Suncatchers

I have all the books this author has written. It has taken a few years. I have enjoyed each and every story. The first one shines right into your heart. She has a unique style of writing - it feels like you are sitting right there with her as she is telling the story. I hope you enjoy this and the others as much as I have.

I really don't know how I happened upon this book, but I was delighted with it from the first page! As a voracious reader, I have read thousands of books in my lifetime, from Somerset Maugham to Alfred North Whitehead to Agatha Christie! Believe me, Suncatchers is so much better than most books -- Do yourself a huge favor and GET THIS BOOK. Already emailing my friends to borrow or buy a copy ASAP, I am purchasing several for gifts (and one for me!). There are very few books that cause me actual regret to finish. Suncatchers is one of them. To close the cover on such vibrant, inspiring, fascinating characters was difficult indeed. I will now get the other books by Jamie Langston Turner, and I pray that she will continue to write more!

I read a great deal of both Christian literature and Southern literature, and The Suncatchers is a winner in both categories! Turner has captured the essence of the Deep South with all of its idiosyncrasies in her portrayal of The Church of the Open Door. When Perry Warren flees a broken marriage and moves south to write an expose' of the typical fundamentalist Christian, he ends up living right next door to Eldeen Rafferty, a "poster-child" for the stereotypical Southern Christian. Perry becomes friendly with Eldeen and her family so that he will have more fodder for his book. He does not count on actually beginning to love these new friends dearly and enjoy attending church services with them. At The Church of the Open Door, its occupants, from Brother Hawthorne, the pastor who steps out of the "typical" male role to help his wife and tells his parishoners to do the same, to Joe Leonard, the shy teenager who plays the tuba for church services, and everyone in between, accept Perry unconditionally, and each manages to teach Perry a lesson about Christianity. As Perry goes through the painful process of analyzing his unusual upbringing and his failing marriage, he gradually begins to find healing and answers at The Church of the Open Door. Without a lot of preaching and testimonials, The Suncatchers manages to present such a wonderful picture of the Christian life that everyone who reads it will want to live as Eldeen and her family do. Even Perry finally realizes that this Christianity thing might have something for him as well. As a woman of the Deep South who is a born-again Christian and holds a masters degree in English (some may see these things as paradoxical), I find Turner to be on the same level with Eudora Welty. Turner captures the true spirit of the South in her charaterizations and descriptions; her Eldeen is portrayed with equal finesse of Welty's Phoenix Jackson, Sister, and Stella Rondo. I feel as if I would know Derby, S.C. and The Church of the Open Door if I visited there much as I feel I would recognize The Worn Path and Sister's P.O. The Suncatchers is undoubtedly the best book that I have ever read, and I hope that Turner will continue with her tales of Derby.

I was immediately absorbed in this book! I am a big fan of Jan Karon's "Mitford" series, and I found this book comparable - the small town setting, the believability of the characters, the Christian perspective. I'm so glad to see she has written a new book - I can't wait to read it!

This book was very enjoyable and inspirational to me. Since it is not "preachy," I am passing it on to friends who like to read yet have not seeked salvation and are cynical toward Bible thumping Christians. I only wished that this story did not end so abruptly. Hopefully the story will continue in her next book.