‘Farley’s Five and Dime: A Dime Store Novel’ by Renée Riva – Book Review and Giveaway

I really love reading a book that just warms the heart. I am still glowing and cozy warm after reading ‘Farley’s Five and Dime: A Dime Store Novel’ by Renée Riva!

Here is the synopsis of this wonderfully entertaining book:

A Charming Waltz Down Memory Lane. “There was nothing real special ‘bout Farley’s Five-and-Dime except that I was a Farley. That, and my family lived up above the store in what we called The Loft. And my daddy built a secret two-story slide beside the back staircase that went from The Loft right down into the store – which came in quite handy when my brother, Sammy and me were in need of a midnight snack…”

What more could an eleven year old girl who worked the soda fountain in a 1950’s five-and-dime store possibly want?

Nothin’ much…until the town of Hog Eye Holler announces their annual Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Waltz. By her upcoming twelfth birthday, Mazie Farley will finally be old enough to attend, but is she setting her sights a little too high? Best friend, Maybeline Zirkle certainly thinks so…

‘Mazie May Farley, you need to have your head examined if you think you’re going to get Billy Ray Baxter to ask you to that dance!”

But nothing stops Mazie from trying…and trying…and trying! Her comical, self-defeating schemes will keep everyone laughing and falling in love with this high-spirited, red-headed whirlwind. Crazy Mazie carries us along in a tale of warm Southern charm, gentle humor, and a touch of sweet serendipity.

“The best thing about life is…it’s never so bad that it can’t get worse.” – Mazie May Farley

Here is the biography of this author:

Renée Riva has been writing humorous, family and animal stories ever since she won her first writing contest in the second grade. A former greeting-card verse writer and popular speaker, Renée has also published three children’s books: Izzy the Lizzy, Guido’s Gondola, and Rudy the Runt, as well as a Young Adult Trilogy: Saving Sailor, Taking Tuscany, and Heading Home. Farley’s Five and Dime is her latest project about a fun and feisty little character named Mazie Farley.

Renée and her husband reside in Washington State with their three daughters, a dog, a cat, and a baby box turtle named Buster.

This story, which takes place at the end of 1958 and the beginning of 1959, is written in the first person voice of the main character, Mazie May Farley. Here she is describing her family:

It was just me and Daddy and Sammy that made up our family after Mama went to heaven in 1956. I was only nine years old when she left us. I remember thinking she must have been needed pretty bad up there, ‘cause I sure needed her down here, but heaven got her anyway. (p. 10)

I love the tone; she seems like a neat little girl!

Mazie knows what she wants, and she has a plan to get what she wants:

The way I see it, there are only two things standing between me and Billy Ray. Two years, age-wise, and Emma Jean Jacobs. The first one I can overcome by January 30^th when I turn twelve, and will be only one year behind. The second one will take some scheming. For starters, every girl in Hog Eye, Kentucky is in love with Billy Ray Baxter and wants to be the one he asks to the Sweetheart Dance on Valentine’s Day. So far, Emma Jean is the only one Billy Ray seems to notice though. That is gonna have to change by February 14^th, and I intend to make sure it does. Lucky for me, Farley’s Five-and-Dime soda counter is the one place I can always count on Emma Jean to come looking for Billy Ray. And that is exactly where I plan to fight this battle. (p. 19)

God gets a message through to Mazie through her Sunday school teacher, Miss Tiffany; she was not too receptive!:

Sunday morning, I’m sitting in Sunday school at Holy Cross listening to Miss Tiffany talk about loving our neighbor during the Christmas season by doing kind deeds for them.

Good thing Emma Jean is not my neighbor.

“And who is our neighbor?” Miss Tiffany asks.

I’m thinking of old Mr. Martin, and how just maybe I’ll bake him up a sugar loaf for Christmas.  

“Our neighbor is anyone God brings along our path, and whether we like them or not, we are to show love to them.”

Oh, great. Not what I wanted to hear.

“This is the time to make things right. Right the wrongs of the past year, so we can spend Christmas with a joyful heart and a clear conscience.”

Can we just settle for the joyful heart?... (p. 31)

Mazie has great admiration for Nellie, a waitress at their favorite restaurant, Country Vittles:

I watch her every move when I’m here ‘cause I want to grow up to be just like her. I already practice my pony tail swing when I’m working the counter at the Five-and-Dime. My hair is just now finally long enough to wear in a super short pony tail. No more pixie-cuts for this cowgirl or I will never look like Nellie. (p. 44)

Mazie gives us a glimpse about life in a small town at Christmas time in 1950s America:

We walk home by way of the park tonight to see the living nativity that the town of Hog Eye puts on every Christmas Eve. The newest baby boy, born closest to Christmas Eve, gets to play Baby Jesus every year. This has caused some competition between some of the expectant mothers in the past as they have all tried to plan their baby’s birth around Christmastime. One year, two baby boys came along on the same day, but we couldn’t have two Baby Jesus’s, so they had to take turns and work in shifts. It’s quite an honor to be Baby Jesus in this town. You get your picture in the newspaper and go down in the Hog Eye Holler Museum of all Baby Jesus’s from way back. Some of the first Baby Jesus’s are older than the hills by now. For some folks in this town, that is their only claim to fame. (p. 47)

The end of the book is unexpected, but very sweet!:

There are times in life when everything once hoped for seems suddenly hopeless, and life begins to lose its shine. Then out of the blue, serendipity shows up and knocks your socks right off. I guess you could say this was one of those times. And we waltzed. (p. 148)

I have read one other book from Renée – ‘Heading Home’ (you can read my review here). It is truly one of my favorite books I have read this year – and I have read A LOT of books this year! I really loved her humorous and fun style. It seems really rare these days – or else I am just hanging out with the wrong people! But her writing just warms my heart. And ‘Farley’s Five and Dime’ is no exception! I really loved this book. Renée has a writing style that makes me want to read more and more of her work. I will be keeping my eye open for other books coming from her computer. I look forward to them with great anticipation!

This is a great gift for another or for you to read as a Christmas tradition! It is geared to a younger audience - therefore, easy reading - but enjoyable for one and all! You can order this book here.

This book was provided by StoneHouse Ink for review and giveaway purposes.

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I have one copy of this book to pass along to one of you; thanks to Aaron at 

StoneHouse Ink for generously providing this copy! 

There are several ways to gain entry:           

1) Leave a comment here on the blog, telling me how God has helped you through a stressful situation. Please make sure to leave your email address in this format – sample[at]gmail[dot]com. 

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So there are five chances to enter! Please limit one entry per option, and please include your email address, or, sad to say, the Random Number Generator will have to choose a different winner.

This giveaway is for U.S. residents only. The deadline for entry is Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST. A winner will be chosen via the Random Number Generator on Thursday, December 16, 2010 and will be contacted via email. The best to all of you!