The Daisy Field

by Amy Sutton

A lonely old woman, Lily, watches a foster child tend a small urban flower garden outside her window at a senior care facility that is across the street from Chicago's poverty-stricken Cabrini-Green projects. The talented and affable boy, Presley, is devoted to his daisies. When Lily reaches out to him, the two become fast friends. She helps him navigate his far-from-nurturing foster family life by securing a job for him at her facility.Presley is an increasingly valuable addition to the elder community, adored by the staff and the residents. But the criminal element in the projects is difficult for the boy to avoid. Violence ensues and the continued threats to Presley are real, but so is the love of his new extended family of elders and friends who unite to rescue him from escalating danger and tragic circumstances.In "The Daisy Field," Amy Sutton illustrates the power of a loving family to make miracles possible, akin to the blossoming of a field of daisies when given the proper care.

251 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2011

About the author

Amy Sutton is an author who teaches fitness, sings and serves as a volunteer. Her underlying goal is to help others to achieve their physical wealth and the mindfulness of being that enables one to perceive and believe in life's miracles. "

Reviews

[Rebia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm only on chapter 3 - I received this as a goodreads giveaway on uhm...Thursday - just prior to my b-day, happy b-day to me! :-)

So far, I'm impressed, very hard to put down - really getting into knowing the characters -

I'll update later as I'm further along (stupid housecleaning and other day-to-day stuff keeps distracting me!) - definitely a "goodread" though!

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LOVE-LOVE-LOVE THIS BOOK!
omg, totally tugs at your heart-strings!
i cried @ sal - read it, you'll know which part -
you ever get so wrapped up in characters that you think about them during the day and have to "refresh" your memory on who those people are?

this is THAT kind of book!

i love presley - geez, did i feel for that kid.
and heather - i could kind of see where it was going, but the elaboration on her story, just completed it all and tied everything in together -

thank you, amy! i'm keeping this one!

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Sweet" is what I'd call this book. For sure, the word can cut both ways. Sweet in an "aw shucks" kind of way, where your heart is warmed by the story, is one way. Another is syrupy, over-the-top, too good to be true, sweet. In my opinion, this book is both. Yes, it is unbelievable how black & white the characters are; the bad guys are so heartless & cruel, & the good folks are on the opposite end of that spectrum. The events, especially the ending, are predictable & can been seen coming halfway or less through the book.

All that said, this story was like the first "sweet" I described---it warmed my heart & made me want to know all those good characters in real life. Just a nursing home like Silver Trails would be a joy. The staff, the conviviality & positive attitudes of its residents & staff were wonderful.

Every now & then, a kind, happy ending is refreshing.

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily is a lonely elderly lady and Presley is a foster child in an unloving home. A love of flowers and music draws them together. But life either of their homes is not the best, nor are they in the best part of town.

This is a beautiful story about love, acceptance and miracles. The story caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested the entire time. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The characters are so likeable, especially Presley. I enjoyed the way the author highlighted the love between children and the elderly and the benefits to both age groups.
The ending was sweet and probably not realistic, but so fun. I liked this book so much that I recommended it to my book club.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was quite predictable.

[Valerie Petersen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ho hum...I thought this was written for a Young Adult audience. The ending was so "pat" - "and they all lived happily ever after!"

[Melissa]

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.