I received this book from the author way back in October and have been reading it little bits at a time since. I finally finished it today. The book is called The Ripening by Lily MacKenzie.
Synopsis: Tillie Bishop never knew her father, and when her mother abandons her, Tillie quickly becomes streetwise. But even in Calgary, forces of the coming 1960s—a decade of rebellion, discovery, and upheaval—already are at work within her. As a Canadian Girl in Training, she’s tried to follow their Christian guidelines, but she prefers to make up her own. She smokes cigarettes in the church bathroom during the group’s meetings and plays kissing games afterward with neighborhood boys. Barely a teenager, glamour becomes her new guiding star, and she fantasizes about a future of dating men and having sex.
At seventeen, during a stay in Toronto, she becomes a band groupie and throws herself into the “sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll” scene—just what she she’s been looking for. Then, seeking more adventure, she moves to San Francisco, drawn to its psychedelic night life, leading to a deeper downward spiral. However, Tillie’s grit and ability to face life’s challenges are inspiring, the seeds for later discovering her artist self.
I thought that this book was pretty good. I enjoyed the dual perspective of the past and present Tillie to show how she grew up and became the woman she is. It really deals with the struggles of life and what lots of people go through. I also enjoyed the Canadian representation in the book and getting to explore western Canada with Tillie as they move around from place to place.
I think that if you like non-fiction and fiction books about people and the lives they lived then you would probably enjoy this book!
Book Rating: 3/5
You can buy this book on Amazon and find it on Goodreads.
Disclaimer: I received this book in ebook format from the author in exchange for an honest review.
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Here is my wrap up of all the books I read in December! This Reindeer Readathon TBR was a lot of fun to go through. Let me know if you have read any of these or what your favorite read of the month was in the comments below!
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