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Literary Friday: Amaryllis in Blueberry

Friday, July 15, 2011

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

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

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

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

I wanted to like the characters, and I found this difficult until the very end of the book.  There is only one character I truly wanted to see happy in the end; I did not care about the rest of them.

Just a reminder that our What We're Reading Linky Party will be on Wednesday, July 20.  Please join Bonnie @ The Boatwright Family; she is hosting this month!




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Until next time...

Happy reading!
Ricki Jill

9 comments

  1. Thanks for the review! This was on my to-read list but I wasn't sure about it. Now I'll probably just take it off my list. And I want to hearball about Harry Potter! We're on our way there right now!

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  2. Sounds like a very interesting one!

    Wasn't Harry spectacular???

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  3. Ooo sounds complicated. The book I mean but I love the color. I admit to buying books for the cover sometimes. How was the movie? We don't go until next weekend.

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  4. Once again you have posted about a book that I have to look for! This sounds interesting and I love a twisted plot. Thanks!

    XO,
    Jane

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  5. I like a book that you can read quickly, especially after reading a long book! I like to mix it up! Enjoy your weekend, sweet friend! ♥

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  6. Great review of the book, I'll add it to my book list. I really like the movie Virgin Suicides and this book sounds like its similar. They had the HP movie opening here in the new Maxx theatre also at midnight. It was sold out of course. Hope you and yours had a great time.

    ~Emily
    The French Hutch

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  8. I'm sorry! I don't know the book!! I LOVE to read, and so envious of people who have the time to read!!! LOL!!!
    I do read magazines everyday!!
    How was the Harry Potter Party????? I am very excited to find out!!
    Thank you for your kind words about my new "job"!!!
    xxDaniella

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  9. I always enjoy your reviews! With all the books on my currently on my reading list, this one probably won't make make it, even though the characters sound interesting.

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I'm Ricki Jill. Welcome! I'm honored that you're reading my blog. I enjoy sharing my creative lifestyle @ The Bookish Dilettante. For more information about my blog, please read the Start Here page. Thank-you for stopping by, and I hope you'll consider following me via email.

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