Mandy Reviews: Birthday Pie by Arthur Wooten

ISBN #: 978-0983563143

Page Count: 214

Copyright: 2011

Publisher: Galaxias Productions

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

When Lex Martindale, a New York City writer, goes home to celebrate his birthday and say good-bye to his dying father, he struggles with whether or not to share with his eccentric Southern family news of his own life-threatening situation. As we travel through seventy years of the Martindales' rich and colorful history, unearthing forbidden loves, shattered hopes and tenacious dreams, we realize that this reunion is a volatile turning point in all of their lives. But as anger, resentments and jealousies erupt to the surface, it's their laughter and irreverent sense of humor that prevails allowing for a quiet healing in this bittersweet, moving portrait, of the all-American family.

Mandy's Review:

Cover

With the styling and coloring, the cover is reminiscent of old family-style recipe books.

Plot

A family comes home from all corners of the U.S. to celebrate a relative's birthday ... but is that really the only reason?

Between a senile old lady, a potential murderer, a narcissistic mother and an emotionally weak man, you have the makings of a dysfunctional family get-together.

Main Characters

Trudy - She seems a little flighty and self-absorbed, but she really does love her family in her own way.

Lex - Trudy's favorite who is involved in a relationship where they're staying together out of habit instead of love.

Junior - Extremely weak-willed. He allows his wife to treat him however she wants. He refuses to stick up for himself.

Mona - Mean and selfish. She doesn't know how to be nice unless it is to her advantage.

Roscoe - Hopeless dreamer always looking for the million-dollar break.

Overall

For me, this story showed that, no matter how dysfunctional your family may be, they care about one another. They may not show it in a way you'd expect, but if you look hard enough, you'll find the care and love they have for you.

Although I enjoyed reading this book and appreciated the occasional humorous passage, it did not become one of my favorites. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy reading stories that explore the complexity of a family's dynamics and diversity.