CFBA presents DAISY CHAIN by Mary E. DeMuth

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingDaisy ChainZondervan (March 1, 2009)byMary E. DeMuth


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mary E. DeMuth is an expert in Pioneer Parenting. She enables Christian parents to navigate our changing culture when their families left no good faith examples to follow.

Her parenting books include Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture (Harvest House, 2007), Building the Christian Family You Never Had (WaterBrook, 2006), and Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God (Harvest House, 2005).

Mary also inspires people to face their trials through her real-to-life novels, Watching The Tree Limbs (nominated for a Christy Award) and Wishing On Dandelions (NavPress, 2006).

Mary has spoken at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, the ACFW Conference, the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, and at various churches and church planting ministries. Mary and her husband, Patrick, reside in Texas with their three children. They recently returned from breaking new spiritual ground in Southern France, and planting a church.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The abrupt disappearance of young Daisy Chance from a small Texas town in 1973 spins three lives out of control—Jed, whose guilt over not protecting his friend Daisy strangles him; Emory Chance, who blames her own choices for her daughter’s demise; and Ouisie Pepper, who is plagued by headaches while pierced by the shattered pieces of a family in crisis.

In this first book in the Defiance, Texas Trilogy, fourteen-year-old Jed Pepper has a sickening secret: He’s convinced it’s his fault his best friend Daisy went missing. Jed’s pain sends him on a quest for answers to mysteries woven through the fabric of his own life and the lives of the families of Defiance, Texas. When he finally confronts the terrible truths he’s been denying all his life, Jed must choose between rebellion and love, anger and freedom.

Daisy Chain is an achingly beautiful southern coming-of-age story crafted by a bright new literary talent. It offers a haunting yet hopeful backdrop for human depravity and beauty, for terrible secrets and God’s surprising redemption.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Daisy Chain, go HERE

THOUGHTS FROM JEN

Mary DeMuth is a talented writer with a beautiful, lyrical style, even when she's writing about dark, ugly things. Jed Pepper not only has to deal with the disappearance of his best friend, Daisy, but he has to contend with a father who uses God's Word as an excuse to beat submission and obedience into every member of the family, and a mother who is too broken to stop him.

While Daisy Chain is skillfully written, it's often a hard book to read. I have no patience with men like Hap Pepper, and I don't understand women like Ouisie Pepper. This is particularly true when children are involved. There were times when I turned the page thinking, when is someone going to stand up to this man? Of course, it's a testament to DeMuth's talent as a writer that I had such strong feelings about the characters.

There were several threads left undone at the end of the book, which disappointed me. Because this is the first of a trilogy, I expect - and hope - they will be resolved by the final installment. You can be sure I'll be reading the next two books to find out! Overall, this is a powerful look into the life of one young southern man and how he finds redemption in a loving God.