orphans – The Dusty Jacket

George Müller: The Guardian of Bristol’s Orphans by Janet & Geoff Benge

George Müller: The Guardian of Bristol’s Orphans

Janet & Geoff Benge (Adult Christian)

Later that day, as George sat in the stagecoach rumbling back towards Halle, he felt strangely relieved. The sense of looming confrontation he’d felt on the journey home had been replaced with a sense of expectation. He had been given no choice but to cut ties with his earthly father. Now all he had was his heavenly Father to provide for him. As the villages and fields slipped by, George wondered how it would all work out.

George Müller was caught stealing at the age of ten. By twelve, he was sneaking away from boarding school at night and attending parties filled with beer and card games. His father wanted him to be a Lutheran pastor and earn a steady income, but drinking and gambling proved to be the stronger lure for the young man from Kroppenstaedt, Prussia. But one November afternoon in 1825 changed George Müller’s course forever. On that day, he attended his first Bible meeting and his world—along with his world view—would never be the same.

Janet and Geoff Benge give readers a remarkable story of faith, hope, and complete surrender. George Müller was miraculously transformed from an arrogant and self-indulgent college student to a man who relied solely on the grace and generosity of God to provide for him, his family, and the thousands of orphans he clothed, fed, housed, and educated. George died at the ripe old age of 92 and during his expansive lifetime, he had traveled over 200,000 miles, visited 42 countries, and met with British royalty, countless dignitaries, an American president, and the author Charles Dickens. Despite being the steward of over £1 million, he meticulously kept track of every pound and shilling and ensured that every donation was used solely for its intended purpose. He was as dutiful in his bookkeeping as he was in his prayers and George, despite countless obstacles, hardships, and impossible odds, remained steadfast in his faith and trust in God.

There was one moment in George’s life where he was staring at an empty table and looking into the eyes of dozens of hungry orphans who were anxiously awaiting their breakfast. George—never one to despair or doubt—simply told those around him to wait for the miracle to happen for even though the pantry was bare and the milk jugs empty, he knew that a higher power was in charge and that He would be faithful in fulfilling His promises.

George Müller left this world far richer and wiser than he was when he lived with his wealthy father or attended his prestigious schools. Through his daily actions, he became the father to 10,000 orphans and epitomized the words in Luke 1:37 that says, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Rating: 4/5

* Book cover image attributed to: www.amazon.com

Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

Housekeeping

Marilynne Robinson (Adult Fiction)

Marilynne Robinson’s book about two orphaned sisters (Ruth and Lucille) raised by their eccentric Aunt Sylvie in the dank and judgmental town of Fingerbone is a reminder that verbosity and detail are not the same thing and that more is not always better. Robinson clearly is on the “more” side as every character, mood, and setting in Housekeeping is described ad nauseum. She goes so far into the weeds in noting and detailing every memory, smell, glance, gasp, twitch, rustle, and shiver that when she finally finishes her thought, we’ve totally forgotten the point she was trying to make or where she was taking us. Worse…we no longer care.

I’ve read and reviewed hundreds of books and Housekeeping is the only book—the ONLY one—that I knew right from the very first page that I wasn’t going like it. Here is the fifth sentence where Ruth (our narrator) is describing her grandfather’s upbringing: He had grown up in the Middle West, in a house dug out of the ground, with windows just at earth level and just at eye level, so that from without, the house was a mere mound, no more a human stronghold than a grave, and from within, the perfect horizontality of the world in that place foreshortened the view so severely that the horizon seemed to circumscribe the sod house and nothing more. This level of detail and imagery succeeds in allowing the reader to better understand why Ruth’s grandfather was so motivated to travel, but there are so many layers that you have to dig through that by the time you’ve reached the pearl, you’re so exhausted that you’re unable to enjoy its luster and beauty. Further along in the book, Robinson dedicates seven pages (I counted) describing the sisters’ fishing trip and their having to spend the night alone in the woods. Seven. Pages. It doesn’t take long before you realize that Housekeeping isn’t a cohesive story, but rather a series of lengthy paragraphs that you might find in the Reading section of the SAT: “In line 64, the word simulacra most likely means…”

The story is at its strongest and most interesting when it centers on Ruth and Lucille and their complicated relationship, but these moments are few before we are left with just Sylvie and Ruth and wondering who we should rally behind while we venture down yet another word rabbit hole and pray for daylight. Housekeeping does present several important themes—the illusion of permanence, the cost that comes with conforming to expectations, and how family doesn’t shield you from feeling alone and isolated—but after enduring so many mental gymnastics, we’ve neither the energy nor the interest to fully appreciate these revelations.

I wish I had enjoyed this book more because slogging through a two-hundred-plus-page book only because you’re hoping that everything will come together in the end is a miserable relationship to have with an author and their story. Reading should be a joy, not a chore. However, I am glad that I did finish it for no other reason than to provide an honest review. Besides, I did manage to increase my vocabulary with a few interesting words so not all bad.

If I had to sum up my final thoughts, it would be that more isn’t necessarily a good thing or, as Leonardo da Vinci said so eloquently in just five little words, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

Rating: 2/5

* Book cover image attributed to: www.amazon.com

Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter & Me by Lorilee Craker (Memoir)

anne of green gables my daughter and me

Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter & Me

Lorilee Craker (Adult Memoir)

“What’s an orphan?” This spontaneous and innocent question from her seven-year old daughter stopped Lorilee Craker in her tracks. Phoebe had asked it during their bedtime reading of Anne of Green Gables. But as Craker explains, “The word orphan is six letters fraught with baggage.” Just like Anne Shirley, Craker herself had been adopted, as was her daughter, Phoebe. Three women (four if you count Anne’s creator, Lucy Maud Montgomery, who herself was adopted) sharing a bond of abandonment, loneliness, and exclusion, but discovering that just beyond the bend await friendship, joy, love, and a sense of belonging.

Craker describes Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter & Me as “part memoir and part Anne super-fan book”. For ardent fans of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables’ series (myself included), this book serves as a fond (and perhaps long overdue) reunion with our beloved Anne Shirley, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, Gilbert Blythe, and the rest of our dear friends in Avonlea. Craker uses excerpts from Anne of Green Gables and Anne of the Island to introduce chapters dealing with friendship, bullying, forgiveness, reconciliation, love, and loss. Although society’s views on adoption, adoptees, and adoptive parents have changed over the decades, the feelings Anne Shirley experiences at the beginning of the twentieth century remain just as relevant today. Who can’t relate to feeling not good enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, not tall enough…shall I go on? Anne Shirley transcends time, region, and language to show that we all long to be accepted, respected, and loved.

Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter & Me is more than just a memoir. It is a love letter to God, orphans, adoptive parents, Lucy Maud Montgomery, fans, and a little red-headed foundling who is all “spirit, fire, and dew”. Craker writes, “There is a crack in everyone—that’s how the light gets in.” A fracture that when the light hits it, allows us to show mercy, offer forgiveness, experience love, and accept grace. Perhaps in that respect, there is a little orphan in each of us.

Craker reminded me of the thing that I most admire about Anne Shirley and that is her unfailing perseverance and unwavering optimism. Even after falling off a roof, dyeing her hair green, and inadvertently intoxicating her bosom friend, it’s our Anne (with an “e”) that said, “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” Yes, Anne. It is very nice.

Rating: 5/5

*Book cover image attributed to www.amazon.com

The Canning Season by Polly Horvath (YA)

The Canning Season

The Canning Season

Polly Horvath (Young Adult Fiction)

Thirteen-year old Ratchet Clark (her father wanted to name her Stinko) lives with her mother, Henriette, who dreams of belonging to the Pensacola Hunt Club (“Thank God for the Hunt Club” is the mantra in their household). Henriette works two jobs, sustains the family on Cheerios, and constantly reminds her daughter to cover up That Thing on her shoulder (it is unsightly). Life moves along at a predictable pace until the day that Henriette sends Ratchet to live with her two great aunts in Maine. Tilly and Penpen Menuto (DON’T call them the Blueberry Ladies!) are twins, but as different as chalk and cheese. Tilly is tiny and thin and Penpen is round and jolly, but both are as devoted to canning as they are to one another. Between blueberries, bears, a one-way phone, an unexpected orphan, and countless stories of a headless mother, Ratchet’s summer will prove to be anything but predictable.

The Canning Season is a delightful, entertaining, and hilarious romp. Fans of Philip Gulley or Ann B. Ross will find equal enjoyment in the Menuto sisters and their tales of loggers, love, and the lure of the woods. Some of the language in this book is a bit salty, but is appropriate to the targeted age (13 and older) and shouldn’t shock anyone who watches PG-13 films or hangs out at the local mall.

Throughout the book, we see Henriette placing an unhealthy importance on belonging to the Pensacola Hunt Club, which remains an elusive aspiration. We find out that the club really isn’t as exclusive as first thought and, in reality, is open to anyone wanting to join. Drawing a nice parallel with Tilly and Penpen’s home, we see that the ominous house on the hill surrounded by bear-infested woods isn’t really what it appears to be either. It is actually warm, welcoming, and inclusive; all who enter are taken care of and treated with respect, kindness, and love (except Myrtle Trout…Heaven help her). The Canning Season reminds us that things are not often what they seem and that love is often found in the least likely of places. Thank God for the Hunt Club, indeed.

Rating: 4/5

* Book cover image attributed to http://www.goodreads.com

The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall

The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint

The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint

Brady Udall

“If I could tell you only one thing about my life it would be this: when I was seven years old the mailman ran over my head. As formative events go, nothing else comes close.”

Seven-year old Edgar Mint is what you might call a “miracle boy”. The son of a drunk, heartsick mother and absentee, wannabe cowboy father, he survives a near-fatal accident only to live a life in reverse. His early years are filled with heartache, hard choices, and terrible consequences while later on he enjoys the sheltered, unfettered, and uncluttered life of a child. Throughout his entire life, Edgar is always being saved and, quite frankly, he’s getting pretty sick of it. But once he finds religion, Edgar finally realizes what his God-given purpose is: to find and forgive the man who nearly killed him.

The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining and immersive books that I’ve read in quite a long time. Udall doesn’t waste a single word on frivolous details or superfluous backstories. Instead, he gives us a rich story that neither lags, stalls, or grows tedious. Every chapter is thoughtful, engaging, and provocative, and Udall takes great care in introducing us to Edgar and slowly allowing us to care about this peculiar and resilient little outcast. Throughout his journey, Edgar meets his share of heroes and villains, teasers and tormentors, bullies and a best friend. He survives physical, verbal, and emotional abuse and faithfully captures every thought and memory through an old Hermes Jubilee typewriter: “I typed because typing, for me, was as good as having a conversation. I typed because I had to. I typed because I was afraid I might disappear.”

I can’t remember the last time when a book so deeply transported me into a fictional world or when I felt so drawn to a character. Edgar’s story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. All too young, he accepts misfortune as his constant companion yet attempts to turn every bad situation into a learning experience. Edgar’s comical take on either the harshest of circumstances or the cruelest of individuals is both pitiful and inspiring. Thankfully, hope runs eternal for our miracle boy and when he finds someone who truly loves and cares for him, Edgar realizes that being saved might not be such a bad thing after all.

Rating: 5/5

*Book cover image attributed to www.goodreads.com

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (J)

A Little Princess

A Little Princess

Frances Hodgson Burnett (Juvenile Fiction)

Sara Crewe is seven and always dreaming and thinking odd things. But ever since arriving in London from India with her father, Captain Ralph Crewe, all she thinks about is “the place”—Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies. Her father’s affluence instantly propels Sara to star status within the school, but misfortune soon causes her to be penniless and at the mercy of jealous students, spiteful cooks, and a vindictive and cold-hearted headmistress. Once an heiress and now a pauper, Sara relies on the friendship of a young servant, two foolish schoolgirls, and a rather amicable rat to help her cope with her new station in life.

Burnett delivers a charming and tender Cinderella-like story where our heroine is suddenly ripped from a life of comfort, joy, and love and thrown into a merciless world of coldness, hunger, and cruelty. Unlike Cinderella, Sara is merely a child and the pain and suffering inflicted upon her is especially difficult to bear. It also earns her tormentor, Miss Minchin, a dubious place amongst literature’s most despised and detested villains.

With A Little Princess, Burnett gives us a story about humility, grace, courage, hope, generosity, and kindness. She also gives us a girl who is a beloved daughter, a show pupil, an adopted mother, a storyteller, a benefactor, a scullery maid, and a friend. But most of all, Sara Crewe is, and always will be in the hearts of readers, a little princess.

Rating: 5/5

* Book cover image attributed to www.tvtropes.org

Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson (YA)

Hattie Big Sky

Hattie Big Sky

Kirby Larson (Young Adult Fiction)

Hattie Inez Brooks refers to herself as Hattie Here-and-There. Orphaned before she had lost her baby teeth, she spends her years being shuffled here and there amongst various relatives’ homes. At 16, everything changes when she is left 320 acres and a house in Montana by her deceased mother’s brother, Uncle Chester. With the only thing to look forward to in Arlington, Iowa is a job at a boardinghouse, Hattie writes back, “I’ll come.” But to make her uncle’s claim her own, she has to cultivate 40 acres and lay 480 rods of fence…and she has less than a year to do it. With a strong faith and help from neighbors, can Hattie make her deepest wish a reality—to find a place to belong.

Hattie Big Sky is based on the life of Larson’s great-grandmother, Hattie Inez Brooks Wright, who herself had homesteaded as a young woman in eastern Montana. Because most of the story takes place in 1918, we see more references to automobiles than covered wagons. The United States was also embroiled in World War I and many German-born immigrants were subjected to a litany of anti-German persecution. Larson weaves all of these facts, along with the countless struggles faced by homesteaders, into a beautifully-told story of hardship, bravery, and old-fashioned grit.

Hattie is pleasantly surprised to find that a paper in Iowa is willing to pay her a monthly fee for her homesteading stories. In one such submission, she writes, “…the lesson this life has planted in my heart pertain more to caring than to crops, more to Golden Rule than gold, more to the proper choice than to popular choice.” Hattie’s lesson is one we should all strive to implant upon our own heart.

Rating: 4/5

* Book cover image attributed to www.scholastic.com

The Solace of Leaving Early by Haven Kimmel

The Solace of Leaving Early

Havel Kimmel (Adult Fiction)

Langston Braverman is a graduate school dropout who’s returned to her hometown of Haddington, Indiana to live with her parents. In her childhood attic bedroom, she imagines a very different life for herself—one filled with academia, garden tea parties, and tenure. Amos Townsend is a third-generation preacher whose inspiration to follow God came from a TV show he once watched while at college. Although Amos wants to give his life to help others, it is his own salvation he seeks. When two little girls are left orphaned by unimaginable circumstances, Langston and Amos must put aside their animosity toward each other to help these children find peace, normality, and love.

Kimmel is at her best when writing dialogue. By incorporating subtle gestures, mid-sentence thought changes, and off-topic asides, she captures each character’s unique essence and true personality. The conversations appear so spontaneous and genuine, the reader almost feels guilty of eavesdropping.

One downside is the author made Langston a very unsympathetic woman who is extremely hard to connect with and, often times, even tolerate. She comes across as elitist, self-absorbed, immature, and whiny. But her character is offset nicely by Amos’ uncertain, demure, and steadfast demeanor. Once you get past Langston’s overbearing personality, as well as her mother’s (AnnaLee Braverman) relentless role as enabler and apologist, you will find yourself totally immersed in a story full of heart, hope, and second chances.

Rating: 4/5