Four

I read this book last week.  I don't recommend it.

I had a pre-conceived idea of what it was about, and found it to be the near-polar opposite of that notion. The author seems to use the book as a forum to poke fun at her sad, twisted relationship with her mentally ill ex-husband and to (gently) mock her Mennonite family.  She also exercises her extensive vocabulary, which actually forced me to power up m-w.com a few times.  Kudos for that, Ms. Janzen.  As a college graduate with an advanced degree and a passion for reading, I pride myself on having an above-average vocabulary, but your PhD in the use of obscure verbiage was most impressive.

Most memorable line from the book (in reference to one of her brothers, a practicing Mennonite & father, who supported his daughter's talent in dance):

"Together my brother and I watched his daughter interpret the elemental concept of rippling water......it spoke volumes that this man, who knew nothing about dance and who had probably never danced a step in his own life, was prepared to go without a second car so that his daughter could ripple like water."

I like this line because I think it illustrates the desire that most parents have to give their children what they did not have, to support them in their dreams whenever possible.  If my daughter wants to ripple like water then I will do everything in my power to see that she gets that opportunity.