Welcome to Literary R&R's stop on Larry Peterson's The Priest and the Peaches virtual book blog tour. Read below for book info, author bio and Mandy's review. Thanks for stopping by! =)
Book Info:
ASIN #: B006P0EYI8
File Size: 380 KB
Copyright: December 21, 2011
Publisher: Tribute Books
Book Summary:
(Taken from Amazon)
Historical fiction novel set in the Bronx in the mid-1960s.
Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.
They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Author Bio:
(Taken from Amazon)
Larry Peterson was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. A former metal lather/reinforcing ironworker, he left that business after coming down with MS. He, his wife and three kids moved to Florida 30 years ago. Larry began doing freelance newspaper commentary after graduating from Tampa College in 1984.
His first children's picture book, Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes, was published in 2011. In 2012, his full length novel, The Priest and the Peaches, was released and he is presently working on the sequel.
He also has a blog where he posts weekly commentary. He lives in Pinellas Park, Florida and his kids and six grandchildren all live within three miles of each other.
Book Buy Links:
Mandy's Review:
Cover
I like the cover and how the peach color reflects the name of the Peach family. It's part of what drew me to the book to begin with.
Plot
There are five Peach children, the eldest being 18 or 19. Their mother died a few years and they have just lost their father. His death marks the beginning of the week the book covers. During that first week of being alone, they are forced to grow up fast learning how to survive in an adult world ... from getting the mail to paying bills to getting groceries to washing laundry. It's a tough road, but if they can pull together and work as a unit, everything will work out fine.
To help them along the way is their priest. He is around when they need him and helps them out of a fix or two.
Main Characters
Teddy - He's the eldest of the Peach children and bears the brunt of the financial responsibilities. He learns quickly on how to deal with creditors and budgeting his money to make sure everyone has what they need.
Joanie - She's the next oldest Peach child and bears the brunt of the household responsibilities. Although, she seems to lose her temper more than she can get the younger children to do anything. I read about her complaining about the laundry (among other things), but it was actually Teddy who got the younger children cleaning the house on the Sunday before the funeral. So, maybe Joanie doesn't bear as much responsibility as I thought.
Father Sullivan - A priest who is street-wise, smart, spiritual, patient, kind, loving, caring ... pretty much everything you could ask for in a priest. He helps people see where their faults lie without actually accusing them of anything. He is a kind soul and it made me wish I knew a person like him.
Beatrice - This woman isn't happy at all. She always has something to complain about. She's always butting her nose into other people's business. Oh, and she lives below the Peach's apartment, so she hears every little noise they make. She exaggerates any little ailment she has to acquire sympathy from anybody who'll listen to her ... which isn't very many people. She just isn't a nice person at all.
Overall
I enjoyed the plot of this book. I especially enjoyed the spiritual aspects and the priest's role in this story. What I didn't like, unfortunately, was the dialogue that was used in the majority of the conversations that took place. It seemed a little jilted, not realistic and, occasionally, stop-and-go. There were times in the book where everybody's laughing hysterically and I'm flipping back trying to figure out what was so funny. But, if you look beyond that, into the heart of the story, it is a beautiful story about survival, determination, faith and family.
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Hi Mandy--just want to say THANK YOU for taking the time and effort to do this review. It was GREAT and I appreciate it. I also understand your point about the dialogue. Most of it reflects a New York City "accent" and can be a bit confusing. Thanks for pointing that out. I can learn from that. Anyway, thanks again and best wishes to you.
ReplyDeleteLarry Peterson
Mandy, thanks again for taking the time to read and review Larry's book. Your description of Beatrice Amon made me laugh because it is so spot on, and I'm glad that overall you enjoyed getting to meet the Peach kids.
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