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The Coloring Scroll
THE COLORING SCROLL How do you make magic? That is the question that obsesses D.S. Maxwell as he confronts life from his home above his parents’ small-town grocery store. As a child, D.S. dreams of becoming a sorcerer. When his older sister Emily Grace reads him Lord Byron’s “Manfred,” D.S. yearns for a castle in the Alps where he can talk to spirits and cast spells. He plans to make his parents rich, banish his meddlesome Grandma to a far place where she won’t boss him anymore, and turn over his spoiled little brother Critter to a band of obliging demons. But for Emily Grace, a tall, homely genius of a girl, D.S. will make everything wonderful. In his eyes, Emily Grace’s wisdom makes her the beautiful woman Nature did not. He vows to be her best friend forever. Then she leaves for college, and D.S. is forced to grow up alone. A moody, solitary child, he doesn’t fit in with Critter and the other boys, and he’s horrified when he uncovers the adult version of love. His artistic talent becomes his only refuge. As he passes from high school to college, he hones his powers, then sets off to San Francisco, where Emily Grace now lives, to become a great artist. What’s the point in desiring less? With D.S. as narrator, The Coloring Scroll follows D.S., Emily Grace, and Critter from a rainy summer of childhood coloring to the realities of an adult world where magic is often in short supply. Critter seems to get the biggest share as a Hollywood movie star. Emily Grace earns the recognition of her peers as an editor of rare philosophical books. D.S. must settle for a lesser sorcery as a popular artist, but he gets one thing a love he’s always wanted, a love he intends to keep.
240 pages, Paperback
Published November 22, 2015
5 people want to read
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January 25, 2016
Author Arliss Ryan’s fifth book was actually the first book she wrote and I’m sure her followers are pleased it has finally been published. The initial feel of the story is claustrophobic. A three-generation family of six living in cramped quarters above the parents’ grocery store. Secret hideouts where the narrator and middle child, D.S. curls up for long periods to both dream, plot and eavesdrop. D.S’s introverted personality and insecurities. The ongoing competition bordering on hatred between D.S. and his attractive, extraverted and manipulative younger brother, Critter. The fear of never being able to escape.
Eventually, D.S., Critter, and their brilliant older sister, Emily Grace, find their way in the larger world. This reader who also grew up in the Midwest in a large, complex family, identified with their individual journeys, feared for them along the way and rejoiced at their small and large triumphs.
Through their childhood, the one endeavor the children shared was coloring together a scroll which when fully opened reached from one wall of their home to the other. The pre-drawn sketches represented the outer world to them, enticed them, encouraged discussion among them, and helped form their individual visions for their future. The author uses the scroll to great effect referring back to it often even in the later chapters.
Congratulations, Arliss Ryan. A delight!
* * * *
Judith K. White, author, Amsterdam Trilogy
Eventually, D.S., Critter, and their brilliant older sister, Emily Grace, find their way in the larger world. This reader who also grew up in the Midwest in a large, complex family, identified with their individual journeys, feared for them along the way and rejoiced at their small and large triumphs.
Through their childhood, the one endeavor the children shared was coloring together a scroll which when fully opened reached from one wall of their home to the other. The pre-drawn sketches represented the outer world to them, enticed them, encouraged discussion among them, and helped form their individual visions for their future. The author uses the scroll to great effect referring back to it often even in the later chapters.
Congratulations, Arliss Ryan. A delight!
* * * *
Judith K. White, author, Amsterdam Trilogy
Displaying 1 of 1 review