How Long to Read Selling the Family

How Long Does it Take to Read Selling the Family?

It takes the average reader and 42 minutes to read Selling the Family by Nancy Kay Peterson

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

Selling the Family shares the reflections of a sole surviving family member as she sorts several generations of belongings for a final estate auction, a quintessential experience in rural America. The setting is a 33-acre property in southwestern Wisconsin, a forested coulee on the Mississippi River, but the story is reflective of any rural setting in the Upper Midwest. Nancy Kay Peterson recounts the deaths of her immediate family and watches an auctioneer's staff organize the sale of what to the family were thoughtfully acquired possessions collected over several lifespans. She sees childhood treasures tossed together for bundled bids, her father's WWII memorabilia appraised, gifts given laid out for re-sale, unsaleable household goods thrown into the trash. As the staff works, Nancy "saves" what she can by giving items away to friends - "grandmother's quilts and doilies, never used egg coddlers, silver appetizer forks, Norwegian sweaters." She picks up useful items like poster putty, but also rescues the unnecessary -- her sister's small wooden puffin and her brother-in-law's Norwegian bottle opener. As she watches the meaningful property in her relatives' eyes being transformed into merchandise to be sold or simply trashed, Nancy relives the memories she will never again be able to share with someone else who remembers them, too. Just before the auction, she strews the ashes of her sister and brother-in-law on the land they loved, and as she walks the property one last time, she examines the depth of her grief. While the story is melancholy, it's telling is honest, rather than sentimental, cathartic, rather than debilitating, and ends, as it must, on a thin note of joy and gratitude for the love once shared.

How long is Selling the Family?

Selling the Family by Nancy Kay Peterson is 42 pages long, and a total of 10,584 words.

This makes it 14% the length of the average book. It also has 13% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read Selling the Family Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes and 57 minutes to read Selling the Family aloud.

What Reading Level is Selling the Family?

Selling the Family is suitable for students ages 8 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy Selling the Family?

Selling the Family by Nancy Kay Peterson is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

To buy Selling the Family by Nancy Kay Peterson on Amazon click the button below.