Amaryllis in Blueberry Review

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Title: Amaryllis in Blueberry
Author: Christina Meldrum
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published: February 8, 2011
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 384
Source: ARC Gift

Told through the haunting voices of Dick and Seena Slepy and their four daughters, Christina Meldrum's soulful novel weaves together the past and the present of a family harmed--and healed--by buried secrets.

"Maybe, unlike hope, truth couldn't be contained in a jar..."

Meet the Slepys: Dick, the stern doctor, the naive husband, a man devoted to both facts and faith; Seena, the storyteller, the restless wife, a mother of four, a lover of myth. And their children, the Marys: Mary Grace, the devastating beauty; Mary Tessa, the insistent inquisitor; Mary Catherine, the saintly, lost soul; and finally, Amaryllis, Seena's unspoken favorite, born with the mystifying ability to sense the future, touch the past and distinguish the truth tellers from the most convincing liar of all.

When Dick insists his family move from Michigan to the unfamiliar world of Africa for missionary work, he can't possibly foresee how this new land and its people will entrance and change his daughters--and himself--forever.

Nor can he predict how Africa will spur his wife Seena toward an old but unforgotten obsession. In fact, Seena may be falling into a trance of her own.
Amaryllis in Blueberry is the captivating tale of a family ripped from their hometown in Michigan and forced to plant missionary roots in rural Africa. Worlds away from their former lives, Dick and his wife, Seena, must somehow bind their family of four daughters, Mary Grace, Mary Tessa, Mary Catherine, and Amaryllis, together once again. They were lost in a world where they were held together by society, but the lack of a set society might just be what they need to find each other again. But the change in life prompts unexpected changes in Seena and propels their unique little family on a journey of discovery, loss, and ultimately truth.

I received Amaryllis in Blueberry from a fellow book blogger to review, and while this isn’t my normal type of book to review, I was captivated by the story of this strange family and the pseudo-black sheep, Amaryllis. Amaryllis has this unique ability to sense the truth in a sea of lies and to see a bit of the future and the past all at once, making her into a little web of mystery in a story of this family’s journey to discovery. I have to say that Christina Meldrum has an absolutely stunning writing style. Fluid and melodic, she weaves the reader into a world of magic and mystery, showing you slivers of truth along the way and compelling you to keep reading.

While I loved the premise of the story, and the author’s writing was exceptional, I have to admit that the descriptiveness got a bit heavy at times, jarring me from the story, itself. Furthermore, while I loved reading about the family as individuals, I felt that the motives that led Dick to move his family from their Michigan home were a bit too light in the context of the story. All that aside though, the portrayal of two vastly different worlds and lifestyles in Amaryllis in Blueberry was exceptional, and was probably the highlight of the book for me. I simply would have liked a bit more tension, I suppose, to propel the book towards the climax.

Amaryllis in Blueberry is definitely more adult than the books I normally read, but I’m trying to broaden my literary horizons and open this blog up to a bit more. All in all, it was a good book, and one that I’d highly recommend to those who normally enjoy adult novels. I give it a 3.5 out of 5, and fans of contemporary fiction are sure to enjoy it.

23 comments:

  1. I like the idea behind this novel, but it sounds a bit... literary for my taste? Perhaps. Nice review, I really got a feel for the book from your words.

    PS. As I post this you have 666 followers. Eek!! =b

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  2. A interesting premise and setting too. Not sure I have read anything set in Africa in a while. I must say your review has made me curious about this book, especially the changes in Seena, and while I do like contemporary fiction, and strong writing, I am not sure that this is a book for me.

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  3. I am in two minds about this one. On the one hand I like reading adult novels from time to time; on the other hand, though, I like them also well-thought-out and captivating. Moving your family to Africa without a very serious reason? Come on.

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  4. I love contemp fiction but haven't read many adult ones. Will have to keep my eye out for this one :)

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  5. I don't know if I will try this one, but I have her young adult novel Madapple on my tbr list. I really want to read that one. :) Great review.

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  6. It sounds interesting. I think I might like this and I really adore the cover! So pretty.

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  7. Thanks for your honest review. I hadn't seen this one around before :)

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  8. Three kids all with Mary names, yikes.
    Anyway it sounds ok. Perhaps, perhaps not

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  9. I have the exact same feelings when I read Kim Edwards' "The Memory Keeper's Daughter". I truly love how she described almost everything in her novel, but in the end of the day, I found myself analysing everything to see if I'm missing something out.

    The way you described Amaryllis in your review did intrigue me though. Thanks for your honest review =)

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  10. Thanks for the honest review. I really loved Madapple, so I think this might still be up my alley. Hopefully I like it a bit better than you did. Thanks for the warnings though ;)

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  12. Im in-love with that cover. I was planning on reading this one! We will have to compare thoughts when Im finished....:D

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  13. Adult novels are my first love and Amaryllis in Blueberry is on my wishlist. I was expecting it to really great but 3.5 stars doesn't seem too bad. Thanks for the review, Melissa!

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  14. This sounds interesting. Is it set in current times? I've read a little bit about missionaries in Africa in the 1960s or so (in memoirs) but not current settings.

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  15. I adore the cover for this book and when I first saw it pop up in your IMM, I wanted to know more. I don't often read too much adult fiction, but this one sounds like something I'd enjoy. I will keep it in mind the next time I hit the bookstore. Great review!

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  16. Great review! This book sounds interesting. I like the flower cover:)
    -Danna

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  17. Great review! This sounds like an interesting read. If the opportunity presented itself, I don't think I would turn this one down either. :)

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  18. This isn't one I'd normally pick up as I love my paranormals and prefer to stay in my happy little supernatural world, but this author's writing sounds fantastic. Lovely review Melissa, you always write a stellar review:)

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  19. It looks amazing. Thanks for the review.

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  20. I was so curious about this one so I'm glad you reviewed it. The writing sounds like I'd have the same problems and likes as you have. I think I'll save this one when I'm in the mood for such a book. Thanks for the review!!

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  21. This sounds like one that mu mom would enjoy! Thanks for the honest review :)

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  22. I have to admit that this isn't normally the kind of fiction that I myself would read, but the premise and the various characters sound rather intriguing.

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  23. I know exactly what you mean by description that gets a bit too heavy, and I find that I tend to dislike it too. That said, I would really like to expand my reading horizons with more adult books, as well, so maybe I'll check this one out.

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