Book Give-Away
February 14 – February 22, 2009
Harper Perennial has generously provided me with FIVE trade paperback editions of this wonderful book to give away here on my blog. I loved this book which recounts the life of a young girl growing up in the 1920s and 30s in New York City through the pages of her discovered diary (read my review). Information about this book may be found on the website about the book. Lily Koppel writes for the New York Times and other publications.
I am willing to ship a maximum of TWO books outside of the United States and Canada…so entries will be accepted without geographic restrictions for up to two winners. The other three copies of the books will go to those readers with mailing addresses in either Canada or the United States.
TO ENTER:
Have you ever made an amazing discovery when you least expected it? Have you ever come across a piece of living history which has inflamed your imagination? Please leave a comment (making sure you include a legitimate email address in the correct box!) answering either or both of these questions. If the answer to the questions is “no” you can still enter…just tell me why you want to read the book.
I will be choosing FIVE winners randomly on February 22nd. Comments will be open until 5:00pm PST on February 22, 2009.
Good luck!
= Excellent
= Good/Very Good
= Okay read
= Not recommended
= Ugh! Don't waste your time.
Going through my grandma’s things when she passed, we found her and my grandpa’s marriage license from the 1920′s – very cool find
I would love to read this book due to the imagination it would inspire! Also in answer to your question, about 10 years ago I found a diary of mine from when I was a young girl, the entry that surprised me was where I shared about getting our first colored tv. It caused me to ponder for I never really recall in my memories our tv being in color or black and white. I remember shows we would watch as a family, yet not whether in color or not.
Thanks
Darby
darbyscloset at yahoo dot com
I was fortunate enough in college to get to attend a seminar with three Holocaust survivors. Each one of them recounted their experience. One woman was hidden in a convent, one man hid the woods and walked around Europe to try to find safety, one was in a work camp in France. It was amazing to get to hear their words. One women still had her star, which she showed us in a box.
Valorie
morbidromantic@gmail.com
My answer is No to both questions, but I would like to win the book b/c my grandmother grew up during the 20′s & I would like to learn more about being a gilr then.
Thanks for the giveaway!
kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com
I’ve found pieces of history in a couple of ways. First off, I was an archaeology major. On my first dig in England, all I managed to find were some nails and a bit of friable grey pottery. My advice for everyone is not to dig up the ditches of Roman forts. It’s just not terribly exciting. However, I learned all the basics, which were helpful when I was in Greece – amongst a great deal of pottery and other things, we found some burials. It was incredibly cool to be involved in unearthing a part of history.
Closer to home, I helped my Nana clean out her basement when she moved about ten years ago. Beyond finding my uncle’s old hash pipe, I also came across a Dear John letter written to my grandfather from a woman he had been involved with in England, during the war. It was fascinating.
Ooops. And my email is: chinook_wind@hotmail.com
Cool give-away! My discovery would probably be my families postcard collection. My grandmother saved them all and I have big binders full of them. Some of them date back to over 100 years ago. The history you can learn from them is amazing!
At a thrift shop, I found some very old vintage baby shoes, with a child’s picture tucked in.I like imagining how this child grew up, what they became, who they knew and touched in life.
I have read my mothers journals and she was born in 1924. This would be in the same era as this novel. But my mother was a country girl so her life was much different I am sure. I would love to win this book!
Living history: I’ve always been interested in my father’s history. He grew up incredibly poor in a village in India (he didn’t have enough money for shoes) and now runs an extremely successful computer company. Hearing about his past is so interesting – I’ve considered writing a book about his life!
Cleaning out the attic of an old house my husband and I had purchased to renovate for our offices, I found a stack of old drawings and letters from a correspondence art school from 1918. I had the student’s lessons framed. A wonderful piece of history.
This really has nothing to do with my family, but it sure sparked my imagination.
My dad, years ago, bought some property in the middle of town and had the old rickety building that was on it torn down and hauled off. My parents, myself and brother and sister went to the property one day, just to have a look at it. I was walking and saw the top of a bottle sticking out of the ground. The soil was loose and I was able to ease this beautifully shaped old bottle out of the ground.
Well, the rest of the day was spend digging gently and finding the most exquisite antique Chinese bottles and pots. I found a soy sauce jar, completely intact and I still have it to this day; over 30 years later.
I went in my imagination, to the days when the Chinese were living on this land. I wondered who they were, what they did, what they wore. It turned out that this land used to house an Chinese Laundry. It was a great day of discovery that I will never forget!
Thanks for a great giveaway; I’d love to read this book!
My discovery was amazing to me while perhaps not to others. After my mother died after a very long and brave battle with cancer, I discovered she had kept a journal for the past two year so the battle was included since it lasted 18 months. She wrote briefly of what she did or felt. I was touched when she would talk about the “good” days when my little 3 year old son would come to visit her as he was the apple of her eye. I also sadly read about days when she told of pain because she never complained and only took pain meds when we would say it was time if she needed some, did she want any. In her journal she wrote what would be a lot for her if you knew her, “Today the pain was pretty unbearable”. None of us knew this nor did she let us see it. It was sad and yet poignant to know this about my mom after she was gone. One of those things you think to yourself later how much more you wanted to know about her but there just wasn’t time. So, that would be something I discovered not only when I least suspected it, but I NEVER suspected it…another indication of my mother’s love for me in trying to protect me even when in pain.
Thank you for the idea for this giveaway as it made me do some reflecting in these early morning hours! Have a good day to all!
My husband was given a box of old family photos and letters from family. It was a treasure to sift through and see the old photos from Hungary and letters written in the language. Thanks for the giveaway!
After my grandmother passed away I found a trunk filled with memorabilia from when she was Miss Iowa 1927. I was so thrilled to find it and be able to open it now and then and savor the past.
This is an awesome idea for a giveaway!
I found a post card my great grandfather sent to some at a antquie store I had to buy it… Funnny I thought it was my great uncle and he said not it had been his father…. Very cool find
Thanks for featuring this wonderful book as your giveaway. It sounds compelling and wonderful. When my mother died several years ago I was devastated and found it extremely difficult to function. I had been given a large photo album collection which I had put away since I could not bear to look at it at that time. Since then I began going through this wonderful treasure trove of photos of family and relatives from generations back which had given me pleasure and pain.
When I first starting doing my family history, my aunt gave me a box of letters written between family members in England and those who had come to Canada (my great-grandparents’ generation). Was I ever thrilled with this treasure! I still haven’t identified all the letter writers though, as some just signed their letters “Your loving aunt.”
Have you ever heard of The Remnant Trust? It’s an educational foundation holding treasured old books and documents, and they tour the collection. A few years ago I got to see and yes, actually HOLD some amazing books — a Thomas Hobbes first edition from 1651, Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of hte Rights of Women from 1792, and others. These are the originals from hundreds of years ago. I was filled with awe and respect. If you ever see the collection touring near you, all of you book-lovers MUST go.
Linda in Maine
After my husbands grandmother passed away I was helping my MIL clean up her home getting it ready to be put up for sale. All of the other family members had gone through the house taking everything that wasn’t connected and it was really a sad sight to see.
I started wiping out the drawers and came upon a jewelers envelope stuck in the back of a drawer. I called my MIL in the room and we opened it to find Grandmas original wedding band set and one loose diamond. Since she had remarried she had taken the diamonds out of the setting to have another ring made. My MIL told me I could have it.
I have since had the diamonds replaced and it is an amazing beautiful ring that I wear with pride.
dbkagrayson2002 at gmail dot com
Please enter me for the contest.
When we cleaned out my great-grandparents house for a family auction, we found my great-grandmothers doll – minus the head, but the original body and dress. It was all by itself in a Goodrich wooden crate. I’ve always wished I’d have been able to ask my great-grandmother about this doll and the stories behind it.
tbbycatt@gmail.com
While I was interviewing my great-aunt for a project about WWII, she told me about a video she had participated in about her experiences during the war, as well as a transcript of my late grandfather’s experiences. It was fascinating and really special to have those memories turned into tangible history that can be passed down to future generations. Thanks for the giveaway!
I’ve just always loved going through my Mom’s old jewelry, photos, and papers. She was married during WWII and traveled quite a bit around the country. There’s a lot of historical significance in our own life stories.
I’d love the chance to read this book — thanks for hosting the giveaway!
geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com