This dramatic story is told through the thoughts and memories of the 10-year-old protagonist, Lori Jean, who has been killed.
Your heart will ache for the hardships this child had to endure in her short lifetime. There are only a few rare moments she enjoyed happiness or felt loved.
The relationship she had with her grandmother seems to give her the strength and wisdom she had. The relationship with her best friend, Carole, was where she found happiness and enjoyed life as a child should. But even that time was marred with sadness.
Her closeness with her step father’s brother, his wife, and their children gave Lori Jean a taste of what family was and what she craved most for her own family unit.
Author Jackie Lee Miles gives readers a glimpse of the hardships endured by poor families living in the 1950s in a rural Southern town. She also gives a pertinent view of the cycle physical abuse can have in a family, along with the destruction it causes.
ROSEFLOWER CREEK is an easy read as to the writer’s use of the dialect of the region and era, as well as the engaging plot. It’s a hard read because of the nature of the story. You start with the outcome and look back at Lori Jean’s life to see how it got to that point. Knowing where it’s going, you can’t help but hope there’ll be a different ending after all.
After reading ROSEFLOWER CREEK, I think readers will feel the need to hug their children and grandchildren a little longer and a little tighter. Lori Jean is a strong and remarkable character that will stay with the reader long after they’ve put down the book.
Author Jackie Lee Miles’ website is http://jlmiles.brinkster.net/
Roseflower Creek by Jackie Lee Miles, Cumberland House, @2010, ISBN: 978-1-4022-4001-0, Paperback, 256 pages
FTC Full Disclosure - I requested this book and it was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
That *does* sound like some difficult subject matter! But it also sounds like it's handled very sensitively. The cover is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMason - What a fascinating way to tell what must be a very, very difficult story. It's a good reminder that you can tell a hard story without having to be graphic...
ReplyDeleteSounds like a tough read.
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I bet this was a difficult story to tell. Writing out of our century is a challenge and then starting where the book starts.... But it sounds like a really interesting read.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad some people are able to tackle difficult subjects like this - far too many kids go through it.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a wonderfully written book with a difficult subject that will affect the reader. To me, that sounds like a great book. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
ReplyDeleteWow, you've certainly got me hooked. Sounds like a difficult subject... but very powerful. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for stopping by today. I've had to be away from the computer most of the day. This is a great story. It's sad, but still quite heart warming.
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