Poppies = Imagination

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I ran across this book in my favorite place to prowl in the library - the advance review section. I checked it out on Goodreads when I got home and saw that it had an average of four stars plus, and it totally lived up to that. I was engaged in the story from beginning to end, and keep going back to re-read bits of it.

Victoria has been shuttled to numerous foster homes. She has put up a tough and defiant exterior to protect her heart from the rejection that she knows will eventually come her way. I think the author got this character exactly right. Don't you think it's true that when hearts are hurt people put up all kinds of barriers to protect themselves? Along the way though, Victoria meets two somebodies that love her, and as always, real love, can break down those crusty exteriors. It doesn't happen overnight though, it takes time. This bit is also true to life, don't you think? It's only consistent and constant love and grace that can break down those walls.

Victoria learned about the language of flowers on her journey to wholeness. I loved learning the meanings of flowers, and how they were used in communication in Victorian times, and how they could be used in the same way today. People are always looking for a little magic in their lives, and Victoria's meaningful bouquets provide just what they are looking for.

There are several bits in the story where flowers are used for conversations, and I thought that was charming, although sometimes the message of the flowers themselves were actually quite difficult.

I liked how the people Victoria met took the chance of encouraging and helping her. They also showed love where none was expected, and didn't give up on Victoria.

I can't tell you more without ruining the story--give yourself a treat and add this to your booklist.

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War and Life Choices

Gifts of War by Mackenzie Ford

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gifts of War begins with the World War I 1914 Christmas Truce (widespread unofficial ceasefires that took place along the Western Front around Christmas of 1914). I did not know this was a true fact until I googled it after finishing the book.
Wilhelm (German) and Hal (British) meet during the truce and have a conversation. In the course of the conversation, Hal makes a promise to Wilhelm, one he does not keep. This failed promise embarks him on a life of deceit. A life he willfully chooses. Here's the thing, Hal is not a bad man. He could be you, or me. The questions he asks as he makes his choices, could be questions you or I ask ourselves. Once you take that first small step of deceit, it is easy to take the next one, or two, or three. It is very rare that deceit does not catch up with us in some way, and this proves true for Hal.

There are so many other nuances in the book. Think how strange, and how amazing, for soldiers fighting to the death to stop, decorate their trenches, sing songs together and share gifts. They made plans to bury their dead during the cease fire. And then, in one or two days, to begin killing each other again.

What about spying for your country? This could entail literally sleeping with the enemy, killing acquaintances and the like. Basically, it is living a life of approved deceit. Deceit with honor. That's a misnomer if I ever heard one.

What about hating someone, just because they are German, or British,or Dutch, or Hispanic - and then, endeavoring, when war is over, to start over again in peace. Surely at that time, it is just a word, what about real peace? How does one attain it, that peace of Shalom (living harmoniously), after a war time experience.

These are some of the questions you'll ponder as you consider lives impacted by war, both in the past and the present.

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An Intense Read

Room by Emma Donoghue

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was not excited to read this book,it sounded creepy to me. And, I have to say, it is a little creepy, but, it also held my attention throughout. So why did I read it? Book club. Sometimes you are forced to read things that you don't really want to, and, it usually ends up all right. I can't say that I enjoyed the book, but I was totally immersed, and have gone back to read parts several times.

If you think you're going to read this book, you may not want to read past this sentence . . .

The title makes so much sense once you've read the story.

"Room" is Jake's world. It is all he knows. To him, room is real, and everything else is not real. Jake is not just smart, he's precocious. He's also incredibly naive. He lives in this small room, with a few stories, and a pattern to every day. Objects are named and become his friends. He loves his mom, he loves room, he loves his routines. He questions. His brain begins to be stretched. He learns there is a real world, this isn't all there is. This scares him. His mom asks him to perform a daring deed. He does, and their whole life changes.

For his mom, the change is mostly great, but for Jake, not so much. Everything he loves, everything that is familiar, is gone. He wants it back. This is hard for his mom, and for him--for so long they were just the two of them, and they mostly agreed on everything. Now the world is bigger, and has to expand to include other people.

I am glad for learning about the new life - I liked Steppa, and I felt Jake's awkwardness, and his mom's exhilaration with freedom, and frustration with Jake's slowness to embrace the freedom were expressed well. I thought the reaction of his mom's parents were real and believable.

The one thing I struggle with a bit is the fact that Jake is just five. I'm not sure a five year old would really have been able to perform such a daring deed.

On the copyright page, it says that the book is totally fictional, and I believe this to be true, except . . . today, I watched the Jaycee Dugard interview with Diane Sawyer. I have to wonder if the author's imagination was sparked by this true story of a young girl who was abducted, raped, imprisoned in a soundproof room, and gave birth to 2 children during her 18 year imprisonment. Having just finished "Room", and then watching the interview, there are some real similarities. Certainly both the interview and the book teach us that evil is real and in the world. After watching the Jaycee interview, I think we all need to be more diligent about caring for our neighbors, and being brave enough, and taking the risk to report, where we believe there may be wrong doing. I think sometimes we feel embarrassed, after all, what if we're wrong. Perhaps, we should be asking ourselves more often, what if we're right?

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A "Can't Put It Down" Book

Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I like Jodi Picoult's books, but this one I just could not put down. I started it on Thursday night, and stayed up way past my bedtime, reluctantly putting it away as I had to get up and go to work on Friday.

Friday night did my chores as quick as I could, anticipating the time I could sit down and finish it!

Paige's mom ran away when she was 5 years old. Paige ran away when she was 18. She's been in love twice, and now she has a baby of her own. Exhausted from caring for her infant while her cardiologist husband puts in long hours at work, she finds that she's losing herself. How can she find herself again, reconcile her past, and reconcile her old self with her new self and her role as mother? How can her heart heal so that she is whole again?

I loved Paige and her questionings, her naivety, and her honesty. I loved that she was an artist, and her special gift that made her art unique. I loved how she loved her dad--actually, how they loved each other.

It's always curious to me how some books pull you in, and others not so much. This one definitely had my undivided attention!

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Hope for Prodigals

Out of a Far Country: A Gay Son's Journey to God. A Broken Mother's Search for Hope. by Christopher Yuan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to Waterbrook Multnomah for my free copy of "Out of a Far Country".

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but found it to be interesting, informative, sad, and hopeful.

The book is actually two stories in one. The mother's journey to Christ, healed marriage and unconditional love, and the son's journey from rebellion into a relationship with Christ, and healing and reconciliation with his own family.

I honestly don't know if I as a mother could have exhibited the grace that Christopher's mother exhibited towards him. His lifestyle of same sex relationships, drugs, and journey to self destruction would be enough to kill any hope one might have for reconciliation and wholeness. Chris was blind to the risks involved in his choices--it is actually surprising that he's still alive today. It is amazing to see how God uses our brokenness to bring us back to Him. Thank goodness He does.

One thing that was missing for me. Christopher has a brother Steven. Although Steven is mentioned early in the book,we don't get to hear what happened with Steven once his parents and brother became Christians.

I also liked Christopher's reasoning of Holy Sexuality. How many of us don't use sex, whether heterosexual or homosexual, as a replacement for living a holy life for God. Or, take away sex, just any covetousness, or idol, to fill our emptiness other than God.

To learn about Christopher Yuan's ministry, you can visit his website christopheryuan.com.

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My Favorite of Lisa See's Books!

Dreams of Joy: A Novel by Lisa See

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads, you are spoiling me for anything other than reading! I had no intentions of whiling away the day by reading a book, but I received my recent win, "Dreams of Joy" on Thursday, started reading Saturday morning and couldn't stop. I have read Lisa See's other books ("Snowflower and the Secret Fan", "Peony in Love", "Shanghi Girls") so was very pleased to score this win. "Dreams of Joy" is a continuation of the "Shanghi Girls" story--in some ways I wish I had re-read "Shanghi Girls" before I started "Dreams of Joy", just so that I could refresh the characters in my head.

"Dreams" is the story of Joy, Pearl's daughter. (This is hard, I don't want to spoil the story by sharing too much.) Basically, Joy finds out some family secrets and leaves her home (America) and goes to China, where she buys into the communist philosophy. Along the way she loses her naivety, falls in love, meets her father, learns that she is a strong person, as well as to appreciate her family. Basically she grows up.

Meanwhile her mom (Pearl) follows her to China and learns some things about her ownself, her relationship with her sister, as well as her daughter.

Really liked this book. As in See's other books, you will learn about Chinese culture and history. In this book, there are several characters with bound feet. With the onset of communism, women were discouraged from this practice. In fact, those who had bound feet were encouraged to unbind them, which turns out to be a painstaking process with less than ideal results. Although the feet will unfurl, they cannot be "normal" since the bones were broken in the binding process when they were young. In the afterward the author mentions the photos of Joseph Rupp and his bound feet project. It was interesting to read the stories of these women, who just accepted this rite of passage as necessary to getting a husband, as well as to see their photos. You can visit the website here: http://www.josephrupp.com/bfindex2.html

Highly recommend this book!

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The Daughter's Walk: A Novel by Jane Kirkpatrick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was excited to receive this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah. I like this author and have enjoyed a number of her books.

The Daughter's Walk is based on the true story of Helga Estby and her 18 year old daughter Clara, who, in 1896 accepted a wager from the fashion industry to walk from Spokane Washington to New York City within seven months. If successful, they would win $10,000 and save the family farm.

I always like books about spunky women, and these two certainly were. Their lives, and the lives of their family, were forever changed by their decision. They had adventure, but their decision to walk brought them some personal tragedy, and, sadly, they missed the deadline by two weeks. Once they returned to the farm, Clara made the decision to leave her home, and did not return for over 20 years.

Kirkpatrick weaves truth and fiction in the tale as she conjectures what Clara might have done, and what choices she made. This is where it got frustrating for me - not in the story itself, I thought it was good, but I wish I knew what was truth and what was fiction. I want to know the true story of Clara and her choices! I tried to look up some information online, but there wasn't much there - it is a mystery as to the real reason why Clara left and even to some extents what she did.

To view the book trailer, and see some pics of Clara and her mom, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoxjLeTTw...

If you haven't read any of Kirkpatrick's books yet, you should give her a try! Two of my favorites are A Gathering of Finches and A Sweetness to the Soul.

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