Gadly Plain : A Novel

by J. Michael Dew

This story does not begin on the day Spring-baby Westbay throws a rock at Amen: a simple-looking donkey who knew Adam and Noah, Abraham and Moses, Jesus Christ, the Apostle John, Saint Francis of Assisi. Nor does the story begin when Spring-baby's father jilts her by dying far away from home and rebuke. The story begins in the beginning when death itself comes into the world and initiates its nefarious plot against Spring-baby's dad amongst countless others. Gadly Plain follows the struggle of a twelve-year-old girl as she grapples with one of life's most mind-wrenching questions: Is death really the end? After being abandoned with her paternal grandparents in rural Kentucky by her newly-widowed mother, Spring-baby Westbay strikes up a friendship with Chirp Vanhoosen, a dim-witted suburban farmer who claims that his charge, Amen, has never known death. Could this be true? Are there messengers among us, four-legged though they be? And is there really a hope that will not die?

Genres: Christian Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2013

Reviews

[Tanya Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gadly Plain is beautifully written, thoughtful, and entertaining. J. Michael Dew gives each of his characters distinct voices and writes in a manner that makes you feel like you are going through all the emotions and tribulations alongside the main character, a young girl named Spring-baby.
The story takes you on Spring-baby's journey as she struggles to cope with death of her father. After the death of her father, Spring-baby's mother abandons her with her grandparents. It is here, in a barn, where Spring-baby searches for answers about life, death, and faith, and finds comfort in unlikely sources- a farmhand and a very special donkey. It is a story that will make you feel both hope and despair- with hope winning out in the end. It will leave the reader feeling like maybe, just maybe, there is still a little bit of magic left somewhere out there.

[Becky Filipek · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Gadly Plain' is a work of literary fiction, or even magical realism, that helps readers to ponder the realities of death, sin, and where one falls in the Greatest Story Ever Told. The prose is quite beautiful at times, but there are some places where the wording was a little confusing for me. Overall, I think Dew does a wonderful job of portraying the heaviness of grief, and the ease of unbelief.

The discussion questions at the end are great for those who would want to discuss the book, especially with children, since this story would be appropriate for older children and up. However, as I said, a discussion would be in order to help children and students think through the feelings and theology that the book covers.

I really loved the premise and the story in general, but I did not like the mystical and almost gnostic view of the body. Your body is not just a shell, it is who you are, and one of the tragedies of death is that it divorces the body from the soul. Also, I would have liked the retelling of the Bible stories to be a little more biblically accurate. I realize they were being retold secondhand by a mentally handicapped young man who had heard them from a donkey, but there's no excuse for including Noah's grandchildren on the ark when the Bible clearly says only "eight souls" were saved (1 Pet. 3:20). But these discrepancies can also be talking points for Christian parents to discuss with their children.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming to grips with the meaning of life and death, and the loss of a loved one are realities we all face, and so we can relate to the main character, "Spring-baby." A donkey named "Amen," who talks and has lived since the Garden of Eden, is a magical way to bring in the undying stories of hope. The lyrical language and over-arching themes make this delightful, mystical novel, literature.

[Jane Night · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book through a goodreads giveaway. It was a well written book but not a good match for me.
I had trouble getting into the book though i cant really say why.
Maybe it just wasnt quite what i expected.

Written using my phone so sorry about any punctuation errors.

[Monique the Book Geek]

The author of this book, Dr. Jason Dew (a.k.a. J. Michael Dew), was one of my graduate school professors.