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5 comments about She Got Up Off the Couch: And Other Heroic Acts from Mooreland, Indiana.

1. Delonda gets up off the couch to make something of herself. It pulls at your emotion and makes you want to cheer for Mom Jarvis. And her daughter, the author, too. You'll begin to feel like a Mooreland, Indiana neighbor to this family. It's a sequel, and even better than Kimmel's first book (A Girl named Zippy). It stands alone as well. Pure small town life. Pure Hoosier. Pure delight.
   
   A lot of time is spent laughing, and reading to anyone else nearby when trying to get through Zippy's Church Camp experience. Zip's Quaker upbringing didn't prepare her for a teenage church camp at the age of 11. Her own appropriate age camp was filled so her mom forced her into teen week camp with older kids. "I cana't abide any of those things you just named," Zippy informed mom. What a trip camp was. Wonderful descriptions of what took place that can only be explained by copying the chapter. So...get the book. Quaker impact is peppered throughout the events of Zippy's life, usually bringing another smile or laugh.
   
   Haven Kimmel puts you into the picture with her words. Like the page telling of friend Rose's house. In part: "There were some metal chairs still arranged, by accident, as if to accommodate a long conversation over lemonade. The floor was covered with broken Ball jars. Walking on them created a noise that was akin to a whole, dreadful lifetime of tooth grinding. I enjoyed it."
   
   Delonda invited her prayer cell over for coffee. Big mistake. Pride of the new suspended ceiling in the den turned to a nightmare as a billion-herd of mice raced overhead, cats jumped on furniture backs to growl and the dogs watched the cats. Kimmel's words almost put you there in the fracas.
   
   There's Newman's nice car smelling like barnyard, straw waggled in the air vents, corn dust-fertilizer-manure covered dash, with a trace of anhydrous that Zip said she found pleasing. You gotta read the whole page and you'll find the segment pleasing yourself. The story is filled with paragraph gems, Hoosier emeralds in words.
   
   It's full of memories of Hoosier events like the '78 Blizzard. What joy to read about the short list of records Zip's father threatened to break over her head if played once more. It's own chapter. It gets you humming the old tunes.
   
   Reading "She got Up Off the Couch" will invite you into the Jarvis house in the 70's just like the story's hitchhiker, George. He was "a treasure". The book's a treasure.
   
   Haven Kimmel is one contemporary author of whom Indiana can be proud to have educated and once claimed as a resident. Still do, she writes Hoosier truth. Let's hope this will become a trilogy. As a male fan, let's hear more of Bob's (Dad) story now. Five stars from another Ball State grad.



2. Since the death of my daughter, I have searched for things that make me want to go on living. I have read countless books, and this is one of the very few that gave me that feeling. I want to thank the author for writing it, from the bottom of my heart. (I immediately went out and bought the Zippy book, but it was not as wise as this one. Buy this one.)



3. Haven Kimmel's She Got Up Off the Couch is the sequel to the New York Times Bestseller A Girl Named Zippy and, for anyone interested in a lighthearted romp through the heart of the Midwest--told in the voice and perspective of an exuberant young girl--this is the book to read.
   
   Comprised of seemingly unrelated episodes of the young girl, Zippy's, life, this book makes us love and appreciate her, as we become familiar with the architecture of her family and town. The matter-of-fact narration makes for some hilarious and endearing moments, for instance, Zip describes a woman cooking with persimmons: "she even made something with the word "pudding" in the title although of course it was not real pudding because it wasn't chocolate and hadn't come from a box. I was too polite to point the truth out."
   
   The plot moves forward as Zippy observes the progress of her mother, Delonda Jarvis, through college--from the decision to "Get up Off of The Couch" to earning her Master's degree in English and finally, teaching. Concurrently, or perhaps I should say consequently, Zip's parents' marriage lands in the trash bin~I can't say this is a spoiler, as the fact seems apparent from the very beginning of the book. Her father's first dialogue in the book, well towards the end of the first chapter, is a response to watching his wife drive off with a friend to take the College entrance test: "Time was, a woman wouldn't have gotten in a man's marriage that way."
   
   Despite her father's chauvinism and self-centeredness (he always managed to have nice, new clothes, while his daughter trompsed about in second hand everything, even wearing his old shirts, which she was swimming in), we must be careful not to write this man off. His character develops subtely throughout the tales, and we see him through the tender eyes of his daughter, who adores him despite all of our reasons she shouldn't.
   
   We don't often see Delonda communicating directly with her daughter; instead, Zippy narrates her mother's telephone conversations with friends, or discussions with professors. This indirect source of information continues throughout the book, although we see the two bond when Zip accompanies her mother on campus.
   
   [I must depart from the book for a moment here, to express the nostalgia that this book stirred up in me (and my sister, too, I daresay, as she recommended it to me). How often did I sit at the bottom of the stairs, eavesdropping, or even overtly lying on the bed with her, while my mother called her friends from school and church to discuss the important matters of school and church. I loved it when I got to go to classes with my mother. I'd sit there with my multiplication tables, or some scrap paper and crayons, and ignore the old professor who wouldn't stop talking. She would often introduce me afterwards, because she always had follow-up questions to the lectures. Like Zippy said "I went right on hating school as much as any vegetable left in vinegar, but Lord I loved college." Less than ten years later, I sat in the exact same lecture halls, on my own, and finally understood why my mom took me with her: It's scary. ]
   
   Delonda Jarvis' example of stubborn dedication is undeniably a source of inspiration to her two daughters. While they worried about her in the rickety car during her commute, and their complete lack of money, very early in the book, Delonda's influence is felt in Zip's realization: "I knew I should still be worried, but I suddenly felt that anything was possible, and that most things, though certainly not all, would turn out okay."
   
   The dichotomy between youth and age runs throughout the scenarios and, as some of us may relate to, Zippy pinpoints the exact moment as a child when she realized that her life and body would change, too, in the course of time. She was no longer invincible after this realization, and not much later breaks her arm to a horrific extent in a roller-skating accident--I might add how thankful I am that someone finally exposed the true danger of the rollerskating "whip."
   
   Also prevalent in the book is the narrator's stance on Christianity. Zip makes enough knocks at the Bible to make one wonder at her faith, but parries these with some profound observations of the influence of Christ in her life. She sees through the fraudulence of some religious practices, both by her peers and by adults--when she is forced to go to church camp she is the only one who does not accept Christ as her Savior. She also seems to be the only one aware that many of these young women were simply using their conversions as alibis--that after they dedicated themselves to Christ they found it easier to sneak off in the woods with their boyfriends, because no one would suspect them...
   
   In the midst of her aversion to religion, the young girl obviously seeks something larger; "it seemed to me that there was something gigantic going on and it was near to me and also very far away." And so we see the ruminations of a young girl contemplating Christ, or God, or what-have-you--whichever you choose, and whether you are believer or not, I daresay this is something most of us have experienced at some point.
   
   The book weaves about with hilarious and heat-rending tales of small-town life; Haven Kimmel retells the story of childhood with some rural Midwestern distinctions--the fear of tornadoes, the occasional run-in with an angry bull, a perfect wonderment at the number of cats and dogs on a farm (let alone the barn animals) and a general familiarity with farm life, horrendous blizzards, and of course, the rite of passage in which we play with tape recorders. This is a quick, light-hearted read, though it contains some darker overtones. I highly recommend it.



4. "She Got Up Off The Couch" was our most recent book group selection. A most lively discussion that marveled at the resilience of Zippy and especially her Mom. The ending left us wondering what's next.... It seemed that a lot was said by what was left unsaid - specifically about her Dad.



5. I'm so glad Kimmel wrote this book. After reading ZIPPY I wondered what became of Kimmel's mother. For right or wrong, I always think back to both ZIPPY and SHE GOT UP OFF THE COUCH when reading Haven Kimmel's novels; I always think I see parts of her characters (and certainly her landscapes) in the nonfiction books.

5 comments about Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper)).

1. An amazing story that I couldn't put down! I was awestruck by the sheer impossibility of anyone surviving. The most striking moment was under the avalanche in which Nando surrendered his life and was ready to die.
   Their courage and instincts for survival were amazing. The message I took away is that love can inspire a person to do miraculous things and that God is too distant to rely on or understand. While I myself am a strong Christian, I still enjoyed the story. Finally, the book was well written with inner monologues and background and mixed with just enough detail to keep the story moving along. I highly recommend this book to any adventure/survival story lover, or anyone who wants to ponder the human spirit.



2. When I first read this book it took me back to Alive by Piers Paul Read & I remembered how special Nando was in the story. I was madly in love with Nando for his common sense and bravery. I still have that original book. Finding Miracle in the Andes was a special surprise because it's HIS story of it all. It is such a good book that I know I'll keep this one forever too, and read it over and over. I read Alive several times and I intend to go back and read it all over again too now. It touches your heart. I was so sad about Susie. Nando's mom too of course, but Susie seemed special to me. It's not surprising that Nando has become a huge success. His wife and daughters are beautiful, as he is. His life has shown that he's an extraordinary person.
   Barbara,
   Ukiah, CA



3. I finished this book last night and was touched many times by the insight and humility of the author's story. This book contains sobering lessons of how powerless we are against the forces of nature, as well as the honest questioning of a God who would allow these things to happen. The conclusions the author comes to, after 30 years of soul-searching, are courageous and down-to-earth.
   
   The author's loyalty to his friends and fellow survivors is also admirable, as well as his loyalty to the memory of the ones who didn't survive. He seems to have taken away big lessons from his ordeal, which is all we can ask of ourselves when something of this tragic magnitude happens.



4. I just finished reading Piers Paul Read's Alive (1974) a few days ago, and so fresh with names, maps and time lines, I had high hopes `Miracles in the Andes` would add a new dimension to this amazing story. Unfortunately I was somewhat disappointed, all the more so given the generally good reviews `Miracle` has been getting. It is perhaps inevitable in the shadow of Read's classic masterpiece that anything else will pale in comparison. The re-telling of events from Parrado's perspective is interesting but misses a lot - for example he was in a coma the first three days of the accident - and he doesn't seem to add much that is new to Read's version - which almost without exception is better told.
   
   Beyond a retelling of the events, I had hoped Parrado would reveal something new about himself and the other survivors, but instead if often read like hagiography, glossing over the differences among the group to show them as united friends, discounting and minimizing character defects. It reminds me of how the Catholic Church writes history of saints, and it is probably no coincidence that the survivors were from Catholic backgrounds, and saints in the minds of true believers who saw the hand of God at work in this "Miracle in the Andres". I was hoping for a more in depth psychological examination of the survivors, a sort of personality x-ray to bring them to life, to intimately know them as friend or brother. Instead there is a polite respectful distance, which is frustrating, given the intimate nature of the experience.
   
   Despite these sentiments I still recommend the book to anyone who has read `Alive`. Parrado's inner struggle with life and death - while not exactly original or new - is profound and worth the reminder of what is important. There are also new pictures, and an Epilogue with brief bio's of what happened to the survivors after the rescue to the present day. Whatever the faults, as the men age, and the myth grows, more books and films will appear to hopefully peel back more layers behind the "Miracle" in the Andres.



5. If you like survivor stories, this is one of the best ever written. Even though I read "Alive" many years ago, this book brought new and detailed descriptions from, in my opinion, the person who practically single-handedly saved the rest of the team who hadn't perished after two-plus months on the mountain. Parrado's writing is superb. Since the plane crash happened over 30 years ago, he brings great insight and introspection and detailed updates on his fellow teammates and their accomplishments in the intervening years.

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2 comments about Lost Love: The Untold Story of Henrietta Szold.

1. The primary significance of this work and we are deeply in debtto the fine editing of Baila Shargel, is that it presents to thepublic for the first time, Henrietta Szold the great writer. We come back to a time when letters were still carefully crafted; we bask in the warmth and honesty of her prose. We are continually stunned by her brilliance and begin to mourn not her loss or Ginzberg's but ours. It is we the Jewish people who have lost a great writer to the service of others, to the drudgery of editing which is so often women's work. This work is bound to become a classic. It shows yet another side of this very heroic woman who serves as a model for us all. More available at JCN!! END



2. Anyone suffering from unrequited love will find comfort and encouragement through this reading. Had she not suffered heartbreak, thousands may have lost the benefit of her significant power to love.

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