Debbie Zapata's Reviews > Little Altars Everywhere

Another book I bought on my recent trip, this time from the library sale shelves. I had never read the author's other book, and I had never seen the movie made from it, but somehow this book intrigued me when I saw it.

Little Altars Everywhere was the author's first book. Originally published in 1992, this edition came out in 1996, after her Divine Secrets. So this technically is not #2 as GR lists it. And I don't think it should be called a prequel, either, since those usually seem to be written after some big hit, to explain more of the background. But this was written before the big hit and got reprinted by a larger publisher to capitalize on that big hit.

I tried to like Siddalee, but I just couldn't. I kept comparing her to another fictional character from a wonderful book by Fannie Flagg, Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man. I knew the situations were different, the stories wee different, but I guess I simply expected a Daisy Fay and not a Siddalee. I was bored right away, and that is never a good sign.

The quitting point came early, in the third of these stories (the book is more a loose collection of stories rather than a novel). This one is called Wandering Eye and is told by Siddalee's brother Shep, who talks about his relationship with his father, who hit him upside the head all the time. I had to quit when I reached the day Shep left a tractor out of the shed and his father proceeded to knock Shep's teeth loose, 'bust' him in the eye, and most likely broke a rib as well. The boy's mom was on the porch and just watched it happen, getting up at one point to say 'enough', but then retreating under threats of the same thing happening to her.

I don't need to read this type of thing right now. I understand it happens, I understand that pain is essential to the story, etc etc. But no, this chapter turned my stomach and I refuse to read another word.

DNF at page 28.