Review of A Walk Through the Grapes
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Meshach pst
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Review of A Walk Through the Grapes
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Walk Through the Grapes" by David Jackson.]
In this beautiful story, David Jackson explains family ties, personal responsibility, and reconciliation. The setting is notably powerful, focusing on Willowcreek, a small town with a recognized vineyard and a neighborly connectedness. Jackson's writing style is excellent, creating tension in family fights that had gone to sleep, resurrected with Jace's return, and most conspicuously, Oliver's predicament, who feels burdened in an extreme way because of responsibilities that Jace had foresworn.
Quite a number of conflicts emerge as Jace discovers deep down in the process of reintegration: a loving but apprehensive mother, a silent but useful father, and his sister, a peacemaker. It finally picks up with a showdown at the vineyard, a pounding out of past grievances, and the power of the now to offer a new future. A Walk Through the Grapes resolution and climax discuss forgiveness as a complication of the family's learning how to walk with so much to deal with.
Really, I think I love that this book comes to be more about Jace's personal growth, where he has to return to Willowcreek and face the consequences of so much that has gone sour in his life. To be able to face or be responsible in looking back at his past actions definitely takes a lot of courage and soul searching. By telling Jace's story, the author gets to relate one of those lessons of life: not only is contrition needed, reparation, and going on ways of improvement, but he must also point out the corresponding ordeal. I like that the novel does not avoid portraying the shortcomings and bad decisions that Jace makes while still making him a character to be empathized with and as someone who is trying to change for the better.
His return home finally kickstarts him to reevaluate his life, relationships, and priorities. Jace proves there can never be such a thing as "too late" when he finally comes to terms with his imperfections and the mistakes he has committed in the past by stepping back and starting to be better. I like how it almost foresees that we're not going to be defined by our mistakes, but by how we learn from them and the choices we make in the future. Most relatable to Jace's story of personal evolution, and to me, the best part of the book, are the takeaways and themes across the length of the book.
There's not much to frown upon or dislike in this book. The character's development is simply amazing. The family drama, too, proving impossible to resist, is not just about keeping secrets but also testing and harnessing relationships. A few of the family dynamics are so well constructed that I really was into their story to see how they would work through things and what repercussions the revelations would have for each one.
An excellent 5 out of 5 stars goes to this book. Thoughtful consideration has gone into Jace's personal development and the familial relationships are incredibly interesting and intricate. Remarkable narrative punchiness is achieved by David Jackson's ability to write tension. For those who appreciate stories that delve into the complexities of family dynamics, I heartily suggest this book. The editing and proofreading of the book were really good.
******
A Walk Through the Grapes
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
In this beautiful story, David Jackson explains family ties, personal responsibility, and reconciliation. The setting is notably powerful, focusing on Willowcreek, a small town with a recognized vineyard and a neighborly connectedness. Jackson's writing style is excellent, creating tension in family fights that had gone to sleep, resurrected with Jace's return, and most conspicuously, Oliver's predicament, who feels burdened in an extreme way because of responsibilities that Jace had foresworn.
Quite a number of conflicts emerge as Jace discovers deep down in the process of reintegration: a loving but apprehensive mother, a silent but useful father, and his sister, a peacemaker. It finally picks up with a showdown at the vineyard, a pounding out of past grievances, and the power of the now to offer a new future. A Walk Through the Grapes resolution and climax discuss forgiveness as a complication of the family's learning how to walk with so much to deal with.
Really, I think I love that this book comes to be more about Jace's personal growth, where he has to return to Willowcreek and face the consequences of so much that has gone sour in his life. To be able to face or be responsible in looking back at his past actions definitely takes a lot of courage and soul searching. By telling Jace's story, the author gets to relate one of those lessons of life: not only is contrition needed, reparation, and going on ways of improvement, but he must also point out the corresponding ordeal. I like that the novel does not avoid portraying the shortcomings and bad decisions that Jace makes while still making him a character to be empathized with and as someone who is trying to change for the better.
His return home finally kickstarts him to reevaluate his life, relationships, and priorities. Jace proves there can never be such a thing as "too late" when he finally comes to terms with his imperfections and the mistakes he has committed in the past by stepping back and starting to be better. I like how it almost foresees that we're not going to be defined by our mistakes, but by how we learn from them and the choices we make in the future. Most relatable to Jace's story of personal evolution, and to me, the best part of the book, are the takeaways and themes across the length of the book.
There's not much to frown upon or dislike in this book. The character's development is simply amazing. The family drama, too, proving impossible to resist, is not just about keeping secrets but also testing and harnessing relationships. A few of the family dynamics are so well constructed that I really was into their story to see how they would work through things and what repercussions the revelations would have for each one.
An excellent 5 out of 5 stars goes to this book. Thoughtful consideration has gone into Jace's personal development and the familial relationships are incredibly interesting and intricate. Remarkable narrative punchiness is achieved by David Jackson's ability to write tension. For those who appreciate stories that delve into the complexities of family dynamics, I heartily suggest this book. The editing and proofreading of the book were really good.
******
A Walk Through the Grapes
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Crimeline Hollywood by Thomas Collins
