It’s not perfect, but this poignant memoir will motivate even the most disenchanted reader.
Despite a troubled childhood, numerous career setbacks and a life-threatening health problem, a determined woman never gives up in this inspiring memoir.
From the outside it appears that Ginac and her husband Frank are living the American Dream—they live in a million-dollar home in Austin, Texas, have high-paying careers that afford them every luxury and have a much loved 5-year-old son. But shortly after Frank unexpectedly leaves his job, Linda is shocked to learn that she’s a casualty of massive layoffs, and so starts the long struggle for Linda and Frank to re-establish stability in their usually idyllic world. As the Ginac family tries to rebuild their life during one of the worst economic downturns imaginable, Linda recovers from a miscarriage, builds a new business from the ground up and defeats breast cancer. As she overcomes each obstacle, Linda realizes that her husband is truly her biggest supporter and that with him by her side she can conquer anything life throws at her. Ginac’s memoir is brutally honest and remarkably inspiring. While some will find much of the author’s interminable detail unnecessary and occasionally tedious, Ginac’s sincerity makes up for her deliberate style. The author’s penchant for spending money and her admitted lack of frugality will not resonate well with some readers, especially those who are still experiencing the worst that the current economy has to offer. But those who can look past Ginac’s shortcomings will find themselves awed by her candor and vulnerability. The author does not gloss over her often unrealistic expectations of her husband, nor does she sugarcoat her imperfect marriage. Instead, she portrays her struggles in a way that allows readers to sympathize with and relate to her. Readers who pick up this book will find their inadequacies and insecurities reflected in Ginac, and will ultimately be moved by her determination to succeed.
It’s not perfect, but this poignant memoir will motivate even the most disenchanted reader.Pub Date: June 10, 2011
ISBN: 978-0983456100
Page Count: 270
Publisher: The Ginac Group
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2011
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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