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Blue Hole Back Home (2008)

by Joy Jordan-Lake(Favorite Author)

3.94 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

143479993X (ISBN13: 9781434799937)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

David C. Cook

review 1: This was one of those free Kindle books. I was underwhelmed by the story, and the writing. Question: do we really need yet another story of the race conflicts in the deep South? I get it, I believe it, I am sorry that people were so horrific to others thanks to the happenstance of skin color. I simply don't want to read another predictable book with the Klu Klux Klan as the evil perpetrators, unhindered in their actions by others in the small community who lived in some form of acceptance.I'm also not a fan of using the church as a mirror of that culture, unaffected by the true teachings of Christ. "Love one another, as I have loved you".The pastor of said church was greatly maligned, and at the very end he was found to be a kind benefactor albeit a spineless one, as desc... moreribed by his teenage son. The biggest disconnect in this storyline was that fact that Turtle's mother and father were completely clueless about their daughter's daily forays which included some significant wounding and bleeding.She also never felt the need to pose any questions to them, ever. Hmmmmm....I suspect that the demographic for this read is the teen and preteen. Those characters in the book were the innocent heroes of sorts. I regret that the opportunity to ground this story in more balanced understanding of human failure and redemption of a community into some form of self awareness and increased understanding was completely missed.
review 2: I've read upwards of 50 books this year, and Blue Hole Back Home was my favorite. Joy Jordan-Lake's writing style is prosaic. It's sheer beauty the way she combines a literary style with the simplicity of the character's point of view. The story takes place in a rural mountain community after the close of the Civil Rights movement. In this small community, a young white girl befriends a black girl and learns the full brutality of racism. Joy takes us into the minds and spirits of the main characters and cunningly exposes the evil in the hearts of the protagonists.I think what struck me most about this book, other than the genius of the writing style, was the story itself. Never exaggerated, the actions and feelings of a small community still clinging to racism is very realistic, and yet so shocking in its realism. It took me back to my own childhood growing up in a rural community of the deep South. It simply amazed me how completely Joy captured the atmosphere of the time. less

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