Will I love A Girl Named Zippy?

A captivating memoir that I could not put down. The mesmerizing cover! The story of a happy child growing up in a happy family in the Midwest that is somehow riveting! I was hooked from the get-go.

As someone who used to book comics in NYC, I admire anyone who can do brilliant clean humor. I wouldn’t call her a humor writer. She’s just a fantastic writer. I do not re-read books, but I do re-read this gem to feel sane and awed and to laugh. It reminds me of simpler times and that there are good, genuine people in… show more.

This memoir is by a girl who grew up in a small town in Indiana where “people helped their neighbors, went to church on Sunday, and kept barnyard animals in their backyards.” That pretty much describes the town I grew up in—and there aren’t a lot of books about that life!

Zippy’s anecdotes revolve around friendship, sibling rivalry, beloved (and not so) neighbors, cherished pets, and riding bikes. Even though I grew up in central Florida, Kimmel’s midwestern world was a close echo of my own. Reading her accounts of memories similar to mine kept me laughing out loud throughout.… show more.