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The Buried Book
When Althea Leary abandons her nine-year-old son, Jasper, he’s left on his uncle’s farm with nothing but a change of clothes and a Bible.
It’s 1952, and Jasper isn’t allowed to ask questions or make a fuss. He’s lucky to even have a home and must keep his mouth shut and his ears open to stay in his uncle’s good graces. No one knows where his mother went or whether she’s coming back. Desperate to see her again, he must take matters into his own hands. From the farm, he embarks on a treacherous search that will take him to the squalid hideaways of Detroit and back again, through tawdry taverns, peep shows, and gambling houses.
As he’s drawn deeper into an adult world of corruption, scandal, and murder, Jasper uncovers the shocking past still chasing his mother—and now it’s chasing him too.
409 pages, Paperback
First published August 23, 2016
3894 people are currently reading
5023 people want to read
About the author
D.M. Pulley
6 books712 followersD.M. Pulley lives in northeast Ohio with her husband, her two children, and a dog named Hobo. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as a Professional Engineer rehabbing historic structures and conducting forensic investigations of building failures. Pulley's structural survey of a vacant building in Cleveland inspired her debut novel, The Dead Key, the winner of the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Since then, Pulley has sold over a half a million books worldwide, and her work has been translated into eight different languages.
Pulley's historical mysteries shine a light into the darker side of life in the Midwest during the twentieth century, when cities like Detroit and Cleveland struggled to survive. Her latest novel, No One’s Home (due out September 1, 2019), unravels the disturbing history of an old mansion haunted by family secrets, financial ruin, and murder. The abandoned buildings, haunted houses, and buried past of the Rust Belt continue to inspire her work.
Pulley's historical mysteries shine a light into the darker side of life in the Midwest during the twentieth century, when cities like Detroit and Cleveland struggled to survive. Her latest novel, No One’s Home (due out September 1, 2019), unravels the disturbing history of an old mansion haunted by family secrets, financial ruin, and murder. The abandoned buildings, haunted houses, and buried past of the Rust Belt continue to inspire her work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,059 reviews
September 19, 2017
This book made me think of To Kill a Mockingbird. Perhaps not so much the story in itself, but, the fact that the narrator, Jasper, is only a child that abruptly has to face some serious issues when his mother leaves him at his uncle's farm. Just as Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird had to face racism and injustice Jasper comes face to face with the world where grown-ups are not always good. Jasper just can't understand why his mother has left him, and he tries the best he can to figure out why his mother left him and if she is coming back.
I have previously read another book, The Dead Key by Pulley, and it was an OK book. However, this book managed to really hook me from the start. I think having the past story of his mother growing up revealed through her diary was perfect for the story and throughout the story could one really feel how Jesper desperately tried to find out what happened to his mother. The life on the farm isn't bad, but it's not the world he is accustomed to and to make matters worse, the police seem to be looking for his mother as well. Could it be that she has done something bad?
I really felt for Jasper as I read the book. The grown-up world is dangerous and it's not always easy for him to understand things. He is only nine and he misses his mom. His father is searching for her, but he thinks it's best that Jasper is staying at the farm and there Jasper has a good new home, with his cousin and his family. But, finding his mother's diary gives him clues to her fast and perhaps even clues to how to find her. But, there seems to be danger lurking as well the more he investigates his mother's disappearance.
I really liked the book. I could hardly put it down and I recommend it warmly!
I want to thank for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
I have previously read another book, The Dead Key by Pulley, and it was an OK book. However, this book managed to really hook me from the start. I think having the past story of his mother growing up revealed through her diary was perfect for the story and throughout the story could one really feel how Jesper desperately tried to find out what happened to his mother. The life on the farm isn't bad, but it's not the world he is accustomed to and to make matters worse, the police seem to be looking for his mother as well. Could it be that she has done something bad?
I really felt for Jasper as I read the book. The grown-up world is dangerous and it's not always easy for him to understand things. He is only nine and he misses his mom. His father is searching for her, but he thinks it's best that Jasper is staying at the farm and there Jasper has a good new home, with his cousin and his family. But, finding his mother's diary gives him clues to her fast and perhaps even clues to how to find her. But, there seems to be danger lurking as well the more he investigates his mother's disappearance.
I really liked the book. I could hardly put it down and I recommend it warmly!
I want to thank for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
August 27, 2016
This is the story of a nine-year-old Jasper’s search for answers about his mother, why she has left him at his Uncle Leo’s farm, where she has gone. The drive that had started out as just a day visit to the farm had ended, shocking Jasper with her revelation of her plans to leave him there. How long? A couple of days, a few maybe, no more than a couple of weeks, probably…
He’s been deceived. He’s hurt and angry, but would forgive her all if only she’d come back.
It is August 12 1952.
His Uncle is perplexed, but mostly concerned when all she asks is that he keeps the boy safe. He wonders what Althea has got herself mixed up in this time.
“Life is a story of many voices and the truth lies between them.”
Set in the rural area outside Burtchville, Michigan, farm country back then, there are many places to wander if chores are done, and occasionally Jasper does wander, trying to piece together what has led his mother to leave him here. On one of his wanderings he comes across the remains of an old house, the roof caving in, half the house burned away. He steps carefully, testing the floorboards as he goes, finding an old mattress, a dollhouse, and a chest of drawers. He wrestles with a drawer until it pops open, and rummaging through discovers a small book and a rag doll.
“Someone had written Althea in the middle of the first page.”
What happens in the days following is a slowly revealed coming-of-age story, mysterious rural/country noir, grit-lit tale filled with family secrets, suspense, determination and even love.
Many thanks to Goodreads - I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway!
He’s been deceived. He’s hurt and angry, but would forgive her all if only she’d come back.
It is August 12 1952.
His Uncle is perplexed, but mostly concerned when all she asks is that he keeps the boy safe. He wonders what Althea has got herself mixed up in this time.
“Life is a story of many voices and the truth lies between them.”
Set in the rural area outside Burtchville, Michigan, farm country back then, there are many places to wander if chores are done, and occasionally Jasper does wander, trying to piece together what has led his mother to leave him here. On one of his wanderings he comes across the remains of an old house, the roof caving in, half the house burned away. He steps carefully, testing the floorboards as he goes, finding an old mattress, a dollhouse, and a chest of drawers. He wrestles with a drawer until it pops open, and rummaging through discovers a small book and a rag doll.
“Someone had written Althea in the middle of the first page.”
What happens in the days following is a slowly revealed coming-of-age story, mysterious rural/country noir, grit-lit tale filled with family secrets, suspense, determination and even love.
Many thanks to Goodreads - I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway!
September 22, 2016
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a free advanced electronic ARC of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.
I rated “The Buried Book” by D.M Pulley three stars. I almost rated it 2.5 to be honest, but I give it an extra .5 for good measure because, although it wasn’t entirely the book I was expecting and I was disappointed, it was still a decent read.
“The Buried Book” features nine year old Jasper, the protagonist, who is sent to live on a farm with his uncle when his mother mysteriously disappears. Jasper begins to investigate the disappearance of his mother and discovers his mother’s secret past, which immediately puts his life in danger.
I had different expectations for this book I think, and that led to my disappointment. I really enjoyed the story being told from Jasper’s perspective- it helped to animate the plot. I expected the book to be more haunting and spooky (perhaps I was misled by the cover and the description?) but it turned out not to be so, regretfully (for me). This novel had a heavy Native American and “mob” plot that I did not expect, and it was overloaded with characters, making the novel hard to follow. There were several parts in the book where (and in truth, I could place partial blame on the format of my E-reader) I had to go back and re-read, as I could not tell if the event had happened now, in the past, or was just within the imagination of young Jasper (particularly the events that “occurred” while Jasper was in a comatose state—was he dreaming those events? No, they happened…okay, but when? Was this before or after?...you get the idea).
I have never read Pulley’s work before, but her bio states that she is not an author originally, but an engineer, who gets her story ideas from the buildings she comes across during her job. I think Pulley has some writing chops and the potential to develop into a creative writer, but this novel was a whole pile of unexpected disappointment. I really loved Jasper as a character though, and I was satisfied with the ending, so that always earns some bonus points with me.
I rated “The Buried Book” by D.M Pulley three stars. I almost rated it 2.5 to be honest, but I give it an extra .5 for good measure because, although it wasn’t entirely the book I was expecting and I was disappointed, it was still a decent read.
“The Buried Book” features nine year old Jasper, the protagonist, who is sent to live on a farm with his uncle when his mother mysteriously disappears. Jasper begins to investigate the disappearance of his mother and discovers his mother’s secret past, which immediately puts his life in danger.
I had different expectations for this book I think, and that led to my disappointment. I really enjoyed the story being told from Jasper’s perspective- it helped to animate the plot. I expected the book to be more haunting and spooky (perhaps I was misled by the cover and the description?) but it turned out not to be so, regretfully (for me). This novel had a heavy Native American and “mob” plot that I did not expect, and it was overloaded with characters, making the novel hard to follow. There were several parts in the book where (and in truth, I could place partial blame on the format of my E-reader) I had to go back and re-read, as I could not tell if the event had happened now, in the past, or was just within the imagination of young Jasper (particularly the events that “occurred” while Jasper was in a comatose state—was he dreaming those events? No, they happened…okay, but when? Was this before or after?...you get the idea).
I have never read Pulley’s work before, but her bio states that she is not an author originally, but an engineer, who gets her story ideas from the buildings she comes across during her job. I think Pulley has some writing chops and the potential to develop into a creative writer, but this novel was a whole pile of unexpected disappointment. I really loved Jasper as a character though, and I was satisfied with the ending, so that always earns some bonus points with me.
August 21, 2019
D.M. Pulley returns following her award-winning debut, The Dead Key (2015-highly recommend), with an absorbing historical fiction, family saga: THE BURIED BOOK: beautiful, yet harrowing; mixed with mystery, suspense, and intrigue.
A determined nine-year-old boy’s desperate journey into the dark corners, in search for answers about his missing mother and unraveling of shocking family secrets.
Jasper was nine years old, it was 1952 and his mother, Althea Leary left him at his Uncle Leo’s farm. He begged his mom not to go. She said she was coming back. His mom wanted his uncle to keep him safe. No one would answer him or give him any explanations about his mother. He was told to keep his ears open and his mouth shut.
Desperate to find answers about this mom. What was she running from? What if she was dead or someone had killed her? Some people were looking for her. What happened to his mom? A house burning down, a grandfather dying, and his mom’s secrets . leaving him behind.
A coming-of-age domestic family suspense, a rural noir--a young boy slowly unravels the mystery of his misunderstood mother and the circumstances surrounding her leaving. He hears things about his mother. He is determined to discover the truth. Who took her away and why?
A book, a Bible with paper’s hidden. A book heavy with secrets. From 1928, Jasper reads his mother’s story. A mother tormented, desiring forgiveness, abuse, a bad man - and a boy who loves her deeply, and wants to understand.
What is the truth? Justice. A conflict of violence to loyalty. A strong bond between mother and son. A boy faced with the brutal evils and dangers of the world. From corruption, lies, scandal, and murder. An enthralling and gripping mystery, in a rural atmospheric setting, and a boy you will root for.
“There is a bond between you. You must look inside yourself, and you will find her.”
The Buried Book depicts life in rural Michigan in the early 1950s – a family saga, from Ojibwa tribes, to language, customs, and cultures. A mother’s worn leather diary. A son. A book which held the answers to everything about her. A tornado and ugliness, which tore apart the world. Your heart will break for Jasper.
I enjoyed the inspiration behind this well-researched historical tale and the note from the author: a stand-alone mystery inspired by the unexplained disappearance of one of the author’s family members, in 1950s Michigan.
From interesting pieces of her dad’s life on a dairy farm; a blending of factual true events as a backdrop for a fictional heartbreaking journey. Pulley includes an index of intriguing events and places, historical context and extensive research which adds to the engaging, THE BURIED BOOK.
In addition to the advanced reading copy, happened to be traveling and purchased the audiobook as well, narrated by Luke Daniels for an engaging performance.
Well-written, a powerful story, no one is safe from the scattered fragments of history- the author delivers depth, lushly described settings, and an inter-generational battle between good and evil, taking you through a tornado, from fear, danger, killers, thieves, gangsters, Major Crimes Act of 1885, Prohibition, Indian Reservations, as well as taverns and other small communities and landmarks.
Recommend to fans of historical country noirs, Gothic, compelling characters, and those who enjoy smartly constructed intriguing family stories, and heartfelt prose.
A special thank you to Lake Union and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
JDCMustReadBooks
A determined nine-year-old boy’s desperate journey into the dark corners, in search for answers about his missing mother and unraveling of shocking family secrets.
Jasper was nine years old, it was 1952 and his mother, Althea Leary left him at his Uncle Leo’s farm. He begged his mom not to go. She said she was coming back. His mom wanted his uncle to keep him safe. No one would answer him or give him any explanations about his mother. He was told to keep his ears open and his mouth shut.
Desperate to find answers about this mom. What was she running from? What if she was dead or someone had killed her? Some people were looking for her. What happened to his mom? A house burning down, a grandfather dying, and his mom’s secrets . leaving him behind.
A coming-of-age domestic family suspense, a rural noir--a young boy slowly unravels the mystery of his misunderstood mother and the circumstances surrounding her leaving. He hears things about his mother. He is determined to discover the truth. Who took her away and why?
A book, a Bible with paper’s hidden. A book heavy with secrets. From 1928, Jasper reads his mother’s story. A mother tormented, desiring forgiveness, abuse, a bad man - and a boy who loves her deeply, and wants to understand.
What is the truth? Justice. A conflict of violence to loyalty. A strong bond between mother and son. A boy faced with the brutal evils and dangers of the world. From corruption, lies, scandal, and murder. An enthralling and gripping mystery, in a rural atmospheric setting, and a boy you will root for.
“There is a bond between you. You must look inside yourself, and you will find her.”
The Buried Book depicts life in rural Michigan in the early 1950s – a family saga, from Ojibwa tribes, to language, customs, and cultures. A mother’s worn leather diary. A son. A book which held the answers to everything about her. A tornado and ugliness, which tore apart the world. Your heart will break for Jasper.
I enjoyed the inspiration behind this well-researched historical tale and the note from the author: a stand-alone mystery inspired by the unexplained disappearance of one of the author’s family members, in 1950s Michigan.
From interesting pieces of her dad’s life on a dairy farm; a blending of factual true events as a backdrop for a fictional heartbreaking journey. Pulley includes an index of intriguing events and places, historical context and extensive research which adds to the engaging, THE BURIED BOOK.
In addition to the advanced reading copy, happened to be traveling and purchased the audiobook as well, narrated by Luke Daniels for an engaging performance.
Well-written, a powerful story, no one is safe from the scattered fragments of history- the author delivers depth, lushly described settings, and an inter-generational battle between good and evil, taking you through a tornado, from fear, danger, killers, thieves, gangsters, Major Crimes Act of 1885, Prohibition, Indian Reservations, as well as taverns and other small communities and landmarks.
Recommend to fans of historical country noirs, Gothic, compelling characters, and those who enjoy smartly constructed intriguing family stories, and heartfelt prose.
A special thank you to Lake Union and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
JDCMustReadBooks
January 1, 2018
I can't decide between three or four stars, so I'm going with 3.5.
I won this from a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you for the eBook! Since I owned the Kindle book, I was able to get the Audible for $1.99 and do my own adult read-along.
I love the narration! It's narrated by Luke Daniels. He does a wonderful job bringing the characters to life and making their voices distinct. There were a few scenes that made me uncomfortable such as bleeding farm animals and pig castration. I could have done without those scenes! I was curious to find out why each chapter started with a question. My guess was wrong, but I didn't mind. It made the story more interesting. Overall, it's an entertaining story.
I won this from a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you for the eBook! Since I owned the Kindle book, I was able to get the Audible for $1.99 and do my own adult read-along.
I love the narration! It's narrated by Luke Daniels. He does a wonderful job bringing the characters to life and making their voices distinct. There were a few scenes that made me uncomfortable such as bleeding farm animals and pig castration. I could have done without those scenes! I was curious to find out why each chapter started with a question. My guess was wrong, but I didn't mind. It made the story more interesting. Overall, it's an entertaining story.
February 8, 2017
I wanted to love this one more than I did. So much happens to our young Jasper, so much in fact that it started to lose its plausibility. Maybe it was listening to the audiobook, where Jasper's voice was not that of a 9 year old, that kept me from connecting to him as a child. Maybe it was thinking that most of his family were assholes. I don't know. Whatever it was, it just kept me distanced from the story. Maybe after reflecting on it for a bit I will alter my judgement, but for the time being I'm marking this one down as just okay, despite technically being a well written book.
August 5, 2016
Jasper’s world falls apart one morning when his mother wakes him up and takes him to his uncle’s to live. He tries to find his mother by putting the details of her past together and when he finds a diary he thinks might be hers in the burnt out remnants of the home of her youth he realizes she is more than just his mother and can he find her. Good read. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
August 17, 2016
The synopsis of this book offered by the publisher is misleading. This book is not about a kid who is abandoned at his uncle's house and wants to find his mother. This book is about crime, drugs, corruption, fire, and tornadoes. Oh, and about Native Americans and, sadly, how horribly there were/are treated. Poor Jasper just wants his mom, but so do a lot of other people. Why they want her, what has happened, and how Jasper survives is what makes this lil ol' modest story so great! And, as always, I love when an author pulls in true events to place a story in reality. Ms. Pulley does just that. This book is for both those people who like to sit and devour a book and for those whole will linger longer over a story and let it slowly unfold.
A preview copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
A preview copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2016
Originally published at Reading Reality
The Buried Book is a chilling story about the loss of innocence and the end of childhood, told by a narrator who is unreliable for all the right reasons, but who just keeps trying to understand.
Jasper Leary is 9 years old. He feels abandoned when his somewhat mercurial mother takes him to her brother’s farm in rural Michigan, and leaves him there for an indefinite future. It is 1952 and all Jasper can see is that his mother doesn’t want him and his father doesn’t care enough to know where he is.
And living on the farm isn’t half as much fun for real as it is for vacation.
Everyone is trying to protect poor little Jasper. This isn’t the first time his mother has run off, but this is the first time she’s left him so far from home. And Jasper’s picture is probably the one in the dictionary next to the saying about “little pitchers” and “big ears”. No one tells Jasper exactly what’s going on with his mother, but he hears plenty – and all of it bad.
When he finds his mother’s childhood diary hidden away in the burned wreck of her parents’ old house, Jasper finds himself seeing into the thoughts and feelings of his mother when she was a 15-year-old girl – and discovers that there was plenty of bad stuff swimming below the surface of this sleepy little farming community back then – and fears that some of it might still be chasing his mother all these years later.
We follow Jasper as he tries to piece together a picture of what happened to his mother, then and now. There is so much that he tries to understand about the world around him, and he so often fails.
Not because he’s not intelligent, but because he has so little to go on. Everyone is trying to protect him from what they perceive as the inevitable awful truth. As far as most people are concerned, his mother is just a bad seed who probably came to her rightfully bad end. And he is, after all, just 9 years old, and he doesn’t yet understand all the terrible ways that the world works.
But she is Jasper’s mother. And he can’t give up, no matter how much trouble he gets himself into. He keeps pursuing that elusive truth, no matter how much the adults, both good and bad, try to keep him from pursuing his missing mother.
Jasper takes a journey through dark places that he is too young to understand. But he keeps going anyway. And in the end, learns that there are some things he would be better off not knowing. But he’ll never be a child again.
Escape Rating A-: The Buried Book is a story that rewards the reader’s patience. The set up takes a long time, and Jasper’s necessarily limited understanding and rightfully childish point of view can make it difficult for adult readers to get inside his head. It’s not a comfortable fit.
But it is a rewarding one. At about halfway, the story suddenly takes off. Jasper has learned enough, or stumbled into enough, that whatever is chasing his mother is also chasing him. He’s afraid to trust any of the adults in his world. He has no way of knowing friend from foe, but he is rightfully certain that the adults mostly want to stop him. And even if it is supposedly for his own good, he can’t let go.
There’s a painful lesson in here about the darkness that lies beneath, and that people don’t want to see. The events of his mother’s adolescence are still with her in Jasper’s present. She wasn’t able to trust any of the adults in her life, either. But the way that they failed her, and continue to do so, is a big part of what destroyed her life, and may also consume Jasper’s.
The end of this story is utterly heartbreaking. Jasper learns a terrible lesson. It’s the one about being careful what you wish for, because you might get it. When the story ends, Jasper is 12, and his childhood is over.
The Buried Book is a chilling story about the loss of innocence and the end of childhood, told by a narrator who is unreliable for all the right reasons, but who just keeps trying to understand.
Jasper Leary is 9 years old. He feels abandoned when his somewhat mercurial mother takes him to her brother’s farm in rural Michigan, and leaves him there for an indefinite future. It is 1952 and all Jasper can see is that his mother doesn’t want him and his father doesn’t care enough to know where he is.
And living on the farm isn’t half as much fun for real as it is for vacation.
Everyone is trying to protect poor little Jasper. This isn’t the first time his mother has run off, but this is the first time she’s left him so far from home. And Jasper’s picture is probably the one in the dictionary next to the saying about “little pitchers” and “big ears”. No one tells Jasper exactly what’s going on with his mother, but he hears plenty – and all of it bad.
When he finds his mother’s childhood diary hidden away in the burned wreck of her parents’ old house, Jasper finds himself seeing into the thoughts and feelings of his mother when she was a 15-year-old girl – and discovers that there was plenty of bad stuff swimming below the surface of this sleepy little farming community back then – and fears that some of it might still be chasing his mother all these years later.
We follow Jasper as he tries to piece together a picture of what happened to his mother, then and now. There is so much that he tries to understand about the world around him, and he so often fails.
Not because he’s not intelligent, but because he has so little to go on. Everyone is trying to protect him from what they perceive as the inevitable awful truth. As far as most people are concerned, his mother is just a bad seed who probably came to her rightfully bad end. And he is, after all, just 9 years old, and he doesn’t yet understand all the terrible ways that the world works.
But she is Jasper’s mother. And he can’t give up, no matter how much trouble he gets himself into. He keeps pursuing that elusive truth, no matter how much the adults, both good and bad, try to keep him from pursuing his missing mother.
Jasper takes a journey through dark places that he is too young to understand. But he keeps going anyway. And in the end, learns that there are some things he would be better off not knowing. But he’ll never be a child again.
Escape Rating A-: The Buried Book is a story that rewards the reader’s patience. The set up takes a long time, and Jasper’s necessarily limited understanding and rightfully childish point of view can make it difficult for adult readers to get inside his head. It’s not a comfortable fit.
But it is a rewarding one. At about halfway, the story suddenly takes off. Jasper has learned enough, or stumbled into enough, that whatever is chasing his mother is also chasing him. He’s afraid to trust any of the adults in his world. He has no way of knowing friend from foe, but he is rightfully certain that the adults mostly want to stop him. And even if it is supposedly for his own good, he can’t let go.
There’s a painful lesson in here about the darkness that lies beneath, and that people don’t want to see. The events of his mother’s adolescence are still with her in Jasper’s present. She wasn’t able to trust any of the adults in her life, either. But the way that they failed her, and continue to do so, is a big part of what destroyed her life, and may also consume Jasper’s.
The end of this story is utterly heartbreaking. Jasper learns a terrible lesson. It’s the one about being careful what you wish for, because you might get it. When the story ends, Jasper is 12, and his childhood is over.
April 7, 2017
Finally done with this one. It was long and convoluted. I kept with it because it had a strong start. Things go south when we get to the Indian reservation. That's when the story gets really twisty and boring. Too much going on. This could have been a much better book. This book suffers from disobedience to the law of 'keep it simple, stupid'. If this was stripped down and focused on Jasper and his life on the farm, with the mother's story line taking a smaller part (as it was in the first quarter of the book), we might have a four star read here. But I can only review and rate what I have here, and so I must give it what it ultimately deserves... 2 stars. I take no pleasure in this rating, because the first quarter of the book was really good. But a reader cannot live on a quarter of a book alone. So, 2 stars it is.
July 19, 2016
Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy of this title in exchange of an honest review.
Set in country America in 1953, this book really takes you back to the simplicity of living back then but at the same time tells of the dangerous side of life in that time. I was hooked right from the start and read this larger than normal tale in three sittings. Loved it. Gangsters, killers, Native Indians, goodtime girls and plain ole folks, just make this book a complete joy to read. I highly recommend this book. Good job D.M Pulley, I am now going back to read more of your work .
Set in country America in 1953, this book really takes you back to the simplicity of living back then but at the same time tells of the dangerous side of life in that time. I was hooked right from the start and read this larger than normal tale in three sittings. Loved it. Gangsters, killers, Native Indians, goodtime girls and plain ole folks, just make this book a complete joy to read. I highly recommend this book. Good job D.M Pulley, I am now going back to read more of your work .
February 4, 2017
An absolutely tremendous read! I couldn't put it down and haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I finished. A terrific, well-written story that had a mix of drama, suspense, heartache and compassion. There might be a re-read in my near future!
October 2, 2016
Good storytelling. Good characters. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
October 4, 2016
"Books are like people. Sometimes they lie."
Young Jasper's life is being turned upside down. His mother is gone. She left him at his Aunt and Uncle's farm. He loves her unconditionally, but it would be a lie to say that Jasper is not worried or confused. Why would she leave him there with no explanation? Where is she going? And why wasn't Jasper allowed to stay with his father?
Jasper soon begins to acclimate to life on the farm. He learns that everyone has to do their part to keep the estate running. Although he enjoys his time there, Jasper still longs to return home to his mother and father. But that doesn't seem likely to happen. A visit from his father confirms his worst fears, no one knows where his mother is. A remnant of his mother's past soon appears in the form of her old diary. As Jasper begins to read it, he finds out secrets that point to a dark pass and threaten to impact his future.
In The Buried Book, author D.M. Pulley weaves an edge-of-your-seat mystery with a coming of age story that thrills and incites a genuine emotional response. The novel intersperses Jasper's story with pieces of his mother's diary. With each revelation, Jasper learns more about his mother while simultaneously losing bits of his childhood innocence. The result is both riveting and heartbreaking. I raced through the pages of this book and couldn't stop thinking about if for several days after finishing. The Buried Book will leave you breathless as you burn through this fantastic story.
Young Jasper's life is being turned upside down. His mother is gone. She left him at his Aunt and Uncle's farm. He loves her unconditionally, but it would be a lie to say that Jasper is not worried or confused. Why would she leave him there with no explanation? Where is she going? And why wasn't Jasper allowed to stay with his father?
Jasper soon begins to acclimate to life on the farm. He learns that everyone has to do their part to keep the estate running. Although he enjoys his time there, Jasper still longs to return home to his mother and father. But that doesn't seem likely to happen. A visit from his father confirms his worst fears, no one knows where his mother is. A remnant of his mother's past soon appears in the form of her old diary. As Jasper begins to read it, he finds out secrets that point to a dark pass and threaten to impact his future.
In The Buried Book, author D.M. Pulley weaves an edge-of-your-seat mystery with a coming of age story that thrills and incites a genuine emotional response. The novel intersperses Jasper's story with pieces of his mother's diary. With each revelation, Jasper learns more about his mother while simultaneously losing bits of his childhood innocence. The result is both riveting and heartbreaking. I raced through the pages of this book and couldn't stop thinking about if for several days after finishing. The Buried Book will leave you breathless as you burn through this fantastic story.
September 15, 2016
The setting is 1950s America. The main character- young 9 year old Jasper, who is abandoned by his mother at his uncles farm.
Jasper tries to be a good boy and do what he is told, but he just KNOWS that there is something more going on. So he investigates..he just HAS to find his missing mother.
I was skeptical going into this book. 1950s America? Book told from a child's viewpoint? Meh. This story was marvelous!! Well written and intriguing, I couldn't wait to read the next chapter in young Jasper's quest to find his unruly mother. Gangsters, Indians and what should have been an unsolvable mystery.
I received a kindle copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Jasper tries to be a good boy and do what he is told, but he just KNOWS that there is something more going on. So he investigates..he just HAS to find his missing mother.
I was skeptical going into this book. 1950s America? Book told from a child's viewpoint? Meh. This story was marvelous!! Well written and intriguing, I couldn't wait to read the next chapter in young Jasper's quest to find his unruly mother. Gangsters, Indians and what should have been an unsolvable mystery.
I received a kindle copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
November 30, 2016
DNF - page 160
No, no, no...hell no. The story is dull in an of itself, entirely unbelievable from the mindset of a 9 year old boy, maybe a teenage boy but not a 9 year old. His inner dialogue was never believable, but beyond that nothing happens. Is this a murder mystery? Is this a crime thriller? Who knows, not me.
So, why quit now, because of the scene where the bus driver molests the 9 year old boy in the back of the bus. Literature should invoke emotion, but using child molestation is cheap and wrong. I hated this scene so much, sorry, too much negativity in the world to waste my time with this shitty filth.
No, no, no...hell no. The story is dull in an of itself, entirely unbelievable from the mindset of a 9 year old boy, maybe a teenage boy but not a 9 year old. His inner dialogue was never believable, but beyond that nothing happens. Is this a murder mystery? Is this a crime thriller? Who knows, not me.
So, why quit now, because of the scene where the bus driver molests the 9 year old boy in the back of the bus. Literature should invoke emotion, but using child molestation is cheap and wrong. I hated this scene so much, sorry, too much negativity in the world to waste my time with this shitty filth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2016
Wow! What a great story!
D.M. Pulley's writing style captures me and doesn't let go....This book kept me riveted from the beginning. I was hooked on her writing when I read her first novel, The Dead Key. Her second, The Buried Book, convinced me that this talented lady has many more stories to come.... and I intend to keep reading them. Many thanks to the author for sharing her special gift with readers!
D.M. Pulley's writing style captures me and doesn't let go....This book kept me riveted from the beginning. I was hooked on her writing when I read her first novel, The Dead Key. Her second, The Buried Book, convinced me that this talented lady has many more stories to come.... and I intend to keep reading them. Many thanks to the author for sharing her special gift with readers!
November 8, 2019
Overall a very enjoyable book that kept me wanting to read to find out more. I'm not sure I have ever read a book before highlighting violence against women in the 1930s through 1950s as seen through the eyes of a male child who is trying to piece together the mystery surrounding his mother's willing disappearance. It was interesting and sometimes perhaps a bit implausible. It's heartbreaking and sickening how often these atrocities are kept secret under the pretense of preserving the female's dignity. It's sickening how many women are not believed and even blamed for what has been done to them. Sometimes it seems like nothing much has changed...
October 11, 2016
The Buried Book is told through the eyes of 9-year-old Jasper who has just been abandoned by his mother on his uncle’s farm outside Detroit. Jasper doesn’t understand why his mom has run off. Snippets of conversations he overhears in the barn or in town lead him to believe his mother might be dead. While adapting to farm life and trying to glean more hints about his mother’s disappearance, Jasper discovers his mother’s teenage diary in an abandoned house on his uncle’s property. This book only raises more questions than it answers, and Jasper is determined to find out what happened to his mother. He finds that his mom has gotten mixed up with some bad people (drug smugglers, gamblers, and bootleggers), and now the bad guys are after him, too.
Pulley has done her research. Set in the rural 1950s, many stories of farm life are interspersed into Jasper’s adventures. This made for an extremely entertaining but tense story, as everywhere Jasper turned he was running into trouble. This book is not just a linear mystery tale - this is a family saga, a story of fugitives, a story of the mistreatment of Native Americans at the hand of shady law enforcement, and the tale of a little boy trying to understand the world of adults. I appreciated how deftly Pulley was able to use historical fact in her story without being pedantic or heavy-handed. There are so many elements at work, and yet, Pulley weaves them into a cohesive narrative that left me flipping the pages to find out what happened next. The chapter titles are written as police investigator interrogatives, which hints at what’s to come.
This story was engrossing with just enough breaks in the story to allow the reader to catch a breath. Recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this advance copy.
Pulley has done her research. Set in the rural 1950s, many stories of farm life are interspersed into Jasper’s adventures. This made for an extremely entertaining but tense story, as everywhere Jasper turned he was running into trouble. This book is not just a linear mystery tale - this is a family saga, a story of fugitives, a story of the mistreatment of Native Americans at the hand of shady law enforcement, and the tale of a little boy trying to understand the world of adults. I appreciated how deftly Pulley was able to use historical fact in her story without being pedantic or heavy-handed. There are so many elements at work, and yet, Pulley weaves them into a cohesive narrative that left me flipping the pages to find out what happened next. The chapter titles are written as police investigator interrogatives, which hints at what’s to come.
This story was engrossing with just enough breaks in the story to allow the reader to catch a breath. Recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this advance copy.
August 4, 2016
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
" Life is a story of many voices, and the truth lies between them"
Written from the perspective of a young boy, this is the story of Jasper, whose world falls asunder one morning when his mother wakes him hurriedly and takes him to his uncles farm to stay, then drives off and disappears. Jasper must piece together his mother's past from a patchwork of clues if he is going to find her, and the starting point for his hunt is a diary he finds in the burnt out remains of her teenage home. Gradually he begins to discover a woman very different from the one he thought he knew, but will he be able to find and save her ?
The author does really well to capture the voice of Jasper, and shows a great understanding of the frustrations of being a child on the cusp of adulthood, particularly when it comes to secrets and feeling like the truth is being withheld. I also thought she did a wonderful job of conveying his innocence, which made the ending of the book , and the realizations he makes particularly poignant.
There are many other interesting voices in the book, particularly the gruff but kind Uncle Leo and the kind and wise Dr Whitebird to mention just two of a wonderful cast of characters. Jasper gleans a little knowledge about his mother from each of these voices, and it is through this that the truth is eventually revealed.
If I had any slight criticism it is that the chapter headings were a little distracting, and took me out of the the unfolding story, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book as a combination of a coming of age story with a gripping mystery at its heart , and an interesting and well researched historical setting. As an adult I have rarely felt so engaged with a child protagonist but I felt compelled to follow Jasper on his journey and found myself rooting for him along the way.
" Life is a story of many voices, and the truth lies between them"
Written from the perspective of a young boy, this is the story of Jasper, whose world falls asunder one morning when his mother wakes him hurriedly and takes him to his uncles farm to stay, then drives off and disappears. Jasper must piece together his mother's past from a patchwork of clues if he is going to find her, and the starting point for his hunt is a diary he finds in the burnt out remains of her teenage home. Gradually he begins to discover a woman very different from the one he thought he knew, but will he be able to find and save her ?
The author does really well to capture the voice of Jasper, and shows a great understanding of the frustrations of being a child on the cusp of adulthood, particularly when it comes to secrets and feeling like the truth is being withheld. I also thought she did a wonderful job of conveying his innocence, which made the ending of the book , and the realizations he makes particularly poignant.
There are many other interesting voices in the book, particularly the gruff but kind Uncle Leo and the kind and wise Dr Whitebird to mention just two of a wonderful cast of characters. Jasper gleans a little knowledge about his mother from each of these voices, and it is through this that the truth is eventually revealed.
If I had any slight criticism it is that the chapter headings were a little distracting, and took me out of the the unfolding story, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book as a combination of a coming of age story with a gripping mystery at its heart , and an interesting and well researched historical setting. As an adult I have rarely felt so engaged with a child protagonist but I felt compelled to follow Jasper on his journey and found myself rooting for him along the way.
August 25, 2016
Wow, another good read for me, and another new 'favorite' author. Like I said in another review just recently. It's like I am on the band wagon, of addicting books, and can't seem to pry myself off, or don't even want to for that matter..lol..
I have been coming across a lot of new authors, either debut or new to me, especially since I have been submitting entries in the bookreads giveaway, and been winning!!
To date I have won 6 books, this one included, which has opened me up to different genres and authors which I would of never purchased on my own.
Anyway, I loved this book. Didn't think I would esp how the narrator is a little boy, but I was wrong. I am not much of a 'book reviewer' that I see a lot on here, with all those explanatory words and expressions of feelings, I wish I could write reviews like that though. So I am left with just using my words and expressions as best as I can.
With that, I will say that this book made me laugh out loud, cry, hurt and feel pain for some of the characters, powerless to help, and very very angry at a few of the characters as well. And when a book can make me feel all these feelings, like it's for real, then to me this a damn good book.
Pick it up. You won't be disappointed.
I have been coming across a lot of new authors, either debut or new to me, especially since I have been submitting entries in the bookreads giveaway, and been winning!!
To date I have won 6 books, this one included, which has opened me up to different genres and authors which I would of never purchased on my own.
Anyway, I loved this book. Didn't think I would esp how the narrator is a little boy, but I was wrong. I am not much of a 'book reviewer' that I see a lot on here, with all those explanatory words and expressions of feelings, I wish I could write reviews like that though. So I am left with just using my words and expressions as best as I can.
With that, I will say that this book made me laugh out loud, cry, hurt and feel pain for some of the characters, powerless to help, and very very angry at a few of the characters as well. And when a book can make me feel all these feelings, like it's for real, then to me this a damn good book.
Pick it up. You won't be disappointed.
January 17, 2017
This was a Audible Daily Deal and had such great ratings that I gave it a try. For me, it was depressing and a bit confusing. It was hard to distinguish who wasn't the bad guys. They all seemed bad, even the family at times. I liked the story being told from 9 year old Jasper's point of view
but it was unrealistic to me how many times this kid could get seriously injured. Maybe that is what it was like on a farm in that era but it was exhausting.
The ending had a decent finish but I'm still not sure who killed whom and the final results of it all. It was a bit unsatisfying.
I'm off to a lighter, funny book to break the mood.
September 13, 2016
I thought this book was very good! Jasper is a great character and believe me, you do not know what is going to happen until the end. The writing is that good! Must Read! (Gerard's review)
I thought this was really good because it kept my curiosity up wondering what happened to his mother and if he would ever see her again. The title chapters also were pretty clever and wasn't sure who it was that was being interrogated. I felt very bad for poor Jasper. I thought it moved a little slow though and did not care for all the swearing in it. (Karen's review)
I thought this was really good because it kept my curiosity up wondering what happened to his mother and if he would ever see her again. The title chapters also were pretty clever and wasn't sure who it was that was being interrogated. I felt very bad for poor Jasper. I thought it moved a little slow though and did not care for all the swearing in it. (Karen's review)
September 3, 2016
Poor Jasper, only nine years old, experiences more in his short life than most people do in a lifetime. Plus he is left by his mother with a loving uncle and aunt. He misses his mom so much that he can't stop looking for her and this is what causes all his troubles. You wonder how he can still be alive after all of his close calls! Didn't really think his mom was still alive but kept on reading to find out!
September 30, 2017
Hum - there were things that I really liked about this book. Jasper was a great character and felt authentic. The rural America 1950s setting worked well for me. Things happen to Jasper - mostly less than pleasant and often moving. To start with they really grabbed me and kept me interested. By the latter stages too many things had happened to him and I grew less convinced. Not a bad read and maybe 3.5/5 but a third shorter might have made it twice as powerful.
September 21, 2018
"Bücher sind wie Menschen. Manche von ihnen Lügen."
Jasper wird spontan von seiner Mutter auf der Farm seines Onkels abgesetzt, er fleht sie an nicht zu gehen, sie verspricht bald wiederzukommen. Den Onkel scheint das merkwürdige Verhalten seiner Schwester nicht zu wundern.
Die Geschichte ist interessant und vor allem die Sicht des 9-jährigen Jasper macht sie außergewöhnlich. Niemand erklärt ihm was los ist und nachdem er ein altes Tagebuch seiner Mutter findet, macht er sich selbst auf die Suche nach Antworten und wirbelt langsam alte Geheimnisse auf, aber auch Gefahr.
Typisch Kind, sind seine Gedanken nicht immer nachvollziehbar aber mich hat er total mitgerissen. Sein Abenteuer sich in seinem neuen Leben zurechtzufinden und die entschlossene Suche nach seiner Mutter haben mich total gepackt.
Die alte Farm und die beklemmende ländliche Atmosphäre geben dazu perfekte Setting.
Das Ende fand ich auch super. Ich weiß nicht was ich erwartet hatte aber auf jeden Fall nicht das.
Jasper wird spontan von seiner Mutter auf der Farm seines Onkels abgesetzt, er fleht sie an nicht zu gehen, sie verspricht bald wiederzukommen. Den Onkel scheint das merkwürdige Verhalten seiner Schwester nicht zu wundern.
Die Geschichte ist interessant und vor allem die Sicht des 9-jährigen Jasper macht sie außergewöhnlich. Niemand erklärt ihm was los ist und nachdem er ein altes Tagebuch seiner Mutter findet, macht er sich selbst auf die Suche nach Antworten und wirbelt langsam alte Geheimnisse auf, aber auch Gefahr.
Typisch Kind, sind seine Gedanken nicht immer nachvollziehbar aber mich hat er total mitgerissen. Sein Abenteuer sich in seinem neuen Leben zurechtzufinden und die entschlossene Suche nach seiner Mutter haben mich total gepackt.
Die alte Farm und die beklemmende ländliche Atmosphäre geben dazu perfekte Setting.
Das Ende fand ich auch super. Ich weiß nicht was ich erwartet hatte aber auf jeden Fall nicht das.
August 25, 2016
Very good historical account of 1952 Detroit and rural Michigan seen through the eyes of a young boy!
Nine year old Jasper Leary has just been abandoned at his uncle’s farm by his mother. Sure she has left him here before, but she was full of deception today. She just said they would visit for the day, but then she had a suitcase packed and everything. Jasper doesn’t know when he will see her again, so he tries to fall in line with his older cousin on the farm. Only problem is that he really misses his mom. When he discovers the old family house still has his mom’s childhood diary in it, he knows he must try to find her. Only problem is, so does everyone else it seems. Even a Detroit detective has shown up asking questions about her and where she is. After his father comes to pick him up and take him home, he stays with a neighbor and things happen in his apartment. In an attempt to get away, he ends up at some places a kid should never be, including a peep show and alone on a bus back to his uncle’s farm. Somehow, his mother is involved with the neighboring Indian reservation. There is death, destruction, and drug trafficking, but what does Jasper’s mother have to do with it?
I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The whole book is told from Jasper’s viewpoint and Pulley does a great job of having this read like a nine year old’s mind. And the trip down memory lane to 1952 was really fun too. It was a different time and she did a great job of showcasing the back streets of Detroit as well.
There is some disturbing material throughout the book, but it is really just how it is. It’s not a shock and awe that the author is trying to go for, it is just what could honestly happen to a lone nine year old boy. And all of the sexual taboo mentioned and portrayed throughout is not understood by Jasper. So, while the reader understands what is going on (and likely cringing) Jasper is just as confused as ever and never really gets to a point that he does understand. So, very well played out by Pulley.
Even so, I would not recommend this book for YA audiences. Likely that this book could be picked up by a university class at some point for a required reading.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through the TLC Book Tours. The views and opinions expressed throughout are mine.
Nine year old Jasper Leary has just been abandoned at his uncle’s farm by his mother. Sure she has left him here before, but she was full of deception today. She just said they would visit for the day, but then she had a suitcase packed and everything. Jasper doesn’t know when he will see her again, so he tries to fall in line with his older cousin on the farm. Only problem is that he really misses his mom. When he discovers the old family house still has his mom’s childhood diary in it, he knows he must try to find her. Only problem is, so does everyone else it seems. Even a Detroit detective has shown up asking questions about her and where she is. After his father comes to pick him up and take him home, he stays with a neighbor and things happen in his apartment. In an attempt to get away, he ends up at some places a kid should never be, including a peep show and alone on a bus back to his uncle’s farm. Somehow, his mother is involved with the neighboring Indian reservation. There is death, destruction, and drug trafficking, but what does Jasper’s mother have to do with it?
I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The whole book is told from Jasper’s viewpoint and Pulley does a great job of having this read like a nine year old’s mind. And the trip down memory lane to 1952 was really fun too. It was a different time and she did a great job of showcasing the back streets of Detroit as well.
There is some disturbing material throughout the book, but it is really just how it is. It’s not a shock and awe that the author is trying to go for, it is just what could honestly happen to a lone nine year old boy. And all of the sexual taboo mentioned and portrayed throughout is not understood by Jasper. So, while the reader understands what is going on (and likely cringing) Jasper is just as confused as ever and never really gets to a point that he does understand. So, very well played out by Pulley.
Even so, I would not recommend this book for YA audiences. Likely that this book could be picked up by a university class at some point for a required reading.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through the TLC Book Tours. The views and opinions expressed throughout are mine.
August 30, 2016
The Buried Book is told through the eyes of 9-year-old Jasper who has just been abandoned by his mother on his uncle’s farm outside Detroit. Jasper doesn’t understand why his mom has run off. Snippets of conversations he overhears in the barn or in town lead him to believe his mother might be dead. While adapting to farm life and trying to glean more hints about his mother’s disappearance, Jasper discovers his mother’s teenage diary in an abandoned house on his uncle’s property. This book only raises more questions than it answers, and Jasper is determined to find out what happened to his mother. He finds that his mom has gotten mixed up with some bad people (drug smugglers, gamblers, and bootleggers), and now the bad guys are after him, too.
Pulley has done her research. Set in the rural 1950s, many stories of farm life are interspersed into Jasper’s adventures. This made for an extremely entertaining but tense story, as everywhere Jasper turned he was running into trouble. This book is not just a linear mystery tale - this is a family saga, a story of fugitives, a story of the mistreatment of Native Americans at the hand of shady law enforcement, and the tale of a little boy trying to understand the world of adults. I appreciated how deftly Pulley was able to use historical fact in her story without being pedantic or heavy-handed. There are so many elements at work, and yet, Pulley weaves them into a cohesive narrative that left me flipping the pages to find out what happened next. The chapter titles are written as police investigator interrogatives, which hints at what’s to come.
This story was engrossing with just enough breaks in the story to allow the reader to catch a breath. Recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this advance copy.
Pulley has done her research. Set in the rural 1950s, many stories of farm life are interspersed into Jasper’s adventures. This made for an extremely entertaining but tense story, as everywhere Jasper turned he was running into trouble. This book is not just a linear mystery tale - this is a family saga, a story of fugitives, a story of the mistreatment of Native Americans at the hand of shady law enforcement, and the tale of a little boy trying to understand the world of adults. I appreciated how deftly Pulley was able to use historical fact in her story without being pedantic or heavy-handed. There are so many elements at work, and yet, Pulley weaves them into a cohesive narrative that left me flipping the pages to find out what happened next. The chapter titles are written as police investigator interrogatives, which hints at what’s to come.
This story was engrossing with just enough breaks in the story to allow the reader to catch a breath. Recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this advance copy.
May 17, 2017
This is an overly ambitious thriller. It falls somewhere between a 2 and 3 star rating. I decided on a 3 because but for the ending, it was decent.
The main character Jasper is 9 years old when the book starts and probably 11 when it ends. I find it impossible to believe that a 9 year old could actually have survived the oh so many imminent death/capture situations this young boy did. There were some unbelievable, and unnecessary, twists in this book.
Jasper's mother Althea drops Jasper off with his suitcase at his aunt and uncle's farm and then she disappears. Jasper never gets up trying to find out where she is and what has happened to her -- to his detriment. In addition to gangsters and some bribed law authorities, it seems the farm and nature are also after this young fellow, as he is thrown from a tractor and tossed around by a tornado. In addition to listening at windows and asking questions that cause him future questions, Jasper also manages to get paddled at school and by his uncle. He almost burns down the barn, an action that gets him a two-night stay at the Indian reservation clinic, a place he returns to again after he is almost killed during an incident that results in the old farmstead burning down. Poor Jasper does indeed seem to attract trouble.
Eventually, all the bad guys seem to have been taken care of and Jasper is still alive. If the book had ended then, I would have thought it a decent read. But then another twist concerning Jasper's mother, one that really felt contrived. The ending did not make a lot of sense to me.
One thing that annoyed me with the audio were the voices the narrator used for some of the characters that seemed completely inconsistent with the character's actions, especially for Jasper's cousin Wayne.
The main character Jasper is 9 years old when the book starts and probably 11 when it ends. I find it impossible to believe that a 9 year old could actually have survived the oh so many imminent death/capture situations this young boy did. There were some unbelievable, and unnecessary, twists in this book.
Jasper's mother Althea drops Jasper off with his suitcase at his aunt and uncle's farm and then she disappears. Jasper never gets up trying to find out where she is and what has happened to her -- to his detriment. In addition to gangsters and some bribed law authorities, it seems the farm and nature are also after this young fellow, as he is thrown from a tractor and tossed around by a tornado. In addition to listening at windows and asking questions that cause him future questions, Jasper also manages to get paddled at school and by his uncle. He almost burns down the barn, an action that gets him a two-night stay at the Indian reservation clinic, a place he returns to again after he is almost killed during an incident that results in the old farmstead burning down. Poor Jasper does indeed seem to attract trouble.
Eventually, all the bad guys seem to have been taken care of and Jasper is still alive. If the book had ended then, I would have thought it a decent read. But then another twist concerning Jasper's mother, one that really felt contrived. The ending did not make a lot of sense to me.
One thing that annoyed me with the audio were the voices the narrator used for some of the characters that seemed completely inconsistent with the character's actions, especially for Jasper's cousin Wayne.
July 30, 2016
9 year old Jasper sits in the car with is mother on the way to visit the aunt and uncle on their farm which is located in a rural area, but he couldn’t shake of the feeling that something was wrong. He is only 9 but has a bad habit of noticing thing he wasn’t supposed to. He was too smart for his own good his mum always told him.
What Jasper didn’t know is that a suitcase has been packed for him and that his mother leaves him with the words: I’ll be back soon.
This historical fiction brings you into the rural areas of Michigan. Farmers trying to make a living with an Indian reservoir close by, gangsters, killers, dirty old man and a 9 year old boy trying to find his mother. Jasper get’s into the past of his mother to find clues and learns that live is a story of many voices and the truth lies in-between them.
This is a fantastic read. The story itself got me hooked and I read the book in 3 sittings. I found it a great read and a book to my liking!
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
What Jasper didn’t know is that a suitcase has been packed for him and that his mother leaves him with the words: I’ll be back soon.
This historical fiction brings you into the rural areas of Michigan. Farmers trying to make a living with an Indian reservoir close by, gangsters, killers, dirty old man and a 9 year old boy trying to find his mother. Jasper get’s into the past of his mother to find clues and learns that live is a story of many voices and the truth lies in-between them.
This is a fantastic read. The story itself got me hooked and I read the book in 3 sittings. I found it a great read and a book to my liking!
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
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