Writing as Art

I was browsing in the Kindle store and came across this book that I thought might be for women only (or at least preferentially) until I read the reviews. There I discovered that not only did everyone give it a 5 star rating, but many of them were men. Being the open minded fellow that I am, I bought it, and believe me, I do not have a single regret.

After the first chapter, I knew I had discovered a rare treasure and from then on, savoured every paragraph right, to the end. My immediate impressions were that I was reading something similar to what John Steinbeck or even Mark Twain would write. And then I was reminded of a favourite John Grisham novel, The Painted House, which somehow brought me back to my own childhood.

From the opening sentences, I got the strong sense that the author was a true artist, using words and imagery so beautifully as to involve all five of my senses. Her depiction of a young girl growing up in Mississippi in the 1930s is remarkable in that even though I did not grow up in the era or that part of the world, I now feel like I have been there, in that time and in that place, and moreover, I know little Millie like my own child. 

The reader absolutely sees the world through this child's eyes, lives her fears, anxieties, emotions, and struggles on every page. 

Her struggles with the tragedies that are thrown her way over the ten years of this story may not be familiar to our own experience, but her struggles with faith and her ever changing concept of God is something most of us can identify with. 

I do not want to give even one element of the story away here, so it will not spoil your own experience with this book. The rich characters and ever evolving plot will keep your interest into the wee hours of the morning. Your present life will fade as you absorb yourself into Millie's world. You will be satisfied at the end of the book, but with enough questions that you will be glad to know that there is a sequel coming. Not soon enough I say. And, like all the other reviewers, I too give this book a 5 star rating.  

I just wish I could write like this.