The hill people and the Mexicans arrived on the same day. It was a Wednesday, early in September 1952. The Cardinals were five games behind the Dodgers with three weeks to go, and the season looked hopeless. The cotton, however, was waist-high to my father, over my head, and he and my grandfather could be heard before supper whispering words that were seldom heard. It could be a "good crop." Thus begins the new novel from John Grisham, a story inspired by his own childhood in rural Arkansas. The narrator is a farm boy named Luke Chandler, age seven, who lives in the cotton fields with his parents and grandparents in a little house that's never been painted. The Chandlers farm eighty acres that they rent, not own, and when the cotton is ready they hire a truckload of Mexicans and a family from the Ozarks to help harvest it. For six weeks they pick cotton, battling the heat, the rain, the fatigue, and, sometimes, each other. As the weeks pass Luke sees and hears things no seven-year-old could possibly be prepared for, and finds himself keeping secrets that not only threaten the crop but will change the lives of the Chandlers forever. A Painted House is a moving story of one boy's journey from innocence to experience.
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"Surprisingly good for being outside the realm of his legal bailywick. I don't know what possessed him to write this, unless he was getting his childhood out of his system, but it's good. The story is sensitive without being sentimental and the writing is better than a lot of his other books. " — Geoffrey (4 out of 5 stars)
"Surprisingly good for being outside the realm of his legal bailywick. I don't know what possessed him to write this, unless he was getting his childhood out of his system, but it's good. The story is sensitive without being sentimental and the writing is better than a lot of his other books. "
" Totally not the usual Grisham. "
" A book completely different from other John Grisham novels. A moving story about the troubles and trials of a rural family who are cotton farmers from the eyes of a young boy. Based slightly on Grisham's own childhood experiences is what I've heard. "
" Knowing John's style I hoped for something different all the way to the end. "
" I really liked this book. "
" Did not like this one.........rare for him because he's one of my favorite authors. "
" Different than anything else I have read from him. Solid story "
" This book truly is a master piece and one of Grisham's best novels! Full of suspense and mystery amazing "
" A painted house reads like it is possibly a memior about Grisham's childhood. A good read. It has a Tom Sawyer quality. "
" Although seven years old is a bit young to be this astute a narrator, Luke tells a good story in this wonderful book. "
" I was surprised at how good this book was. I thought Grisham could only write pulp fiction with stereotypical characters, but this was really well-written. "
" It was an OK story. Not the best, luckily not the worst either "
" never read books from John Grisham. i decide to try it. what's your comment about this book? "
" A fun book to read. "
" What a wonderful book! The story has a sweet sadness about it that may stir some of your own memories of childhood. "
" The story was slow in telling the story of a depression era family. No excitement to the story. "
" Love this book, one of Grisham's best!! "
" a huge departure from his usual fare, this sealed Griffin's place among the best story tellers of our time. "
" Grisham should stick to law thrillers. "
" Listened to the book on audio while driving and it was a good distraction. Nicely drawn characters but their actions were largely predictable. We're I a baseball fan, I suspect I would have loved it. "
" One of the best books I have ever read. "
" It's a good book but a little disappointing since it was written by John Grisham. A little tame compared to some of his I read. I did finish the book. "
" This isn't my normal genre, however, I just really like this book. I read it years ago. Grisham steps out of his "legal" world and wrote a really nice book. "
" The only John Grisham I was able to get through. It was a sweet story, and an enjoyable read "
" I found it interesting, how a child's life can be altered by a senseless act. "
" I was sad when it ended, so what happens to them now? Sequel please. "
" I am not a huge John Grisham book, but this book I think was amazing. "
" Enjoyable despite the fact it wasn't one of his thrillers. It had soul and showed a side of Grisham I admire even though it wasn't the best literary novel ever. I liked it better than the lesser of his thrillers. "
" If I wasn't strong in the spirit, I would have hurled myself out a window after reading this-which by the way was one of the most difficult books ever for me to finish. Supremely boring and lacklustre. "
" Excellent read. I didn't want the book to end. Charming Little Luke Chandler kept me entertained throughout his challenging little boy fears and hopes and all the secrets. "
" It's been a while since I read this book but I remember liking it. "
" It was an easy and entertaining read as with all Grisham books. A Painted House was a nice detour from his usual court house drama. I enjoyed it very much. "
" I really enjoyed this one. It reminds me of the stories older members of the churches I've visited have told me. "
" Loved it! Totally recommend. "
" Very different from his legal thrillers. Enjoyed it very much. "
" Great story. Unlike anything that John Grisham has written before. "
John Grisham is the author of more than thirty-five novels, one work of nonfiction, a collection of stories, and seven novels for young readers. Thirty-three of his crime thrillers have made the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list
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