What do you think?
Rate this book
A Painted House
Ever since he published The Firm in 1991, John Grisham has remained the undisputed champ of the legal thriller. With A Painted House, however, he strikes out in a new direction. As the author is quick to note, this novel includes "not a single lawyer, dead or alive," and readers will search in vain for the kind of lowlife machinations that have been his stock-in-trade. Instead, Grisham has delivered a quieter, more contemplative story, set in rural Arkansas in 1952. It's harvest time on the Chandler farm, and the family has hired a crew of migrant Mexicans and "hill people" to pick 80 acres of cotton. A certain camaraderie pervades this bucolic dream team. But it's backbreaking work, particularly for the 7-year-old narrator, "I would pick cotton, tearing the fluffy bolls from the stalks at a steady pace, stuffing them into the heavy sack, afraid to look down the row and be reminded of how endless it was, afraid to slow down because someone would notice." What's more, tensions begin to simmer between the Mexicans and the hill people, one of whom has a penchant for bare-knuckles brawling. This leads to a brutal murder, which young Luke has the bad luck to witness. At this point--with secrets, lies, and at least one knife fight in the offing--the plot begins to take on that familiar, Grisham-style momentum. Still, such matters ultimately take a back seat in A Painted House to the author's evocation of time and place. This is, after all, the scene of his boyhood, and Grisham waxes nostalgic without ever succumbing to deep-fried sentimentality. Meanwhile, his account of Luke's Baptist upbringing occasions some sly (and telling)
I'd been taught in Sunday school from the day I could walk that lying would send you straight to hell. No detours. No second chances. Straight into the fiery pit, where Satan was waiting with the likes of Hitler and Judas Iscariot and General Grant. Thou shalt not bear false witness, which, of course, didn't sound exactly like a strict prohibition against lying, but that was the way the Baptists interpreted it.Whether Grisham will continue along these lines, or revert to the judicial shark tank for his next book, is anybody's guess. But A Painted House suggests that he's perfectly capable of telling an involving story with nary a subpoena in sight. --James Marcus
Audio CD
First published March 1, 2001
About the author
John Grisham
445 books91.6k followersJohn Grisham is the author of more than fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include Framed, Camino Ghosts and The Exchange: After the Firm.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,502 reviews
March 21, 2008
I learned that John Grisham should write more books in this genre because this is his best work....forget all those clients, partners, pelicans. One night, with a bunch of old friends in an apartment above Times Square, we tuned in to tv before turning in and The Bill Moyers Report was being aired; his guest was John Grisham. From his first responses, it was obvious that he possessed "gravitas" beyond his public persona.
Grisham grew up in Arkansas, the son of a cotton farmer, and went on to Law School but swiftly left that field of endeavor. He was a born story teller and has used the law background to great advantage. The next week I read "The Partner" which was clever and classy and all those best-seller adjectives. However, as I started reading "The Painted House" it was a most touching, true and arresting book that deserves the most serious consideration. Not just a "coming of age" story, this book deals with so many universal themes that no one could read it without making contact. It is a beautiful book. Put it on your bedside table pile.
Grisham grew up in Arkansas, the son of a cotton farmer, and went on to Law School but swiftly left that field of endeavor. He was a born story teller and has used the law background to great advantage. The next week I read "The Partner" which was clever and classy and all those best-seller adjectives. However, as I started reading "The Painted House" it was a most touching, true and arresting book that deserves the most serious consideration. Not just a "coming of age" story, this book deals with so many universal themes that no one could read it without making contact. It is a beautiful book. Put it on your bedside table pile.
March 15, 2024
In between the spaces of the urban monoliths spread across America lie thousands of rural communities, many of which were the first to feel the bites of recession and depression and the last to come out the other end. Set not so long after the Second World in rural Arkansas, this book follows one long summer in the life of seven year old Luke Chandler whose parents and grand parents run a cotton farm that just barely covers their cost of living. Like most recent years a group of Mexican farm labourers and a family of 'Hillbillies' come to work picking cotton over the Summer, a summer in which the harsh realities of the real world are railroaded into Luke's life.
Well this one came out of nowhere! Original published in serial form this is sparely written by deeply riveting read of groups of people at different levels of poverty existing (or not) together. My only criticism is that this smashing coming-of-age drama feels eschewed because of the very young age of Luke, and I can see why the Hallmark Movie of this book made him 1tem, which works so much better. Got to holler aa trigger warning for some of the man vs man violence but other wise it's a wonderful coming-of-age read, one of the best I've read in years; it's also my fave Grisham! A well deserved 9 out of 12, Four Star read.
2024 rad
Well this one came out of nowhere! Original published in serial form this is sparely written by deeply riveting read of groups of people at different levels of poverty existing (or not) together. My only criticism is that this smashing coming-of-age drama feels eschewed because of the very young age of Luke, and I can see why the Hallmark Movie of this book made him 1tem, which works so much better. Got to holler aa trigger warning for some of the man vs man violence but other wise it's a wonderful coming-of-age read, one of the best I've read in years; it's also my fave Grisham! A well deserved 9 out of 12, Four Star read.
2024 rad
July 28, 2017
Great read! therapeutic,compelling,enjoyable and a moving story...determination,twists and turns to hold your interest to the end..well written (paperback!)
August 29, 2023
I had forgotten about reading this one, until it became a recent donation to my Little Free Library Shed. I am now bringing my review to Goodreads.
Let me just say that this is not a legal thriller for which Grisham is typically known for – it is more a coming-of-age story.
I read that Grisham had originally serialized this in a different format in his magazine, The Oxford American, in a semi-autobiographical way, in which he shared about his growing up below the Mason-Dixon line.
Now, as a novel, it is set in 1952 Arkansas, narrated by 7-year-old Luke Chandler, the only child to a family of cotton farmers. The plot introduces us to a cast of eccentric characters including his father, grandfather, a hillbilly clan and migrant workers who work the farm.
We get a sense of the labor and weather of working a farm. And part of the weather includes the floods and tornadoes.
Grisham is trying very hard to keep readers from getting bored.
The plot also throws in an illegitimate birth, an interracial affair, and a couple of murders.
Grisham isn’t afraid to tell a story.
There is a folksy tone that is somewhat endearing. As readers we can’t help but feel hopeful for the future. That everyone will survive and do well. Especially little Luke Chandler.
Let me just say that this is not a legal thriller for which Grisham is typically known for – it is more a coming-of-age story.
I read that Grisham had originally serialized this in a different format in his magazine, The Oxford American, in a semi-autobiographical way, in which he shared about his growing up below the Mason-Dixon line.
Now, as a novel, it is set in 1952 Arkansas, narrated by 7-year-old Luke Chandler, the only child to a family of cotton farmers. The plot introduces us to a cast of eccentric characters including his father, grandfather, a hillbilly clan and migrant workers who work the farm.
We get a sense of the labor and weather of working a farm. And part of the weather includes the floods and tornadoes.
Grisham is trying very hard to keep readers from getting bored.
The plot also throws in an illegitimate birth, an interracial affair, and a couple of murders.
Grisham isn’t afraid to tell a story.
There is a folksy tone that is somewhat endearing. As readers we can’t help but feel hopeful for the future. That everyone will survive and do well. Especially little Luke Chandler.
October 3, 2007
This was such a horrible book! It had potential - I kept thinking the story would come around but once I got 2/3 way through the book, I knew there was no room left for a story. I finished it anyway and was really disappointed. There is absolutely NO story. Nothing. We are introduced to this family and the other characters for no reason. It's almost like the author had great ideas for characters but couldn't come up with a story line.
If you've never read Grisham and this is your first book - PLEASE don't judge him by it. This is, by far, his worst book in my opinion.
If you've never read Grisham and this is your first book - PLEASE don't judge him by it. This is, by far, his worst book in my opinion.
July 12, 2020
John Grisham’s legal thrillers were a big part of my high school reading repertoire. A Time to Kill, The Firm, The Client; I read them all and looked forward to each new book as part of my summer reading list. After a while, Grisham’s books became formulaic and rather than anticipate his next thriller, I put him aside for years, choosing instead books with a literary bent. John Grisham, the baseball fan? Most men of his generation are, but I did not make the connection until Grisham came into the Cubs television broadcast booth during a game to promote his new book, Calico Joe, which featured baseball and the Cubs front and center. As much as Grisham enjoyed taking in Wrigley Field, he grew up in the south as a die hard Cardinals fan. While Calico Joe had been a thought provoking book, I found out from friends in the baseball book club that Grisham had written another book featuring baseball, only this book was more biographical in nature as it takes the reader back to the south in the 1950s when cotton was still king and the Cardinals were the only baseball team that mattered. Still starving for baseball, I decided to pick up A Painted House and view the world from John Grisham’s childhood point of view.
In 1952, the Mexicans and hill people arrived on the same day. The Cardinals were six games back of the Dodgers with six weeks to play, the season all but over. To seven year old Luke Chandler, baseball was his world. The only child of cotton farmers living outside of Black Oak, Arkansas, Luke’s year centers on cotton and baseball season. He constructed a makeshift field in the front yard and played catch with his father and grandfather almost every night. We find out that both his father and grandfather had what it took to be major leaguers but after serving and being injured in World War I and II respectively, their baseball dreams were cut short, although his father could still play well. Luke, on the other hand, dreamed of getting off the farm. He was not going to plant cotton for the rest of his life because he was going to to St Louis and play for the Cardinals, every boy’s dream during that era. In the meantime, Luke would have to settle for a Cardinals jacket from the Sears Roebuck and Co catalogue. If he picked enough cotton during the harvest, he would have enough money to purchase the same jacket that all his favorite players wore. The thought of wearing the same jacket as his idol Stan Musial was enough to get Luke through another cotton harvest, even in a year when the Cardinals would not win the pennant.
Although Grisham tells this story through the eyes of a child, A Painted House is not without controversy. Small time farmers like the Chandlers rely on hired help to get them through a harvest. Each year, Black Oak families hired both Mexicans and hill people from Ozark country. In 1952, the Chandler’s hill people invited trouble. The Spruill family set up their camp on the Chandler’s front yard, the place where Luke had designated his baseball field. The family did not know their place and expected Luke to respect them as elders even though every hill family in the past treated their employers with reverence. Hank Spruill was a menace and scared not only Luke but everyone in Black Oak. His sister Tally was seventeen and invited Luke on many an adventure that was not appropriate for child viewing. That was just the hill people as Mexicans brought their own set of problems to Black Oak, including the inevitable showdown with the hill people, leading to tension during the cotton harvest. Yet, for cotton farmers, this is the risk they took when hiring help each year , although how many more years the Chandlers would farm remained to be seen.
Luke’s mother was a city girl and educated. She did not expect to live on a farm for her entire life nor did she expect her son to be a farmer. She grew up, said Luke, in a painted house. After his father was injured in World War II, he moved with his new wife to his parents’ farm to assist with the farming. Although married for ten years, one could see that the tension was always there, as it was a foregone conclusion that one day they would leave. Her pride and joy was the garden that could feed the entire Black Oak for an entire winter. Yet, one could sense that Kathleen Chandler wanted more, perhaps to teach school in a city or to give a better life to her son. This would never happen in Black Oak where the biggest thrills were going to the general store once a week and the annual Baptist vs Methodist picnic and baseball game. Kathleen desired a life where her son could attend Major League Baseball games and where his schooling was not interrupted each year by the cotton harvest. From the first descriptions of Kathleen Chandler, one could sense that this entire story was looking back at 1952 through Luke’s point of view and that eventually his family would leave the farm. Grisham had to create tensions from both the harvest itself and outsiders to make this happen.
Grisham takes a page from his formulaic thrillers to tie this book up neatly. Each event that occurs would be a blip in a larger community but dominated the chatter in Black Oak for weeks. Grisham himself grew up the son of cotton farmers and then left to attend law school, deciding on writing for his profession. One could tell that he wrote from the heart for this book but being used to his thrillers still wanted all the plot lines to end without controversy. One could sense that slowly the future was coming to Black Oak when Luke got to watch the 1952 World Series on a neighbor’s new television set; however, it was still too slow for his mother. A Painted House takes a look a southern farming community during a simpler era. The entire book was told from a seven year old’s point of view and was comprised of simple sentences that did not take much effort to read. One gets a glimpse at how it must have been for Grisham growing up, so one can appreciate how much effort it must have taken him to achieve academically to make it to law school. Although not a literary gem, it made for relaxing reading on a lazy, baseball starved summer afternoon.
3.5 stars
In 1952, the Mexicans and hill people arrived on the same day. The Cardinals were six games back of the Dodgers with six weeks to play, the season all but over. To seven year old Luke Chandler, baseball was his world. The only child of cotton farmers living outside of Black Oak, Arkansas, Luke’s year centers on cotton and baseball season. He constructed a makeshift field in the front yard and played catch with his father and grandfather almost every night. We find out that both his father and grandfather had what it took to be major leaguers but after serving and being injured in World War I and II respectively, their baseball dreams were cut short, although his father could still play well. Luke, on the other hand, dreamed of getting off the farm. He was not going to plant cotton for the rest of his life because he was going to to St Louis and play for the Cardinals, every boy’s dream during that era. In the meantime, Luke would have to settle for a Cardinals jacket from the Sears Roebuck and Co catalogue. If he picked enough cotton during the harvest, he would have enough money to purchase the same jacket that all his favorite players wore. The thought of wearing the same jacket as his idol Stan Musial was enough to get Luke through another cotton harvest, even in a year when the Cardinals would not win the pennant.
Although Grisham tells this story through the eyes of a child, A Painted House is not without controversy. Small time farmers like the Chandlers rely on hired help to get them through a harvest. Each year, Black Oak families hired both Mexicans and hill people from Ozark country. In 1952, the Chandler’s hill people invited trouble. The Spruill family set up their camp on the Chandler’s front yard, the place where Luke had designated his baseball field. The family did not know their place and expected Luke to respect them as elders even though every hill family in the past treated their employers with reverence. Hank Spruill was a menace and scared not only Luke but everyone in Black Oak. His sister Tally was seventeen and invited Luke on many an adventure that was not appropriate for child viewing. That was just the hill people as Mexicans brought their own set of problems to Black Oak, including the inevitable showdown with the hill people, leading to tension during the cotton harvest. Yet, for cotton farmers, this is the risk they took when hiring help each year , although how many more years the Chandlers would farm remained to be seen.
Luke’s mother was a city girl and educated. She did not expect to live on a farm for her entire life nor did she expect her son to be a farmer. She grew up, said Luke, in a painted house. After his father was injured in World War II, he moved with his new wife to his parents’ farm to assist with the farming. Although married for ten years, one could see that the tension was always there, as it was a foregone conclusion that one day they would leave. Her pride and joy was the garden that could feed the entire Black Oak for an entire winter. Yet, one could sense that Kathleen Chandler wanted more, perhaps to teach school in a city or to give a better life to her son. This would never happen in Black Oak where the biggest thrills were going to the general store once a week and the annual Baptist vs Methodist picnic and baseball game. Kathleen desired a life where her son could attend Major League Baseball games and where his schooling was not interrupted each year by the cotton harvest. From the first descriptions of Kathleen Chandler, one could sense that this entire story was looking back at 1952 through Luke’s point of view and that eventually his family would leave the farm. Grisham had to create tensions from both the harvest itself and outsiders to make this happen.
Grisham takes a page from his formulaic thrillers to tie this book up neatly. Each event that occurs would be a blip in a larger community but dominated the chatter in Black Oak for weeks. Grisham himself grew up the son of cotton farmers and then left to attend law school, deciding on writing for his profession. One could tell that he wrote from the heart for this book but being used to his thrillers still wanted all the plot lines to end without controversy. One could sense that slowly the future was coming to Black Oak when Luke got to watch the 1952 World Series on a neighbor’s new television set; however, it was still too slow for his mother. A Painted House takes a look a southern farming community during a simpler era. The entire book was told from a seven year old’s point of view and was comprised of simple sentences that did not take much effort to read. One gets a glimpse at how it must have been for Grisham growing up, so one can appreciate how much effort it must have taken him to achieve academically to make it to law school. Although not a literary gem, it made for relaxing reading on a lazy, baseball starved summer afternoon.
3.5 stars
April 12, 2020
An incredibly wholesome, down to Earth, All-American tale.
August 17, 2021
A coming of age story. Luke Chandler a seven year old relates his last year on a cotton farm in Arkansas. John Grisham writes with extreme detail to paint a in-depth picture of the rural south. set in post dust bowl 1952.
My mother gave this to me and told me to take my time with it. she said it reminds her of going to her grandparents house in south Georgia. she spent a lot of time down there in the 60's before her parent moved permanently to Atlanta. This book reminds her of her childhood.
Told at a slow pace to match the slow pace of 1950 life. A Painted House could get a little boring but if your embrace the journey you will experience a novel with master storytelling. Luke Chandler is a sneak and a bit of a spy but a good kid nonetheless. He is also a huge Cardinals fan I'm a pretty big Atlanta Braves fan but this kid is obsessed with the St. Louis Cardinals. A Family of Hill people and a group of Mexicans come to the chandler farm to help pick cotton for the season. Many events happen and although slow paced the action is real and believable.
A Painted house was a great story and made me feel sad and laugh. i usually don't like coming of age slow paced tales but this was probably the best Grisham i have read so far!
My mother gave this to me and told me to take my time with it. she said it reminds her of going to her grandparents house in south Georgia. she spent a lot of time down there in the 60's before her parent moved permanently to Atlanta. This book reminds her of her childhood.
Told at a slow pace to match the slow pace of 1950 life. A Painted House could get a little boring but if your embrace the journey you will experience a novel with master storytelling. Luke Chandler is a sneak and a bit of a spy but a good kid nonetheless. He is also a huge Cardinals fan I'm a pretty big Atlanta Braves fan but this kid is obsessed with the St. Louis Cardinals. A Family of Hill people and a group of Mexicans come to the chandler farm to help pick cotton for the season. Many events happen and although slow paced the action is real and believable.
A Painted house was a great story and made me feel sad and laugh. i usually don't like coming of age slow paced tales but this was probably the best Grisham i have read so far!
November 25, 2008
For being from John Grisham, this was such a great book! For a long time I've enjoyed his legal thrillers, but after a while I suspected each book would be exactly the same as the last with the only difference being the plot. Granted that's one of the reasons I liked his novels, because I could trust they would be consistently good. When this book first came out I couldn't wait to read it and I fell in love with his ability to tell a heartfelt, meaningful story having nothing to do with law. I liked this book so much that I even recorded the Hallmark channel original that was made of it!
August 2, 2012
I was wary when this book came out - doubting Grisham could pull off historical fiction. Well he absolutely nailed it. It’s obvious Grisham drew from his personal experiences growing up in rural Arkansas. This is a heart-wrenching story of an impoverished farming community. It’s got it all, destitute share-croppers, migrant farm workers, a sweet young boy who lives for baseball, a devastating flood and a mentally unhinged murderer thrown in for good measure.
I wonder if Grisham had written this under a pseudonym if it would have been taken more seriously. Who knows, even ranked as one of the great American novels - it was that good.
Plus it inspired me to getting around to giving my house a fresh coat of paint.
I wonder if Grisham had written this under a pseudonym if it would have been taken more seriously. Who knows, even ranked as one of the great American novels - it was that good.
Plus it inspired me to getting around to giving my house a fresh coat of paint.
March 27, 2017
A surprisingly good book. For me anyway because usually I'm not into the legal courtroom thrillers (which this book is not) so I have avoided Grisham. And I have to also humbly admit that I have only read one of his novels, The Firm, and I liked it. So, I think I will give the guy a chance and add another of his books.
I only read this because my mom recommended it and I felt like I needed to reciprocate because she usually reads my recommendations. Well, thanks mom. This was a pretty darn good read. There were some thrilling moments in the story but mostly it was just a down to earth story about a family's struggle and eventual overcoming of life's hardships.
Even though there were a couple of pretty harsh moments in the book I think I would have to call this a 'feel good' story. It's easy to read, entertaining, and I would recommend it to any of my friends.
January 27, 2019
Inspired by his own childhood in Arkansas, A Painted House is John Grisham'S first major work outside the legal thriller genre, the genre for which he is so well known.
Grisham’s trademark is suspense. If this isn’t a legal thriller, does the book at least have suspense? Yes, but only to the extent you can see the events of the summer of 1952 through Luke’s eyes. He is the central protagonist. He is seven, and it is he telling the story. In my view, Grisham captures remarkably well the world of a seven-year-old, a cotton grower’s son living in the South in the 1950s.
The longer I could stay in Luke's head, the longer I enjoyed the book. Occasionally though, I was jogged from Luke’s head back into my own, back into an adult’s way of thinking. The strength of the novel lies in its ability to show you the events of Luke’s summer through his eyes, not your own.
The events of that summer are not light and frivolous. They go beyond what a child of seven can be expected to fully understand. There are brawls and deaths, the birth of an illegitimate child, tornados, rainstorms and floods. The floods threaten economic ruin to the cotton growing families. There are also love affairs and a carnival and jokes and pranks. There’s a Baptist priest preaching sin and damnation. The fictional town where these people live is Black Oak. It is situated in the Arkansas Delta near the St. Francis River, a real tributary of the Mississippi. The farmers grow cotton. There is Luke and his family, sharecroppers and migrant workers from Mexico and the Ozarks. These are people struggling to survive. All are attempting to eke out a living as best they can, in a world where cotton prices, credit, the weather and the availability of labor are vital factors over which they have little control.
Through Luke’s eyes, the summer can be seen as a succession of secrets. If I were to give the book a title, it would be The Summer of Secrets--A Seven-Year-Old's Summer from the Cotton Fields of Arkansas . Luke has been raised not to keep secrets, at least not from his parents.
Beside capturing the mind of a child, the author also captures well the class hierarchy in a small southern farming community. Everyone is fully aware of their social standing. Even a seven-year-old will be aware of this too, but a seven-year-old is not going to analyze or philosophize. A child cannot be expected to draw adult conclusions. That the book’s narrator is a child of seven thus limits the scope of the book. On the other hand,that the book has a young narrator makes it suitable for young adults and kids. I think the events, as they roll out, will interest such an audience more than they did me. I became bored.
The audiobook is narrated by David Lansbury. His reading reinforces the child perspective. The whole feel of the book became too childish for me. Lansbury's narration makes not only Luke, but also his mother and grandmother, sound like kids. His reading was not to my taste. The most I can give the narration performance is two stars.
******************
If you are looking for a Grisham book that is not a legal thriller, my GR friend Philip recommends these:
Skipping Christmas
Bleachers
Playing for Pizza
and maybe The Last Juror
I thought I would pass this information on to you. Thank you, Philip!
Grisham’s trademark is suspense. If this isn’t a legal thriller, does the book at least have suspense? Yes, but only to the extent you can see the events of the summer of 1952 through Luke’s eyes. He is the central protagonist. He is seven, and it is he telling the story. In my view, Grisham captures remarkably well the world of a seven-year-old, a cotton grower’s son living in the South in the 1950s.
The longer I could stay in Luke's head, the longer I enjoyed the book. Occasionally though, I was jogged from Luke’s head back into my own, back into an adult’s way of thinking. The strength of the novel lies in its ability to show you the events of Luke’s summer through his eyes, not your own.
The events of that summer are not light and frivolous. They go beyond what a child of seven can be expected to fully understand. There are brawls and deaths, the birth of an illegitimate child, tornados, rainstorms and floods. The floods threaten economic ruin to the cotton growing families. There are also love affairs and a carnival and jokes and pranks. There’s a Baptist priest preaching sin and damnation. The fictional town where these people live is Black Oak. It is situated in the Arkansas Delta near the St. Francis River, a real tributary of the Mississippi. The farmers grow cotton. There is Luke and his family, sharecroppers and migrant workers from Mexico and the Ozarks. These are people struggling to survive. All are attempting to eke out a living as best they can, in a world where cotton prices, credit, the weather and the availability of labor are vital factors over which they have little control.
Through Luke’s eyes, the summer can be seen as a succession of secrets. If I were to give the book a title, it would be The Summer of Secrets--A Seven-Year-Old's Summer from the Cotton Fields of Arkansas . Luke has been raised not to keep secrets, at least not from his parents.
Beside capturing the mind of a child, the author also captures well the class hierarchy in a small southern farming community. Everyone is fully aware of their social standing. Even a seven-year-old will be aware of this too, but a seven-year-old is not going to analyze or philosophize. A child cannot be expected to draw adult conclusions. That the book’s narrator is a child of seven thus limits the scope of the book. On the other hand,that the book has a young narrator makes it suitable for young adults and kids. I think the events, as they roll out, will interest such an audience more than they did me. I became bored.
The audiobook is narrated by David Lansbury. His reading reinforces the child perspective. The whole feel of the book became too childish for me. Lansbury's narration makes not only Luke, but also his mother and grandmother, sound like kids. His reading was not to my taste. The most I can give the narration performance is two stars.
******************
If you are looking for a Grisham book that is not a legal thriller, my GR friend Philip recommends these:
Skipping Christmas
Bleachers
Playing for Pizza
and maybe The Last Juror
I thought I would pass this information on to you. Thank you, Philip!
February 2, 2011
"The hill people and the Mexicans arrived on the same day. It was a Wednesday, early in September 1952. The Cardinals were five games behind the Dodgers with three weeks to go, and the season looked hopeless. The cotton, however, was waist-high to my father, over my head, and he and my grandfather could be heard before supper whispering words that were seldom heard. It could be a `good crop.'"
This was a really pleasant surprise. When asked about John Grisham, most of us immediately think of his wide catalogue of legal thrillers and their film adaptations. A Painted House is nothing like his other work (I admit to having read only one title - The Firm - a fact that I intend to change in due time) because it in no way relates to his traditional formula of legal thrilers. There is not a single lawyer in A Painted House; the best we get is a single policeman, because this story is set in rural Arkansas in 1952.
The novel is narrated in first person by a certain Luke Chandler, who also happens to be seven year old. The Chandler family are cotton farmers, and the book chronicles their struggles from late summer to early fall, when they harvest their crop with the help of Mexicans And Hill People. Luke will spend many hours picking cotton and living a boy's life; he'll hear things he shouldn't hear and see things he shouldn't see. These experiences will change him, as he'll have to grow up and face the dangers of adult life. But there will be many pleasant moments, too; the carniva;, first crush and many sweets from the stores in town. The people on farms have to be tough, or they won't survive. We experience their simple joys like listening to a baseball broadcast, but we also experience their despair with difficult harvest, their variness of people from other regions, the town gossip and the ever present preachers.
This book is the testament to Grisham's ability to tell a meaningful, sweet story that has nothing to do with the law. As he himself grew up in Arkansas, the novel has a certain autobiographical feel to it, and many events might have occured to the 7 year old John as well (I think many of them dealt with snakes). Grisham's narrator's voice is precocious but not offensive; easy to read and very desriptive.
This is not a coutroom drama, but the book is just as suspenseful, if not even more; the events and the characters are well drawn and memorable, and we only wish we could spend more time with them. This is a very sweet coming of age story, dealing with universal themes, which is also a real delight to get immersed in. Forget the chambers, appeals and clients; check in at the Painted House.
This was a really pleasant surprise. When asked about John Grisham, most of us immediately think of his wide catalogue of legal thrillers and their film adaptations. A Painted House is nothing like his other work (I admit to having read only one title - The Firm - a fact that I intend to change in due time) because it in no way relates to his traditional formula of legal thrilers. There is not a single lawyer in A Painted House; the best we get is a single policeman, because this story is set in rural Arkansas in 1952.
The novel is narrated in first person by a certain Luke Chandler, who also happens to be seven year old. The Chandler family are cotton farmers, and the book chronicles their struggles from late summer to early fall, when they harvest their crop with the help of Mexicans And Hill People. Luke will spend many hours picking cotton and living a boy's life; he'll hear things he shouldn't hear and see things he shouldn't see. These experiences will change him, as he'll have to grow up and face the dangers of adult life. But there will be many pleasant moments, too; the carniva;, first crush and many sweets from the stores in town. The people on farms have to be tough, or they won't survive. We experience their simple joys like listening to a baseball broadcast, but we also experience their despair with difficult harvest, their variness of people from other regions, the town gossip and the ever present preachers.
This book is the testament to Grisham's ability to tell a meaningful, sweet story that has nothing to do with the law. As he himself grew up in Arkansas, the novel has a certain autobiographical feel to it, and many events might have occured to the 7 year old John as well (I think many of them dealt with snakes). Grisham's narrator's voice is precocious but not offensive; easy to read and very desriptive.
This is not a coutroom drama, but the book is just as suspenseful, if not even more; the events and the characters are well drawn and memorable, and we only wish we could spend more time with them. This is a very sweet coming of age story, dealing with universal themes, which is also a real delight to get immersed in. Forget the chambers, appeals and clients; check in at the Painted House.
December 7, 2017
Amazingly I had never ever heard of this Grisham work until I read the book. I have seen many a book made into a movie and never really liked any of those. I have read other Grisham works and never liked those. I loved this book.
The most amazing part of this book is that it is written from the perspective of a 7 year old. This so reminds me of the fantastic 'A Christmas Story' which is told from the point of view of little Ralphie. Here Luke tells the story and it is one that grips the reader. His perspective on both the Mexicans, the Hill People, his family, his neighbors and the townsfolk is enlightening.
The story is simple yet expansive and really takes a person back to rural Arkansas in the 50s. From the troubles that come from Cotton farming to racial issues and poverty issues along with dreams of a better life this book is amazing. I can't recommend this high enough. The best work of Grisham in my view and this book stays on my bookshelf.
The most amazing part of this book is that it is written from the perspective of a 7 year old. This so reminds me of the fantastic 'A Christmas Story' which is told from the point of view of little Ralphie. Here Luke tells the story and it is one that grips the reader. His perspective on both the Mexicans, the Hill People, his family, his neighbors and the townsfolk is enlightening.
The story is simple yet expansive and really takes a person back to rural Arkansas in the 50s. From the troubles that come from Cotton farming to racial issues and poverty issues along with dreams of a better life this book is amazing. I can't recommend this high enough. The best work of Grisham in my view and this book stays on my bookshelf.
September 15, 2020
At first glance,cotton farming in rural Arkansas doesn't seem like a likely subject for a John Grisham book,as he specializes in legal thrillers.
However,Grisham spent his childhood in such a setting and there is a touch of authenticity to the proceedings.
It starts rather slowly,but then the tempo picks up.It is about poverty,struggle and adversity.Cotton farming is a tough life.
But as would be apt for a thriller writer,the book has its share of crime too,in the later part.
As usual for Grisham books,it goes on for a bit too long.A hundred pages less,and it would have been better.Still,pretty entertaining.
However,Grisham spent his childhood in such a setting and there is a touch of authenticity to the proceedings.
It starts rather slowly,but then the tempo picks up.It is about poverty,struggle and adversity.Cotton farming is a tough life.
But as would be apt for a thriller writer,the book has its share of crime too,in the later part.
As usual for Grisham books,it goes on for a bit too long.A hundred pages less,and it would have been better.Still,pretty entertaining.
October 7, 2015
I always enjoy a good historical fiction that gets the historical setting right. There was one part, like in Taipan, that I had to go back and reread over and over because it was so good.
September 28, 2023
I seldom understood what Brother Akers was preaching about, and occasionally I'd hear Gran mumble over Sunday dinner that she'd also been hopelessly confused during one of his sermons. Ricky had once told me he thought the old man was half crazy. (PG 104)
This wasn't Grisham's usual political thriller but it was my kind of story. It's more in the category of a coming-of-age novel. We are taken back to the year 1952 in Arkansas during cotton picking time where we meet little seven-year-old Luke Chandler. The book was written in a way where the narrator was looking back at being seven not writing as a seven-year-old, and that makes a big difference to me because he seemed very mature (worldly?) in the book, and if you now any seven-year-olds you know that they are immature little know-it-alls, childish, and whiny.
It was a good yarn of a story especially since I know nothing about Arkansas or its background as a cotton picking state and what a difficult time the farmers have had throughout the years. I enjoyed how Grisham incorporated the Mexicans with their hard work and the small town vibes where everyone knows your business.
As a bonus to myself I also like to read how Grisham incorporates Christianity into his works ie. The Guardian. It's nice to read about characters that are sinners and full of flaws but try to be better in his stories.
This wasn't Grisham's usual political thriller but it was my kind of story. It's more in the category of a coming-of-age novel. We are taken back to the year 1952 in Arkansas during cotton picking time where we meet little seven-year-old Luke Chandler. The book was written in a way where the narrator was looking back at being seven not writing as a seven-year-old, and that makes a big difference to me because he seemed very mature (worldly?) in the book, and if you now any seven-year-olds you know that they are immature little know-it-alls, childish, and whiny.
It was a good yarn of a story especially since I know nothing about Arkansas or its background as a cotton picking state and what a difficult time the farmers have had throughout the years. I enjoyed how Grisham incorporated the Mexicans with their hard work and the small town vibes where everyone knows your business.
As a bonus to myself I also like to read how Grisham incorporates Christianity into his works ie. The Guardian. It's nice to read about characters that are sinners and full of flaws but try to be better in his stories.
March 10, 2024
"A Painted House" was my favorite of John Grisham's novels. Grisham's depictions of life in the '50s on a farm reminded me of one of my favorite authors, John Steinbeck. Grisham's prose is sparse but beautiful in this story, which involves a murder, but is mostly a coming-of-age story of the young protagonist.
December 29, 2023
Most of us know and like Grisham due to his legal thrillers. Even those that are just occasional readers know of Grisham's genre bend; yet every now and again he chooses to dabble in other genres like sports (Playing for Pizza, and Calico Joe) and the (semi-autobiographical) slice of life, coming of age, drama novel that is this book, A Painted House.
Here, the reader follows one harrowing summer (of 1952) in the life of a seven-year-old farm boy, Luke Chandler. That summer was packed with epiphanous events: a potentially huge cotton harvest, where grandfather Pappy must hire two groups of migrant workers to help with the picking of cotton. Luke witnesses a murder by a migrant worker, a fatherless baby is born into a scandalized family, Luke witnesses a second murder, and the house in which they live is getting anonymously painted.
Inexplicably, Luke has become a focal point in the happenings of the novel. The writing is strong and svelte. (When the words of the narrative are first person and told from a seven-year-old perspective, they better be.) Luke's precocious, but when he asks questions, the reader gets to listen to the careful and misleading answers adults sometimes use to explain complex concepts to children.
This was a great read (IMHO) despite my expectation for the legal to take hold somewhere along the line. Still, sometimes it's a good thing / great thing to have expectations surpassed, altered, and ultimately expanded.
Here, the reader follows one harrowing summer (of 1952) in the life of a seven-year-old farm boy, Luke Chandler. That summer was packed with epiphanous events: a potentially huge cotton harvest, where grandfather Pappy must hire two groups of migrant workers to help with the picking of cotton. Luke witnesses a murder by a migrant worker, a fatherless baby is born into a scandalized family, Luke witnesses a second murder, and the house in which they live is getting anonymously painted.
Inexplicably, Luke has become a focal point in the happenings of the novel. The writing is strong and svelte. (When the words of the narrative are first person and told from a seven-year-old perspective, they better be.) Luke's precocious, but when he asks questions, the reader gets to listen to the careful and misleading answers adults sometimes use to explain complex concepts to children.
This was a great read (IMHO) despite my expectation for the legal to take hold somewhere along the line. Still, sometimes it's a good thing / great thing to have expectations surpassed, altered, and ultimately expanded.
February 22, 2014
I seldom give five stars; they must be earned by the author's offerings. This book supplied all the necessary plot ingredients to satisfy the curiosities of this avid, mature reader. (No desire to see the movie, it could not possibly do this story justice.) Its not for the squeamish or sheltered reading audience. A realistic slice of life, poor/destitute Arkansas folks during the early Fifties, well-described and believable.
August 10, 2024
Not your usual John Grisham story line but an excellent read.
July 23, 2009
I liked this book. There isn't any wild climatic events that you may find in other Grisham books. This is a simple novel of a simple life as told by a seven year old boy. Still, Grisham manages to capture the feelings of the times; a poor family in the south who hire workers to harvest their cotton and the drama that ensues with these "lower class" folk. I can see why a lot of Grisham fans wouldn't like this, it's a departure from his normal genre.
August 25, 2007
This is not the usual John Grisham fare, but instead is a beautiful story told with great warmth and compassion. I have always enjoyed Grisham's books as good airplane reads--but never expected that he would write a book that I would list as one of my all-time favorites.
August 28, 2008
This book came to me very highly recommended. I had two friends who really really liked it and just knew I would love the story too. I suppose if it had been cleaned up a bit, I probably would have liked it more. The characters were engaging enough although the plot did seem to drag a little bit and left you feeling like the auther was searching for a plot in a rambling sort of way. I had a hard time with the language and violence; I'm a wouss I guess. I also couldn't get past the feeling that I was reading the thoughts of a teenage boy, not a seven-year-old. But I did finish it, because Grisham did a good job of making me really really want to see how it all turned out. So I will give that credit where it is due.
August 6, 2016
This is, so far as I know, Grisham's second or third departure from his legal thrillers. I have read several of his previous works and I found this novel to be a refreshing change, for the writer.
Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers—and two very dangerous men—came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke’s world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born. And someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives—and change his family and his town forever
Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers—and two very dangerous men—came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke’s world. A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born. And someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives—and change his family and his town forever
January 29, 2011
I don't normally read Grisham, he's a great writer just not my typical genre. This, however, was an awesome story. I loved the whole experience of entering the world of Luke Chandler in 1951. It was a tremendously entertaining story. Well written, with so much detail and humor, realistic voices and a simpler time that was somehow made to be full of drama and suspense. I felt this was one of the best stories I can recall written from this era and brought so fully into focus.
Luke Chandler, 7 years old, lives in Black Oak Arkansas with his Mom and Dad, Gran and Pappy on a cotton farm. The cotton is their world. They are farmers, first and foremost and the cotton is their master.
When the story begins, it is harvesting time. The summer crop has been good, the weather has been favorable and the Chandlers are occupied with the task of finding "hill people" and Mexicans to hire to help harvest the cotton.
They will pay them to help pick the cotton and in return they will share their lives for the next two months. The decisions made at the beginning of the harvest turn out to have irrevocable consequences for the Chandlers, the Sprools- the "hill people', and the people of Black Oak.
These decisions and their resulting effects are unspooled steadily and with increasing tension as the story progresses in a wonderfully mesmerizing tapestry, full of color and vibrancy.
In essence, I was enthralled by this story. It was a journey to another place and time, one I was unfamiliar with, but was brought to feel right at home in. Read it, it's a pleasure.
Luke Chandler, 7 years old, lives in Black Oak Arkansas with his Mom and Dad, Gran and Pappy on a cotton farm. The cotton is their world. They are farmers, first and foremost and the cotton is their master.
When the story begins, it is harvesting time. The summer crop has been good, the weather has been favorable and the Chandlers are occupied with the task of finding "hill people" and Mexicans to hire to help harvest the cotton.
They will pay them to help pick the cotton and in return they will share their lives for the next two months. The decisions made at the beginning of the harvest turn out to have irrevocable consequences for the Chandlers, the Sprools- the "hill people', and the people of Black Oak.
These decisions and their resulting effects are unspooled steadily and with increasing tension as the story progresses in a wonderfully mesmerizing tapestry, full of color and vibrancy.
In essence, I was enthralled by this story. It was a journey to another place and time, one I was unfamiliar with, but was brought to feel right at home in. Read it, it's a pleasure.
December 23, 2019
This story told by Luke Chandler, the youngest member of the Chandler family. They were cotton farmers in Arkansas. They hired Mexicans and the Hill people from the Ozarks to pick their cotton.
The Hill people felt sorry for the Chandlers, since their brown wood house had never been painted.
Tally with brother Trot bought white paint every week with their earnings. Trott started the painting while the rest of them were picking cotton.
Luke saw a lot of things that a little boy should not see and witness. Luke would hide from the grownups because he was a curious boy.
The burden of witnessing just got to much for him. He confided with his grandfather. Making a promise between them to tell no one else.
That was the summer Luke grew up and matured
The Hill people felt sorry for the Chandlers, since their brown wood house had never been painted.
Tally with brother Trot bought white paint every week with their earnings. Trott started the painting while the rest of them were picking cotton.
Luke saw a lot of things that a little boy should not see and witness. Luke would hide from the grownups because he was a curious boy.
The burden of witnessing just got to much for him. He confided with his grandfather. Making a promise between them to tell no one else.
That was the summer Luke grew up and matured
August 3, 2023
I have to admit that I was reluctant to read this. It'd been sitting on my shelf for six or seven years staring at me but I'd read about eight Grisham legal thrillers and only found two or three maximum that were worth the trouble; finally I decided to take the plunge and get it over with. As it turned out I was pleasantly surprised by this coming-of-age story. Grisham has always had an empathy with children having unpleasant contact with an adult world and adult matters that they shouldn't have to deal with at an age when they should still be dreaming of things like playing pro baseball. In this case, the typical childhood fantasies and crushing reality come along with inexplicable violence and the economic near-impossibility and impracticality of trying to make a living from a small farm in Arkansas. There are no surprises or miraculous solutions here, everything has a sense of inevitability, but I liked it anyway.
February 2, 2016
I like Grisham's legal thrillers on occasion, and I love SKIPPING CHRISTMAS. This is an altogether different beast. Straight up historical fiction, set on a struggling cotton farm in 1950's Arkansas, it's as much a picture of that time and place as it is a coming of age tale. I would recommend this to teens, I think it would be great for classroom discussion. It's a sort of post-Depression, Grapes of Wrath-lite.
November 17, 2023
I’ve heard great things about this book. But I could not get into it at all.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,502 reviews