I fell in love with the main character of this novel on page 1. She reminded me a bit of my mom and a bit of the older women that I know in my life. Her story is beautifully told based on the current time when she is 90 years old, in failing health and living in assisted living along with flashbacks that take place when she was growing up during the Depression.

The novel begins in 2006 close to Irene's 90th birthday. She lives in assisted living, is having health problems but enjoys her life and her friends at the Manor. Well, she doesn't totally enjoy the manor but sees it as a place to live out her final days and make her children feel like they have done the right thing. She has started making tapes of her life so that her children know her whole story. Her memories take her back to Utah and the family farm in the 30s. Her family were strict Mormons and believed in hard work by all members of the family but Irene wanted more in her future than life on a farm. Her sister supported her dreams but her parents - especially her mother - wanted her to settle for farm life. Irene wanted to sing and dance and let her love of music and entertainment guide her life. She knows what she wants out of life and knows that to achieve it, she'll need a total separation from her family. When the opportunity comes to leave her old life, will she be brave enough to follow her dreams?

The story alternates between Irene's life in the 30s and her current life in assisted living. It's a story of mother-daughter relationships - both between Irene and her mother and her current relationship with her daughter. It's the story of a strong resilient woman who was determined to following her dreams.

This is a wonderful story that will make you smile and make you cry. Irene is a character who we can all connect with and she is a character who will not soon be forgotten. I loved, loved, love this novel! ( )

The main character, Irene, remembers her life as she adjusts to living in assisted living. Irene's thoughts and predicaments in assisted living are very realistic, and reminded me very much of th experiences family members have had in later life. The descriptions of her earlier life during the Great Depression are vivid. As she tells of her life, I could easily picture the events and places. Her courage, fears, and reservations made this character very relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, as it reminded me of many stories my parents had shared about growing up during the depression. ( )

I enjoyed this book, despite the slight tinge of sadness it carries as it follows the main character, Irene. The novel flips back and forth between 2006 (when Irene is in an assisted living facility) and the depression era 1930s, when she was growing up in Utah. We get to learn about what life was really like back then, when children had to give up school to help their families survive, and paying $35 for a semester of college seemed as impossible as flying to the moon. In modern times, Irene is recording her memories for her children and grandchildren, remembering how she stumbled upon the path her life took. She's dealing with a slightly overbearing daughter who thinks she knows what's best for Mom while her health begins to slip away. The book brings up questions of how best to help aged parents as they navigate their inevitable decline, as well as mother-daughter relationships and letting your family members choose their own way. There is a wealth of amazing stories and information tucked away in the life stories of our parents and grandparents, and I really enjoyed reading this fictional account of how one young lady's life played out. Knowing that it's loosely based on the author's grandmother makes me happy to think that she was able to share some of her life history with her family. ( )