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A Month of Sundays
When Garnet's mother decides it's time for a change, she drops off her daughter at her aunt June's house in Black Rock, Virginia, while she goes to Florida to find a job. Garnet has never met Aunt June, so she feels angry and abandoned. But Aunt June thinks Garnet is there for a reason. Each week, Garnet and June visit a different religious service as Aunt June, who has cancer, tries to find God. After a miraculous spiritual healing occurs and an unexpected visitor comes to town, Garnet learns the power of love and forgiveness, and what being a family truly means.
192 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2011
8 people are currently reading
284 people want to read
About the author
Ruth White
83 books115 followersI was born in the Appalachian hills of Virginia, which is the setting for Belle Prater's Boy and The Search for Belle Prater. I lived there until I graduated from high school and went away to college. Though I left the hills, they never left me. My memories of those years are quite vivid. I have always referred to that time as both traumatic and wonderful. I get most of my ideas for my stories from those memories of my childhood home, the small coal-mining town of Grundy, Virginia.
I started writing at a very young age. I remember trying to write stories before I was even able to put long sentences together. It was just something I felt compelled to do, probably because I loved stories so much. We had no television because my family was very poor; my mother was raising my three sisters and me with very little money. So we read aloud and enjoyed each other’s company.
Eventually I became a teacher and then a school librarian. Working in the public schools among adolescents fueled my desire to write, and I suppose the age group I worked with helped me determine that I wanted to write for them instead of for adults or smaller children. I wrote my first book, The City Rose, based on an experience that happened when I taught seventh and eighth grade in Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina. The schools had recently been integrated, and I had two black girls in one of my classes. I noticed that whenever we went to the library, they didn’t check out any books. Finally, they told me that it was because they couldn’t find any books about black children. So I decided to write one.
For Belle Prater's Boy, my inspiration came from Grundy, like it has so many times. When I was small I used to ride through the nicest residential area there and look at the pretty houses and manicured lawns. I thought these were wealthy people who had ideal lives. Only in later years did I realize that the people living in those houses were quite average, living the way most Americans live. They had their own particular problems, which I could not even imagine. So I decided to set a novel there. First, I created Gypsy, the city mouse, who lived in one of those pretty houses, and Woodrow, the country mouse, who was from the sticks. Then I asked them to tell me their story.
I didn’t plan to write a sequel to Belle Prater's Boy. I thought Woodrow's theory about what happened to his mother would be enough for the reader, but it obviously was not. I had many letters from readers wanting to know what happened to Belle, and asking me to write a sequel. Actually, I did the first draft of the sequel in the late nineties. After many revisions, I created The Search for Belle Prater.
When I'm not writing, I like to walk in the park with my golden retriever, listen to books on tape, and watch movies. Away from home, I like to visit schools and talk to young people about books and writing. My daughter usually travels with me, and we have a great time together.
I started writing at a very young age. I remember trying to write stories before I was even able to put long sentences together. It was just something I felt compelled to do, probably because I loved stories so much. We had no television because my family was very poor; my mother was raising my three sisters and me with very little money. So we read aloud and enjoyed each other’s company.
Eventually I became a teacher and then a school librarian. Working in the public schools among adolescents fueled my desire to write, and I suppose the age group I worked with helped me determine that I wanted to write for them instead of for adults or smaller children. I wrote my first book, The City Rose, based on an experience that happened when I taught seventh and eighth grade in Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina. The schools had recently been integrated, and I had two black girls in one of my classes. I noticed that whenever we went to the library, they didn’t check out any books. Finally, they told me that it was because they couldn’t find any books about black children. So I decided to write one.
For Belle Prater's Boy, my inspiration came from Grundy, like it has so many times. When I was small I used to ride through the nicest residential area there and look at the pretty houses and manicured lawns. I thought these were wealthy people who had ideal lives. Only in later years did I realize that the people living in those houses were quite average, living the way most Americans live. They had their own particular problems, which I could not even imagine. So I decided to set a novel there. First, I created Gypsy, the city mouse, who lived in one of those pretty houses, and Woodrow, the country mouse, who was from the sticks. Then I asked them to tell me their story.
I didn’t plan to write a sequel to Belle Prater's Boy. I thought Woodrow's theory about what happened to his mother would be enough for the reader, but it obviously was not. I had many letters from readers wanting to know what happened to Belle, and asking me to write a sequel. Actually, I did the first draft of the sequel in the late nineties. After many revisions, I created The Search for Belle Prater.
When I'm not writing, I like to walk in the park with my golden retriever, listen to books on tape, and watch movies. Away from home, I like to visit schools and talk to young people about books and writing. My daughter usually travels with me, and we have a great time together.
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July 7, 2019
Questions. As I see it, that is what this book is about. It's not about the author having the answers we seek to life, able to treat the story's every situation with an uncanny insight that reveals to us parts of ourselves we had never fully recognized. No, Ruth White is just as much a questioner as you or I, and the intent of this book is not to provide concrete answers. Just as the characters are prompted to do by the circumstances of their own lives, the story pushes us to keep on asking questions about the complexities of life. Even if we never come to a fully satisfying conclusion by way of our questions, the only way to continue moving forward is to ask them, anyway.
For Garnet, a girl now in her early teen years who was born with her father already gone from her life, it's not the best time for her mother to be taking off and leaving her behind with distant family. That is the reality of Garnet's life, though, in the year 1957. Her mother has secured a job out of state and wants some time to move there and settle in on her own before Garnet joins her, so Garnet is sent to stay with her absentee father's family in Black River, Virginia until her mother sends for her. Becoming a teenager can be hard enough without going through major external life change at the same time, and now Garnet feels as if she has been left behind by both her mother and father. Disillusioned and uncomfortable, she arrives in Virginia on her own with no idea what her father's family is going to be like; all she knows is that she wishes, for once, that she had a stable family life and could rely on something to stay the same for a while.
Though her father walked out on her mother when Garnet was still in the womb, it's his family who finally gives Garnet a little bit of the consistency that she's been craving. Such a happy, vibrant, excitable bunch of people Garnet has never been around before. The house is filled with the cheerfulness of laughter and the natural kindness of a close family bound by love, and this sense of family togetherness is a new experience for Garnet. While still resentful of her mother for going away, leaving her occasional correspondence through the mail unanswered as a way of giving silent voice to her disapproval, Garnet's heart begins to mend in small ways as she connects with the family she's never known. Her father may have been no good, but his family is definitely all right.
And then there's Garnet's first foray into love as she meets the son of a pastor, a boy with the improbably awesome name of Silver Shepherd. Silver has a complicated past of his own that is marked by the absence of a parent, but when he and Garnet are together their problems fade away temporarily, and real magic is ignited. The rush of excitement when the boy she likes first grabs hold of her hand, the light touch of skin on skin like a thousand tiny zaps of electricity; the dizzying pleasure of walking side by side alone, free to talk about anything or just to traipse along in silence, reveling in the reality of his intoxicating presence; the unexplainable sense of sharing something special that no one else is capable of understanding, and knowing that he likes her just as much as she likes him. As Garnet becomes comfortable with her extended family, she also grows closer to Silver, and the thought of eventually having to leave when her mother sends word is a reality that she does her best to ignore.
Beyond even all of this, though, Ruth White has a few surprises in store for the reader, ones that I won't delve into in deference to those who haven't yet read the book. The wisdom of the story repeatedly circles back to the idea of always asking questions, though, understanding that there are so many random and unexpected incidents in life that have no answer to their "whys", but that doesn't mean we should stop asking. When someone we love leaves or a tragedy strikes or we lose our way forward in life, searching for the answers is still a very important thing, and can allow us to stay connected to what appears to have been lost. True stories don't usually turn out perfectly, and A Month of Sundays ends, for the most part, in as big a mixed-up jumble as real life, but it shows us that there's always an answer to be sought right around the next corner. If we're not still asking, though, then we might miss it.
This is the first of Ruth White's books that I've read, so I can't make any sweeping generalizations about her style. However, if Belle Prater's Boy is written at all like A Month of Sundays, then I'm not surprised that it was cited for a Newbery Honor in 1997. Ruth White's writing style is remarkably wise without ever being heavy-handed, and her storytelling as fresh and original as that of most other contemporary novels. I'd be happy to eventually see a companion to this book; however, if A Month of Sundays ultimately stands on its own, I'll still be happy. I recommend this book for readers who treasure stories with thematic depth and emotional honesty, and who treasure the authors that write them, as well.
For Garnet, a girl now in her early teen years who was born with her father already gone from her life, it's not the best time for her mother to be taking off and leaving her behind with distant family. That is the reality of Garnet's life, though, in the year 1957. Her mother has secured a job out of state and wants some time to move there and settle in on her own before Garnet joins her, so Garnet is sent to stay with her absentee father's family in Black River, Virginia until her mother sends for her. Becoming a teenager can be hard enough without going through major external life change at the same time, and now Garnet feels as if she has been left behind by both her mother and father. Disillusioned and uncomfortable, she arrives in Virginia on her own with no idea what her father's family is going to be like; all she knows is that she wishes, for once, that she had a stable family life and could rely on something to stay the same for a while.
Though her father walked out on her mother when Garnet was still in the womb, it's his family who finally gives Garnet a little bit of the consistency that she's been craving. Such a happy, vibrant, excitable bunch of people Garnet has never been around before. The house is filled with the cheerfulness of laughter and the natural kindness of a close family bound by love, and this sense of family togetherness is a new experience for Garnet. While still resentful of her mother for going away, leaving her occasional correspondence through the mail unanswered as a way of giving silent voice to her disapproval, Garnet's heart begins to mend in small ways as she connects with the family she's never known. Her father may have been no good, but his family is definitely all right.
And then there's Garnet's first foray into love as she meets the son of a pastor, a boy with the improbably awesome name of Silver Shepherd. Silver has a complicated past of his own that is marked by the absence of a parent, but when he and Garnet are together their problems fade away temporarily, and real magic is ignited. The rush of excitement when the boy she likes first grabs hold of her hand, the light touch of skin on skin like a thousand tiny zaps of electricity; the dizzying pleasure of walking side by side alone, free to talk about anything or just to traipse along in silence, reveling in the reality of his intoxicating presence; the unexplainable sense of sharing something special that no one else is capable of understanding, and knowing that he likes her just as much as she likes him. As Garnet becomes comfortable with her extended family, she also grows closer to Silver, and the thought of eventually having to leave when her mother sends word is a reality that she does her best to ignore.
Beyond even all of this, though, Ruth White has a few surprises in store for the reader, ones that I won't delve into in deference to those who haven't yet read the book. The wisdom of the story repeatedly circles back to the idea of always asking questions, though, understanding that there are so many random and unexpected incidents in life that have no answer to their "whys", but that doesn't mean we should stop asking. When someone we love leaves or a tragedy strikes or we lose our way forward in life, searching for the answers is still a very important thing, and can allow us to stay connected to what appears to have been lost. True stories don't usually turn out perfectly, and A Month of Sundays ends, for the most part, in as big a mixed-up jumble as real life, but it shows us that there's always an answer to be sought right around the next corner. If we're not still asking, though, then we might miss it.
This is the first of Ruth White's books that I've read, so I can't make any sweeping generalizations about her style. However, if Belle Prater's Boy is written at all like A Month of Sundays, then I'm not surprised that it was cited for a Newbery Honor in 1997. Ruth White's writing style is remarkably wise without ever being heavy-handed, and her storytelling as fresh and original as that of most other contemporary novels. I'd be happy to eventually see a companion to this book; however, if A Month of Sundays ultimately stands on its own, I'll still be happy. I recommend this book for readers who treasure stories with thematic depth and emotional honesty, and who treasure the authors that write them, as well.
July 8, 2019
setting: Virginia, 1950s
Religion plays a major role in this story, but not in the form of fire and brimstone. There is immersion baptism and speaking in tongues, and laying on of the hands ...
And on p 17 there's this grace:
Earth that gave us all this food.
Sun that made it ripe and good.
Dearest Earth, dearest sun, we'll not forget what you have done.
Did Ruth White invent that verse or is it "for real"?
Mostly, however, the story is about a 14-yo girl who deals quite well with the harsh realities that life throws her way.
Religion plays a major role in this story, but not in the form of fire and brimstone. There is immersion baptism and speaking in tongues, and laying on of the hands ...
And on p 17 there's this grace:
Earth that gave us all this food.
Sun that made it ripe and good.
Dearest Earth, dearest sun, we'll not forget what you have done.
Did Ruth White invent that verse or is it "for real"?
Mostly, however, the story is about a 14-yo girl who deals quite well with the harsh realities that life throws her way.
September 2, 2016
What a lovely surprise this book is! Ruth White captures the essence of first love, family, loss, religion, and the possibilities of hope in this short but engaging story set in 1950's Virginia
September 25, 2012
I'm not sure if the dramatic ending was necessarily needed. There was already a lot of heart and content without "that." I won't spoil the ending for anyone.
April 20, 2018
April Garnet Rose is a 14 year old girl who is sent to live with her Aunt June, Uncle Otis and cousins Avery and Emory, in Virginia (set in the 1950's) while her mother looks for a job in Florida. They are actually relatives of her father's, who left her mother while she was still pregnant with Garnet. Never having met them before and feeling abandoned, Garnet is very upset at the situation. Eventually, however, Garnet learns about the value of family while living with them. She also makes friends and even meets a boy named Silver.
Garnet accompanies her Aunt to a different church every week who says that she is looking for God. It is then revealed that her Aunt June was diagnosed with cancer and doesn't have much time left to live. One particular Sunday, Aunt June is called up and purportedly healed of her cancer. Her family is skeptical, however, a few weeks later Aunt June receives a clean bill of health. The book has a sad ending not having to do with religious exploration, but the story is sweet and charming. The reader is left to make their own determination about faith and religion. Refreshingly the book does not depict religion in a negative way. Rather, it just demonstrates that people need something in their life to believe in and have faith in, whether it is a religious institution, religious leader, spiritual leader or something else that helps them get through a difficult situation.
Garnet accompanies her Aunt to a different church every week who says that she is looking for God. It is then revealed that her Aunt June was diagnosed with cancer and doesn't have much time left to live. One particular Sunday, Aunt June is called up and purportedly healed of her cancer. Her family is skeptical, however, a few weeks later Aunt June receives a clean bill of health. The book has a sad ending not having to do with religious exploration, but the story is sweet and charming. The reader is left to make their own determination about faith and religion. Refreshingly the book does not depict religion in a negative way. Rather, it just demonstrates that people need something in their life to believe in and have faith in, whether it is a religious institution, religious leader, spiritual leader or something else that helps them get through a difficult situation.
November 25, 2022
I find Ruth White to be a very good writer - many writers equally write the descriptions of the story well, but not as many write conversations as well as Ruth White does. Her conversational sentences flow so well and they feel like real people and children talking. I enjoyed this story, but less than the other ones I've read by her (Belle Prater's Boy and Search for Bell Prater). The author did a good job in developing a story and describing the characters well, but the ending came too quickly and it didn't feel believable that a) Garnet forgave and accepted August so quickly, b) August wanted to be in Garnet's life so earnestly (really? A 'wanderer' suddenly comes to know that he has a daughter, and he's so willing to be a dad to her?), c) June's cancer went away like that? and d) Silver's death was accepted so quickly. I felt the author rushed the end. But still, I like her writing and plan to continue reading as many books by her as possible.
February 4, 2022
One of the sweetest books I’ve ever read. This book resonated with me. Garnet, Betty, August, Aunt June, Uncle Otis, Poppy, Emory, Avery and Silver. Each one of these characters feels like people I’ve known. Ruth white knows how to make you feel like you’re working in the garden, sitting at the table and sharing a church pew with these imperfect yet lovable characters. The book is about strengthening family ties, healing, forgiveness, new found faith and love restored. It’s also about wading through the universal whys and wherefores of everyday life. A book for children that can awaken nostalgia in adult readers. I gave it 5 stars.
May 29, 2023
True to form, Ruth White captures all the joy and the angst of a preteen heroine. April Garnet Rose is one member of a dysfunctional family whose parents split before her birth due to a colossal misunderstanding. Garnet, as she prefers to be called, is summarily dumped in a loving aunt's lap, while her mother relocates to Daytona Beach. The events in the book unfold and enfold the reader in a warm hug as the angry, and deeply hurting Garnet is embraced by her newly discovered relations, including a grandfather she never knew she had. Belle Prater's Boy is one of my all time favorite children's book and Month of Sundays now rates a close second.
May 12, 2020
This book was about the consequences of young love, the reasoning for faith, and the power of forgiveness. This book reminded me of the thoughts and feelings I had in my middles school/ high years. As an adult and parent, I can understand how the adults are "messy". However, I was left feeling more hopeful. The reason I did not give this 5 stars was due to how a significant event was presented and not fully experienced. This left me with sadness at the end. I did not want or expect a Disney fairytale ending. I wanted more time with the event.
June 27, 2018
Short and sweet.
The best way to sum up this book would be with: "I don't think we get any easy answers in this life. All we get is questions" (pg.167).
April (or Garnet) was a well written character, with thoughts that are understandable (logical) and relatable, and with a personality that I favor. This was a sweet story, a quick read, and one that teaches you a bit about life's many mysteries.
The best way to sum up this book would be with: "I don't think we get any easy answers in this life. All we get is questions" (pg.167).
April (or Garnet) was a well written character, with thoughts that are understandable (logical) and relatable, and with a personality that I favor. This was a sweet story, a quick read, and one that teaches you a bit about life's many mysteries.
July 25, 2017
Garnet gets dropped off with relatives when her mom goes off to Florida with a friend to look for work. Garnet, who isn't all that happy about the situation, learns about the importance of family and makes new friends.
I did enjoy this quick read, although the ending was a bit of a letdown for me.
I did enjoy this quick read, although the ending was a bit of a letdown for me.
January 20, 2018
This was a cute story and interesting for middle schoolers.
March 10, 2020
This book was a happy book in the middle and at the end it was really sad.
December 4, 2020
Lovely YA. Didn’t like ending; not necessary.
March 22, 2017
Awesome, but sad at some parts.
December 12, 2011
April Garnet Rose is angry at her mother for packing her off to her Aunt June's home in Virginia while her mother finds work in Florida. She finds, though, that life with Aunt June (her estranged father's sister), Uncle Otis, and cousins Avery and Emory isn't bad at all, especially when she meets Silver Shepherd, a local preacher's son.
I really liked most of this book--it's a simple story set in about 1956. The author could have included more historical elements to make the time period clearer from the beginning--it took me a while to pick up on when it was supposed to take place. I did figure out that it was the 50's, though, since the family had a TV, but the station signed off at 11pm, and they had a freezer. April's poodle skirt confirmed the decade, but I didn't get the exact date until April said late in the book that she was born in 1942 (we knew she was 14 years old).
The story dealt with faith in a sweet, subtle, respectful way. April and Silver were both skeptics, but April also had mixed feelings about all of the churches her Aunt June took her to, and about the seeming miracle that happened to June. Still, the author stayed out of the faith argument and let the characters be themselves, which was wonderful and uplifting to read.
What I didn't like about the book was the ending--I won't give anything away, but it was one of those really dumb, sudden endings that's sad for no reason. I hate that. There was some hope too, but it seemed like one of those things where the author might have decided to make it a downer just because she didn't think tying everything up happily would be realistic enough. Reality can be happy and sad, though, so it's too bad that so many authors think they need to end books with a downer to make them seem real.
I really liked most of this book--it's a simple story set in about 1956. The author could have included more historical elements to make the time period clearer from the beginning--it took me a while to pick up on when it was supposed to take place. I did figure out that it was the 50's, though, since the family had a TV, but the station signed off at 11pm, and they had a freezer. April's poodle skirt confirmed the decade, but I didn't get the exact date until April said late in the book that she was born in 1942 (we knew she was 14 years old).
The story dealt with faith in a sweet, subtle, respectful way. April and Silver were both skeptics, but April also had mixed feelings about all of the churches her Aunt June took her to, and about the seeming miracle that happened to June. Still, the author stayed out of the faith argument and let the characters be themselves, which was wonderful and uplifting to read.
What I didn't like about the book was the ending--I won't give anything away, but it was one of those really dumb, sudden endings that's sad for no reason. I hate that. There was some hope too, but it seemed like one of those things where the author might have decided to make it a downer just because she didn't think tying everything up happily would be realistic enough. Reality can be happy and sad, though, so it's too bad that so many authors think they need to end books with a downer to make them seem real.
November 17, 2015
This was a quick and enjoyable book. It tells the story of a teenage girl, April Garnet Rose, who spends a month with some relatives that she has never met while her mom looks for a job in Florida. The aunt that she is staying with, Aunt June, has been visiting a new church every Sunday in an attempt to find God. April Garnet goes with her every Sunday to the different churches. During this time, April Garnet also meets a boy, Silver, who she begins to date. April Garnet finds out that Aunt June actually has cancer and the doctors don’t think she has much longer to live. However, one Sunday, while visiting a church, Aunt June is brought forward and healed. No one in the family believes it really healed her, but a few weeks later her test results show that she no longer has cancer. At the end of the month, April Garnet also gets to meet her dad for the first time. He never knew that he had a daughter and she’s hopeful that they will have a good relationship in the future.
This book had religion running throughout, but it wasn’t the main focal point. April Garnet sees the power of prayer and faith when her Aunt June is healed. But she also experiences heartache and begins asking why bad things happen to good people. I think this book showed religion and Christianity in a positive light. I think it honestly showed that good and bad things happen and that no one has all the answers.
This book had religion running throughout, but it wasn’t the main focal point. April Garnet sees the power of prayer and faith when her Aunt June is healed. But she also experiences heartache and begins asking why bad things happen to good people. I think this book showed religion and Christianity in a positive light. I think it honestly showed that good and bad things happen and that no one has all the answers.
September 22, 2013
April Garnet Rose is fourteen, lives with her mother and doesn't know her father. Suddenly her mother wants to move to Florida, but tells her that she will have to stay with her aunt June, who is Garnet's (her mom insists she is called that instead of April) father's sister until her mother has the money to send for her.
Garnet isn't happy about this, having to stay with people she doesn't know. But it seems she has no choice. And at first she is really mad, until she gets to know her aunt, uncle, cousins and grandpa. And meets Silver.
I read this book because I'm doing a 50 states challenge and this one is set in Virginia. I honestly didn't think it would be a book that I really liked, but I ended up liking it quite a bit. It definitely has a southern 50s, summer feel to it. The book is only 168 pages and so it moves pretty fast. The writing style is nice though and I felt I was able to connect to the main character right away. You're right in her head the whole time and so it was easy to experience what she felt.
This book made me teary-eyed a number of times. Some parts were just so sad.
I liked all the characters too. They had unique names, which I thought was neat.
It's a very nice book. I'm glad I read it.
Garnet isn't happy about this, having to stay with people she doesn't know. But it seems she has no choice. And at first she is really mad, until she gets to know her aunt, uncle, cousins and grandpa. And meets Silver.
I read this book because I'm doing a 50 states challenge and this one is set in Virginia. I honestly didn't think it would be a book that I really liked, but I ended up liking it quite a bit. It definitely has a southern 50s, summer feel to it. The book is only 168 pages and so it moves pretty fast. The writing style is nice though and I felt I was able to connect to the main character right away. You're right in her head the whole time and so it was easy to experience what she felt.
This book made me teary-eyed a number of times. Some parts were just so sad.
I liked all the characters too. They had unique names, which I thought was neat.
It's a very nice book. I'm glad I read it.
January 30, 2012
I loved Belle Prater's Boy and keep reading books by White hoping that magic happens again. Perhaps unfair pressure for the author, but there it is.
This was a sweet story, but not particularly - well, it wasn't bad or unreadable. It just missed so many opportunities to be amazing. April Garnet - called Garnet at the insistence of her mother - is dropped off at her heretofore unknown aunt June's house so her mother can find work in Florida. June is her father August's sister, and he abandoned Garnet before she was born. So...a lot of abandonment, a great deal of need for belonging, a good bit of anger. Garnet begins to discover herself a bit, while she stays with June, and also a bit about where she came from. She has cousins, uncles, a grandfather. But there are a few too many story lines for such a short book - there are issues in June's family, Garnet meets young Silver Shepherd...busy with introductions followed by resolution, but no middle of the story.
This was a sweet story, but not particularly - well, it wasn't bad or unreadable. It just missed so many opportunities to be amazing. April Garnet - called Garnet at the insistence of her mother - is dropped off at her heretofore unknown aunt June's house so her mother can find work in Florida. June is her father August's sister, and he abandoned Garnet before she was born. So...a lot of abandonment, a great deal of need for belonging, a good bit of anger. Garnet begins to discover herself a bit, while she stays with June, and also a bit about where she came from. She has cousins, uncles, a grandfather. But there are a few too many story lines for such a short book - there are issues in June's family, Garnet meets young Silver Shepherd...busy with introductions followed by resolution, but no middle of the story.
May 5, 2012
In my mental exhaustion, I've been reading some of Leah's books...here's another one that I liked. It's the late 50s and April Garnet Rose is left with her father's family, whom she does not know, in Appalachia while her mother looks for work in Florida. Her aunt is looking for God and takes April to a different church each Sunday (think revival tents and snake handlers). I liked the characters of April and her new family--I wished I was there with them, watching game shows on TV and eating Hershey bars and drinking RC Cola from the shop across the street (it sounds a lot better in the book than I just described it right there). The book is a little too happy and the ending too pat to really enjoy as an adult, but of course this is a kids' book. It does make me want to see if Ruth White writes for adults...
May 20, 2012
Set in the mid-1950's, a young teen girl goes to live with relatives she has never met while her mother resettles in Florida and looks for work. The relatively brief novel doesn't have a lot of popular culture references to the '50's but it is clear this is of another time - there is a nice innocence to the story. Garnet is embraced by her new family - especially her Aunt (sister to Garnet's father), and although older readers will predict that Garnet's father will show up, the story is not predictable. There is a nice subplot about religion - Garnet accompanies her Aunt to a difference church each Sunday. Religion isn't mocked but it is also not promoted, which is nice for the nonbeliever, and you can see that faith and religion is something important to many people. A refreshing read, without a lot of drama, but with honest emotion that is not overwrought.
January 13, 2014
Delightful and insightful. When April Garnet is dumped at the home of her aunt -- a person she never met, she is down right angry at her mother. Feeling abandoned, she refused to take calls or respond to letters written to her by her mother.
As her mother searches for work in Florida, April Garnet lives in Black River, Virginia. Soon, April learns to find security in the warm family atmosphere and for the first time in her life she feels as though she belongs.
Attending various church services with her Aunt, she realizes that her Aunt is in search of something. Later, she learns that her Aunt is in search of health and to be free of the cancer that is growing.
There is a happy ending, however, I was disappointed in the fact that the author crafted a well written story but felt the need to add a few unnecessary pages in a speedy ending.
As her mother searches for work in Florida, April Garnet lives in Black River, Virginia. Soon, April learns to find security in the warm family atmosphere and for the first time in her life she feels as though she belongs.
Attending various church services with her Aunt, she realizes that her Aunt is in search of something. Later, she learns that her Aunt is in search of health and to be free of the cancer that is growing.
There is a happy ending, however, I was disappointed in the fact that the author crafted a well written story but felt the need to add a few unnecessary pages in a speedy ending.
June 14, 2014
Garnet has never known any family but her mother. But now her mother has left Kentucky with a friend to find work in Daytona, and she has left Garnet with her father’s sister and family in Virginia. Garnet’s anger at being abandoned with strangers disappears and is replaced by the first sense of comfort and real family only to have that peace threatened by a family illness and the letter from her mother saying she would be sending the money to join her in Florida. Everything she has known her whole life is in question. This is a warm story of family and a search for a place to fit in. Set in rural Virginia in 1956, this coming-of-age story offers a lovely picture of a different time, a way of life, rural churches, and the support a family can offer. Great read.
February 24, 2012
The year is 1957. The place is Black River, VA. Her mother leaves fourteen year old April Garnet Rose with her father's relatives while she goes to Florida to find work. Garnet joins her aunt June Bill on her search for God. They attend a different church every Sunday and experience many unusual things. On her Aunt June's search for God, Garnet begins to discover herself. An unforgettable summer turns into a life changing experience.
What I thought: I really liked this book. The regional flavor is just right. The characters were all likable and believable. I wonder what inspired Ruth White to write A Month of Sundays. Maybe there will be more books about Garnet.
What I thought: I really liked this book. The regional flavor is just right. The characters were all likable and believable. I wonder what inspired Ruth White to write A Month of Sundays. Maybe there will be more books about Garnet.
August 9, 2012
This was a sweet read-aloud, though I have to admit to not reading the last four or five pages out loud. It wasn't because they weren't appropriate (not very many books aimed at youngsters can be inappropriate for a seven-month old!) It was because I got caught up in the emotion of the end of the story. By the time I noticed I'd stopped reading out loud, I only had a paragraph to go. Very bitter-sweet book, consistently told the entire way through. Definitely recommended, but beware of reading to kids who have dealt with a recent loss or who might not understand themes of death, young love, or illness.
February 25, 2019
Language - G, Sexual Content - G; Violence - G
Garnet is moving to Florida. Well, technically, she's staying with family members she's never met while her mom goes to find a house and job in Florida before sending for Garnet. So while Garnet's mom is gone, Garnet has the time of her life with new family and friends. Now Garnet has a big problem: she doesn't want to leave.
While a short book, White was able to squeeze a lot of great stuff into this book. There are conflicts and triumphs and discoveries and growing horizons. I liked getting to meet Garnet's family and enjoying new experiences with her, but this book didn't pull me in.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
Garnet is moving to Florida. Well, technically, she's staying with family members she's never met while her mom goes to find a house and job in Florida before sending for Garnet. So while Garnet's mom is gone, Garnet has the time of her life with new family and friends. Now Garnet has a big problem: she doesn't want to leave.
While a short book, White was able to squeeze a lot of great stuff into this book. There are conflicts and triumphs and discoveries and growing horizons. I liked getting to meet Garnet's family and enjoying new experiences with her, but this book didn't pull me in.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
March 22, 2012
I like Ruth White's writing style, but this book was way over the top: child abandoned by dad before birth, left by mom with relatives she's never met, aunt has cancer, religious exploration, dad returns to reveal he never knew he had a daughter, mother returns for awkward reunion with dad and daughter, first love has to move unexpectedly, then I KID YOU NOT. Really the rest of it could have been forgiven if not for that last one. All in 160 pages. It was far too much.
January 4, 2012
This book is sad and religious. It is not a preachy book or a mournful book. This fiction story details life as it would be in a country setting for a teen girl, Garnet who is abandoned by her mother in the back woods of Virginia. This is a book that supports family, relationships and self-discovery. There is deep meaning in this thematic book and many educational literacy elements like tone, voice and characterization can be taught with in this novel. I did enjoy the lightheartedness of Aunt June on occasion, the ending was not a surprise, but very welcome.
September 27, 2012
OK Ruth White is one of my favorite children's authors. I think she does a grand job of writing tender and moving stories with unforgettable characters. This book was no exception. She hooked me right away with April Garnet's story and I devoured this book in hours. Unfortunately, the ending left me feeling dissatisfied and wanting more. I wish she would have fleshed out the plot a bit more at the end. I won't spoil the ending for you but it is a real shocker. Totally unexpected end to the story!
February 9, 2013
April Garnet, named for a month like her absentee father, August, is left with her father's sister whom Garnet has never met. This is a new life in 1956 for Garnet with a telephone, television, and a nice home to live. Aunt June welcomes Garnet to the family but Aunt June has terminal cancer and takes Garnet with her to a new church each Sunday searching for a cure. At one of the churches, Garnet meets a minister's son, Silver, who becomes Garnet's first boyfriend. In a short month, Garnet learns what family and heartache mean.
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