November 3, 2008

Giveaway: by George by Wesley Stace


By George is the tale of two Georges: one a boy, and another a ventriloquist dummy owned by his grandfather long before his birth. The chapters alternate between the tale of the two Georges, giving you a good picture of the show biz family as a whole: the great grandmother, Evie, the ventriloquist; the grandfather, Joe, with his traveling ventriliquist show to entertain the troops in WWII; the grandmother, Queenie, a less talented ventriloquist, but with a knack for entertaining children; the mother Frankie, who never really grows up but plays roles such as Peter Pan on the stage; and then the young George himself, trying so desperately to learn his grandfather's secrets of how to throw a voice.

Though George grew up traveling England with his mother for her shows, he eventually gets sent to a boy school as his grandmother is busy taking care of her elderly mother and his own mother is still busy with her shows. George doesn't fit in and hates sports, so he finds a way out of the recreation time by being the caretaker's helper, befriending the man.

Eventually the boy George finds the dummy George, and along with it, a string of family secrets.

This is a very good book. I finished it over a week ago and I'm still thinking about it. The characters are vibrant and the story unique. Though it may sound strange that half of the tale is narrated by a ventriloquist dummy, it doesn't come across as cheesy at all.

This giveaway is now closed. I will leave comments open for book discussion.

62 comments:

  1. #1 never wins, but I will try. Sounds interesting!
    hematopoiesis at hotmail dot com

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  2. Please add my name to the hat! Thanks and have a great day!

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  3. Sounds like a great read...please include me!

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  4. Please enter me in your contest! milou2ster(at)gmail.com

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  5. This sounds like quite a story, I'd love to read it. Please enter me, thank you. I'm giving away Guernica for the carnival this week. Have you read it yet? It's a great story.

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  6. Please enter me in the giveaway. Sounds like an interesting read. (You can contact me via my website http://www.jtimothyking.com/ or timk at jtimothyking.com.)

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  7. this sounds like fun. i'll give it a shot!

    fertawert AT yahoo DOT com

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  8. would love to read this...please enter me- thanks so much!mrs.mommyyatgmaildotcom

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  9. What an intriguing book! Love your review. Thank you.

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  10. Great giveaway! Thanks!! Please enter me.

    Please be sure to visit mine today too if you have time!
    http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=1752

    HUGS
    Rachel
    racoo. smith at gmail. com

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  11. Five copies - wow. That's a great giveaway. Your review sounds wonderful. Thanks.

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  12. I would like to read this. My brother was a ventriloquist when he was younger. Doesn't do much now.

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  13. Sounds like a good read!

    WordLily AT gmail

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  14. Sounds pretty interesting! Count me in!
    frog123 (at) cyipcom (dot) net

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  15. Sounds pretty good! Thanks for the chance to win.

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  16. Sounds pretty interesting.... please enter me to win!

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  17. This book sounds fantastic. I'd love to win it.

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  18. This book sounds awesome, thanks for the giveaway!

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  19. This sounds exactly like something I would like. I like a book that makes you think about it when you've finished reading it. I also like the that there are family secrets to discover. We all have them, you know.
    traymona[at]aol.com

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  20. This sounds like a neat book, and interesting with the family secrets and all. Thanks for entering me!

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  21. Sounds like fun, reading a book that is narrated by a ventriloquist dummy. I'd love to win a copy of it. My email address is rmsacks at hotmail dot com.

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  22. Hmm - sounds interesting! Thanks for the chance. pixiemarierose(at)gmail(dot)com

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  23. Please enter me, this looks unique! I can be reached at my book blog, www.booklorn.com (comment anywhere or my e-mail is at the bottom of my About/Contact page).

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  24. Sounds like a good read. Please enter me.

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  25. Aww this book sounds like a great read! I would love to get to win it please enter me! Thanks :D

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  26. I've read another review for this book that said it was good. I'd love to have a chance to read it!

    sj3girls AT hotmail DOT com

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  27. What an interesting perspective! I'd love a chance to win. Please enter me. Thanks!

    kalea_kane(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  28. Sounds like a great book. I think I and my daughter would both enjoy reading it.
    mr_mrs_steen[at]netzero[dot]com

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  29. I actually my brother in law and I would love reading this! It sounds interesting!

    orchestratenoise0726[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  30. now this is a book i could pass around to family and friends after reading!

    texan_michael(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

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  31. Sounds very interesting! Please count me in!
    natasha_sacopaso[at]hotmail[dot]com

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  32. Please enter me, this book sounds awesome!

    I blogged about your giveaway here:

    http://teddyrose.blogspot.com/2008/11/this-weeks-givaways-galore.html

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  33. Please enter me. I would love a chance to win. Thanks
    rebecca.bradeen(at)verizon(dot)net

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  34. Sounds great, thanks!

    daq_17 at hotmail dot com

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  35. Ooh, this sounds like so much fun! I will be adding this to my Shelfari wish list!

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  36. I'd love to be entered! This sounds like a great book! I'm always looking for books with WWII storylines, even if they are only a small part of the book.

    --Anna
    Diary of an Eccentric
    diaryofaneccentric[at]hotmail[dot]com

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  37. Wow-a book partially narrated by a dummy sounds fun and interesting!

    smchester at gmail dot com

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  38. I love historical fiction and this story sounds really intriguing. Please enter me and thanks for the giveaway!

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  39. I love this giveaway! I'd love to be entered!
    luckistarr4 AT gmail DOT com

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  40. Sounds like an interesting read. I would love to win this giveaway. Thanks for the chance.

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  41. If dogs can narrate a story, why not a ventriloquist's dummy!
    enter me in the contest please
    florida982002@yahoo dot com

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  42. Interesting point of view in this story. Can't wait to read it

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  43. Ventriloguists and their dummies have always fascinated me! I would appreciate being entered in your book drawing. Many thanks, Cindi
    jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com

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  44. Oh my gosh, this sounds so great!
    doot65{at}comcast[dot]net
    Elizabeth

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  45. Sounds like a very interesting book.
    Thanks for the chance to win!

    ruthann (dot) francis (at) gmail (dot) com

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  46. Sounds like a neat read. Thanks for the chance

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  47. Ventriloquist dummies! I have a morbid fascination with them. I'd love to be entered into the giveaway!

    boldnessbe(at)gmail(dot)com

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  48. Sounds like a very interesting read.

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  49. Second attempt - this is what I hate about blogs. They always don't want to load when you write comments. It takes several tries.
    This book sounds interesting - a book I would like very much to read. Ente rme to win. I had not heard of your books before reading about it here. Have a great day.

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  50. sounds interesting with the ventriloquist dummy

    tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

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  51. Sounds very interesting. I would love to win a copy and read it.
    Thanks for the chance!

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  52. Please enter me!

    Mariah
    penguinqueen@hotmail.com

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  53. Please enter me, I really love to read :D

    mommyhoodisthankless{AT}gmail.com

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  54. sounds like a great read thanks for sharing

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  55. This book sounds interesting. I like to read different books. aewalls425@hotmail.com

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  56. Sounds great...thanks for entry!

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  57. Cutting it close, but I would like to be entered! :D

    - Anastasia
    herebebooks AT gmail.com

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