I liked this book, don't get me wrong. But intentionally writing a novel based upon a famous porn star's name just to sell books is just wrong. I'm sure Gidget the Midget could sue if she wanted to.

It's true this is not a work of a profound and philosophical nature. On the other hand, it is a fun and quick read. The fact that it is at least loosely based on the life of Kathy Kohner and that it was written by her father, who picked up some ideas for the book by eavesdropping on her telephone conversations, only adds to the enjoyment. The beach culture/counterculture presented in this book ushered in not only the Gidget movies but also all of the beach-oriented movies from the early and mid-60s. It's easy enough for anyone who recalls being a teenager to identify with at least some of the teenage angst contained within Gidget. If you're looking for a light, sunny read on a dark winter's day or at any other time, give it a chance.

When my mother thrust Gidget at me about ten years ago, I shuddered. My only experience with the perky California teen was the movie (no dis intended to fans of the flick). Frederick Kohner's novel is a whole other ball of wax (board wax, natch!). While not particularly deep or philosophical, this novel is a delightful coming-of-age story.

Gidget's trials and tribulations convey all the horror, delight, confusion, and wonder of the teen years, from finding a pastime for which she has a passion (surfing), to the exultation, heartache (and, again, exultation) of her first real crush.

As Gidget takes the reader along on the magical summer of her fifteenth year, she also provides an in-depth tour of the California surf culture in the mid to late 1950s. Every sub-culture has its own lingo, and Kohner gives the reader a colorful, entertaining look at what has become an American Icon: the professional beach bum.

Each time I reread my faded, old copy of Gidget, I prayed that it would hold together for one more perusal. Imagine my delight when I found that it had been reissued! It may not be Shakespeare, but Kohner's "bitchen" novel is a classic of American pop culture!

I thought the book was too complex and I thought it was a nice love story but they made the Holocaust seem like a cakewalk which it wasn't

I would recommend this book to a patient reader. It begins slowly at first, and the reader has to motivate him or herself to keep reading but by the middle of the book it's a total page-turner. I think the thing I like most about this novel was that love prevailed. Walter and Hanna both went through their terrible times, but in the end, it was like all that disappeared and there they were again, her standing up on the stairs, him in the entry hall, just like they had been 7 years earlier. I think after you finish the book you sit back and think, "Dang! This can't be real!" But it is, and that's what I think is magical about it. It's a true tale of love persevering.

I cannot express how much I liked this book! This couple wrote in thier own words the experiences they encountered during WWII. Hanna and Walter are two young lovers near the Austro-Hungary border in a amall Jewish Community. When WWII broke out, they were torn in seprate directions. You cannot get a more personal view of what was going on at the time (unless you were there). This story was from real people, in real situations, with a real and romantic ending. I recomend this book to anyone who is interested in not only WWII history, but anyone who beleves in hope.