Helpful Score: 1
I am a Christian, yes, one of those. And I hated this book. I am not a big fan of Christian fiction anyway. (mainly because they lack talent) Right away when I read the reviews of praise on the inside of this book, I could tell this was a Christian book. All the reviewers were from Churches or Christian organizations. You can NOT tell this from the publisher of even the tagged Genres.
I am not also one who tend to swear, but I found myself thinking WTF! and what a piece of crap!
I wonder about books that give you maps and genealogy charts. The writer thinks the reader will need the map and the genealogy chart to keep the characters strait. Right away that is a red flag to me. So right off the bat, you see that these two babies born at the SAME minute are actually related. yep cause that often happens in real life.
This book is short 172 pages of the story, and the rest is book club questions and interview with the author. If it wasnt so short I doubt I would have endured, but maybe if it was longer it would have been written better.
This book is better for a small group of teens or preteens as they use the life questions to think about how things in their life relate to this book. It is not a great or even good work of fiction. For so many reasons: choppy writing, too many POV, in too many different years, clique parallels, the neat happy tied up ending where all is redeemed and made well. (ok God can really do that but you have to read it to understand how trite this part was)
So if you want to read this book as analogy book about choices, and finding yourself and forgiveness, and redemption, that is what you will get.
I was annoyed that the Adultery between NELL and Walter during WWII was explained as true love. I did see redeeming love, unconditional love in the character RUUD, and I liked Katrina, and Grandpa Harold.
I think this book was full of spiritualism and not Christianity, which is a plus, but so many of the characters had visions, and dreams of each other that it was just not realistic.
There is a scene where our too babies are now adults and Josh saves Katrina in the ocean, and again it is symbolism, that they both needed saving from themselves, and their unforgiveness towards their parents.
OVERALL this book made my list for the worst book of the month over in the Hidden Gems, Best read of the Month thread.
I am not also one who tend to swear, but I found myself thinking WTF! and what a piece of crap!
I wonder about books that give you maps and genealogy charts. The writer thinks the reader will need the map and the genealogy chart to keep the characters strait. Right away that is a red flag to me. So right off the bat, you see that these two babies born at the SAME minute are actually related. yep cause that often happens in real life.
This book is short 172 pages of the story, and the rest is book club questions and interview with the author. If it wasnt so short I doubt I would have endured, but maybe if it was longer it would have been written better.
This book is better for a small group of teens or preteens as they use the life questions to think about how things in their life relate to this book. It is not a great or even good work of fiction. For so many reasons: choppy writing, too many POV, in too many different years, clique parallels, the neat happy tied up ending where all is redeemed and made well. (ok God can really do that but you have to read it to understand how trite this part was)
So if you want to read this book as analogy book about choices, and finding yourself and forgiveness, and redemption, that is what you will get.
I was annoyed that the Adultery between NELL and Walter during WWII was explained as true love. I did see redeeming love, unconditional love in the character RUUD, and I liked Katrina, and Grandpa Harold.
I think this book was full of spiritualism and not Christianity, which is a plus, but so many of the characters had visions, and dreams of each other that it was just not realistic.
There is a scene where our too babies are now adults and Josh saves Katrina in the ocean, and again it is symbolism, that they both needed saving from themselves, and their unforgiveness towards their parents.
OVERALL this book made my list for the worst book of the month over in the Hidden Gems, Best read of the Month thread.
Helpful Score: 1
This started out very promising. But gradually went down hill. I had no problem, following the different characters, the different places, the different times. I enjoyed to parts during WWII more than the later times, but it just never took off like I hoped it would.
The Blackberry Bush by David Housholder
Release Date: June 1st, 2011
Publisher: Summerside
Page Count: 172
Source: The B&B Media Group for review
An invitation to a treasure hunt through the landscape of your soul...
Josh grows up an artistic and gifted California Golden Boy, but for all that life has handed to him, he struggles with his identity and role in the world. Surrounded by unrealistic expectations, he feels hedged in.
Kati's German heritage presents its own obstacles to understanding herself and what freedom means. She is crushed by disappointment at never being "enough" -- especially for a mother who cannot be satisfied.
As Josh and Kati's lives unfold, longing for true freedom reverberates in their souls. Come discover with them the life-transforming power of a "chance encounter"... or is it chance after all?
What Stephanie Thinks: If you've lived long enough, you know that nothing in life is a coincidence. Ever witness a miracle? It probably wasn't unintentional, and if you think about it closely, received help from a stranger hand. Though in The Blackberry Bush, this type of intervention is implied to be spiritual, I don't think you have to be Christian (or religious, for that matter) to understand the concept.
Angelo, the unseen and almost unreal narrator who ins and outs from the telling of this story -- or these stories, I should say -- tampers with the lives of not only our protagonists, Kati and Josh, but also with those of their ancestors, the ones who have shaped their life stories as they know it. He can be considered an angel. Or maybe even God. But I find that part irrelevant, as I'm not a fanatical Christian. For all we know, Angelo could represent a loving grandparent. Or he may not be a person at all, and could instead symbolize the random acts of kindness strangers maneuver.
To sum up the plot, Josh and Kati live very separate, almost opposite, lives, but are more alike than they could imagine. They come from the same lineage, but don't even know of each other's existence. Josh lives in a world that will never please him. Kati lives in a world that can't be pleased. A life-altering event changes both of their destinies, but for different reasons. While Kati gets her life saved, Josh redeems his true moral value when their paths cross. But of course, at the time, they merely think of it as a coincidence. Which, of course we know, doesn't exist.
Housholder's voice is strong and easy to read. The quality of the literature is not sublime, but the connection he draws about life and community both haunts and graces. His figurative story is told simply but flowingly in The Blackberry Bush, and for that reason, makes it one of the most thoughtful and remarkable novels of our day.
Stephanie Loves: "I especially like cartwheels. They say boys can't do them, but they are so wrong. I never go a day without cartwheeling. I can even cartwheel along the top of the old stone wall. Mom would wig if she saw that. For an instant in the middle, you feel weightless. There has to be a way to make that moment last longer."
Radical Rating: 7 hearts- A few flaws here and there, but wouldnt mind rereading.
Release Date: June 1st, 2011
Publisher: Summerside
Page Count: 172
Source: The B&B Media Group for review
An invitation to a treasure hunt through the landscape of your soul...
Josh grows up an artistic and gifted California Golden Boy, but for all that life has handed to him, he struggles with his identity and role in the world. Surrounded by unrealistic expectations, he feels hedged in.
Kati's German heritage presents its own obstacles to understanding herself and what freedom means. She is crushed by disappointment at never being "enough" -- especially for a mother who cannot be satisfied.
As Josh and Kati's lives unfold, longing for true freedom reverberates in their souls. Come discover with them the life-transforming power of a "chance encounter"... or is it chance after all?
What Stephanie Thinks: If you've lived long enough, you know that nothing in life is a coincidence. Ever witness a miracle? It probably wasn't unintentional, and if you think about it closely, received help from a stranger hand. Though in The Blackberry Bush, this type of intervention is implied to be spiritual, I don't think you have to be Christian (or religious, for that matter) to understand the concept.
Angelo, the unseen and almost unreal narrator who ins and outs from the telling of this story -- or these stories, I should say -- tampers with the lives of not only our protagonists, Kati and Josh, but also with those of their ancestors, the ones who have shaped their life stories as they know it. He can be considered an angel. Or maybe even God. But I find that part irrelevant, as I'm not a fanatical Christian. For all we know, Angelo could represent a loving grandparent. Or he may not be a person at all, and could instead symbolize the random acts of kindness strangers maneuver.
To sum up the plot, Josh and Kati live very separate, almost opposite, lives, but are more alike than they could imagine. They come from the same lineage, but don't even know of each other's existence. Josh lives in a world that will never please him. Kati lives in a world that can't be pleased. A life-altering event changes both of their destinies, but for different reasons. While Kati gets her life saved, Josh redeems his true moral value when their paths cross. But of course, at the time, they merely think of it as a coincidence. Which, of course we know, doesn't exist.
Housholder's voice is strong and easy to read. The quality of the literature is not sublime, but the connection he draws about life and community both haunts and graces. His figurative story is told simply but flowingly in The Blackberry Bush, and for that reason, makes it one of the most thoughtful and remarkable novels of our day.
Stephanie Loves: "I especially like cartwheels. They say boys can't do them, but they are so wrong. I never go a day without cartwheeling. I can even cartwheel along the top of the old stone wall. Mom would wig if she saw that. For an instant in the middle, you feel weightless. There has to be a way to make that moment last longer."
Radical Rating: 7 hearts- A few flaws here and there, but wouldnt mind rereading.
The astoundingly beautiful depth to the Blackberry Bush takes you into places so deep you can scarcely catch your breath and there in that depth, you breathe. Like the tip of an iceberg, you sense it is the beginning of something much greater.
Moving through the lives of the characters you can easily find yourself; recognizing your part, your place or someone you know, there is a familiarity that resonates. That thing you can't place your finger on begins to touch you.
As Kati pours over the beloved watches with Opa, she says that they lose track of time as they wind them and hold them up to their ears to hear the ticking. So moves the novel. Losing track of time, you read along with an internal comforting tick that moves you along. Even while looking back you find you are still moving forward waiting to hear the next tick that you know is there.
This is a book that is so rich with imagery, meaning, depth, and faith. There are treasures of hope for the hopeless and a Way even in the darkest place. The Blackberry Bush opens the doors and shines a light for you to begin finding your own treasures that have been there all along.
Moving through the lives of the characters you can easily find yourself; recognizing your part, your place or someone you know, there is a familiarity that resonates. That thing you can't place your finger on begins to touch you.
As Kati pours over the beloved watches with Opa, she says that they lose track of time as they wind them and hold them up to their ears to hear the ticking. So moves the novel. Losing track of time, you read along with an internal comforting tick that moves you along. Even while looking back you find you are still moving forward waiting to hear the next tick that you know is there.
This is a book that is so rich with imagery, meaning, depth, and faith. There are treasures of hope for the hopeless and a Way even in the darkest place. The Blackberry Bush opens the doors and shines a light for you to begin finding your own treasures that have been there all along.
