It’s so delightful, revisiting a book and discovering you enjoyed it just as much as you did the first time around – if not more so. This was certainly the case with Elizabeth Berg’s novel: “We Are All Welcome Here,” an endearing story of triumph over tragedy, love in the face of adversity, faith, perseverance, and learning to accept each other’s differences with grace. “Love does not have legs . . . It does not have arms. But it moves mountains.”With captivating awe I was once again transported back to 1964 Tupelo, Mississippi, into the lives of hormone-contrary fourteen-year-old Diana Dunn – who is a hoot, her polio stricken mother, Paige – who I admire beyond words, and Paige’s tough-as-nails caregiver, Peacie – who has a heart of gold behind the nails. But Diana’s hormones aren't the only warring factors at play. Prejudice comes in all shapes, colors, genders, and forms. From the color of one’s skin, to physical disabilities, to the balance in one’s bank account, to one’s parenting skills, to…..you name it, there’s always going to be someone with something negative to say. “You’re going to run into situations where you have to decide whether or not to take a stand. Sometimes it just isn't worth it. But other times it is. Not only is it worth it, it’s vital. It makes you the person that you are. You have to honor what you know is true, or bit by bit, you die inside.”Truisms, humor, character idiosyncrasies, nuggets of wisdom, and atmosphere lifted off the page in new and insightful ways that gave this simplistic yet profound story (Berg’s signature writing style) even deeper meaning this go around. “Once you have shelter from the elements and clothes to wear and food to eat it’s all just one-upmanship, that’s all – status and game-playing. Whose house is bigger? Whose clothes are nicer? Whose car is shiniest? What difference does it make, really?”More than just a book club selection for the month, this slim novel made me think about all the wonderful blessings in my life - despite RSD/CRPS limitations and challenges; limitations I wasn't saddled with when I first read this book, years ago. “We’re all trapped in a body with limitations, even the most able-bodied among us. And we’re all guided by minds with limitations of their own . . . Our job regardless of our bodily circumstances, is to rise above what holds us down, and to help others do the same!”Certainly, “We Are All Welcome Here” isn't the most literary of books. A couple support characters could have been more fully developed. The Elvis scene was too abrupt. And there were a couple scenes that irked me a bit. But any book that captivates, entertains, educates and breathes fresh life and wisdom into readers deserves noteworthy praise – FOUR STARS.
An interesting story of a young girl and her mother, Paige, who despite being completely paralyzed by polio chose to raise her daughter on her own. Berg does a fine job of narrating from the perspective of Diana, the daughter, capturing all of her innocence, outrage, selfishness and selflessness perfectly. The setting, a segregated Mississippi, provides some weight as the primary caregiver is a black nurse named Peacie. What I found intriguing is that a reader wrote to Berg to request that she (Berg) tell her mother's story. Initially intending to say no, Berg was captivated by the enclosed photo and agreed to write a fictional story about the woman and her mother, using some details provided by the letter-writer. The book opens with a letter from Berg, explaining the request, her reaction, and why she finally chose to write something at all. I liked some of the situations Berg threw her characters into: Diana and her friend Suralee putting on plays for the adults in town; the "relationships" that Diana's mother had with Brooks and Dell; Peacie struggling between wanting to help keep Diana innocent and wanting her to understand the reality of the situation and truly, how lucky Diana and her mother are to have her working for them; LaRue and his pride in reading, writing and standing up for the freedom of "his people"; the neighbor being on stand-by "for emergencies only"; the social worker and her relationship to the situation; Paige's attitude toward poverty, making the best of an awful situation, her observations of other people, and her understanding of the racial attitudes of Mississippi during that time.There are scenes that will make you feel a bit uncomfortable, but overall Berg lends a great deal of reality, of gravitas, to a very unusual situation marked by an extraordinary character -- this woman with polio who lived in an iron lung for three years. I'd be curious to read a companion biography on the real woman that this book was based on.The only thing that I wasn't sure about was the inclusion of Elvis in the story. That one point alone definitely put this into the realm of fiction for me, bringing about an almost fairy tale aspect to it. (To clarify, the inclusion of Elvis as a character didn't ruin the book for me, it just ruined my suspension of disbelief and reminded me that these characters didn't exist as written.)
What do You think about We Are All Welcome Here (2006)?
I haven't read an Elizabeth Berg book in a very long time. I had forgotten that I liked her writing style. She writes good characters. I enjoyed this quick read, and really liked the main character, Diana. She's a young girl whose Mom contracted polio when she was pregnant with her. The polio left her mother a quadriplegic, and she was determined to raise her daughter with the help of her black maid Peacie. It's a coming of age story set in the 1960s during the civil rights movement. I would recommend this book if you're looking for a good, light, sweet story.
—Carole
Diana is growing up in the 1960s, being raised in a most unconventional manner by her mother Paige, who contracted polio while she was pregnant and is paralyzed from the neck down. Diana is also being raised by Peacie, her mother's black caregiver. As Diana comes of age in a sleepy Southern town, she learns just how awesome her mother and Peacie both are.No matter what the premise of the novel is, anything by Elizabeth Berg is wonderful to read. I wasn't totally excited about this premise, although I did enjoy reading the preface, which tells of how a reader asked Berg to write this story based on her own mother. This was a coming of age story much like Joy School, one my favorites by this author. I really liked how the ending came together.
—Kate
Paige Dunn contracted polio while she was pregnant. Her husband left her, and the baby was born while Paige was in an iron lung. She defied everyone, and went home to raise her daughter herself. That child, Diana, is now 13, alternately restless and selfish as 13 year-olds tend to be, especially perhaps those whose home life is both "different" and poor, but she also shows flashes of maturity. This book makes you think. What would it be like to be a parent who could not move anything but your head? How would you maintain discipline? How would you deal with the dependence? Paige has done a remarkable job at remaining a complete human being, and one roots for her. Her sunning herself in the yard with a bikini top wrapped around the outside of her respirator shell is an example of her spunky determination to be as normal as she can be. But when she attempts to go out for a meal at a restaurant she is humiliated. Then there are the endless financial struggles. When she loses her devoted long-time caretaker (a whole other story), she can't afford to hire anyone but the slovenly and incompetent, one of whom nearly kills her with a loose oxygen hose. And if she can't find caretakers, she will have to go into an institution and put her daughter into foster care. Oh, how sad. Fortunately a miracle happens, so unbelievable as to be a touch on the silly side, but still a good story about a different kind of family, and an admirable woman.
—Cheryl Gatling
