Moonlight on Linoleum: A Daughters Memoir

But she was not pregnant. According to my birth certificate, I came along a full eleven months after they married, proving their union sprang from something other than necessity. Her older brother, my Uncle Gaylen, witnessed the difficult relationship Mama had with their mother. I must have been about eight. Carola was crying and crying and Mom got so mad. She stopped the carriage, walked to a nearby tree, and yanked off a switch.

'Moonlight on Linoleum: A Daughter's Memoir' by Terry Helwig

She returned to the carriage and whipped your mom for crying. It might have made a difference. She might not have been so desperate for tenderness. By the time Mama turned fourteen, she had fallen for my dad. Around that time, Mama wrote a couple of jingles and sold them to Burma Shave as part of their road-side advertising campaign.

Mama liked to drive by a particular set of red and white signs posted successively along the highway near Glenwood.

• See a Problem?.
• Moonlight on Linoleum: A Daughter's Memoir by Terry Helwig!
• Sex Cat Encounters Casanova Karma.
• Moonlight on Linoleum: A Daughter's Memoir;

During the first year of their marriage, my parents moved into a house without running water, off County Road L not far from the Waubonsie Church and Cemetery outside Glenwood. Dad, a farmer, loved the land and spent long hours plowing, planting, and tending the livestock. His mother, my Grandma Skinner, lived four miles down the gravel road.

Grandma Skinner had raised six children while slopping the pigs, sewing, planting a garden, canning, baking, and putting hearty meals on the table three times a day. But not his child-bride, Carola Jean. She could write a jingle, but she knew nothing about cooking, gardening, cleaning, or running a household—not even how to iron. In a house without running water, I must have contributed to a legion of laundry and fatigue.

The doctor finally determined I suffered from a milk allergy and switched me to soy milk, which cured my colic, but not my aversion to sleep. You always wanted to be near me. Sometimes I cried, too. I pictured Vicki sleeping peacefully and wished I had been an easier child. But I held my tongue; I was good at that. By the time Vicki joined our household, we lived in a former rural schoolhouse near Emerson, Iowa.

It was here that Mama broke. No matter how you do the math, the equation always comes out the same; Mama was little more than a child herself. The rigors of marriage, farm life, and two girls under the age of two finally came crashing down on her. Dad did not want animals in the house. But Mama stood her ground; the kitten stayed.

Mama loved watching it pounce on a string and lap milk from a bowl. She loved hearing it purr and worked with me to be gentle with it. One afternoon, in the driveway, Dad ran over the kitten. Mama could not stop crying. He had a reputation for being soft when it came to killing animals, even to put food on the table. But I do believe some part of their marriage died with that kitten. When Mama found herself clutching the butcher knife, she said she thought about me and Vicki, what using the knife would mean, how it would carve a different course for each of us.

That didn't last too long, though. They moved again, and Mama kept on with her antics and with Terry in charge of the girls. This memoir definitely held my interest and made me feel for the children and how they had to endure their childhood as always the new kid at school and not really a kid at home since they always had to do chores that were an adult's.

It is hard to believe how resilient we are as children. This sentence stuck with me: I have to call you marvelous, Terry. Being able to live like you did as a child and to turn out like you did is truly amazing. Nov 08, Dnicebear rated it it was amazing. Ms Helwig begins the story of abandonment with the experience of not being able to find her mother's grave.

The stories of growing up with a mother whose main passion seemed to be visiting what she called "Timbuktu" instead of her home and motherhood--this story 'should' be made up but it is not. Thankfully the daughter has survived and contributes to the global family now as a counselor and activist. And, writer, because we get to live through the deceptions and the process of understanding and Ms Helwig begins the story of abandonment with the experience of not being able to find her mother's grave.

And, writer, because we get to live through the deceptions and the process of understanding and forgiving Mama. As oldest girl in the family, Ms Helwig's main role becomes keeping the siblings together. I didn't want to be set apart. So I split myself in two. I thought of myself as School Terry and Home Terry. School Terry was carefree and her worries small--like what she should do for her science project or whom she should sit beside at lunch.

Home Terry was much older and more responsible; she kept the home fires burning, cooked and cleaned, and watched over the other girls when Mama was absent, trying to keep them safe, even when things didn't feel safe. It has been a long time since I have read a memoir that captured my attention like Moonlight and Linoleum did. Sue Monk Kidd was correct when she said the world needed this book. Terry Helwig has a great voice and did a wonderful job making the reader understand the complexity of her family dynamics and the struggle between acceptance and disappointment.

Reading her story I often forgot how young she and her sisters were. The struggles and every day life she and her sisters dealt with were so ad It has been a long time since I have read a memoir that captured my attention like Moonlight and Linoleum did. The struggles and every day life she and her sisters dealt with were so adult.

They were forced to grow up yet were still just children.

Moonlight on Linoleum

Her and her sisters are amazing. She tells how they adapted and allowed themselves to experience bits and pieces of childhood while facing the demands of a mother with her own demons. While this memoir could have been depressing and full of pity Terry does not evoke this out of the reader.

Her attitude is so uplifting and you cheer her and her sisters on the whole book. Her life path was not easy but what an incredible woman appeared along the way! Jan 31, Arlena rated it it was amazing Shelves: A Daughter's Memoir Author: Terry Helwig Published by: Howard Books Age Recommend: Arlena Dean Raven Rating: A Daughter's Memoir by Terry Helwig was a indeed an interesting read.

Terry really did a wonderful job in telling her story The story is of Terry who was the the oldest and responsible and her relationship with her Carola Jean had been a teen bride and the most important thing was that Carole Jean was concerned only for how she was living and not caring enough to take care of her children.

Carole Jean left this mainly to her daughter, Terry! Carole Jean made the list and it was Terry's job to see that it was done.. This was indeed a dysfunctional family. Terry was the one that kept things going as they should, cooking and cleaning Terry was definitely the mother figure. When Terry would ask about her natural father from Iowa her mom told her that she could look him up when she was The reason behind this was that Carole Jean thought since he sent no support he should not have any dealings with his daughters Terry and Vickie.

However, they would have some dealing with the Aunt Betty as long as her brother was notinvolved. Later Terry found out that her baby bother Lanny at 11 had cancer. I can say at this point I believe Carole Jean suffered from bipolar and that a lot of the time she was simply out of control. This family was noted from moving from place to place due to the fact that Terry's stepfather, Davy who worked from a oil rigging job that kept him on the move and he wanted to keep the family together. Davy was indeed a good person for he loved and showed it to this family.

Terry accepted the love of her stepfather. Terry loved school even though she was from everywhere and nowhere Terry attended twelve schools in eleven years and she did graduate. All of this while Terry still managed to take care of herself, her sisters and even at times her mom. Terry was able to triumph over all of the pain and through all of this she not only loved her sisters but also her mom. Still trying to help her mom while Carole Jean is in the hospital supposing getting help from her suicide attempt Carole Jean quietly leaves the Colorado State Hospital and doesn't come for the girls until Terry insist she comes and gets Joni and Brenda.

Carole Jean married twice more and had another child, a son named Jodie. Definitely Carole Jean had problems that in the end through prescription abuse and the death of her son Jodie 2 , her toddler overdosed on her sleeping pills and later died of pneumonia that lead to her suicide attempts and her death in from accidental drug overdose. Nancy, Vicki, Patricia, Brenda, Joni and Terry all live in four different states are still very close and doing well.

They have a reunion every year with their children. In the end of the story Terry goes to her Mom's grave to ask for her blessing on the book "Moonlight on Linoleum. This was one thing she wanted to do. There was a lots of "Remember When" with the sisters Terry had written this book for her shelf and her mom.

I enjoyed the "Moonlight on Linoleum: Back to Top Logged Read more: Yet, her persistence in sleeping around, ordering her children to do housework, and abandoning her own daughters for the sake of her own good times are actions so beyond selfish that another word should be invented solely for Carola Jean.

I was so angry I could have spit, moistening the pages of my precious book. So, what would have been? This story seems like one of survival and devotion. Helwig survives the ups and downs, back and forth, touch your nose and spin around life that her mother provided her. But, through it all, Helwig remains devoted to her siblings, fathers, and even her mother. But Ms Helwig has written a very honest and touching account of growing up with an unstable, selfish mother, while trying to look out for her five younger sisters. For that alone, this book is a welcome addition to the genre.

Ms Helwig is fair in her portrayal of the people who raised and influenced her, making her mother's eventual descent all the more alarming. And that, I think, is why I rated the book only 3 stars. The problem with judging memoirs is that a lot depends on whether you like or understand the actions of the author, and while I was very sympathetic to her trials, I just couldn't agree with the choice she made at the end. I understood that she needed to put herself first for a change, but the depiction of Carola Jean's continuing degradation made it unfathomable for me that someone who'd been as responsible as Ms Helwig had been for so long could so easily persuade herself that she was doing the right thing.

And then the book ends without explaining the inevitable aftermath. I suppose it's fair to say that Ms Helwig was only talking about her own feelings and experiences, but I really want to know how her sisters felt about the next six years. A decent book, overall, but a coda would've helped, in my opinion. Nov 08, McGuffy Morris rated it it was amazing. Terry Helwig has a beautiful way with words. She is a gifted author, but also a special person. In her very touching memoir, Terry shares her story of growing up with a mother who is bipolar, and very often seemingly out of control.

Terry never gave up on herself, life, or even her mother. The oldest in of a household of six girls one of which was actually a cousin ; Terry was the mother-figure. At times she had to be mother to her own mother, Carola Jean. Growing up in the ss, her early Terry Helwig has a beautiful way with words.

Growing up in the ss, her early family memories were of her time with her biological father and paternal grandparents. This carried Terry through many later situations. The farm life and closeness of family were of stability and security. Terry remembered these things.

Yet even then, Carola Jean's absence was obvious and painful for the little Terry. The sense of abandonment was difficult. When Carola Jean came back for Terry and her little sister, it was to go back to the Southwestern area of the States. This meant a transient life with stepfather Davy, and new baby sisters regularly. Terry persevered as the big sister and Carola Jean's biggest supporter. Terry's stepfather, Davy, never gave up on Carola Jean either. Forced to move from place to place with his oil rigging job, he remained a constant for Carola Jean and his family.

Purchasing a mobile home, Davy moved his family with him. He was determined to keep them all together, providing the best home that he could. During her childhood and into her teens, Terry attended 12 schools in 11 years while still managing to keep herself and her sisters together. I love Terry's bravery and resilience. Her memoir is filled with compassion and acceptance, and consequently, forgiveness. Jul 15, Elizabeth rated it really liked it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the story of growing up with a very unstable mother.

Terry is the oldest of her mother's daughters, born when her mother was Terry became the caretaker of her 5 younger sisters. Her mother's niece also joins the family later on. Were it not for the loving fathers I'm not sure the girls would have fared as well.

The father of the older girls loves them very much even though the mother cut him out of their lives when they were fairly young. The man they called Daddy was the stepfather This is the story of growing up with a very unstable mother. The man they called Daddy was the stepfather of the older sisters but was every bit as loving as their bio father.

Account Options

He worked in the oil fields however and so was frequently gone during the week. The job necessitated frequent moves. By the time Terry graduated from high school she had attended12 different schools in several states. Terry grows up being the mother more than her mother is. Despite the mother's alcoholism, drug addiction, and having a never ending supply of boyfriends she is loved by her daughters and her 2nd husband, whom she divorced and remarried several times. In the end their love wasn't enough to save her. This memoir reminded me of The Glass Castle. The main difference was the children in the Glass Castle had parents who remained married but both parents were mentally ill.

A Daughter's Memoir

I think they probably had to overcome more to come out healthy and functional. Both books made me glad I had the parents I did. Sep 27, Nancy rated it really liked it. Helwig writes a compelling memoir detailing her memories of her childhood. Helwig provides as much objectivity as a writer could give as a first person writing about her own childhood.

Admirably, she does not paint herself as a victim nor does she write any of the characters as two dimensional. The author's mother was chemically dependent and unfaithful to the end. She neglected her children and household responsibilities. On the other hand, she was tender and loving at times and clearly gave th Helwig writes a compelling memoir detailing her memories of her childhood.

On the other hand, she was tender and loving at times and clearly gave the best she had to give. At the same time, Helwig describes other meaningful adults from her childhood; her biological father, her stepfather who did not differentiate between his biological children and adopted children, and her grandparents of both fathers. Also included is an affair and another husband.

Again, Helwig successfully separates herself enough to give a fair characterization of the people that impacted and shaped her. Even her biological father's second wife, Cathy, who was ill-prepared to be a mother to the stepchildren, had both cruel and admirable moments. The writing is beautiful.

The chapters are cohesive and stick to a theme while describing each stage of life. Ultimately, the reader comes away feeling empathy for all of the players in this book. Sep 03, Books to the Sky rated it it was amazing. See more reviews at www. That's how I feel about this book. As someone who grew up with an unstable mother, I felt that I related so closely with Terry although her situation was much more extreme than mine.

I appreciated that Terry wrote, not only of the bad times, but also the good ones. The times that bring hope and joy and just a little bit of peace. The conflicting See more reviews at www. The conflicting feelings about whether to love her mother or despise her so strongly reminds me of my own feelings towards my mother. How do you hate the person who has the capacity to show you so much love?

As the story went on, I found myself wondering what the other sisters' thoughts were during some of those times. What were they feeling? How did they perceive that particular situation? What were her Daddy's thoughts during all of this? I wanted to know everything there was to know about this family. And after I turned to the last page and finished the book, I put it down and just sighed, both in sadness and wistfulness. Her strength is admirable. Her writing is beautiful.

Her story is unforgettable. I loved this book!

Moonlight on Linoleum: A Daughter's Memoir - Terry Helwig - Google Книги

It was such a honest account of a young girl who had to grow way too fast. I really admire the way Ms. Helwig takes you through her heartbreaking account of growing up with a very dysfunctional mother. Her mother grew up way too fast as well. She was under seventeen when she had Ms.

I found it very inspiring the way she chose her younger sister's over herself. It would have been so hard not to have just given up and taken a easier road. But, she stuck it out and has a I loved this book! But, she stuck it out and has a heart of gold. I admire the fact that she loved her mother regardless of what heartache she caused. This is a true fact that forgiveness and love will carry you through the toughest of childhoods. Apr 14, Sharon Huether rated it it was amazing Shelves: It took a lot of courage for Terry to write about her childhood. I hope it was a healing process for her.

Her mother married young and had children soon after, all girls. Terry saw her mothers lifestyle was not like other mothers. She liked to go drinking and entertained many men, as Terry observed. Terry's mother divorced one man and found another, so there was one mother and two fathers for all five girls.. A niece came to live with Moonlight on Linoleum: A niece came to live with them as well. As Terry got older she cared for the younger ones, cleaned and cooked the meals, while her mother was not at home. Terry adjusted well in school for having to move twelve times during her school years.

This book shows Terry's undying love for her mother and her sisters. Feb 03, Sharon Boyne Travis rated it really liked it. It's heartwarming to read a tale of poverty and hardship where people come out on top - family helps family and children don't blame their parents for what they've endured. This story echoes with the tales I've heard from my parents - about people they knew growing up in the 40's and 50's. Life was hard but people endured and survived - they didn't give up and stick out a hand for free money or government handout; they didn't give in to drink or drugs; they persevered and worked hard.

Good lesso It's heartwarming to read a tale of poverty and hardship where people come out on top - family helps family and children don't blame their parents for what they've endured. Jan 14, Amanda rated it it was amazing Shelves: I really really liked this book. There were many parts of the story that reminded me so very much of stories that my mom, aunts, and uncles have told me about their childhood growing up in a house with alcoholic parents in the 50s and 60s.

I plan on recommending it them at the next family gathering. When I was little, my mom also told me she had to taste my shakes and French fries to make sure they were good enough to eat, just like Terry told her sisters. Jan 30, Brooke rated it it was amazing. Beautifully written memoir written by Terry Helwig. It's unbelievable when you think about how much pain both physically and emotionally children can go through and still turn out "okay".

Terry credits her daddy for being the glue that held the family together for so long, I also thinks she deserves a great deal of that credit too. Depressing, and I'm not sure why, but something just didn't ring true to my ears. What 10 year old thinks in terms of greek gods and goddesses. Might have been more interesting if she hadn't been trying so hard to make her mother look good.

I can understand how an adult might think that way in hindsight, but not a child. Jun 07, Nancy Narma rated it it was amazing. She proceeded to take me on a spellbinding journey from the Riverside Cemetery and back to her childhood. Let me advise you, with the number of moves she and her family made, it would make a map into a crazy quilt. After a rough relationship with her own Mother, Jean married at 14 to Donald Skinner, a tenant farmer.

Their union was not out of necessity but out of love. Everything was a learning experience for the young wife and mother, having given birth to Terry who knew nothing about country living and caring for a Husband and family—especially when baby Vicki came along 2 years later. She packed up and with the girls, headed home to Fort Morgan, Colorado. Jean joined her divorced Sister; Eunice, and her young Daughter; Nancy.

Thankfully, this did not happen.

Her now former Husband was serving in Korea, and her divorced Sister disappeared from time to time, leaving young Nancy in their care. What was she to do? Within this time, she had also divorced Davy. With some semblance of normalcy and love, in their lives due to their Dad and Grandparents, Terry and Vicki flourished —with Terry praying their Mother would return for them.

Don met and married Cathy and he moved to Omaha, leaving the girls in the care of their Grandparents. Don and Cathy left Omaha and moved back to the farm after learning Cathy was pregnant. Living quarters became cramped and punishments were given out liberally by Cathy. Terry cared for her younger siblings with motherly skills, sometimes sacrificing her own childhood happiness.

Five girls are a handful enough for any household but soon they found out there would be six. Heart-wrenching…Tear-jerking…Reaches down deep inside you as you experience the pain everyone endured. Terry, I applaud your courage and the love you had and continue to share with your family. Lifting a phantom chocolate malt up high—I salute you and hope we will be reading more of your work in the future. Oct 07, Michelle rated it really liked it Shelves: Posted on Book Chelle.

When I read the synopsis, I was drawn to the story. A lot of women I know do not have easy relationships with their mothers. Naturally, I wanted to know how Helwig's own relationship with her mother differed from min. I read the forward from Kidd and was even more intrigued. And then, I read the the prologue and my heart broke. She had me during those few pages.

In Moonlight Linoleum, Helwig writes an emotional memoir that details her childhood. Helwig did not just recount t Posted on Book Chelle. Helwig did not just recount the events that took place in her life. Instead, she beautifully wrote the story of her childhood, filled with description and detail that I couldn't believe it was real.

Her story-telling abilities are so amazing that you are captivated by each memory that fills each page. With these memories, Helwig presents a life that is filled with sad and unfortunate events.

1. Book review: Terry Helwig's Moonlight on Linoleum - Chicago Tribune.
2. .
3. 1- Les défis dAngie - Tu te soumettras (HQN) (French Edition)?
4. Conflict of Laws (Concise Hornbook Series)?
5. Off the Rim (All-Star Sports Stories)?
6. ;
7. ;

Her life has become a story of strength, overcoming every obstacle that has been thrown her way. She has had to mature earlier than she has ever needed to be.

Love for Family Friends and Books

Helwig's mother is Carola Jean Vacha, a young teen who wanted to escape her own family and life. She married young, lying about her age to assure escape, and quickly had Helwig. After a short while, Carola left her husband, taking her baby to find a better and brighter life.