Review by JodiBrozio -- Gardening With Guns by AJ Wootton
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JodiBrozio
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Review by JodiBrozio -- Gardening With Guns by AJ Wootton
[Following is a volunteer review of "Gardening With Guns" by AJ Wootton.]
3 out of 4 stars
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I rate this book Gardening With Guns by A. J. Wootten 3 out of 4 stars because I liked the story and found few errors. This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys family tales. A.J. is likeable and down-to-earth with her matter-of-fact rendition of her life story. She puts a positive spin on every role she plays, starting from childhood, throughout her married life, up to the woman she is today. She makes you feel like everyone’s story is worth telling.
A.J.’s book tells about her relationship with her parents and how it shaped her own relationships with her husband, her family, her friends, and her partner later in life. Her dad was married several times, her mother had been married more than once, and throughout those changes in their relationships, A.J. had to learn how she fit in with them. She was close to her brothers, and maintained a good relationship with them. At a young age, she learned the value of hard-work and that helped her become a successful adult. She became a great mother to her children by learning from the experiences she did not like as a child and making better decisions for herself than she felt her parents had made.
What I liked most about the book was reading about A.J. and Matt’s friend Rob, who was a mortician with a sense of humor. They had a circle of friends that they frequently got together with, which most married couples tend not to have when they are raising children. It was through this routine of get-togethers with other couples that she caught her husband kissing a man. It was not a surprise to her when his friend Stephen from the gym started leaving gifts, and later on became one of Matt’s more intimate friends. She accepted Matt for who he was in the end, and did not bad-mouth him to their children. She always spoke of him fairly, and appreciated all he had done for her and the kids. She was appreciative and supportive of his ability to fix things that were broken, cook meals, and do most of the parenting while she was working too much. Not many divorces end amicably, and this was an exception.
What I disliked the most was the relationship that A.J. described with her step-father, Glen. It was bad enough to know he mistreated her mother, but to know what he did to her AND her baby brother was just despicable. I understand that this was about her life, and what she experienced and endured, but if I had known that was in the book I might not have read it. I would caution readers about the language, and the molestation that took place. It is not something that everyone feels compelled to read about.
When A.J.’s father dies, the question comes up about how and why he committed suicide. Was there any foul play? Even after reading about the investigation and his final letters to the family, it still seems possible that he did not do it to himself. I have unanswered questions. Perhaps they cannot be answered, since this is a real-life drama. I just feel like I have been left hanging!
******
Gardening With Guns
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
3 out of 4 stars
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I rate this book Gardening With Guns by A. J. Wootten 3 out of 4 stars because I liked the story and found few errors. This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys family tales. A.J. is likeable and down-to-earth with her matter-of-fact rendition of her life story. She puts a positive spin on every role she plays, starting from childhood, throughout her married life, up to the woman she is today. She makes you feel like everyone’s story is worth telling.
A.J.’s book tells about her relationship with her parents and how it shaped her own relationships with her husband, her family, her friends, and her partner later in life. Her dad was married several times, her mother had been married more than once, and throughout those changes in their relationships, A.J. had to learn how she fit in with them. She was close to her brothers, and maintained a good relationship with them. At a young age, she learned the value of hard-work and that helped her become a successful adult. She became a great mother to her children by learning from the experiences she did not like as a child and making better decisions for herself than she felt her parents had made.
What I liked most about the book was reading about A.J. and Matt’s friend Rob, who was a mortician with a sense of humor. They had a circle of friends that they frequently got together with, which most married couples tend not to have when they are raising children. It was through this routine of get-togethers with other couples that she caught her husband kissing a man. It was not a surprise to her when his friend Stephen from the gym started leaving gifts, and later on became one of Matt’s more intimate friends. She accepted Matt for who he was in the end, and did not bad-mouth him to their children. She always spoke of him fairly, and appreciated all he had done for her and the kids. She was appreciative and supportive of his ability to fix things that were broken, cook meals, and do most of the parenting while she was working too much. Not many divorces end amicably, and this was an exception.
What I disliked the most was the relationship that A.J. described with her step-father, Glen. It was bad enough to know he mistreated her mother, but to know what he did to her AND her baby brother was just despicable. I understand that this was about her life, and what she experienced and endured, but if I had known that was in the book I might not have read it. I would caution readers about the language, and the molestation that took place. It is not something that everyone feels compelled to read about.
When A.J.’s father dies, the question comes up about how and why he committed suicide. Was there any foul play? Even after reading about the investigation and his final letters to the family, it still seems possible that he did not do it to himself. I have unanswered questions. Perhaps they cannot be answered, since this is a real-life drama. I just feel like I have been left hanging!
******
Gardening With Guns
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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