The English American

The English American....What book was that...hmm...oh yeah, now I vaguely remember this mediocre book.

This book had very little impact on me. It wasn't great. It wasn't horrible. It was just there. I felt that the writer tried really hard to be funny, I didn't laugh. She tried to be soul searching, I didn't search. This is a book that you read, not because you can't put it down, but because there is nothing better to read in your house and nothing good on t.v.

That being said, I do think that the 'lesson' of this story applies to everyone. Pippa doesn't fit in with her adopted family and feels that by finding her biological parents she will finally belong somewhere and understand herself. Now, be honest, haven't we all thought we were adopted at one time or another? Its not knowing who your parents are that makes us, but (as Pippa discovers) despite imperfections and disappointment, we love them. And if they can be imperfect and loved, can't we?

The English American by Allison who?

Cute cover right? Yeah, prime example of why not to judge a book by its cover. In my defense, this was my first 'pick' way back in December of '08.


Here's the short of it....Pippa was adopted as an infant by a British family. At age 28 she learns her biological parents are Americans from the South. Although, this explains lifelong questions she has had about herself, her parents aren't at all what she had imagined....

There are the occasional moments in this book that may get a chuckle out of you but I wouldn't go as far to say that Pippa is plunged into hilarious, heart-wrenching chaos.

There are 2 things I would like to share with you that I personally enjoyed from this book. 1. Sporran is defined as a large pouch for men, commonly of fur, and hangs on the belt of a kilt. 2. This quote: "My days are now accompanied by a growing pain in my chest that will not shift. It feels like a kind of sorrow and it weighs me down. I know it's illogical and I feel guilty for feeling it, so I carry it inside of me hidden from the world." - Pippa

Yes, this review is short but it's all the book merits...