Taylor Caldwell is one of my favorite authors. Her books are never action packed mystery thrillers or whatever else sells. Instead, they all seem to be set between 1870 and 1920, in Massachusetts, New York or Pennsylvania, and are all about a slice of life there. I had actually never read this one before I found it at a book sale for 50 cents in April - how could I have gone wrong with it?
TO LOOK AND PASS
By Taylor Caldwell
c. 1973
According to the first chapter, this is the story of the life of Dan Hendricks. It's set in a small town in Northwestern Pennsylvania between approximately 1890 and 1920. It's also the story of our narrator, the son of the town doctor, who becomes the town doctor himself, Olivia and Beverly. The story follows our four main characters through life from about age 12 through Dan's death at about 40, with varying degrees of detail. It's a long, gentle story which rambles, but draws the reader in. The reader loves most of the characters and sees one as despicable from the outset of the book. As I said, it's not exciting, but it is engrossing.
Happy reading!
On another happy note, Dan went out last night. This morning, I found a new electric kettle on my kitchen counter. What a wonderful son I have!
5 comments:
What a good son... and the book sounds great too. Sometimes ambling without thrills is just what the reader needs.
I also read a lot of 'old' books. As it is difficult to get books in English over here, when I am in the UK I raid the the charity shops and come back with piles of cheap books. Some are rubbish, but a lot are excellent. A friend who runs holiday accomodation has them all after I heve read them and they go into her small library so they get recycled as well. Diane
That book sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. I've been reading some heavy stuff lately and need something rambling, yet interesting to cleanse my mind. Thanks for the review. Keep them coming.
Sue
I read that one......WAY back when.....I could read it again!
I LOVE you're doing book reviews!
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