A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L'Engle

This is one of my favorite books.  Has been since I was a child and continues to be so today.  It's beautifully written, has some strong messages, and is very relatable, especially for teenage girls (of which I was one when I first started loving the book).  It's actually a part of a series, but is easily a stand alone book.  If you want more background on the characters, it might be better to start with the first book though.

Vicky Austin and her family have come to their grandpa's home on an island to spend the summer with him.  He is dying of leukemia and while it's a tough time for all, they know where it is supposed to be.  While on the island, a friend of theirs, Captain Rodney, suffers a heart attack while rescuing a boy from a capsized sailboat.  His death, combined with their grandfather's deterioration sets a pall on the whole island.   When Vicky learns that the teenage boy rescued is a friend from the past, that just adds to the confusion.  And if she didn't have enough with that, Captain Rodney's son, Leo is interested in her as well.  The third boy she encounters, Adam, likes her for the help she provides with his dolphin project, but keeps her at an arm's length, unwilling to trust her.  All of these feelings are bubbling inside  Vicky and there just doesn't seem to be a fair outlet.

Vicky is a very relatable protagonist.  She has her normal problems, and while I didn't have three boys ever after me at once, I feel like I could be her sometimes.  She's more of a dreamer than a scientist, and loves to write.  For the three boys, I didn't really care much for Leo, he didn't add anything.  Zach made a good source for problems throughout the book.  And Adam, Adam is a good guy, and I've read some of the other books with him in it so I was already a little attached to him.  He's my favorite out of the three anyway.  I like Vicky's parents too; they are calm and insightful and add a lot to the story.

When we get right down to it this book has a lot of romance in it as Vicky shares time with the three boys.  But there is nothing inappropriate, and Vicky is strong enough to set her limits with all of them.  The real theme of this book is sorrow and death, and learning to accept the inevitability's of life.  I really like the message carried throughout and even though there is an undertone of religion in the book, it is done very well and doesn't seem preachy in the least.  I also like the incorporation of poetry and think that L'Engle always makes good choices in the verses she includes in her books.  I also like the sub-plot with the dolphins and Vicki's interactions with them.  It was an interesting concept and one that was completely believable to me.

Definitely one of my favorite books. I would always recommend it, and many other works by L'Engle.

A Ring of Endless Light
Copyright 1980
324 pages

Gully Town by G.P. Schultz

**This book was received as a free Advanced Reader's Copy.

This was one of the better books I've read in awhile. In fact, I absolutely loved it and felt really drawn to the characters. I was even brought to tears at one point.

Gully Town starts during the Civil War and ends in the early nineteen hundreds and covers Kansas City. Most specifically, the lives of a few inhabitants are followed. Friends that came together through different circumstances, they make an impact on the city and from them their children continue on the legacy. Red goes from being a young boy good with horses to a notorious outlaw. Jack starts from humble roots (as does his friend Kevin) and becomes a big name in the city. As Kansas City grows they go on with their lives to the best of their abilities.

This book had great characters. They were all written in such a way that you cared about them. That you wanted to know what happened to them. I have to say my favorites were Red and little Joey. Red was such a complex character and even though he had his ups and downs he was a genuinely good guy. Joey, although he played a smaller role in the book, was very vibrant and just made you feel good. All the other characters were wonderful too of course, I can't even recall any that I didn't particularly care for. The relationship stories are very compelling as well and I found most of them quite sweet.

This book was based partly in reality and though I don't know much about that part of the world in that particular time, it seemed authentic and well researched to me. And I enjoyed following these characters through that time in history. It was interesting to see how quickly things started progressing and the change in life and technology in only a few years. The writing style was fluid and had a nice pace. There weren't any lags and it always kept things interesting. One should note that there is mention of violence, sex, murder, etc. so those who aren't into that kind of thing should be warned. I should also mention that the book included some old photos of Kansas City, which was a nice touch.

This book was very nicely done. Its definitely deserving of a permanent position on my bookshelf. One of my favorites this year.

Gully Town
Copyright 1990
332 pages