Me and Emma: Amazon.ca: Elizabeth Flock: Books

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Paperback, Aug 5 2005

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Book Description

Publication Date: Aug 5 2005 | Series: MIRA

In many ways, Carrie Parker is like an other eight-year-old -- playing make-believe, dreading school, dreaming of faraway places. But even her imaginative mind can't shut out the realities of her impoverished North Carolina home or help her protect her younger sister, Emma.

By turns achingly naive and utterly pragmatic, Carrie has been shaped by the loss of her beloved daddy and by a drunken stepfather and her emotionally absent mother. Charting an astonishing course of survival for herself and Emma, she hopes to transform their lives into one more closely resembling the storybooks she treasures.

But after the sisters' plan to run away from home unravels, their world takes a shocking turn -- and one shattering moment ultimately reveals a truth that leaves everyone reeling.

Narrated with the simplicity and unabashed honestly of a child's perspective, Me & Emma is a vivid portrayal of heartbreaking loss of innocence, an indomitable spirit and incredible courage -- a story that will resonate with readers long after they've turned the final page.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

#outer_postBodyPS { display: none; } #psGradient { display: none; } #psPlaceHolder { display: none; } #psExpand { display: none; } In many ways, Carrie Parker is like an other eight-year-old -- playing make-believe, dreading school, dreaming of faraway places. But even her imaginative mind can't shut out the realities of her impoverished North Carolina home or help her protect her younger sister, Emma.

But after the sisters' plan to run away from home unravels, their world takes a shocking turn -- and one shattering moment ultimately reveals a truth that leaves everyone reeling.

Product Details

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Mira Books (Aug 5 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778300846
ISBN-13: 978-0778300847
Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 19.8 cm
Shipping Weight: 118 g

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #204,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

"I got handed lemons, too, y'know—but I learned how to make lemonade with them.... No one ever told me I had to add sugar but that's life for you. It ain't sweet." That's the jumbled and unforgiving logic that drives Flock's (But Inside I'm Screaming) second novel, a punishing Southern family drama that tries to achieve To Kill a Mockingbird–grade poignancy by heaping tribulations on its child narrator. The novel starts off sweetly, with the smalltown antics of Carrie, a scrappy Scout-like eight-year-old who's always accompanied by her younger sister Emma. Carrie dreamily darts back and forth between her rough-and-tumble present (abusive stepfather, unloving mother) and the happy memories of her dead father, creating a bittersweet picture of her life in Toast, N.C., spiked with colorful Southern language and some feisty supporting characters. But journalist Flock soon loses control of her meandering story and this Southern slice-of-life disintegrates into narrative chaos. The action moves "slow as a crippled turtle," as Carrie's Momma would say, and down-home charm fails to camouflage the creaky, roundabout chronology. After nearly 300 pages of rambling drama, the twist at the end is revealed so haphazardly that it will probably bewilder readers more than surprise them. Sugarcoated it ain't, but instead of delivering profundity, Flock's tough love turns poor forsaken Carrie into a caricature.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Carrie, an eight-year-old narrator wise beyond her years, lives with her six-year-old sister, Emma, her mother, and her stepfather, Richard, in a small North Carolina town. Carrie fondly remembers her Daddy, a carpet salesman who was killed in a robbery. Richard is his opposite: an often-unemployed alcoholic who abuses Carrie and Emma as well as their momma. But they are dependent on him as he moves them across the state when he finds a sawmill job. With a seemingly indomitable spirit, Carrie perseveres, making friends at her new school, avoiding blows from both parents whenever possible, and seeking solace with an elderly neighbor who senses her isolation and introduces her to guitar picking and target shooting. Various other adults see the signs of abuse but never take the steps necessary to stop it, leading to a violent denouement that seems preordained. Deftly capturing the hidden thoughts of an emotionally bereft child, Flock's haunting second novel, reminiscent of Kaye Gibbons' Ellen Foster, is not soon forgotten. Deborah Donovan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!, Oct 14 2006

By Heather Marshall Negahdar TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

"Tell me what's going on honey--" her voice is practically begging me to cry. "You can talk to me."

I gulp and say, "Nothing's going on ma'am."

"I've half a mind to come on out and talk to your parents."

This book was my introduction to Elizabeth Flock and I must say that I was not in the least disappointed. Fast paced, the author brings us into the lives of the Parkers and their two daughters Carrie and Emma. After the death of their dad, the Parkers are forced to live up to he expectations of their mum's new husband and stepfather Richard, a drunkard and control freak.

The story told through the eyes of eight year old Carrie the older of

the children remained daring and courageous, and kept you guessing what could possibly be the outcome of this dysfunctional family. It is impossible to read this book without being touched, but you will be more so when the book ends and you are shocked out of your wits. And that shocked is with a capital S. Nothing is ever what it seems.

Highly recommended!!

Reviewed by Heather Marshall Negahdar (SUGAR-CANE 14/10/06)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Mar 16 2005

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

"ME & EMMA" captures the world of two sisters - young girls. Like most siblings, their differences outweigh their similarities, but one thing binds them - their dependence on their unstable mother. The relationship-driven book is intense and emotional, deserving to be in the fine company of "MY FRACTURED LIFE, " "THE KITE RUNNER," and "SPEAK SOFTLY, SHE CAN HEAR."

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5.0 out of 5 stars Me & Emma Feb 12 2012

By Joan

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I enjoyed the book. The ending was a surprise. I felt sorry for Carrie and the difficult home life she had to endure. She definitely needed love and understanding.

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