The Christmas Quilt

This book captures the entire deep south experience from a boy's point of view. The creeks and fields, as well as the dirt, comes alive with Davis' descriptions. He aptly tells of Southern relationships, community, and the hardships that were endured as a part of life. What a delightful find. I hope that Davis will continue to write such treasures!

I am a teacher of literature and I highly recommend this book for all ages. I am suggesting it for my bookclub read this month!

This was a different type of book. You know in the first paragraph what goes on at Christmas, but the book is then a lead up to those events. It is an interesting look at family and struggle in the poor rural south. The truth you find out about Joe I suspected, but it was a realistic ending for the time and place. I think in the end you see that these months in 1942 are what changes a boy into a man who can make something out of himself, instead of following in his uncle's footsteps.

As I read this, I kept thinking of my grandmother, whose childhood was very similar. This is a good read for teens and adults alike, as it is told from the viewpoint of an older man as he remembers seven months of his childhood during 1942. A teen struggling to find him/herself can relate to this young man growing up in a small town torn between the draw of the world and the love of home. Those who grew up in a rural or small town, will identify greatly with the lifestyle and story presented. It features no profanity or other adult-content imagery. It is sweet without being sappy, so enjoy! I also loved this because the descriptions and way of life recalled are part of my own past. I am young, but this tells a life similar to my ancestors and brings this way of living to reality for me.

Ironically, I read this book on Christmas Eve. However, it's message can be realized at any time of the year. The book's focus is on a twelve-year old boy during the final months of his grandmother's life. His relationship with her and her "final lessons" are very heart warming. No nail-biting plot, nor exploding ending, but I finished the book feeling renewed. If you want a feel-good book with no profanity, violence or sex, give this book a try. Recommended to all readers of Christian fiction.