
Member Reviews

The Six-Minute Memoir by Mary Helen Stefaniak. I was thinking I'd like to read more memoirs and this one popped up in front of me on #netgalley. I was a little afraid they'd be very local to Iowa and rely on local knowledge. The reality was the opposite! These well-written columns were masterworks of universal observation. From slice of life stories of travel experiences, family, community and work stories, these columns took six minutes to read but clearly represented much effort and meticulous editing to leave just what was necessary. I especially enjoyed the ones that celebrated people - friends and acquaintances, at once generous and dry, eagle-eyed and witty. #maryhelenstefaniak has a sure, intelligent, funny voice. I'm looking for her novels now. Highly recommended. Publication date October 25. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for this advance digital copy. |

I found this book to be very good. It had me hooked from the beginning.. Was a great read. It would definitely be a book I would recommend. |

Enjoyable format but I will admit some of the stories didn't captivate me. I would recommend this to a friend. I also find myself thinking of this book often. |

I enjoy reading memoirs and biographies, and really liked the format of this one as you get to read snippets of the author's life. I admit to skipping some as they were less interesting to me (perhaps because I am not American) but there were many that I really loved and even some that made me laugh out loud. The author writes very well, as evidenced by the fact that she had a newspaper column for decades. 4 stars for me. |

I think the premise of this book is refreshing! There’s so much beauty in the small, normal parts of life that deserve a story. I thought adding the reflection pieces at the end of the book was brilliant. However, I did feel like some of the stories were lackluster. Sometimes less is more. |

So wonderful. A great escape into life...the positive parts of it anyway....told with unflinching character, love, life, family. Please read if only seeking positive vibes!!! A hug on a bad day. A silver lining in a gray cloud.. A reminder that life is full of warmth and wonder. |