Romey's Place

by James Calvin Schaap

"What's it like having an old man who's a saint?" The question came from the depths of Romey Guttner's troubled soul. It was as honest as the hot sun that beat down on him and his best friend, Lowell, as they picked beans that unforgettable summer in the late fifties. They were just boys, one the son of the town's pillar of faith and one the neglected child of a man whose anger spilled onto everyone in his path. Despite their disparate upbringings, Romey and Lowell were like brothers, inseparable in their pursuit of adventure. But events were brewing that would force them to confront the reality of their differences for the first time. With perceptiveness and style, James Calvin Schaap renders a coming-of-age tale about friendship, fathers and sons, and, most of all, the grace that saves us from the darkest places.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Book Club

400 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 1999

Reviews

[Grace Grimm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I often presume coming-of-age novels to be filled with fluff and rather uninteresting. But I liked this one.

"The Bible says the world is full of pain and misery - a vale of tears. It's not wrong, either. It's just that learning that it is can be its own misery."

[Laura Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without a doubt,one of the most powerful, thought provoking stories I have ever read.

[Melissa Corrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finally finished! The first half of this book was so boring I thought I'd just give up. But I pushed through and eventually had a couple laughs. Overall I didn't like it. The writing style is not great and it wasn't entertaining.

[Larry Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

This James Calvin Schaap sure is long winded but he kept me hanging on to every word. It helped that Romey and Lowell were raised in the same time period that I was. I saw that my family life was probably smack dab in the middle of those two boys family lives. We weren’t the Prins and we certainly weren’t the Guttners!

[Debs Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story of friendship and growing up that I didn’t find predictable. Some exploration of what is goodness and friendship and the effect of adult decisions on children. I didn’t feel that all the questions raised were resolved but there was a satisfactory resolution.

[Mylia]

It was wordy and some things could've been left out, but the storyline was good.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story line, and characters, but way too many details. Felt like he would build up suspense of an entire chapter, and when the secret details were revealed (Romey's mom asking Lowell's dad to come by), it just fell flat. Absolutely loved and laughed through the entire church camp debacle. Most enjoyable part was a friend telling me there is a character in this book that reminds him of himself. Gave the book some extra meaning.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romey's Place by James Calvin Schaap was a very well written coming of age story about a small town boy in a strongly Christian home during the 1950"s. I enjoyed reading it, and think any Christian man, young or old, would find it even more insightful and delightful.

[Talena Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty slow at first, but it all came together in the ending. I love books set in the 50's/60's. A nice "coming-of-age" novel.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little long on description. A also did no

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd. Intriguing, but odd.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little slow-moving at times, with a few too many details. However, I am glad I chose to finish it!

[Tami Tritapoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the characters...but a bit too much religion for me.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of two boys and their fathers. Having grown up on a farm in northern Michigan, I enjoyed the various settings that reminded me of my own youthful situation--picking beans with other kids; attending Bible camp. The two boys, Lowell and Romey, live between two forces, good and evil. The trouble is, these forces are their fathers. As characters in the story both fathers are too good to be true or realistic. Lowell's father is righteous to a fault. Romey's father is evil personified. The reader gets hit over the head with a moral 2x4. The book begins with a stolen bayonet which causes more angst for Lowell that seems nrealistic given all that he decides not to tell his aging father about other events in his life. But the interactions between the boys keeps the story moving, and can, at times, move the reader too.