I read the book hoping, as I turned each page, that things would look up. It was well written, kept my interest, but I would not recommend to anyone, as I found it so disappointing. Yes, reality can be depressing, but this was gross, too, and I found it a little unbelievable. I didn't feel it was worth my time, and there was nothing to gain from reading this book. It is a story of a pretty pathetic family, and although the main character, Ellen seems to have a brain, she doesn't seem to use it. At least not till the the end, and then you still are somewhat left hanging. Some depressing stories can make you feel grateful about your life. This is not one of those....It doesn't make sense that Ellen put up with it...the 70's just weren't like that.