Madapple

There were bits and pieces of Madapple that tangled the story for me when I read it, especially in the first hundred pages, but I am so glad I stuck it out until Aslaug, the main character, developed what seemed to be her clear, true voice. What I loved so much about Madapple was that it made me THINK. It is a story that deals with the provocative possibility of virgin birth. The main character is told she is the product of virgin birth. Later, she believes this is something that could happen to her. As a mother I know, of course, where my daughters came from, but it's...oh this is so silly...it's just astounding that something as whole and wondrous as a baby couldn't possibly come from a divine spark. We're all little bits of divine sparks, in a way. This story peels away at that possibility, at the vague part men play in the making of life and how it distances them from women. It would be glorious to read a review of MADAPPLE by a man. I am giving this book five stars, not because I really think it is one of the best books I've read, but because I want to encourage this author, give her the kudos to keep going because I think once she hits her stride she's going to be one of the best and it's a treat to read this book, her first.

I finished reading MADAPPLE last night and, for the first time ever, I sat staring at the book in shock. For fifteen minutes. I was ready to laugh, to cry, and to scream in frustration. Never before have I read a book that left me feeling that way after finishing it. Sure, there have been books where I've laughed, cried, and been frustrated at different points as I read it (HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS comes to mind) -- but to experience them all at once at the end of a book? Never. Once the shock wore off, I began wondering how I was ever going to write a review of this book. Because a book that can cause emotions like that definitely can NOT be summed up in one paragraph, no matter how long. I could say that MADAPPLE was about flowers and plants. I could also say that it's about a girl who's a prisoner in her own life. I could also say that it challenges the religion of Christianity. I could say all of those things and so many more, but none of them would be correct. Yes, MADAPPLE is about flowers and plants. It's also about being a prisoner in your own life and it's even about Christianity. But it's also about so much more than that. More than even my mind can comprehend. But I must warn you - MADAPPLE is NOT for everyone Told in alternating chapters of the present and of testimonies being held at Aslaug's trial, MADAPPLE challenges the reader. It informs the reader. I, myself, though not a strong Christian, know by now that most Christians are offended when their religion is challenged. MADAPPLE does that. But I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing, for it never states that Christianity is wrong, and every single character has their own opinion on it. Heck, one of them even runs a church. But what it does do is explain how the birth and story of Jesus that the Christians follow is not the first in history. I'm not going to say more on that subject in fear of giving too much away, but I'll say this - if you're a Christian who is easily offended, I wouldn't read this. If you're a Christian who can handle a reasonable amount of things, pick up the book. My feelings about MADAPPLE changed throughout the entire book. At first, I was intrigued, then confused, and then bored. Actually, I think I was confused up until the last page and then some. Even at this moment, I can't say whether I love or hate MADAPPLE. But I'm going to say that I love it because it's left me speechless, and the only other books to have done that are my favorites. The one thing, however, this book didn't do was make my stomach hurt. The character emotions just weren't there to make my heart break. All other aspects, besides that, which I love in books were there. So do I recommend MADAPPLE? Definitely yes! But only if you're up for a challenging read. Only if you're mature enough to handle speculations about virgin and premarital birth. Only if you're ready to be blown away, because you will be, whether it's in a good or bad way. Only you can make that decis

MADAPPLE centers on the story of Aslaug, a 16-year-old girl raised in isolation by her Danish mother who homeschools her in the ways of the natural world. While her understanding of herbs, languages and religion is rich (if highly subjective), her ability to interact with others is stunted. Aslaug's limited world explodes when her mother, Maren, dies suddenly and she finds herself living with estranged relatives in a nearby town. Thrust into a new family, Aslaug finds the values and beliefs bestowed by her mother constantly challenged: her manipulative cousin, Sanne, asserts that Aslaug was a virgin birth and destined for greatness; her other cousin, Rune, offers her kindness mixed with temptation; and her Aunt Sara, Maren's sister and preacher of a local church, struggles with a dark secret that may hold the key to Aslaug's true identity. Matters only get more complicated when Aslaug becomes pregnant and insists she has never had sex. Then, when the bodies of Sanne and Sara are pulled from a fire at the church, clues point to Aslaug and she is placed on trial for murder. The star of MADAPPLE is Meldrum's exquisite writing, at turns lush and imaginative but also spare and direct. The names of plants serve as chapter titles, employing herb lore as a vocabulary that fleshes out Aslaug's worldview. Meldrum masterfully occupies Aslaug's mind, outlining her protagonist's circumscribed upbringing and revealing a mind hungry to explore but reluctant to venture into a world for which she was never prepared. The narrative shifts between the past, when Aslaug struggles to deal with both her mother's death and the ways of her new family, and the present, when an older Aslaug is on trial for murder. Both stories drive forward with measured tension, forcing the reader to question where the truth lies, until they converge in a mesmerizing climax. Meldrum draws from her background in religious studies and law to pose potent questions concerning the nature of faith and the sometimes blurred line between myth and reality. Readers will find themselves as challenged by the novel's varied viewpoints as Aslaug is in her own reluctant quest for meaning. If you're looking for something that will generate a spirited discussion at your next book group meeting, this is the book for you. One of the best books I've read in 2008, MADAPPLE stands out as brilliantly crafted and beautifully written. Christina Meldrum is a powerful new voice, and I'm anxiously awaiting her next novel. A must for everyone's summer reading list. --- Reviewed by Brian Farrey

It's hard to know where to start in the praise for this amazing story of Aslaug, a teenaged girl who, having been raised by a reclusive mother, finds herself--after her mother's death--in the unfamiliar world of her minister-aunt's church. Meldrum cuts back and forth between rapid-fire courtroom testimony of Aslaug's trail and beautifully lyrical sections detailing the events of Aslaug's life that land her in court. Each of the more lyrical chapters is titled with the name of a plant, and Meldrum's weaving of a rich wealth of information about each plant's medicinal qualities with a deep knowledge of religions of all sorts adds more to this book than I ever could have imagined--without ever slowing the pace of the story. I'm only left wishing there were a second of this author's books to pull off the shelf, and hoping there will be soon!

This debut novel has a texture and voice all its own. The heroine is a young woman who has grown up isolated with her mother in rural Maine. For mysterious reasons, she has been versed in world religion and botany but lacks practical experience among society. So, when she is suddenly cast out on her own, she approaches society with wide-eyed innocence that provides a great first-voice for half of the chapters. The other half are narratored by the more cynical characters of our normal world, in the context of a jury trial describing the same events. The juxtaposition works wonderfully. Meanwhile, we are drawn farther into the heroine's mystical world, which seems to make more sense than the "normal" world. This book is difficult to put down as the reader unfolds the mysteries of this story along with larger mysteries of life. A great read.