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Reviews for
The English American
A Novel
by Alison Larkin
 "Vogue
labeled it as one of the most powerful books of the season. And there's
really no doubt Larkin can deliver onstage at readings and book signings.
The buzz is on. Who wouldn't like main character Pippa Dunn, a vulnerable
28-year-old Brit who hails from the American South but doesn't know it? Both
poignant and funny, the story rings true...Larkin has a winner on her
hands."
--The Oregonian read full review
"Alison Larkin's debut novel The English
American is set up to be standard chick-lit fare: a beautiful, intelligent..." -- PopMatters
read full review
"The English American" is a funny, charming and
poignant book - the kind that you can't resist reading in a single day. It's
impossible to dislike this scatterbrained Brit, who overstuffs her suitcase
and then ties it together with nylon stockings... But
the book, based on Larkin's one-woman comedy show, has a serious heart. It
deals with both the bureaucratic difficulty of finding your birth parents
and the emotional difficulty of integrating them into your life. The
English American has a love story, too, with Pippa trying to figure out
two very different men...
--Chicago Sun Times
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"The English American" is an engaging, highly readable
tale of one woman's search for love and a place in the world."
--The Star Ledger read full review
"The novel, while provocative and thoughtful, also is extremely funny."
--Mike Frechette, Mostly Fiction read full review
"The English American’ takes a warm and
comedic look at who we really are...Pippa Dunn has to know, is it heredity
that makes us who we are? Or, is it our own self-acceptance that defines us?
More importantly, is the reason she feels like an alien because she was
adopted? Or is it something else?"
--Hollywood Today read full
review
“Deceptively simple in
framework, the novel successfully veers between poignancy and outrageous humor,
with Larkin having great fun with English and American cultures as Pippa
navigates her way through the culture clashes and extended families to recognize
her unique, quirky self..
The author's coverage of
adoptee rights makes it an especially timely addition to public libraries.”
--Library Journal read full review
"Summer reading doesn't have to be fluff - it just has to be good. And it
probably should be something you won't mind being seen with poolside at the
hotel, on the beach or aboard the plane... Besides offering interesting
insights as to how others may see us, The English American has the virtues
of a pleasing, fast-moving plot, believable characters (it's
semi-autobiographical) and excellent writing by an author in search of her
origins."
--Karen Hayman Long, Tampa Tribune, read
full review
I just finished The English American by
Alison Larkin which I absolutely loved! I have been doing a
fair amount of reading this summer, but this is the first
book that I’ve read in a while that I raced through and
enjoyed absolutely every moment of. It is a very easy read
with interesting, likable characters... I highly recommend
this novel if you’re looking for some light, fun summer
reading.
--mysparetime.wordpress.com
blog
"A
charmingly written novel... a quick, fun read."
--Bess Newman, Bestsellers at About.com
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“This book is a page turner that makes you want
to slow down as you reluctantly approach the final pages so this
extraordinary experience does not end. At times I could not stop
myself from laughing out loud, and I wept through the last few chapters as I
went along with Pippa while she arrived at her own wonderful conclusions
about herself.”
--The Decree read full review
"Larkin pokes gentle fun
at the peculiarities and excesses of English and American
culture in this witty, clever and imaginative plot."
--Tuscon Citizan read full review
“Larkin's debut novel takes a comedic but
heartfelt look at issues of identity, heredity, and self-acceptance...Pippa is a
complex, compelling character—truly an amalgam of her heredity and her
environment—and readers will root for her as she uncovers her roots and finds
herself.”
--Publishers Weekly
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"A vibrant romp that takes readers back
and forth across the Atlantic Ocean...The English American is
bright and funny and a bit chaotic, just like Pippa...Despite some heavy
issues, Larkin manages to keep The English American light and
accessible. Her approach is sensitive and heartfelt and always with a
dose of humor." --Jessica Harrison, Deseret News"I loved this book from page one and zipped right through it. I know you are
going to enjoy it too. The English American is perfect mix
of excellent writing, a fun story line, and a dose of humor."
--Conversations with Famous Writers
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"The English American is a heartfelt journey through the dual life of a vulnerable woman who is searching for her past in an attempt to find her future. . . this comedic jaunt into the nature v. nurture enigma is sure to acquire a beloved spot in hearts and on bookshelves for years to come."
--GTWeekly.com read full review
"Pippa’s wise and sparklingly funny
voice keeps her reader engaged and urgently turning pages...This is a
necessary novel about adoption, but also a beautiful novel about growing up;
about coming to terms with the fact that, while the people and events that
brought us to life and formed us matter profoundly and inform everything
else, we each have our own private story to discover and breathe into life."
--Rainbowkids magazine, Violetta Garcia-Mendoza
read full review
"Alison Larkin uses humor and pathos in equal
measure. You need only to turn the page to find something that will make you
laugh…or cry... Pippa's journey of self-discovery and identity becomes our
own. I still think about her, weeks after finishing this book.”
--Adoptive Families Magazine March/April '08, reviewed by
Brenda Romanchik, birth mother and executive director of Insight: Open
Adoption Resources and Support.
read full review
"As a teenage adoptee, there are many times I have felt misunderstood or couldn’t explain why I did the things I did... After reading the first twenty pages of Alison Larkin’s new novel, The English American, that feeling changed. Suddenly, I was completely understood, and by a stranger!
What I found especially
powerful is that while Larkin is British and I consider myself American, she is
Caucasian and I am Latina, this novel was extremely relevant to my life and my
experience as an adoptee...her talent for making the reader want to laugh and cry at the same time make The English American impossible to put down. I recommend it highly."
--Sofia Arroyo, PACT newsletter, adoptee and second-year college student majoring in International Relations in Los Angeles read full review
"The perfect airplane
read!"
--
Redbud Book Club
read
full review
“A heartwarming and hilarious book about finding the truth.”
--Little Apple Bookworm read full review "Following
Pippa through her various mishaps on the way to
self-discovery is a riotous ride. However, The
English American is not just a barrel of laughs;
it also serves as a great reminder that, for
better or worse, we are what our experiences
have made us. "
--The Salemite read full review
Alison Larkin’s take on the issue of identity, while couched
in a fast-paced contemporary novel, infuses the subject with
realism, humor, and compassion.
-- Inthefray magazine
read
full review
“An
enchanting tale bolstered by unalterable, gritty
life-truths”
--Tapestry
Books
read
article and review
“The English American” is the
most readable novel I’ve undertaken in a while — I devoured
the book over a single afternoon, drawn to Pippa Dunn, an
undeniably likeable narrator, from page one."
--Book Beat, San Mateo Daily Journal,
read full
review
"Once I
started this, I could not put it down. While this is an
entertaining, light read, the story leaves the reader with
some great morals. I would recommend this novel to readers
of different genres due to its content. I was really happy
with the end result and I'm looking forward to reading
anything else Larkin writes.
--Book
Diva's
read full review..
"A highly
readable novel about the very
English-bred Pippa Dunn, who discovers
her birth parents in the American South.
Frequently funny, sometimes very
poignant and always entertaining -- a
great read."
--
The Island Bookseller, a Hilton
Head, S.C., store with Book Sense
-
I was sent
The English American by
Alison Larkin for review, well, many
months ago. It has taken me until now to
pick it up. Once picked up, I couldn't put
...
birthparents.adoptionblogs.com/weblogs/book-review-the-english-american
- 41k -
"Drawn from Larkin’s own life, this debut
novel—like Pippa herself—is smart, funny, and utterly
charming."
--Booklist
"a funny, warm, risky
novel...The English American will speak to anyone in their
20s whose gone searching for their true self. Funny, sexy in
parts, very real."
--Satellite
Sisters
"Instead of the expected heartfelt memoir of an adoptee
meeting her birth parents, The English American is an
absolute whirlwind of a novel. Larkin treats you to a hugely
powerful ending which will have you pouring over every page.
The English American will fill you with incredible
warmth as it highlights the importance of childhood and
those who were in it as well as the importance of home and
those that make you feel at home."
--Bookbag
In this enjoyable first novel, it’s a pleasure to watch her do just that."
--MartinsvilleReport.com
"Hilarious and poignant debut novel."
--South West Public Libraries
“Terrific, insightful - the story line is
superb…”
--Genre-Go-Round Reviews
“Hilarious novel that I read in one day. If you
are an Anglophile and live in New York City, you will love it.”
--This Next
"It is a story that touched my heart.. It brought tears to
my eyes as it will many readers. Its heartwarming and
hopeful. All I can say is get the book. It is awesome."
--Blogspot.com
"I loved following along and
sharing Pippa's life. She is hilarious and real, definitely
someone I would love to be friends with."
--Reviewed with Q&A by Readaholic Blog
read more>
"Larkin created a poignant world, drawing
inspiration from her own life. Pippa enchants, corals and surprises at every
turn. Larkin has created characters so authentic, you’ll be inclined to
check over your shoulder in assurance they aren’t reading you their story
aloud."
--Paige Crutcher,
Examiner.com
read full review
"Compulsively
readable” is right. I couldn’t put it down"
--Reading/Writing/Living
"I was completely charmed by Larkin's witty writing
and shrewd observations about the difference between Yanks
and Brits."
--Thisbookisforyou.blogspot.com
“Alison Larkin has written a book that makes you laugh and cry at the same
time. Not only that,
The English American is a story
that you’ve never read before… You will love it!”
--Gail
Parent, Emmy Award winning writer for
Tracey Takes On, The Golden Girls,
and
The Carol Burnett Show
“Alison
Larkin nails the Anglo-American cultural divide brilliantly in
the most compelling novel I
have read in years. Fast-paced, moving, deeply comic and sexy, I could not
put it down.”
--Clive Pearse, HGTV, Host of Designed to Sell and Design Star
“A wonderful mix of mystery, humor, suspense
and heartwarming family togetherness. As I was reading, I'm thinking the
book is great, now I can't wait to see the movie!”
--Adoption
TODAY and Foster Families TODAY
“This is the first time an adopted heroine has
been authentically portrayed in fiction with genuine mass market appeal.”
--Annette Baran, co-author The Adoption Triangle
“Alison Larkin’s book is magical – artfully
written, laugh-out-loud funny, insightful and inspiring. People with adoption in
their lives will simply adore it. And people without adoption in their lives
(there are some, I’m pretty sure) will lose sleep as a result of it – because,
no matter what time it may be, they won’t be able to stop turning the pages.”
--Adam Pertman, Author Adoption Nation, Executive Director
Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, and Pulitzer Prize nominated journalist.
“Alison Larkin has written a book that is not only
hilariously funny, but poignant and deeply moving as well. She gets the absurd
complexity of an adoptee's life down perfectly. Our heroine Pippa Dunn cracked
me up, then broke my heart over and over. I was cheering for her the whole way.”
--Susan Ito, co-editor, A Ghost At Heart's Edge: Stories & Poems of Adoption
"This book is funny, endearing, romantic, heart
wrenching and heart warming, and I dare you not to devour it in as few a
sittings as possible. It’s the perfect book for a Sunday afternoon curled up by
the fire with your cat, and one day I hope to see it on the big screen as I
think it would make a fantastic movie."
--Clare Swindlehurst, Blue Archipelago
read full review
"Alison Larkin’s debut novel The English
American is set up to be standard chick-lit fare: a beautiful, intelligent,
and independent woman must overcome an obstacle to find happiness in love and
life..."
--Christina Clarkson, Pop Matters
Read full review
"The English American is a great novel that
is funny, touching and all around entertaining. It shows what really makes a
family and what aspects go into creating our identities. A wonderful debut novel
with a main character you can’t help but be intrigued by."
--Krysten Hager,
Pop Syndicate
Read full review
"Pippa Dunn was raised in England and decides to
find her American biological parents. A very good story of Pippa's emotions and
coming to terms with being 'English-American'." (5 stars)
--Phyllis,
The
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