Eli the Good

I read this book for the first time last summer, having picked it up several years after reading 'A Parchment of Leaves' for my college English Lit class. Needless to say, I fell in love. It is hands down one of my favorite books. I adore the simple fun they had in the 70s and just 70s culture, even though I was born in 1987. After reading this book, I applied more of those simple pleasures into my own family life. It is a book that sticks with you long after you've read the last page.

This was my first novel by Silas House and I absolutely loved it. Adults as well as young adults will fall in love with Eli and his family. The characters are real, lovable and flawed and the writing is amazing. Definitely a book you could read again and again.

Silas House is the very best writer in all of Appalachia. This coming of age story should appeal to anyone who knew a soldier who came back from the Vietnam War a changed person. House describes 1970's life in rural/small town Appalachia in great detail. I felt like I knew the characters personally. This book took me back. Highly recommended.

Eli the Good is a beautifully crafted and compelling novel about love, war, and the meaning of family.To me this book felt timeless, something you could read over and over again and still get something new out of it. It brought you back to your childhood and made you remember what it was like being a kid on the edge of discovering a complicated world. Eli had so much wisdom to tell you have to slow down, savor the words, and listen. It's doesn't matter if the setting is in 1976 or that the Vietnam war has long pasted, realistically the world has not changed; we are still fighting wars we cannot end, families are still families, and love is still love.I loved how the book is set in the 70s because it was like taking a peak into what life might have been for my mom, who was sixteen (the same age as Josie) in 1976. I enjoyed the references to songs and artists like the "Rubber Band Man", ABBA, David Cassidy, etc. (I'm actually quite familiar with 70s music because my sister listens to Kasey Kasen every Saturday morning.)Since Eli is a country boy, he lives in small town, rides his bike, and likes trees. (Exactly how I grew up as well.) Because Eli loves trees, House incorporates the meaning of life into this story, something that is all too often forgotten.House is a gifted writer and I wouldn't be the least surprised if one day Eli House became a classic, in fact, I hope it does.Overall, I highly encourage both teens and adults alike to read this earthy and touching American novel. You will never forget it. [...]

Absolute treasure. I read this book in one glorious afternoon because I could not put it down. I have already put it in the hands of my son and plan to pass it to all the readers I know. This book should make the Newberry list this year.

Silas House is the bestselling Kentucky author of CLAY'S QUILT, PARCHMENT OF LEAVES and THE COAL TATTOO - all centering around several generations of the same family growing up in the hills of Eastern Kentucky. With this book, Silas tries his hand a writing for young adults and he has ended up with an endearing look at a slice of life from the summer of 1976. Eli Book is a ten year old boy, living like most children of the 1970s - riding his bicycle all over town, splashing in the town creek and enjoying hot summer days with his best friend Edie. This is really the coming of age story of how Eli deals with the overwhelming situations of strife in his young life. Eli has undying love for his parents, Loretta and Stanton Book, but his growing curiosity of the secrets they both carry is threatening to eat him alive. Eli feels jealousy of his mother's unconditional love for his father - he wants to be the number one love of her life. Eli is filled with uncertainty and longing to understand his father's past as a Vietnam veteran and the nightmares that consume his dreams. There is also underlying tension from Eli's sister, Josie, as she comes to grips with the fact that her mother was pregnant with her before Loretta and Stanton were married - she is not Stanton's biological daughter, but he has raised her as such. Then there is Stanton's way-ward, wildflower of a sister, Nell, who comes to live with the family for the summer. Stanton has unresolved feelings for his little sister because he feels betrayed that she was a war protester. And then there is Edie, the sweet little girl from next door who has been Eli's best friend and confidante. Their friendship is pure and an accurate portrayal of childhood innocence of past decades. But she has family problems of her own and leans on Eli's family as her support system. This is a book full of emotion and House's stylized lyrical prose. The words drip off the page and you want to lap them up, savoring every last drop and flavor. He has successfully written a compelling story that will not only capture the hearts of the intended young adult audience, but will hold an equal place in the hearts of adults. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a great story and is destined to become a classic.