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Book Review of A Painted House

A Painted House
froot avatar reviewed on + 178 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


This exceptional novel tells the tale of seven year-old Luke Chandler, a farm boy from rural Arkansas. His family picks cotton for a living, and this year, 1952, seems like it will be the perfect harvest, bringing more money so that Luke's family can buy their land. But Luke's sterile existence is broken apart when he witnesses a killing and a murder, he learns things that he would rather have not known, and grows up because of it. People who are used to reading Grisham's legal thrillers might not be kept interested because of its slower pace, but they might be interested in the fact that this book is based on actual events from Grisham's childhood. We can identify with Luke as he is put in a position that adults wouldn't want to be put into, let alone a child.