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Amaryllis in Blueberry

by Christina Meldrum (Goodreads Author)

3.17 of 5 stars 3.17 · rating details · 820 ratings · 227 reviews

In the stirring tradition of The Secret Life of Bees and The Poisonwood Bible, Amaryllis in Blueberry explores the complexity of human relationships set against an unforgettable backdrop. 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...more

Paperback, 384 pages

Published February 8th 2011 by Gallery (first published February 3rd 2011)

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Jan 30, 2011 Tatiana rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: read "The Poisonwood Bible" instead

Shelves: 2011

Is there a reason to read Amaryllis in Blueberry instead of The Poisonwood Bible? My answer, after finishing Meldrum's sophomore novel, is a firm no.

It is always a gamble to draw inspiration from someone's work so heavily. Read Amaryllis in Blueberry's synopsis and you will see how closely it resembles the premise of Barbara Kingsolver's most acclaimed novel. Sadly, Meldrum's variation of the plot pales in comparison.

I liked Meldrum's writing style. I liked how she mixed Christianity, Greek myth...more Is there a reason to read Amaryllis in Blueberry instead of The Poisonwood Bible? My answer, after finishing Meldrum's sophomore novel, is a firm no.

It is always a gamble to draw inspiration from someone's work so heavily. Read Amaryllis in Blueberry's synopsis and you will see how closely it resembles the premise of Barbara Kingsolver's most acclaimed novel. Sadly, Meldrum's variation of the plot pales in comparison.

I liked Meldrum's writing style. I liked how she mixed Christianity, Greek mythology and new to me concept of synesthesia into her narrative. Unfortunately, somehow the final result wasn't as enchanting as Madapple's blend of science, religion and herbology was. Mostly, I think, because even good writing couldn't save this book weakened by an uninteresting and unoriginal plot.

You have a family of six - an emotionally distant mother, 4 young daughters and a father determined to move his family to Africa to get away from his personal demons. In Africa they experience a culture shock that forces all family members to face their issues. I remember The Poisonwood Bible, how ambitious its scope was. The whole story in Amaryllis in Blueberry is driven by family troubles and they aren't even that dramatic or engaging. By the middle of the story I started getting tired of multiple POVs that concentrated on mostly navel-gazing and boring introspection with very little action happening. Only in the last 40 pages did things start picking up and the ending was quite satisfying.

There is a little bit of an insight into African culture which I suppose would be interesting to some readers. But then again, I've read The Poisonwood Bible and that book offered a much more complex view of the culture and was not limited to describing dirtiness of water, lack of electricity and bizarre village rituals.

I had been anticipating the release of this novel for a few months after being thoroughly impressed by Christina Meldrum's debut novel and started reading it with a high level of enthusiasm. It is sad it became such a slog in the end. Maybe readers unfamiliar with The Poisonwood Bible will enjoy this book more?(less)

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Feb 03, 2012 Nicola rated it 2 of 5 stars

Reason for Reading: I loved Madapple. In the three years since that was published I have been periodically checking to see if Meldrum had a new book coming out and I was thrilled when I saw she finally had a new title out. The plot sounding enticing and the cover was gorgeous; I was an eager reader!

First off, I know I am going to be in the minority with my opinion of the book. I didn't like it and I'll keep my review brief because I could get carried away otherwise.

Christina Meldrum's writing is...more Reason for Reading: I loved Madapple. In the three years since that was published I have been periodically checking to see if Meldrum had a new book coming out and I was thrilled when I saw she finally had a new title out. The plot sounding enticing and the cover was gorgeous; I was an eager reader!

First off, I know I am going to be in the minority with my opinion of the book. I didn't like it and I'll keep my review brief because I could get carried away otherwise.

Christina Meldrum's writing is exquisite. It is a pleasure to read and that is what kept me reading this book to the end. Unfortunately, I could not stand the main character, Seena, nor most of the plot. The Slepys are a dysfunctional "Catholic" family; well the father is Catholic and one of the daughters has gone overboard pious. Everyone in the family is very disrespectful of the father's faith and it is obvious the pious daughter is only seeking attention. I was disgusted with some of the plot turns in the Catholic aspect of the story. What bothered me the most, though was Seena, the mother. She was selfish and caught up in her own world, using Greek mythology as her escape route. She stopped loving her husband early in the marriage (which caused him to gradually become a hardened, unable-to-show-his-feelings man). She blamed her husband for marrying her! If "he" hadn't married "her", she wouldn't have left college to become a wife and mother. At the same time she stops loving her husband she stops being an active mother, paying little attention to nor being there with motherly support for her three small daughters. Then she "stalks" and seduces a man, one she has no right to do so, which then starts a short affair ending in the birth of her last child. This child receives, not attention, but the mother's protection and extra bit of effort that it is obvious to the other daughters that she is loved best. A horrible woman, I never grew to like even with the supposedly "redemptive" ending. It was too little, way too late.

Anyway they all go to Africa. The father dragging them there as a bush doctor. Most of them end up liking Africa and getting something out of the experience. I really had a bad taste in my mouth during this book. I felt bad for the father, who had no one, after his wife took everything from him. The book felt very feminist in general and not my cup of tea at all.

I do appreciate the author's writing style though and having loved Madapple and hated Amaryllis, both to such extremes, I will certainly read her next book. (Hoping, of course, I will like the story.) Her writing makes me feel strongly and that is the sign of a good author. (less)

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Apr 01, 2011 Bridget rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads

My husband brought home an Advance Reader's edition of this book a few months back, and I just now got around to reading it. It's the story of the Slepy family, and the father who suddenly decides they are all moving to Africa where he will serve as a medical missionary.

I did finish this book, mainly because I kept waiting for it to get better. I had a hard time getting into it in the first place, and should have just stopped at that point. In short, I found it tedious, with poorly-drawn charac...more

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May 25, 2011 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This book was well written with complex characters each giving their own point of view. The characters were believable and just as important as the plot to the story. They were constantly questioning themselves in regard to their beliefs and actions, which made them very realistic and added meaning to the book. There was a lot of self-exploration and discovery as the characters had new experiences in a foreign land. I also liked that the author included African culture and a little bit of histor...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Ricki Treleaven rated it 4 of 5 stars

This week I read Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum. I want to apologize because I was out late this morning at the Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 midnight showing, and I am exhausted. I really should have written this post earlier in the week, but such is life. I will keep this review short and to the point considering I can barely read the screen due to my blurry vision.

I chose this book because it is the July Books-A-Million Literary Book Club selection. They are almost...more This week I read Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum. I want to apologize because I was out late this morning at the Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 midnight showing, and I am exhausted. I really should have written this post earlier in the week, but such is life. I will keep this review short and to the point considering I can barely read the screen due to my blurry vision.

I chose this book because it is the July Books-A-Million Literary Book Club selection. They are almost always very good recommendations. I could not put this book down, and it is a very quick read. Amaryllis in Blueberry is the coming of age story about a family with four daughters (ages 11 -18) all named "Mary": Mary Grace, Mary Catherine, Mary Tessa, and Amaryllis. Did you catch that? Four Marys: Mary Grace, Mary Catherine, Mary Tessa, and Amaryllis. The oldest three daughters share their parents' blonde, Nordic good looks, except for Amaryllis, who is dark with piercing blueberry-colored eyes. She is also clearly the mother's favorite daughter. The book reminded me of The Virgin Suicides because the girls are all terribly troubled in four very different ways, and the parents do not have a clue. They are actually part of the problem due to neglect and denial. When the "devoutly" Catholic father, Dick (aptly named), has a crisis, he decides to take the entire family to Africa. His priest suggests the move: Dick could become a medical missionary on the dark continent. The irony here is that Dick is a pathologist, and he is not adequately trained before leaving; neither is the family, and this is what perhaps annoys me most about the book: the abrupt decision to go on the mission field, and the lack of mission field training. Growing up Southern Baptist and being involved in Girls in Action and then as a GA leader, I had never heard of such a thing.

The story is told (primarily) from the four sisters, Seena (the mother), and Dick's points of view, with only Amaryllis's expressed in first person. I did not mind the multiple points of view because it gives the reader insight into how everyone misreads and misinterprets each others' actions. I also enjoyed the setting: summer and fall of 1976. Like Amaryllis, I was also eleven in 1976, and Meldrum did a fantastic job with the cultural references. I also liked that there are more twists and turns in the plot than a Gringotts mine car ride (sorry for the Harry Potter reference); it is perhaps the most unpredictable plot I have read in a very long time. I also think that Meldrum is an excellent writer.

I did not like the way Meldrum addressed African cultural differences. For example, I think she portrays the Dipo rituals in a very condescending way. I also do not appreciate the treatment of religion and faith in the book. The book jacket's synopsis states that the family is healed by secrets. This is untrue; there was not really any healing. I also found Seena's constant Greek mythological references tiring. Rather than enjoying her time as a stay at home mother, Seena wasted far too much time reading about myth, and far too little time caring for her daughters. Seena's given name is Christina, but obviously she can't bear to be called a name with Christ's name as a part of it. I understand that this is a work of fiction, and I also can see the juxtaposition of Catholicism, mythology, and African mysticism in the book, but it is definitely not rendered as well as Meldrum's complex characters.

I wanted to like the characters, and I found this difficult until the very end of the book. There is only one character I truly wanted to see happy in the end; I did not care about the rest of them.
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Oct 28, 2011 Lori L (She Treads Softly) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum is set in Michigan and West Africa during the summer and fall of 1976. It is a highly atmospheric novel that follows the highly dysfunctional Slepy family: parents Dick and Seena and their four daughters, the Marys - Mary Grace, Mary Catherine, and Mary Tessa - and Amaryllis, known as Yllis. After their summer in Michigan, Dick decides to take his family to Africa where he will serve as a medical missionary.

The first chapter reveals the end of the nove...more Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum is set in Michigan and West Africa during the summer and fall of 1976. It is a highly atmospheric novel that follows the highly dysfunctional Slepy family: parents Dick and Seena and their four daughters, the Marys - Mary Grace, Mary Catherine, and Mary Tessa - and Amaryllis, known as Yllis. After their summer in Michigan, Dick decides to take his family to Africa where he will serve as a medical missionary.

The first chapter reveals the end of the novel - when Seena is on trial for Dick's murder in West Africa. Then the narrative goes back to the summer and intertwines scenes from the past and present. The novel is told from the viewpoints of all the Slepys, their elderly neighbor Clara, and a single, final chapter from the viewpoint of the priest, Father Heimdall. Although each character has a unique voice, Meldrum makes an interesting stylistic choice and has everyone but Yllis tell their stories in the present tense, even when they look back on past events. Yllis tells her story in past tense.

In Amaryllis in Blueberry truth and reality are questioned. Obsessions, imagination, storytelling, and cross cultural myth-making (Greek mythology, African mythology, and Catholic doctrine) are explored. Additionally, we learn that Yllis has synesthesia; she is an emotional synesthete so she sees and feels all the emotions of everyone around her. The Slepy's bring a myriad of emotions and problems with them to Africa where Dick hopes they will find redemption but instead everything escalates out of anyone's control. All of the characters are flawed and it is these flaws that form a basis for their problems. There is also a feeling of distant reserve, a separateness, from all the characters in the novel.

Although it shares some similarities with Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible, which apparently turned some readers off, I felt there were enough differences to separate the two novels. In Amaryllis in Blueberry creditability was a little stretched when the Slepy's were in Africa so quickly after Dick's decision and their family is so radically affected immediately upon arrival. Although I accepted it, I will also admit to liking the second half of the novel a bit less than the first. Additionally, since it is set in 1976, I could certainly pick up any cultural references to the time.

Meldrum is a very talented writer and I imagine we can look forward to more well crafted novels with intricately developed characters from her in the future.
Very Highly Recommended; http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/
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Oct 15, 2011 Melissa Crytzer Fry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: wip-comps

Not only was the title of this book absolutely delicious, so, too, was the language. This literary novel wove together Greek mythology, faith, and family drama and offered a metaphorical feast. The story did not disappoint plot-wise as the tension and stakes were raised at the story’s conclusion.

Amaryllis in Blueberry is the story of a family with four young daughters – a family that is rapidly falling apart at the seams, and of a distant mother who was never quite available emotionally to her c...more

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Apr 12, 2011 Stephanie D. rated it 4 of 5 stars

The cool, lovely cover of Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum belies a firecracker of a first chapter in which Seena is being tried by a witch doctor in Africa for the murder of her husband, Dick. From there, the narrative goes back to months before in Michigan to reveal what happened to lead up to Dick’s murder. Unlike what the title suggests, this novel is not solely written from the point of view of the youngest daughter, Amaryllis, Yllis for short. The narrative shifts from the vario...more The cool, lovely cover of Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum belies a firecracker of a first chapter in which Seena is being tried by a witch doctor in Africa for the murder of her husband, Dick. From there, the narrative goes back to months before in Michigan to reveal what happened to lead up to Dick’s murder. Unlike what the title suggests, this novel is not solely written from the point of view of the youngest daughter, Amaryllis, Yllis for short. The narrative shifts from the various points of view of the Slepys – Seena, Dick, and their four “Marys,” which has the effect of seeing the same event from very different perspectives. And as the narrative shifts, so do the characters, my perception of them changing once I got into their minds. Almost each one has his/her own explosive secret and yearns for, but never receives love and acceptance.

Meldrum’s writing is incandescent and sublime at times, most effective when describing Yllis’s unique gifts and how she sees the world and people around her:

“I was different, and not just on the surface. I didn’t fit in my family, I didn’t fit in at school. Classmates and teachers (and Mary Tessa) so ridiculed me for my “wild imagination,” I wasn’t sure I belonged on earth. Yet I knew things about earth-about people on earth. I often knew things about earth-about people on earth. I often knew what people would say before they spoke. I knew whom people loved, whom they despised. I knew what gave others joy and fury and envy, even when they didn’t seem to know themselves.

“Just to set the records straight, envy is not green. And rage isn’t red hot, and the blues have nothing to do with blue. Envy is more dust colored, a transparent sort of gray. It quivers, like heat rising. Rage itself is not any shade of red—it’s not any color at all. It’s a smell, like fried-up fish. Melancholy? The blues? Melancholy’s more of a shimmer than any color. And it creeps: blues on the move.

“People say joy is infectious, but that’s a myth. It’s melancholy that’s infectious. And sneaky. It skulks about, climbing legs, mounting skirts. It’s particularly active when joy is in the room. Joy shows up sort of humming, and melancholy gets the jitters.”

Other times, the writing is almost too dreamlike and introspective, losing me. Incidentally, these most often occurred when the narrative is from the point of view of a grownup. The daughters, especially Tessa and Yllis, have the most dynamic scenes.

I loved the scenes in West Africa – the narrative bursts with the vibrant color of exotic sights, sounds, and revelations. Here is where the simmering tensions in the fragile Slepy family explode as they are forced to deal with the secrets they kept in Michigan.

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Mar 27, 2011 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

What I Can Tell You: I am not sure I loved the story, but I DID love was the writing. The book begged to be read out loud. The beautiful prose made me long for the days of high school when we all read together and broke each part of the book apart, dissecting each character and sentence until we couldn't tell our own life from the life of the book.

The Marys confused me. I found myself forgetting who was who and having to go back and forth so many times. I wasn't sure if I liked Seena, as a moth...more

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Mar 03, 2011 Teri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gallery, for-review

What really caught my eye as a reader was the cover. Now I can say that I tore apart The Poisonwood Bible for an English class and picked apart all the symbolism, but what AIB brought to me was an entire different distinctive read. I was not looking for insight into the African culture I was interested in the family perspective of overcoming obstacles and making it past the skeletons in the closet that had been hiding.
As the character’s stories changed and interweaves from past and present sens...more

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Feb 08, 2011 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

AMARYLLIS IN BLUEBERRY by Christina Meldrum is a contemporary historical fiction set in 1970's Michigan and Africa.It is written in a series of flashbacks from the past to the present. It intertwines past history/story with present. It has adultery,forgiveness,redemption,love,family saga,murder,meditation of faith,loyalty,love,acceptance,Africa,missionaries,fate,buried secrets,sacrifice,slavery,culture difference,exploration of faith,synesthete(visions of artificial light around someone or somet...more

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Feb 04, 2011 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

My take: I am really stumped whether I hated this book or loved it. I am still trying to figure out the symbolism which irritates me that I'm not seeing it more clearly. I'm also trying to figure out whether or not I liked the story itself or just the writing. I'm thinking that it is the writing that draws me as does the African setting. I also enjoyed the character development. Each member of the family became distinct the further I traveled with them.

The time is 1976. Amaryllis is having her...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Lolly LKH rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not sure about this one. It kept me reading, and I am not usually keen on the subject of Africa, and I enjoyed the story jumping from each characters viewpoint, also something I usually disdain (if not done well it just feels like too many voices inside your head). Amaryllis is a love child gifted or cursed (depending on your viewpoint) with synthesia. With this she senses the things that are souring the family but alongside her youthful naivety isn't able to do much with what she senses. The fa...more

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Mar 29, 2011 Elizabeth Whitehead rated it 3 of 5 stars

Amaryllis in Blueberry takes you back to the turbulent 60’s and 70’s.
It is sort of an historical fiction set in both Michigan and Africa. It is written in a style of flashbacks from the past to the present. The book includes adultery, forgiveness, redemption, love, family saga, murder, religion, loyalty, interracial love, missionaries, fate, secrets, sacrifice, slavery, culture difference, and truth. This is the story of obsession and adultery and how it affects the family. It shows that as peo...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Kelley rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think I would have enjoyed this book even more if I had not read The Poisonwood Bible years ago..... the story lines were a little too close not to be at least partially distracting. Both books are about families in the 1950s/60s, with three daughters, religious conflict, and a father that drags his unraveling family to Africa. Both books also tell the story in each chapter from a different character's point of view. The difference (for those of you who have read Poisonwood Bible... and those...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Nieva21 rated it 4 of 5 stars

I actually liked this novel more than the Poisonwood Bible, but I rated it lower in terms of stars; Meldrum has a star to grow on. I think that Kingsolver is much more of a talented storyteller than Meldrum, but I only think this because Meldrum doesn't have as much writing experience. I feel that later books written by Meldrum will likely be improved in style and talent. This being said, I look forward to reading future novels by this author. Set in Michigan and Africa the story is about a fami...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, read-in-2011, arc-reading-challenge

I must confess that the title and the cover of this book intrigued me. I knew it was a book I would have to read. This book is about the Slepy family. They are as dysfunctional as a family can get in my opinion. Dick and Seena are married to each other but they don't seem to be much of a couple. Dick is involved in his religion and Seena seems to live in mythical dream world. When Dick decides to move Seena and his 4 girls- Mary Grace, Mary Tessa, Mary Catherine and Amaryllis to Africa to practi...more
I must confess that the title and the cover of this book intrigued me. I knew it was a book I would have to read. This book is about the Slepy family. They are as dysfunctional as a family can get in my opinion. Dick and Seena are married to each other but they don't seem to be much of a couple. Dick is involved in his religion and Seena seems to live in mythical dream world. When Dick decides to move Seena and his 4 girls- Mary Grace, Mary Tessa, Mary Catherine and Amaryllis to Africa to practice medicine in the bush, I got the distinct feeling some in the family were running from something. Boy was that an understatement! As you can see Amaryllis has a very different name from her sisters. She was born in a blueberry patch and has blueberry eyes to match her birthplace. Amaryllis seems to be her mother's favorite, even though her mother is not exactly the mothering type. The story begins at the end with Seena on trial in Africa for Dick's murder. The story then goes back and forth between their life in Michigan and how the family ended up in Africa and what happened after they arrived in Africa. When the family lived in Michigan, they had problems. Dick and Seena didn't seem to notice what was going on in any of their daughter's lives right under their noses. When they arrived in Africa, all hell really breaks loose and the two find out that they really should have been paying more attention to their children as well as each other. The book is well written and riveting. If I hadn't been so busy, this is a book I would have read in one sitting. Starting the book with the ending was brilliant! The ending was a big surprise for me with many twists and turns. All I could say when I finished it was, "Wow!" I hate to say too much about the story as it is one you should really experience. There are many surprises in this book! I highly recommend this book. It is also a great book for discussion which would make it an excellent choice for book clubs and groups. This is a book that I be thinking about for a long time.(less)

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Oct 27, 2011 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

OK... I picked this book up in the library for it's cover, or rather the whole appearance: intriguing title, nice picture on the front, heavy paper with roughed edges, folded cover flaps, and it was NEW... very elegant for a paperback! I checked out the reviews on Goodreads when I got home, and found nothing to turn me away, so I plunged in. At first I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it, but it grew on me, and I ended up finding it pretty enjoyable, although definitely outside the genres I usual...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Melanie Coombes rated it 4 of 5 stars

"The book begins with Seena Slepy on trial for the murder of her husband, Dick. Dick is a doctor who has brought his wife and four daughter to West Africa to begin missionary work. The story takes place in the late 1970's and is told from the point of view of Seena, Dick and the daughters, Mary Grace, Mary Catherine, Mary Tessa and Amaryllis. We also hear from two other characters who are important in this novel. Dick leads his family to an unfamiliar world where the life they knew will never be...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Rosanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am beginning to worry that my friends are going to think me crazy. I won this book for my entire book club, a copy for everyone. This book clearly is a bit out of the ordinary. For me, I found the book to be extremely interesting but I fear that my book club members are not going to enjoy it.

Set in Michigan and Africa the story is about a family comprised of many different personalities and beliefs. Mom, who lives in her head in the field of study that she never completed; Dad, an over zealou...more

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Feb 28, 2011 Jenny O. rated it 4 of 5 stars

I finished reading this novel over a week and a half ago. I didn't want to scrawl off a review hastily. I had to let it sit for awhile...

"Dick is dead. Seena knows this, of course: her husband is dead. Yet she keeps expecting him to barrel in, his enormous, gangling self plodding along, a spectacle unaware that he is one."

And thus begins Amaryllis in Bluberry.

The novel works from the end to the beginning. Seena Slepy is on trial in a West African village for the murder of her husband, Dick Slep...more

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Feb 13, 2011 Charlie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read a pre-release copy of this book given to me by my sister book blogger. I'd read Meldrum's first novel MADAPPLE (which seriously rocked) so I was game to read this one, despite another girly girl cover. What's up with these covers? It's pretty, yeah. But it certainly doesn't suggest a guy might like the book. Just like with Meldrum's first novel MADAPPLE, this cover seems wrong to me. This is a serious book It doesn't have the some eery feel of MADAPPLE, but the content is no less sophisti...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Finally, after a string of books about which I felt so-so, I found a book I liked.

Amaryllis in Blueberry is told from seven characters' points of view. It reminded me of Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible, but covered less time. Seena and Dick marry and have four children--Mary Grace, Mary Catherine, Mary Theresa, and Amaryllis. However, Dick decides to take the family to Africa when he realizes his wife has been unfaithful. So he does. Neither parent acknowledges the issues taking place in the live...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Eh. This was just OK. I almost gave it 3 stars because the last 1/4 of the book was much better than the first 3/4, because there were lots of twists and turns and everything started to fall into place. There was finally some plot, some suspense, some action, some reason for me to want to turn the pages. Before that, it was just OK. Like a few books I've read lately, I just couldn't get into these characters. They were all basically unlikeable, boring, or weird, and I just didn't care that much...more

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Nov 02, 2011 J.Elle rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I tried to read this, but I could not get into it and the way that the viewpoint jumped around between the father, mother, and all four girls was difficult to follow. The story starts off with the mother on trial for murdering her husband and from there; it quickly backtracks into past events that have lead up to the trial. In my opinion, for this to have been more successful I needed to have been more compelled by the trial in the beginning. For me, this part did not impart a sense of “I have t...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Devin rated it 3 of 5 stars

So it may have taken me six or seven days to get into this book, but in the end it turned out pretty interesting and worth while read.

Perhaps being thrown into the book at the end, hurled back to the before, and tossed randomly into the after, played a small part in my interest in the book slipping after just the first chapter. Also changing between seven different narrators was a bit too much to help build momentum, but passing beyond those first intro chapters, I was hooked. Each character was...more

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Mar 17, 2011 Michelle added it

While the synopsis may be reminiscent of The Poisonwood Bible, in actuality Amaryllis in Blueberry is decidedly different. Secrets are at the heart of this novel, as each character, major and minor, pretends to be something he or she is not. These secrets end up driving all major characters to actions that surprise the others and help progress the plot.

The plot itself is intriguing, as the novel opens with Seena as the narrator as the reader quickly discovers that she is on trial for Dick's deat...more While the synopsis may be reminiscent of The Poisonwood Bible, in actuality Amaryllis in Blueberry is decidedly different. Secrets are at the heart of this novel, as each character, major and minor, pretends to be something he or she is not. These secrets end up driving all major characters to actions that surprise the others and help progress the plot.

The plot itself is intriguing, as the novel opens with Seena as the narrator as the reader quickly discovers that she is on trial for Dick's death. From those first pages, the reader knows that there is a key point that is missing from Seena's story. Ms. Meldrum then takes the reader on a ride through all of the characters' points-of-view to uncover the truth and the complex reasoning behind everyone's actions. Each change in narrator adds a bit more complexity to the story while uncovering various motives and rational explanations for each's behavior. It is a fascinating study into the mind of a character, what keeps a character going, and what he or she is willing to hide from others and from him or herself.

Secrets are often the driving force in novels because everyone has them, and everyone will often go to great lengths to protect them. While Ms. Meldrum's use of each character's secrets are essential to the family's eventual move to Africa and Dick's fate, it is the character interactions that bring heart to the novel. Each character is flawed but not outlandishly so. Each wants to be loved and to find acceptance within his or her own circle of influence - something to which most readers can relate. Added to this dynamic is the idea of religion and its overpowering ability to influence certain behaviors without specifically engaging the mind.

Amaryllis in Blueberry is one of those novels that is steeped in symbolism and allegory, to the point where one reading of the novel is not sufficient to uncover all of the hidden feelings, foreshadowing, and other subtle points. Thankfully, Ms. Meldrum wrote the novel in such a way that each re-read allows the reader to peel back more of the layers of this rather complex novel but an initial read is just as satisfying and surprising in its own right.

Amaryllis in Blueberry is not an easy read, and as you can tell, it is an even more difficult novel to review. There is so much that occurs in the novel that one can spend hours dissecting only the more important aspects of the novel. The language. adjusted for each narrator, is outstanding. Ms. Meldrum excels in differentiating between the older Grace, Catie, Tessa and younger Yllis, highlighting their pain and struggles through a scarcity of words that enhance the overall novel. Unlike The Poisonwood Bible, Amaryllis in Blueberry is a novel that demands the closest attention and rewards readers with an experience that is not just mental but emotional. All of the characters find a way to wriggle under one's skin and cross that boundary of impartiality in a reader. The end result is a novel that challenges a reader but compensates one's efforts through breathtaking visuals, subtle emotions and story that forces one to rethink what it means to love.(less)

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Jul 09, 2011 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: not-impressive

This book caught my eye because it was said to be similar in story to "The Poisonwood Bible"-which is one of my all time favorite books. I was willing to give it a try, and about 20 pages in, I knew it was going to be nothing like "The Poisonwood Bible." It certainly had a similar story-a devout Catholic man and his family with four girls decide to move to Africa in the 1970's. This family certainly has its problems, with rebellious girls and overly devout daughters. The family certainly meets a...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Kay Gillis rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to end up saying that I liked this one...a lot, but I can't give it a five. I borrowed it from the library and liked it enough to buy it so I can go back and re-read it. The prose is fantastic/beautiful. The characters, with all their faults and good attributes, are very believable. I am not a fan of books that are told in many voices, and with 3 of the main characters having the same first name, I had a hard time keeping them straight. But, even with that, I enjoyed the book. I re-read m...more

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Mar 19, 2011 Carla Ford rated it 5 of 5 stars

I swear, every time I put this book down, I felt like I had run a
marathon! I couldn't put it down between chapters because every time
I picked it up, there was a little bit more revealed, or uncovered. I
had to pay attention to keep up with the characters, but it was worth
it, and not really not all that complicated. Family dynamics are
always a little confusing, and these are certainly not the exception.
Dick and Seena marry, and have four daughters: Mary Grace, Mary
Catherine, Mary Tessa and Amaryll...more

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About Christina Meldrum

Christina Meldrum is the author of MADAPPLE, a finalist for the PEN USA Literary Award and the William C. Morris Award, an ALA Best Book, a Booklist Editor's Choice and a Kirkus Reviews Best Book. Her second novel, AMARYLLIS IN BLUEBERRY, is forthcoming in February 2011 from Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. http://www.christinameldrum.com/

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“And I realized: souls don't stand alone. What makes a soul a soul is the shared burden and pain, the shared joy: it's the connection between us that carries on.” — 6 people liked it

“Truth doesn't have a color. And it doesn't have a smell. It doesn't quiver or make noise. It doesn't shimmer. Yet it does - it does all these things, depending. Because truth is capricious. It may be hovering there all the while, but one moment you think you see it - it seems so clear, so well defined, as if you could catch it and hold it steady in your hand. But the next moment it's gone, or at least so fast moving it's a blur, at best. That's the thing Africa taught me about truth. You know it's truth because it's busy. Any seeming truth that's idle? Well, that's just not truth.” — 4 people liked it

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