Rate this book

The Gerbil Farmer's Daughter: A Memoir (2009)

by Holly Robinson(Favorite Author)
3.45 of 5 Votes: 3
ISBN
0307337456 (ISBN13: 9780307337450)
languge
English
publisher
Harmony
review 1: A mildly amusing fast read about a woman and her memories as the daughter of a navy officer who raised gerbils. On the upside, there were some pretty funny scenes and the ongoing secrecy over gerbils tended to tickle me every other chapter. On the downside there's some pretty foul language in places, some accounts of the author as a young teen exploring sex, and just a long running sense of weary bitterness about both the author and her mother. Not the greatest book, and certainly not something I would pass on to my kids, both of whom looked curious about the book. The cover, after all, looked lighter in mood, and cleaner as well, than the actual read. Nevertheless, I remembered aspects of being a sixties child, of having pets, brothers, and yes, even a few gerbils, in my ... morelifetime.
review 2: I guess I usually like memoirs. Being a nosey parker, I like prying into other people's lives. My neighbor handed me the book and when I saw the title I was skeptical, but it was lighthearted and funny. The author's wacky Navy father had a passion for raising gerbils on the side and she and her brother were enlisted as helpers, since gerbils are good at replicating themselves and they soon had many babies to care for. There was lots more going on in the book, what with the family moving around, new friends to be made, an interesting mom who did her thing with horseback riding, an interest also shared with her daughter, and fun descriptions of the author discovering the opposite sex. A lot of the story took place in Massachusetts, a place I am familiar with, so that had added interest. less
Reviews (see all)
sassi_katoon
Fascinating look at how gerbils were introduced to the US, as well as a personal memior.
ahurd
Wonderfully written, highly recommend this book.
priya
I'm really enjoying memoirs lately
Write review
Review will shown on site after approval.
(Review will shown on site after approval)