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Delicate Armor
Set in the Upper Midwest, 1952-1991, Delicate Armor is the story of several generations of the Lindstrom family. Having no son, Will Lindstrom places his energy in young Callie, a cheeky girl who shares his bond with the outdoors. Inducted into the world of men and privy to their dreams and struggles, Callie learns to navigate waves of family conflict and loss while realizing her own place in the world. Delicate Armor is about lost time, the tenacity of the human spirit, and our narrator's emerging consciousness as she passes from young girl to self-possessed woman, who, along the way, pays tribute to the land and to her microcosm of men.
360 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2011
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 25, 2017
A heartwarming story about Callie Lindstrom, a young girl growing up in Minnesota in the 1960's. She preferred the outdoor life, fishing and hanging out with her father. She watched her grandmother grow old, forgetful and crotchety and saw her dad and his brother fight over many decades. She carried a dark secret about her ex-husband and persevered after several losses. I think the author did a great job of letting the reader get to know the characters and what they stood for.
January 27, 2012
This by far was one of my favorite books! I didn't want it to end. As I lay in bed at 3:30 AM finishing the last chapter and tears. It touched me in so many ways. Not only is it written by a woman who is 3 years older than me, but we both grew up in this little town (Slayton Minnesota) went to the same school and walked the same streets. Just a very little town in the SW corner of Minnesota. Most people have never heard of.
So many things in her book were personal to me...the ongoing story of her Father and her Uncle , so like my Father and his sister (my Aunt Berta). So many hard feelings carried for so many years. The ongoing battle between her Grandmother and her Mother. My Grandmother (my Dads Mother) also thought that Mom was never quite good enough for Dad. And when my Grandparents died...how my Aunt went into the house and took everything out and our family got nothing of Grandma and Grandpa's. As kids we spent summers with them and were very close....and Dad was always favored by them. They never did get over that in the end. My Dad died at the age of 74 and Aunt Bert died at the age of 100.
There are parts in the book that really helped me think about the house that is still in Slayton that my little brother lives in, that my parents built when I was born 64 years ago. I have so many wonderful thoughts and feelings about that house and us as a family in it. I still want to go back and recapture those feelings, but most of the time only have a struggle. I think the line in her book "Keep in mind, once you turn your back on a place, you have no choice but to look forward. That is unless you want to stew in your own juices. pining for the past that's impossible to hold unto."
Thank you Connie for writing this wonderful book. I look forward to you writng more!
So many things in her book were personal to me...the ongoing story of her Father and her Uncle , so like my Father and his sister (my Aunt Berta). So many hard feelings carried for so many years. The ongoing battle between her Grandmother and her Mother. My Grandmother (my Dads Mother) also thought that Mom was never quite good enough for Dad. And when my Grandparents died...how my Aunt went into the house and took everything out and our family got nothing of Grandma and Grandpa's. As kids we spent summers with them and were very close....and Dad was always favored by them. They never did get over that in the end. My Dad died at the age of 74 and Aunt Bert died at the age of 100.
There are parts in the book that really helped me think about the house that is still in Slayton that my little brother lives in, that my parents built when I was born 64 years ago. I have so many wonderful thoughts and feelings about that house and us as a family in it. I still want to go back and recapture those feelings, but most of the time only have a struggle. I think the line in her book "Keep in mind, once you turn your back on a place, you have no choice but to look forward. That is unless you want to stew in your own juices. pining for the past that's impossible to hold unto."
Thank you Connie for writing this wonderful book. I look forward to you writng more!
November 17, 2021
Very delightful book about a family with all the challenges families have. There are 2 more books which expand on 2 other events/challenges mentioned in book 1. I look forward to reading them both.
April 16, 2020
I bought 3 of this authors books at a recent craft sale. I like reading local authors and am looking forward to this 3 book series
May 30, 2012
Delicate Armor is a story reminiscent of simpler times, times spent at the lake, fishing, a meandering walk down Main street where everyone knows your name. Delicate Armor takes place in a small town in Minnesota near Lake Shetek starting in the 1950's. Callie Lindstrom is a spunky, tom boyish girl with a tendency toward pushing the limits. She has a very special relationship with her dad, who teaches her many things including his love of the great outdoors and how to catch and clean fish. Delicate Armor is a story of a girl growing up amid a family feud that lasts for a generation while she struggles to take her place in the world of men.
The second half of the book revisits Callie all grown up and her dad's struggle to reunite with his brother whom he hasn't spoken to in many years. Delicate Armor is about changes, in the world, the environment, in your hometown and in your family. Changes are what happens every day while you are busy looking the other way and how you deal with them says a lot about your character.
Szarke has created memorable characters, a realistic family drama and a honest look at small town America in the 1950's. The Lindstrom family is a family who believes in integrity and respect. The characters of Callie and Will are complex and moving. While reading Delicate Armor, I was able to draw on my own experiences with my father and grandfather and felt in many ways, I was reading part of my own story through Callie's narration. I, like Callie, was an excellent fisherman who cleaned her own fish (Grandpa's rules), caught a snapping turtle, went bullhead fishing and duck hunting. I even look like the girl on the cover of the book. I guess there is a reason certain books find us and we find ourselves within their pages. This is the experience that makes reading worthwhile and keeps me entranced within the pages of a good book.
The second half of the book revisits Callie all grown up and her dad's struggle to reunite with his brother whom he hasn't spoken to in many years. Delicate Armor is about changes, in the world, the environment, in your hometown and in your family. Changes are what happens every day while you are busy looking the other way and how you deal with them says a lot about your character.
Szarke has created memorable characters, a realistic family drama and a honest look at small town America in the 1950's. The Lindstrom family is a family who believes in integrity and respect. The characters of Callie and Will are complex and moving. While reading Delicate Armor, I was able to draw on my own experiences with my father and grandfather and felt in many ways, I was reading part of my own story through Callie's narration. I, like Callie, was an excellent fisherman who cleaned her own fish (Grandpa's rules), caught a snapping turtle, went bullhead fishing and duck hunting. I even look like the girl on the cover of the book. I guess there is a reason certain books find us and we find ourselves within their pages. This is the experience that makes reading worthwhile and keeps me entranced within the pages of a good book.
May 9, 2012
This is the story of Callie, a tomboy growing up in Minnesota in the 1950s. The character of Callie is very reminiscent of Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird." I read this book as a volunteer judge of the Saroyan Book Prize, and it is very Saroyanesque as a book that has very well developed characters with very clear and real flaws. I enjoyed the book very much in the first part, which was set in the 1950s, but the second part, set 30 years later, was very disjointed from the first part. It would have been much better had the author incorporated the plot points in some other, more congruous way.
February 9, 2014
This is a poignant story about a father and daughter's relationship in a rural Minnesota town. This historical novel covers a 38-year period, from the 1950s to 1990. The characters are well-defined and bring richness to the story, as well as bring the realities of dysfunctions we all have in our own families. The plot weaves in the goings-on in the small town with the activities, music, food, cars and household decor popular at the time. It is a good story about family dynamics and changes that occur as people age.
April 17, 2014
I went to hear Ms. Szarke speak and bought this and Stone Wall, a short story (A Stone for Amer wasn't available) and she read an excerpt from this. I enjoyed the book, and really liked that I recognized places. I'm intrigued by Amer's story and hope to read his next.
March 7, 2014
For any reader seeking to rekindle life in the 50s and 60s in small town America, this is the perfect book. The character development in this small community focuses on family but relates to everyone as each of their lives come to life in Szarke's words. Even though the story is calm in describing these lives there is a light touch of drama that carries the reader into the final pages of this well-written novel.
July 19, 2016
This was a very well-written book about a girl growing up in southern Minnesota in the 1950's. Then it jumps to the 1980s. Nostalgic, tales of Americana. The reason I gave it only a 3 was that it wasn't that particularly interesting. Since it reads like a memoir, there isn't really any point to the story or any action of any kind.
September 12, 2015
A surprisingly poignant book. I have to compare the small town view to To Kill a Mockingbird without the racial drama. The study of small town grown-up realities through the eyes of a feisty child is really good. I found it picking up as it went along and was glad I had persisted through the more predictable early chapters.
October 2, 2012
I loved reading this book as a girl who grew up in the 50's, who went fishing with my father, who spent a lot of time exploring outside in the mountains of Colorado and who now lives in Minnesota.
June 20, 2012
The author grew up in Slayton, so it was really enjoyable to read. I took my writing class to meet her when she was in town in May.
August 14, 2016
Not the type of book I normally read, but was fun to see the comments about places I recognize from my growing up years.
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June 10, 2018Well written nostalgic trip back into the past. "Schnickelfritz" - I hadn't heard that term in a long time.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews