Oprah Book Club® Selection, November 1999: Vinegar Hill is an appropriate address for the characters who populate A. Manette Ansay's novel of the same name. After all, when Ellen Grier and her family return to the rural hamlet of Holly's Field, Wisconsin, it's not exactly a happy homecoming. Her husband, James, has been laid off from his job in Illinois. And for the moment, the family has moved in with Ellen's in-laws, Fritz and Mary-Margaret, an unhappy pair who dislike their daughter-in-law almost as much as they despise each other:
The first time Ellen sat at this table she was twenty years old, bright-cheeked after a spring afternoon spent walking along the lakefront with James, planning their upcoming wedding. It was 1959 and she was eager to make a good impression. She didn't know then that Mary-Margaret disliked her, that she was consideredJimmy's mistake.
Thirteen years later, in 1972, Ellen is back at the table with no escape in sight. Both she and her husband do find work. Yet James seems to settle a tad too easily into his old life, and shows no interest in finding a place of their own. Even worse, his job takes him away from home for weeks at a time, leaving Ellen to cope with her abusive in-laws.
InVinegar Hill Ansay paints a searing portrait of the Midwest's dark side, of a rural culture infected with despair and ruled over by an unforgiving God. Yet she does hold out a grain of hope, too. Just as Ellen seems permanently entangled in familial desperation, she makes a surprising discovery about James's long-dead grandmother--a woman whose rebellious spirit inspires Ellen to rescue herself and her loved ones from the impinging darkness. This late-breaking redemption doesn't cancel out the preceding unhappiness:Vinegar Hill remains a tough, uncompromising tale, one that requires some fortitude to read. But those with the heart for it will be rewarded with fine, spare prose and a hopeful ending.--Alix Wilber
A strong start, but lacked closure After hearing many positive things about Vinegar Hill via Oprah and other reviews I decided to purchase the book. I completed the book yesterday and I can't help but feel a sense disappointment at being left without an adequate ending.
I have not read any previous works by this author and I don't feel I'll read anymore. Vinegar Hill was very well written, the author has a wonderful 'story' telling ability, the language used was perfectly crafted and the character development was wonderful. Ms Ansay has a definite gift for writing but I was disappointed with the ending. I felt the author conjured a great visualisation of the characters but the ending seemed hasty and lacked closure.
All in all a wonderful character portrayl, the author draws you in to really feel the characters pain, the story line is poignant but tragic, I feel Ms Ansay could have done more with the ending.
The in-laws from hell! If you ever had a bad in-law experience, this book might help to put things in perspective. It could be worse, you could have in-laws like the one's in this book.Vinegar Hill A brilliant but gloomy story about Ellen who married her high school sweet heart after they became involved after one date. Several years into their marriage, James lost his job and when they began to run out of money, they had to move into his parent's house. Ellen was forced to cook and keep house in a dreary cluttered home with little love and affection. In addition to the terrible surroundings, she lived in a love-less marriage with "Jimmy", an insecure man who was afraid of his parents.
Ellen's mother-in-law was a pathetic figure who accepted a life of abuse and despair with her domineering and miserable husband. Together they lived a status-quo existence where they rarely communicated. Each one lived in his/her own world. They did not decorate for Christmas and Ellen's children were not allowed to play and interact as normal children.
Finally, Ellen sees the light with the help of her friend; she decides to leave her husband and his parent's home. She takes the kids and moves out to make it on her own... a victorious ending!
