Reviewer Andrea Coventry: Andrea is a Montessori child - turned educator. An avid reader and writer, she is published on several websites. Click Here to find a listing of Andrea's sites where you can find many of her writing contributions.
Author: Tom Edwards
Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers
ISBN: 978-0-89733-587-4
Author: Tom Edwards
Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers
ISBN: 978-0-89733-587-4
Click Here To Purchase Blue Jesus
Blue Jesus by Tom Edwards is probably
one of the best fiction reads I have had in a long time. I
found it so good that I have already read it twice, and I know I will
read it yet again.
Blue Jesus is the story of an eleven
year-old boy named Buddy, also the narrator, and his best friend,
Earl Lee, known locally as Early. Early is unique in that he
and his family are called "blue people", as they suffer
from a malady that causes their skin to be blue in color. Early
also seems to possess a supernatural power that allows him to bring
people back from the dead.
Early's powers first come to
light when the boys stumble upon a dead baby in the local dump.
Early is overcome by a special feeling, takes the baby in his hands,
and brings it back to life. As the local Comfort Corners,
Georgia population finds out about this, he becomes a local
celebrity. Buddy enjoys his newfound popularity as he is
Early's best friend.
Despite having done so much good, the
two boys are also plagued by personal woes. Buddy recently lost
his mother to cancer, his brother never has anything nice to say
about him, and his father is rarely around. He's also
considered to be a sissy, and is regularly beaten up by the town
bully. Early's father regularly beats him for bringing unwanted
attention to himself and the other blue people. He also tries
to capitalize on Early's talents, touting him as the "Blue
Jesus" and taking money from those hopeful to be cured as he
lays hands on them.
The story takes place in the South in
the 1960s, a time when blacks and whites were still at war with each
other. Adding to the mayhem is the prejudice against the blue
people, who really did exist back then. The blue people were
ridiculed by blacks and whites alike. Present in the novel is
also strife between different Christian denominations. It is
told from the point of view of 11 year-old Buddy, allowing for some
innocent insights into the situations.
Blue Jesus is an easy and entertaining read that inspires all kinds of emotions. It is also quality literature. The storyline and style is reminiscent of Toni Morrison. There are also glimpses of Stephen King, as in The Green Mile. This is author Tom Edwards' first novel.