Too Blue to Fly

There is little left that other reviewers haven't said, except that in addition to being sensitive, gripping, and moving, the book is profoundly sad. The message that things have changed down there in Florida rings clear, but the sadness lies in recognizing just how cruel supposedly civilized Americans could and probably still can be. Even more than the burning cross, the vision of the child's being turned away from the library he loved was heartrending. This is Judith Richards' greatest strength, her ability to pull at the heartstrings without once being maudlin or trite.

This is a beautiful story that can be enjoyed by people from age 12 to 112. I came to really love the characters. I could feel the pain of losing a parent, then being thrown into a swamp of loneliness and prejudice of an isolated town in Florida's glades. Yet, the story was so triumphant and heart warming!

Too Blue To Fly by Judith Richards should get the attention of the literati as well as the unwashed public. It deals with the most painful type of grief in a life affirming way. The protagonist, an eleven year old boy, is a fine intelligent little fellow on the very cusp of pubescents. He copes with life with all the survival mechanisms and has character and integrity as well. I love the little boy

The author, Judith Richards, is my wife. I mention this, not as a disclaimer, but with pride. She has created a masterpiece. To judge my opinion of her book, you would have to know the books I believe are great: THE COLOR PURPLE, CATCHER IN THE RYE. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and WEST WITH THE NIGHT. If you didn't like those books, you probably won't like TOO BLUE TO FLY. Thus far, only the reviewer at PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY did not like TBTF. Which goes to show you, a reviewer is not necessarily a critic, and all too often, a critic is a eunuch explaining sex to a mule. That includes me, since I am reviewing my wife's book. It is brilliant, heart-warming, funny, and thought-provoking. It will become a part of your psyche and live with you the rest of your life. It is - indeed - a masterpiece. C Terry Cline Jr