Wednesday, August 26, 2009

THE PENNY by Joyce Meyer & Deborah Bedford

This novel is the debut of T.V. evangelist Joyce Meyer into the realm of fiction literature. Joyce Meyer is however no stranger to writing, as she has written a multitude of best selling, christian self help books. Her coauthor Deborah Bedford is an award winning well known christian fiction author.
This book is loosely based on Joyce Meyer's life as a young girl. Set in 1955, St. Louis where the central character is a young girl named Jenny Blake.
At the opening of the story Jenny stops to pick up a penny embedded in the street. This sets off a chain of events that foils a robbery attempt of Mrs. Shaw's jewelry store. Thus begins a friendship (and employment) with Mrs. Shaw, who is misunderstood and avoided by most of the town. In this friendship they are both pushed to confront the secrets of their lives.
Jenny Blake has an abusive father and a scared mother who turns a blind eye. Her older sister Jean Idolizes Grace Kelly and wants nothing so bad as to have her fairy tale life.
But Jenny also has a "forbidden" best friend named Aurela Crockett who's skin is the wrong color to please Jenny's prejudice father. Aurela's family is close knit,close to God and altogether
delightful, with a trumpet playing father named Eddie Crockett and a large extended family.
This causes Jenny to be that much more aware of the lack in her own life.
things get really bad when her older sister Jean tries to escape home by running away to secretarial school. Jenny makes matters worse by pushing away her best friend in a time of great need.
This book speaks plainly about a time when people from different neighborhoods mixing was like "mixing water and oil" and most people turned a blind eye to what went on in other peoples families. It also shows how Jenny is transformed into realizing small decisions can make a difference.
This is a delightful child, I just wanted to take her home and protect her.

Get this Book Here!
The Penny: A Novel




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