June 15, 2009
Chris Fabry (Dogwood
)—evangelical fiction author of more than 60 titles and coauthor of Left Behind: The Kid series—offers a lovely, moving, present-day account of sacrifice linking to the famed novel Les Misérables
. It all begins in a nondescript Wal-Mart parking lot where nine-year-old June Bug sees an artist's rendition of herself on a missing child poster in the store where they've parked their broken-down RV trailer. With questions galore, June Bug starts pestering her “dad” about their RV vagabond life and where they're headed next. Johnson, little June Bug's father, is obliged to face his past in short order as a series of unexpected media events force his hand and reroute his life. Afraid and emotionally battered, Johnson returns to the “scene of the crime” and discovers what he thought was lost forever. Fabry's retelling of the world-renowned Victor Hugo tale is a stunning success, and readers will find themselves responding with enthusiastic inner applause.
June 1, 2009
When a young girl recognizes her own face on a poster in a Wal-mart featuring missing children, she begins to wonder where she came from and why she has been traveling around with her father in an old RV. What she will discover is that her father has been running from his past.
Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
August 1, 2009
While traveling by RV across the country with her dad, a young girl wanders into a Walmart and sees herself in a missing-persons poster. So begins a series of long journeysphysical, emotional, and spiritualfor both father and daughter as both try to sort out the puzzle of their past and build a future. Readers of Fabrys well-received novel Dogwood (2008) will recognize many of the same themes here: the search for home and family; forgiveness and faith; and the best way to navigate the repercussions of old choices and wrong turns. The publisher bills the novel as a modern interpretation of Les Miserables, and readers who know that novel will enjoy spotting the parallels in this contemporary story. Familiarity with the Hugo classic, though, certainly isnt required to enjoy this involving tale, and once again, Fabry inserts enough plot twists and dramatic tension to keep readers turning the pages. Occasional clich'd prose gets in the way a bit, but the story of loves infinite power to shape and sustain will draw readers, particularly those seeking fiction with Christian themes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)