Skinny House-A Memoir of Family is a granddaughter’s story about the grandfather she never met and the famous house he built in Mamaroneck, New York. This rare, first-rate family saga of three generations of an African American family poses a question for all of us: What do we really know about the dreams and aspirations of our ancestors?
Skinny House-A Memoir of Family
By julielseely
Skinny House: A Memoir of Family, by Julie L. Seely is, despite the title, a story about much more than just a house. It is about the fascinating people of the Seely family that lived within it. Their stories are brought to the reader by one of the family members, the house builder Nathan Seely’s granddaughter. Her experience and some research allow every reader to understand what goes on in the tiny house.
Seely writes in a captivating and detailed way, giving us insights into her family’s inspirational story and helping everyone understand what each family member has gone through during their difficult lives. As a reader keen on details, I appreciated the effort put into researching and describing the lives of the people the author barely met, like her grandfather Nathan and describing his life at the beginning of the 20th century.
The book does a fantastic job of creating detailed portraits of the people in the family, and it really transports readers to that time and place in a fascinating way, but I felt like the book moved slowly because of all these details. If you are looking for a book that dives deep into the lives of interesting people, then Skinny House is a perfect fit for you.
Skinny House: A Memoir of Family tells an emotionally resonant story that I think every reader will be able to relate to in one way or another because of how realistic and authentic these people feel due to the wonderful writing of author Julie L. Seely. I recommend this book to any reader keen on African American entrepreneur success during a time when racism was everywhere, to readers keen on history and for anyone looking for a book on real life stories that are inspiring.
I would like to end this review with my favorite quote from the book: “Despite its title, this book is no simple story about an odd narrow-built dwelling. It’s about the family who lived in the house and the patriarch who built it”.
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Skinny House-A Memoir of Family
Author: Julie L Seely
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 20
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 20 readers:
19 would read another book by this author.
20 thought the cover was good or excellent.
20 felt it was easy to follow.
20 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 15 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘subject knowledge’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
20 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
20 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘This is such a well-written story. The author knows how to write a book in an interesting and gripping way. Although it’s a personal story, I still felt very welcome. Excellent research; amazing cover too.’ Male reader, aged 43
‘This is as much a family history as a history of America. This is an insightful read showing how a family has to battle the ups and downs of life whether it be racism or economic decline. Very enjoyable.’ Female reader, aged 63
‘When you read a book of this nature, you will want to do a little family research yourself. I was awe-inspired by how diligently the author put this book together. A superb read in terms of the fascinating family characters and the impact of a changing world on a family.’ Male reader, aged 61
To Sum It Up:
‘A very personal family story written with a gold-tipped pen. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards