Amaryllis in Blueberry

Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum


Summary Borrowed from Goodreads

In the stirring tradition of The Secret Life of Bees and The Poisonwood Bible, Amaryllis in Blueberry explores the complexity of human relationships set against an unforgettable backdrop. Told through the haunting voices of Dick and Seena Slepy and their four daughters, Christina Meldrum's soulful novel weaves together the past and the present of a family harmed--and healed--by buried secrets.

"Maybe, unlike hope, truth couldn't be contained in a jar..."

Meet the Slepys: Dick, the stern doctor, the naive husband, a man devoted to both facts and faith; Seena, the storyteller, the restless wife, a mother of four, a lover of myth. And their children, the Marys: Mary Grace, the devastating beauty; Mary Tessa, the insistent inquisitor; Mary Catherine, the saintly, lost soul; and finally, Amaryllis, Seena's unspoken favorite, born with the mystifying ability to sense the future, touch the past and distinguish the truth tellers from the most convincing liar of all.

When Dick insists his family move from Michigan to the unfamiliar world of Africa for missionary work, he can't possibly foresee how this new land and its people will entrance and change his daughters--and himself--forever.

Nor can he predict how Africa will spur his wife Seena toward an old but unforgotten obsession. In fact, Seena may be falling into a trance of her own.

About the Author

Christina Meldrum received her Bachelor of Arts in religious studies and political science from the University of Michigan. After working in grassroots development in Africa, she earned her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. She interned with the International Commission of Jurists in Geneva, Switzerland, and worked as a litigator for the law firm of Shearman & Sterling. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family and is on the advisory board of WOW, an organization that helps grow women-led businesses in West Africa.

My Thoughts (so far)

I am supposed to be posting a review for Amaryllis in Blueberry today but unfortunately I am not done with the book. I am reading the book and was going to read through it quickly and post the review but I'm afraid that would not do the book justice.

The book starts out with a woman on trial in Africa for the murder of her husband. The story then backtracks into how the story has ended up to where it began. The Slepy family is very dysfunctional but I find them very interesting. The daughters are all named Mary - Mary Grace, Mary Tessa, Mary Catherine and Amaryllis. I really want to know why Amaryllis' name is different from the rest. So far I can say this is a very good read especially if you are drawn to dysfunctional families. I am enjoying the setting of Africa. I like being able to read about different places and different times. I look forward to finishing the book soon and finding out how the trial ends. I will be reviewing the whole book when I finish it.

I received this book courtesy of Gallery Books and Inkwell Management for my honest opinion.