When Crickets Cry, by Charles Martin, takes place in Clayton, Georgia. It is the story of two intersecting lives: one, a 7 year old girl with a fragile, diseased heart; the other, a man hiding from his past and living with a broken heart. Dealing deals with intricate matters of the heart and heart surgery, it is not a fluff novel. At times it was a bit of a heady read, but the story did keep me wanting to read to the end. The characters were well-drawn and the location tantalizingly real. In fact, the details in this novel were amazing. I have a feeling this author did a lot of homework before he began writing. It was a tender story and an enjoyable read.
I did have some issues with the book, however. Toward the end, it seemed like the pathos became too thick. The climax of the book included several disastrous turns in the story and there came a point where the "willful suspension of disbelief" was stretched too thin. There were moments where I found myself talking to the author out loud, saying "Yes, but wouldn't she have done this ... in that situation ... she had a cell phone," or "You can't expect me to believe that both of these bad things happened within a few days' time, do you?" So, I count this book as an educational experience for me, teaching me not to overwrite or try too hard to make a stirring denoument (I can still hear Ms. Karsh saying "day-noom-wahhhhhh"). I suppose I would still recommend it, but with reservations.
Actually, the book profited me in two other ways. First, it reminded me of another good book which I will recommend and may try to re-read this year: The Gift of Pain, by Dr. Paul Brand. When discussing the heart and the amazing things that can be done in transplantation, it made me think of Brand's book because Dr. Brand really drove home the magnificence of the human body and how awe-inspiring God's workmanship is. As he said, (my own words - not a direct quote) it is not amazing that things go wrong with the human body, but amazing that more things don't go wrong. How phenomenal that a human heart can be lifted from one body and packed in ice for several hours, then be placed into another body and resume beating. That is "A GOD THING!" And that brings me to the second benefit of this book. I am determined, when I finally get my IN license (sometime soon, I can't keep putting it off) to make sure that I have clearly noted that I would be an organ donor if anything were to happen to me. What an incredible gift people give when they die and leave someone else another chance at life!
If you purchase this book, When Crickets Cry, a heart-care fund has been set up so that a certain portion of each sale goes towards the cause of heart health in children.
1 comment:
AMEN to organ donation. My husband and I are also donors. When I was still pregnant with our son, his chances for survival after birth were 10%. We discussed organ donation if he did not live; however, were told that premature organs could not be donated. One of my college roommates' husbands passed away as a result of an auto accident 2 summers ago. He was able to give life back to 7 others before his own life ended here on Earth. This last gift of love has brought so much comfort to his wife and children. His wife is now a spokesperson for organ donation. It is a wonderful gift. ~Karin
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