Official Review: Blnk Once to Spread Snow by James Christie

[Theresa Moffitt]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Blnk Once to Spread Snow" by James Christie.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Blink Once to Spread Snow by James Christie is a novel focusing on the life and family of Cal Brenneman. Cal was raised on a farm where he was introduced to hard work and responsibility early in life. He and his brother, Randall, would milk cows at a neighbor’s farm and complete additional chores at the family farm every morning before school. After chores, the brothers would walk with their sisters to school. In the winter, they were able to save time walking to the neighbor’s farm and to school by taking a short cut across a frozen creek. One day when the ice began to crack on the way to school, tragedy struck. This begins the epic tale of Cal Brenneman and his loves and losses during his amazing life.

Cal is eighty-two when he finds himself in the hospital after suffering a stroke. Through his memories and those of his family, we learn about significant events from the past. Each memory reveals another aspect of the family and secrets that aren’t discussed openly. Cal and Randall both served in the United States Army during World War II. There was always rivalry between the brothers. Randall lacked the conscience and earnestness that Cal exuded. People were drawn to Cal as a man that was honest and believed in hard work. Family was the most important thing to Cal and he would do anything for his children. Randall never had a family of his own because he couldn’t settle down with one woman. His dishonesty and poor judgment became expected by the family over the years.

I enjoyed reading this book. It presented different stories from different generations of this family and each story was intertwined with the present to reflect how Cal was impacted. The stories were realistic and covered relatable topics. For example, several instances of grief were experienced by Cal and other members of the family. The raw emotions were presented honestly and realistically. The gruesome experiences of Cal serving as a medic in the war were also examined. The death and destruction of the bombings in Scotland showed the loss of humanity and how people recovered.

What I liked most about the book was the structure. In present day, Cal is in the hospital, but most of his story is told through memories and stepping back in time. I especially enjoyed when an event was referred to as something significant that no one talked about and then revealed later in the book. For example, there is reference repeatedly about what happened in Colorado. The reader knows this event is significant in the lives of Cal and his family, but we don’t learn the significance of this event until much later in the book. There was nothing I disliked about the book. It was an engaging and riveting story that I found difficult to put down.

There were a few minor errors in this book that did not take away from my enjoyment. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy novels about families and the complicated relationships they include. I would also recommend it to anyone interested in realistic descriptions of the lives impacted by the violence of World War II. The author must have conducted a considerable amount of research into specific events during the war because the accounts were presented very well. For the reasons stated, I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.

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Blnk Once to Spread Snow
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[MsH2k]

This sounds like an interesting book, and your review has made me curious about Cal’s sisters and other significant things they never talk about. Thank you for a great review!