Items related to Blackberry Summer
The summer of 1965 changes the lives of two children in such a way that they will never view life through the eyes of innocence again. Carol Lynn and her cousin, Tom, are spending the summer with their grandmother on her farm in rural Virginia. It is a quiet little place hiding the secrets, stories, and gossip the darker side of people entertain. It doesn’t take the children long to become fascinated by the Horten family living near their grandmother. It is Carol Lynn’s burning interest in the Horten family that leads them to trespass on his property. She wants to know the secret of the pond. It’s on one of these forays that she meets Horten’s stepdaughter, Clovie, a pitiful waif who longs to learn how to read. When Carol Lynn makes friends with the girl, it sets in motion events, past and present, that expose deception, incest, murder, suicide, and infanticide. When the truth is discovered, those involved are changed forever. The startling conclusion will take many by surprise.
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About the Author:
I was born October 10, 1954 in Richmond, Virginia, just as Hurricane Hazel swept through the eastern seaboard. I learned early that timing was everything! Two events shaped my childhood and the way I observed life. My grandmother died when I was five. She had cancer and on her last day awoke from the coma. She wanted to kiss all her loved ones goodbye.
Review:
The second event was when my father, a Virginia State Trooper, was shot. I was almost seven but clearly recall that knock on the door in the dead of night. He survived but his pain and suffering left its mark.
At ten I discovered that I loved books, writing and painting. Being the third child of seven, I quickly learned how to provide my own "space" - through creative endeavors. I finished high school and went to college and began the hunt for a career but writing remained a part of my daily life. I tried nursing, psychology, teaching, tutoring, domestic engineering and, at last, freelance work.
I married my wonderful husband, David, who allows me to be "me" and continue painting and writing. It's been a long journey through small presses, fillers and literary journal to finally having "Blackberry Summer". I continue to write novels, re-write novels and move on. Writing is what motivates me to look around and see the world as it is and how it could be.
BLACKBERRY SUMMER by Gail Ylitalo is a haunting coming of age story that both fascinates and repels; yet I couldn't put it down till the end. During the days I read this novel, I found myself thinking back to it at odd moments, making me reflect, question, and meditate upon the difficulties of growing up. Indeed, BLACKBERRY SUMMER is of those rare, powerful novels that I will never be able to quite forget.
Like the wild blackberries of my childhood summers, I found BLACKBERRY SUMMER bittersweet. And as I couldn't stop eating the blackberries in my grandmother's backyard, no matter the scratches, I couldn't stop reading this novel. My teenage son also read this book for review purposes, finding it compelling and thought provoking. We both were impressed with Gail's straightforward handling of violence and abuse, all the while tempering the negative with open-mindedness and compassion. -- Cindy Penn, WordWeaving -- Cindy Penn, WordWeaving
BLACKBERRY SUMMER is more than a scary adventure story. It is powerful, deeply troubling, and bittersweet. All three children have difficult lives due to poverty and uncaring parents. In spite of the warmth and compassion of Carol's grandmother and Charlie the handyman, who is black, the children are exposed to an atmosphere of class and racial prejudice that even the natural beauty of the Virginia countryside cannot dispel.
There is much goodness and love in BLACKBERRY SUMMER, but physical hardship, abuse, deceit, and death are present as well.
The author tells her story simply and clearly, never flinching from the violent scenes but handling them delicately. Some of the children's conversations take on the feeling of a consciousness-raising seminar, but this is not a large drawback. Grandma and Charlie are fine and sympathetic supporting characters, Tom is nicely drawn, and Carol is sweet and spunky. It is Clovie, however, whose intolerable situation and complex reactions make her the person who stays in the reader's mind and heart long after the book is closed.
BLACKBERRY SUMMER is disturbing but enlightening. It might be beneficial for parents and their older children to read and talk about it together. -- Ilene Sirocca for The Running River Reader Copyright 2000 Ilene Sirocca
Set around Easter of 1965 in Virginia. Carol Lynn was ten years old. She was to spend her second Summer at Grandmother's farm. Carol's younger cousin, Tom, went with her this time. It was the Summer that would force them to grow up.
The Horten family lived nearby. Everyone looked away from the couple and the thirteen year old with them named Clovie. Clovie and Carol became close friends, but Clovie was an abused child and had more dark secrets than anyone would ever have guessed! Secrets that had killed before and would again!
I recommend this one for ages 13 and up only! It has mystery, excitement, danger, and many surprises! I believe it especially great for teens! Author, Gail Yilitalo, created a wonderful story that will remain in your memory long after you have finished reading it. -- HUNTRESS BOOK REVIEWS, Reviewed by Detra Fitch
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherPublishamerica Inc
- Publication date2003
- ISBN 10 1592867847
- ISBN 13 9781592867844
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages153
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