People Are Still Talking About Thinking of Miller Place...

 

What a fine memoir…so evocative and poignant, not to mention well written.  I found so many parallels to my summers in Brentwood on my grandparent’s acreage—the dirt roads, self-cleared land, self-built house, berries, nuns, and more. Good Humor Toasted Almond—definitely the best. ~ D.A. Reilly, Archivist, Sonoma State University CA

I just finished reading your memoir. I found it charming and beautifully written. As an only child, I was fascinated in the constant togetherness of you and Eileen… I really liked the way you delicately wove underlying conflicts and issues in several chapters. I never read introductions. When I read, I want the author to capture my attention, tell me a story – with my feet up, sipping a glass of wine – and leave me satisfied.  Your book did that. I thought the epilogue was great and uplifting.  ~ Glenda Taylor, writer, AZ

For a former Marine and a redneck cowboy to read this kind of book may seem strange to some people, including me. The reading was completely enjoyable and the characters are so well described…The most touching part of the book was when you wrote about Eddie. Being a kid who moved a lot and being picked on at times, I could relate to what he went through…Everyone deserves to be treated with love and respect. It was very touching how you ended the story of Eddie.Thank you for writing the book and allowing all of us who read it to be a part of your childhood world at Miller Place! - Al Manor, Motivational and Keynote Speaker, Tucson AZ

"Thinking of Miller Place: A Memoir of Summer Comfort" spoke to me in a special and wonderful way. It touched me in the part of my being where "red ribbon" moments are stored…in her book, Lee-Miller explains a "red ribbon": "I believe each of us has, from childhood, a magical place and a beckoning to an almost spiritual terrain." Despite its idyllic setting, Miller Place has its "pokes and holes.” There were neighborhood feuds, cases of racial prejudice, riding out hurricanes under a table, and making fun of "Eddie." …the awkward kid that nobody wanted …When she became a teacher, Lee-Miller writes, she tried "to make amends by being kinder" to all the "Eddies" she encountered in her classrooms. That's the most magical thing about "Thinking of Miller Place" –the adult voice of Ethel Lee-Miller as she looks back with sensitivity, humor and compassion on those long-ago summers.      ~ Tom Walker, co-author Contrary Creek

 

I loved this book.  It is definitely a feel good book of childhood nostalgia. Of interest is the author's description of her relationship with her identical twin and how this shaped her growing up years…Threads of happiness, family togetherness, and love weave their way throughout as the author describes her growth on the way to adulthood which, on completing, left me with an uplifted spirit. ~ Brenda Marjaniemi, AZ

Who says we can’t go back to the beach of our childhood? In this charming memoir, Ethel Lee-Miller has captured those memories. The lazy, hazy days of an era when summer was truly “a summer” all come alive in this gem of a book. Lee-Miller’s gift for description vividly endows memories of life, family and growing up over six years of summer vacations. Viewed through the eyes of a child, vignettes are enhanced with adult insight. Doubling our pleasure, Lee-Miller is an identical twin; the reader shares in their unique bond. ~ Michaele Lockhart, author, Coming Home; & Last Night at the Claremont 

Ethel Lee-Miller manages to capture the magic of the "red-ribbon" place of her youth with exceptional clarity and touching emotion. Would that we all could return to such a happy place and have the talent to share it with others in such a crisp, evocative writing style. What a joy it is to be part of her special family, with real life characters like her "Finn" coming to life in glorious fashion… Moves far beyond the norm to reveal why Lee-Miller sees her experiences as molding her personality and life philosophy, not an easy task for a writer of memoirs. ~ Duke Southard, AZ author, The Week From Heaven and Hell; Agent for Justice

 

I have been meaning to write to you for the last 2 1/2 years, but never got around to it.  I am 78 and grew up in Miller Place and went to the local school for 8 years…I am a member of the "rich Davis" clan.  We were distinguished as "Farmer Davis", "Quaker Davis", "Post Office Davis" "Peaches Davis", etc.  I was "Post Office Davis" since my family had the general store and post office… I got a kick out of your "white washed stones" in the driveway…Anyway, I have rambled on long enough.  Loved your book.  ~ Jane Davis Carter, Miller Place NY

In her wonderful book, Thinking of Miller Place, Ethel Lee-Miller reminds us of the power of memory to restore us to a safe place we can go to to renew our spirits. As Ethel says, the book is “the result of shaking the snow globe of my lifetime of memories, letting the flakes of old black-and-white photographs, and shared memories settle to show a view of that small world of my childhood.” We all have a choice about how to shake that snow globe. The memories that we evoke over and over affect our daily lives and lay the platform for our state of being. Ethel chose to recreate a time of love, safety, and connectedness which forms the basis for her own sense of well-being. Whether our memories are short-term or long-term, we always have the choice to find those places that bring us joy. Ethel has lovingly recreated the sights, sounds, smells, feelings of a shared time when she was quite simply, a happy child. And shared it well. Thank you, Ethel, for reminding us that we can do the same. ~ Wendy Dobler, author, The Guru Next Door

I took the time to settle in with your book this weekend and read it cover to cover. It is delicious! I really loved it. Thank you for sharing your wonderful memoir with me —I loved seeing the photos as well, and can only imagine what magical summers you had on the shore. You are an inspiration. ~ Linda Morgan

I absolutely loved your book! It brought tears to my eyes when I read about your family singing “You Are My Sunshine“ because I used to sing that song to my boys to keep them amused. You told each story so vividly and with so much description that I was right there with you going through every emotion. You are so, so blessed to have a twin to share your life.  

                 ~ Lisa Wagner, author, Treasures of a Nurses Heart

First and foremost, this book is a great read. Ethel’s use of language to create scenes that the reader becomes a part of is really masterful. Having read nearly every draft of Ethel’s memoir, I know that it has been carefully crafted to provide its readers with a wonderful reading experience. In addition, her stories evoke our own return to the wonders and gentle pitfalls of childhood. Even now, I cannot read any part of this book without returning myself to my own childhood feelings and family connections. Not surprisingly, I highly recommend this marvelous book to readers. ~  Henry Miller

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