Plastic Tulips in the Winter by Denice Vickers

Release Date: April 9, 2013
Publisher: Denice Vickers

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Family bonds are tested in the coming-of-age story set in the stormy climate of Alabama during the period of time between the 1950s and present day. For Denice and her sisters, their mother is a constant source of affirmation and strength despite the multiple breakdowns and domestic disturbances she had to endure. Within the strange mix of innocence and violence, the girls learn life lessons that are both exhilarating and frightening.

It is as the girls grown into womanhood that their bonds are tested as they go their separate ways and made stronger by their individual trials and tribulations. Not one to let things keep her down for long, Denice looks past the dark clouds to see the good underneath and shares that positivity with her sisters along the way. Janice offers wisdom beyond her years as well as a constant shoulder to lean on. Pam tries to make everyone smile and sticks up for the others when necessary. Their sisterly love was enough to get them through the darker days of their childhood but will it be enough to keep them in their adult darkness?

Review:
The book began at an early point in the author's childhood, right in the thick of the action. From the very beginning we see that the typical idea of family and home were not what the author, her sisters and her mother experienced. Growing up in the 1950s, things were handled in very different ways and the people who had to deal with them had no other alternative but to weather the storms and make the best of what they had. It was a cycle repeated for the author until her mother felt it would be easier to bear the weight of social stigma than to remain in a place to constantly be beaten emotionally, physically and mentally.

When I purchased the book from Amazon, I had a few reservations but was intrigued by what was written about the characters in the blurb on the sale page. I truly grew to love the characters toward the middle and end of the book. The beginning was a little difficult to find someone to root for because everyone was floundering under the weight of life and its ceaseless changes. The honest and candid way in which the author writes about her own faults and flaws is refreshing. She is who she is and nothing more than that. Presenting both the good and bad times in her life made the story compelling as well as exciting. It became much more than a simple glimpse into someone's life by the end of the book.

As compelling and wonderful I found the book to be, there were some serious editing issues that distracted me as I was reading. I would have given a much higher rating but the number of punctuation, grammar and spelling mistakes was more than I could overlook. Even taking into account the tone in which the book is written, there were simply too many. It saddens me that such a wonderful story is hampered by that. I believe if the book were given a thorough editing, it would definitely be near the top of my recommendation list.

Overall, it is a real and compelling life story that did keep me turning the pages. If you are a reader of life stories or testimonies of faith beyond measure, this is one book that you'll want to have on your to-be-read list.

Plastic Tulips in the Winter by Denice Vickers is available in paperback or Kindle forms. It can be purchased at Amazon.com by following the link provided below.
Plastic Tulips in the Winter by Denice Vickers