Hello everyone. I hope you are well and happy.
Although I am married to a southerner and have lived in the south for a long time, I actually grew up in upstate NY. I've mentioned this before. The town was small, so pretty, safe, and in a river valley with views of mountains all around. It was one of those places where high school rivalries are huge and football games are attended by thousands. There was an independent department store and loads of specialty stores that all flourished. At Christmas there was usually snow but well plowed streets, topped with swags of tinsel garland featuring candles, snowflakes, or Santa at the center of each swag or light pole. Lots of houses would be decorated for the holidays, not with the elaborate, computer generated mini-Vegas shows people have today, but with the big C9 bulbs hand placed in shrubs and in each window as part of plastic fake drippy candles. It sounds like a movie, doesn't it? Well, it really was amazing living it and remembering too.
The town and those nearby had an advantage that some others didn't, several big industries. The area was home to a major shoe making company. You wouldn't know the name now, but during it's prime it was so important it even made all the boots for the army in the World Wars. They had a huge commercial division as well. All footwear was made completely by hand. It was a lot of work for such a small town/area. My grandfather worked there his whole life. He did what they called piece work, meaning he was paid by the piece. He received one penny for a pair of shoes in which he had installed the eyelets. Think about all the eyelets, at least 24 in a pair. Ever set eyelets before? I have, it's hard. It our high tech, sit on your butt all day world, it sounds terrible. It wasn't. This company, headed by two brothers, loved their employees. They built beautiful houses at bargain rates for their workers to purchase, if wanted. The company held the mortgage, if you missed payments, not a big deal. You were not foreclosed on. Try that today. They had free hot meals during the day, free medical care, pensions, and many public parks built by the company with enormous historically significant pools and carousels. It was perfection. The owners loved their workers and the entire town loved the brothers.
As you can probably imagine the word got around, picturesque valley with loads of jobs. Pretty soon the area was a destination for settling immigrants. They came from everywhere, Greece, Poland, and Italy. I think there were more Italian people than any others. When I tell you I grew up with the best pizza, believe me! These new residents also brought their customs with them. I would imagine, to the locals already living there, some of the new neighbors' traditions seemed unusual. Arranged marriage, for example, I have never heard of anyone that had an arranged marriage but I'm sure it was done at times.
I recently read The Bride Test by Helen Hoang. If the author sounds familiar it is because she wrote the very popular novel The Kiss Quotient. If you liked the writers "voice" in that book, you will surely like The Bride Test. Helen Hoang, writes about people that can struggle with certain issues. The Bride Test, like The Kiss Quotient features a character on the autism spectrum. I was surprised to learn that the author herself has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Obviously, it does not hold her back, instead allowing her to put her insight to good use. In this new story a mother wants her son, Khai, to get married, but he has a difficult time processing feelings. Mom goes to Vietnam to find the perfect girl for him. After literally making several girls cry during her interview process, Khai's mom settles on Esme, the girl who was cleaning the bathroom. Esme is brought to America to see if her and Khai are a good fit. If not, she will have to return to Vietnam. This story is well written, quick moving and very cute. It will pull at your heartstrings and have you cheering on these very likable characters. I was pleasantly surprised finding that this story had much more depth than The Kiss Quotient.
This book is the perfect summer read, sweet and funny. If you are taking this novel on vacation, be sure to take a backup as you'll finish this long before you get the sand out of your... swimsuit... (hubby insisted I edit what I originally had there, use your imagination).
What made The Kiss Quotient so different and special for me was the fact that it was a woman with Asperger’s, and that’s a whole different ballgame to the usual set-up of it being a predominantly male issue. Women are more likely – and, some say, better able – to mimic non-Asperger’s behaviours, but to actually read a female Aspie’s POV was really interesting. I’ll still probably read this book too, though! 😁
ReplyDeleteI think you'd like it. The focus is less on the trouble with lots of people and loud places and more on feelings. It's also an unusual but amusing twist on an arranged marriage. Hope all is well with you, Nicola!
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