Reviewer: NANCI MILAM
Nanci@aireborn.com
Book: A Painted House/Grisham
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Hurray! "A Painted House" is a reader's book.

"A Painted House," paints, indeed, stroke by careul stroke, a living
portrait of the early fifties as seen through the eyes of a seven-year old child.
Although the story is set in rural Arkansas, it speaks wonderfully of daily family life in
1952 America. The setting is a farm, the family work is cotton, the time of year is late
summer/early autumn, baseball is on the radio, soldiers are dying in Korea and sevenyear
old Luke is learning about life the way we all learned about life back then--by active
experience.

Throughout the span of the novel, Luke's family home is painted for the first time, board
by board, as spare hours and funds allow. As the old home grows up, metaphorically, so,
in reality, does Luke who learns the lessons we all learned early on - that where there is
love, there is often hate, where there is tenderness, there is also violence, where there is
hope there is also fear, where there is wanting, there is also giving, where there is life
there is, certainly, death.

Grisham's writing is exceptional as he recalls the interior life of a seven year old. If you
remember being seven, you'll value this book and be enriched by the read.

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