love to know how she grew into a fully grown and loveable woman. This is a book that I would recommend for anyone who has a young daughter, niece, cousin, or friend on the threshold of adolescence. Share this book, discuss it and help another young lady become the woman she is meant to be.

Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite authors. I have read many other books by her and loved each one of them; this one was neither an exception nor a disappointment. This story is twelve-year-old Katie's, and Elizabeth's voice is so convincing that it is hard to believe it was written by an adult. Katie lives in a rural Texas army base with her older sister Diane and their abusive father. I wanted to cry when Katie talked about her mother's death, due to cancer, and I laughed out loud at her confused attempts to keep up with her fourteen-year-old best friend Cheryl. The book brought back memories of myself at almost-teenhood, and it is a very convincing portrait of a young girl's life. Every small but important aspect is covered: Katie's infatuation with her sister's boyfriend, her daydreams of having her own boyfriend, her first period, her curious peekings at the will-be-breasts that are first starting to appear. Katie's voice is so real and her thoughts so explained that I would become totally lost in the story and come out it a while later to realize that I really wasn't in her world. Elizabeth Berg's Joy School is the sequel to Durable Goods, and I read that one first. However, Durable Goods was still a great book and I recommend it even for those who have already read Joy School. Pick up Durable Goods and join Katie in her fresh, exciting world.

Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite authors. I have read many other books by her and loved each one of them; this one was neither an exception nor a disappointment. This story is twelve-year-old Katie's, and Elizabeth's voice is so convincing that it is hard to believe it was written by an adult. Katie lives in a rural Texas army base with her older sister Diane and their abusive father. I wanted to cry when Katie talked about her mother's death, due to cancer, and I laughed out loud at her confused attempts to keep up with her fourteen-year-old best friend Cheryl. The book brought back memories of myself at almost-teenhood, and it is a very convincing portrait of a young girl's life. Every small but important aspect is covered: Katie's infatuation with her sister's boyfriend, her daydreams of having her own boyfriend, her first period, her curious peekings at the will-be-breasts that are first starting to appear. Katie's voice is so real and her thoughts so explained that I would become totally lost in the story and come out it a while later to realize that I really wasn't in her world. Elizabeth Berg's Joy School is the sequel to Durable Goods, and I read that one first. However, Durable Goods was still a great book and I recommend it even for those who have already read Joy School. Pick up Durable Goods and join Katie in her fresh, exciting world.