Readers Respond to Book by Archdeacon Books's author J.N. Sullivan

Readers Respond to From My Father’s House by J.N. Sullivan

·        Ruth Jean's voice is so true, so evocative of that time in the South that it is mesmerizing. I'm over halfway through, and I had to put it aside for a while because I didn't want it to be over.  That feeling has happened before with some other books, but not often.  Something very special.

·        It’s a wonderful story. I was born in Vass, NC, near Pinehurst, and spent a great deal of time at my grandmother and great-grandmother’s homes.  I had not thought of “slop buckets” in forever, but the memory is back.  Also shelling beans on the back porch and so many other small moments in small Southern towns in another time.  The words of so many hymns sung in the Methodist Church we regularly attended….the melodies came back to me.  And BVD’s.  In some ways I was reminded of Laura Ingalls Wilder, a good story line, the evocation of another time in very clear, simple prose.

·        I bought and read the book right after I learned about it. I loved it!  I am going to put it in the church library.

·        I read this wonderful book over Christmas vacation. It was a sweet and inspiring story, and beautifully written.

·        I've been kicking around in my head how to express the deep impression it made on me. Let me only say that I was absolutely transported into the world rendered; "disbelief" was willingly--and as completely as I believe it's possible to be--"suspended," and I was deeply moved by the tale from many different angles.  It has earned its place in the Southern "canon"!

·        I loved this novel. The style is simple and elegant and flows easily. The story puts us right into the 1920’s in a small town in Virginia as it is seen by the young narrator, Ruth Jean. Along with her, readers will enjoy the humor and warmth of family and community life even as we confront the difficulties and moral issues that arise along the way.

·        Great reading! This novel excels at qualities I value most.  It offers characters in a way that makes the reader know and care about them. Its details let the reader learn about a world of experience distant from his or her own. It is built from vivid episodes, especially those filled with difficulty and danger. I imagined how interesting it would be, as a teacher, to explore this book with a group of readers the same age as its heroine, Ruth Jean. Would they understand her? Would they be able to compare her growth to their lives? What values would they learn from her?

·        J. N. Sullivan's book takes readers to another time. Depending on the age of the reader, the details bring forth memories. Each chapter provides an insightful story, and the chapters are skillfully linked to create a heartfelt remembrance by the narrator. Readers will react to the array of characters and to recognized situations of today which are made more difficult by the social restrictions of the past.

5.0 out of 5 starsI loved this book

·        I loved this book. I just could not put it down –a lovely journey of a little girl learning what it means to take personal responsibility for your life! 

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