I finished reading the book on Friday. I tried to read it slowly to really savor it but once I hit Part 2 (about 1/3 of the way into the book) I couldn’t put it down and finished it that day. I highly recommend the book to anyone but I think that women who grew up about the same time (born 1959-1966) will truly appreciate it. Lindeen deals with so many issues (personal confusion, parental divorce, chronic illness, love and music) in a wonderfully truthful and humorous manner. She alternates between self-deprecation and self-appreciation very well and seems like a person who would be great to know over the years. The book is very personal (sometimes in a truly graphic manner) but there is a sense of privacy – you know that a line has been drawn and she’s only going to tell so much. I like that. She completely de-glamorizes the music industry (writing, practicing, touring and publishing) and yet still loves music.
I hope she has another book inside her. I suspect that since she’s so great with her memoir, she would be great at fiction. I can just imagine the stories she could tell.
technorati tags:books, Lindeen, Westerberg, Replacements, Zuzu’s, Petals
Musings from Sumigirl 
July 4, 2007 at 4:13 pm
Google Reverb The Los Angeles Times for a legitimate review of Petal Pusher. It’s high time. Somebody kick in an amp & say Amen.
July 20, 2007 at 9:58 am
[…] tried to savor Petal Pusher but couldn’t put it […]
August 14, 2007 at 2:12 pm
I knew Laurie in high school and she was a pain in the ass.
August 18, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Tell us more, LaFollette Grad.
August 19, 2007 at 11:02 am
Please don’t leave personal comments about Laurie Lindeen – from the past or present. If you do, I will remove them and your original comments. Thanks.