After the Falls by Catherine Gildiner
After the Falls: Coming of Age in the Sixties by Catherine Gildiner
Published by Viking Adult, an imprint of Penguin
Review copy provided by the publicist
We meet Catherine Gildiner when she is twelve years old, after she and her family have moved from Niagara Falls to a suburb of Buffalo, having sold the family business, a pharmacy. Gildiner struggles to assimilate at her new school, but quickly becomes popular and well-liked, and finds herself a part-time job. We follow her throughout middle school, high school, and into college where she attends Ohio State University. This memoir is alternately funny and touching as Catherine Gildiner tells her story.
I received After the Falls as a surprise from the publicist, and one evening when I was in the mood for a memoir, I decided to pick it up. I read the book fairly quickly, although I was mildly disappointed to discover that this is a continuation of her earlier memoir (which I hadn’t heard of, let alone read), but was entertained all the same. Gildiner’s style is brutally honest, but in a funny way, and she definitely knows how to tell her story in a way that will make the reader not only laugh along with her, but also relate to many of her stories. Heck, I didn’t grow up in the sixties, but I certainly felt like I could relate to some of the events in the book myself.
I have to admit, though, that the specifics of what exactly I liked about this book are a little fuzzy. I think because it’s the type of book that, while interesting and funny, does not challenge the reader to think much at all. Because I was just along for the ride, reading almost passively, I didn’t find myself engaging much with the story. Therefore, the details of this memoir sort of all blend together in my mind.
That being said, reading After the Falls was definitely an enjoyable experience for me. The author is extremely likeable and fun, and her story is one that will resonate with a lot of readers. I might suggest reading her first memoir, Too Close to the Falls, first (although I didn’t) as I imagine it might be easier to get into this book if you already “know” the author. All in all, this is an interesting memoir that is sure to entertain.
I read this one without reading Too Close to the Falls and really enjoyed it. I think I could relate to it because I’m about the same age as the author.
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it, Kathy! Have you gone back and read Too Close to the Falls since then?
This one sounds like a good read! I like books that don’t require too much effort from time to time and I also enjoy reading about other peoples lives as long as it’s interesting!
I completely agree Staci!
Oh Heather, you have to read Too Close to the Falls. It’s way better than this one — incredibly funny and really quite sweet.
Also, wasn’t the chapter horrible where Cathy and her friend hide and watch her friend’s brothers and their friends? That was so awful. I wish I could excise that chapter from my brain.
I’m so glad you said that because I wasn’t even considering reading it before! Now I’ll definitely put it on my tbr. And yes, that chapter was downright awful. It made me literally sick to my stomach.
Yeah, same here. I could hardly read it. Kids are horrible.
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