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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780425179604
ISBN number: 0425179605
Label: Berkley Trade
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 288
Printing Date: May 01, 2001
Publishing house: Berkley Trade
Release Date: May 08, 2001
Sale Popularity Level: 25795
Studio: Berkley Trade
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Product Description:
Tamara Anderson grew up on the move-crossing the country, leaving behind people and bedrooms and belongings. Now she's turning fifteen, and she wants to stay in Mayville, New York. At very first glance, there isn't much to stick around for. But this time Tamara is putting her foot down, and planting it....
Taking us into the heart and mind of an unforgettable young girl, and a unique corner of a rural 1950s America, Sarah Willis presents a 'heartfelt very first novel [in which] the characters are so vivid and rounded they produce a reflected happiness in the reader' (The Miami Herald).
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Rated by buyers -
This story centers on Tamara, a young woman living in rural Mayville, NY in the 1950's. By the age of 15, she's moved more times than she can count. Well, she can count them, but she's not happy about the loose ends she always feels upon relocation. Once she realizes that the other kids in school have histories with their classmates and roots, she feels cheated and wants to settle down.
Her family is somewhat dysfunctional but very loving - her father, a landscape artist and the traveling nature of his job is the reason behind their frequent relocations. Her mother is beautiful and a little wild, but she has a strong bond with Tamara's father and allows his lifestyle to effect their family. Tamara has a younger brother and sister who have their own difficulties leading such a nomadic life and at times, Tamara takes out her frustrations on them and even on herself.
Sarah Willis adds the concept of atheism to the story, as both Tamara's parents practice it. The neighbors across the street are devout Christians and manage to get their permission to take Tamara & her siblings to church, which opens up a whole new world for Tamara and she starts to question her beliefs and make bargains with God to keep her in one place.
Tamara's life gets even more stressful when she learns that her mother has an illness that takes her away from the family, perhaps permanently and Tamara is forced to fill her shoes around the house. This is where Tamara begins to rely more heavily on God and asks him to help heal her mother. She also discovers that her complex feelings for her mother are a foil for the love she feels in her heart and through letters, they grow to understand each other better.
Tamara also finds the stirrings of her very first love when she connects with Rusty who also lives subsequent door. Sarah Willis portrays the feelings of wonder, fear and joy that we all feel when we find what we think is love and the other person feels it too. Willis does a fine job of providing excellent, solid characterization, and precisely detailing their neurosis so precisely that we can relate to them and their shifting, complicated connections to each other.
I loved the way she uses words to create pictures in the mind of the reader. I enjoyed the section where she uses colors to stress the importance of the situation comparing them to the colors her father uses in his artwork - a unique way to show the similarities between father and daughter when neither feels they have anything to share - masterful! I thought about this book and its characters for a while after I finished reading it and that is always a sign of an excellent story - I have found a new favorite author in Sarah Willis and look forward to reading more of her novels.
Rated by buyers -
I bought this book because of the price and it looked interesting but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. It was one of those cannot put down type of books and I actually finished it in one day. It was a captivating coming-of-age story and Sarah Willis did a beautiful job of bringing her characters to life. This would be an excellent book club book as there is so much meaty stuff to discuss. I loaned my copy to a friend just so we could talk about it. I highly recommend this book!
Rated by buyers 
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This is a really touching coming of age story in the 50's. The mother has to go to a sanitarium with Tuburculosis. The father is stuck in his own world of painting. There are 2 siblings, Robert and Megan, that are coping in their own ways with the abandoment issues that arise from not only the mother's illness, but the father's inability to handle the situation. Tamara is left basically in charge of everyone. Besides the obvious issues that are going on, there is the storyline of the number of moves the family has endured and how much they are wanting a permanent home.
I enjoyed reading this book very much, but it didn't touch me as much as some of the other coming of age stories like, Whistling in the Dark, The Book of Bright Ideas and Cold Rock River. Those stayed with me after I was done and while I really enjoyed this coming of age story, it's not one that will stay with me like some other ones.
Still it is well worth reading and I highly recommend it.
Rated by buyers -
This is a story you were waiting to read, full of life-size characters... the type of book you don't want to finish.
And a very first novel? ... wow. I can't wait to read her subsequent one!!!!
Rated by buyers -
I just love Sarah Willis' writing style and felt this book was equally as wonderful as her book: THE SOUND OF US. It didn't take too long for me to be totally drawn into this story of Tamara and I felt myself rather sad at where the story ended. I just wanted to keep knowing about her and her family and how their lives turned out. I highly recommend this book and hope anyone who reads it becomes a Sarah Willis fan. If you haven't yet read THE SOUND OF US, do yourself a favor and read it! It's real good reading. There isn't a single downside to SOME THINGS THAT STAY. I loved Tamara and her view of her world. The characters seemed utterly real and engrossing. The last sentence of the book was the perfect uplifting end to Tamara's story.
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