When Haven Kimmel was born in 1965, Mooreland, Indiana, was a sleepy little hamlet of three hundred people. Nicknamed “Zippy” for the way she would bolt around the house, this small girl was possessed of big eyes and even bigger ears. In this witty and lovingly told memoir, Kimmel takes readers back to a time when small-town America was caught in the amber of the innocent postwar period — people … people helped their neighbors, went to church on Sunday, and kept barnyard animals in their backyards.
Laced with fine storytelling, sharp wit, dead-on observations, and moments of sheer joy, Haven Kimmel’s straight-shooting portrait of her childhood gives us a heroine who is wonderfully sweet and sly as she navigates the quirky adult world that surrounds Zippy.
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This is by far one of the memoirs I recommend the most for people to check out. It’s a simple story, yet proves most any story is worth telling if told well. Haven Kimmel’s New York Times bestselling memoir is spoken from the heart with an engaging, humorous tone. Kimmel’s straightforward story telling about her upbringing in small-town Indiana …
I have read all of Haven Kimmel’s books, but this may be my favorite. I first discovered her with Iodine, a rich and complex work. I am a sucker for truth-telling, and Zippy’s story drew me in from the start. It goes along with, She Got Up Off the Couch, and I highly recommend both. Wonderful examination of the ties that bind, and the resilience …
Cracked me up! And now I have to read the next one, which sounds like it’s about her mom. Something like, “She Got Up Off the Couch…and other miraculous…” things or something in Mooreland, Indiana. Oh, the kind of old-school redneck things this poor gal saw, but oh, the hilarity and just taking it all in, pondering life, of little Zippy. I had …
A Girl Named Zippy is the sweet and funny memoir of Haven Kimmel, born in Mooreland, Indiana, (population 300) in 1965. Her memories are told with a lighthearted and self-deprecating tone, and the many quirky characters come to life in her telling. Zippy ends on Christmas Eve, which I did not know when I began, of course, but which seems entirely …
I loved it! Reminded me of my childhood growing up in a small Midwest town.
Funny and real!
This is the best memoir I’ve read to date. Funny, engaging, and worth a second, and THIRD read.
For anybody who grew up in suburbia in the 1960’s… this one will take you home.
Wonderful depiction of life in small town America circa 60s and 70s. I can relate.
A joy to read. I have read it twice. Looking at the world through a young girls eyes.
Haven Kimmel’s book, “A Girl Named Zippy” is the memoir that gave me the courage to write my own. As a small child, she was nicknamed “Zippy” because she always sped around so fast. Her family was a bit quirky, yet loving and very real. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s one of a few books I’ve read more than time or two,
Ok. Nothing to write home about. Easy read.
Did not like anti religious views and did not finish
I enjoyed reading this book, It was entertaining and fun to read. Enjoyed the stories of Zippys childhood adventures and memories of her family and friends. Growing up in small town Indiana in the sixties. Recommended.
If I could give it 6 stars, I would!!
An interesting look into the strange lives of a family in a small town. Sort of reminded me of some of the idiosyncrasies of folks in the small town where I grew up. Guess some of the oddities are not really all that odd but just seem so because the sampling of humanity is so small in little towns! Cute book, easy read.
Not my highest rating.
I didn’t care for this book at all.
So fun to read. One minute you laugh, the next you cry. Zippy characters are so fun to get to know. The author did a great job with this book. Some pages I wanted to read again just to laugh again. Great read.
I enjoyed reading A Girl Named Zippy because it reminded me of growing up in the 50’s. It was written in the voice of a young girl, and was very authentic in that respect. I had some real laugh-out-loud moments.