What do you think?
Rate this book
Blue Hole Back Home
In a time when cross burnings and men in white hoods appeared to be a thing of the past, a small town confronts a kind of hate it thought had long since died out…
Shelby Lenoir Maynard, nicknamed Turtle, has never much trusted girls her own age, spending her days instead with her brother and his pack of friends. But when a mysterious Sri Lankan girl of Moorish descent moves to town, Turtle invites her to their secret haven: the Blue Hole. Turtle could not have imagined how much that simple gesture would alter the rest of her life, or the lives of those she loves...
Shelby Lenoir Maynard, nicknamed Turtle, has never much trusted girls her own age, spending her days instead with her brother and his pack of friends. But when a mysterious Sri Lankan girl of Moorish descent moves to town, Turtle invites her to their secret haven: the Blue Hole. Turtle could not have imagined how much that simple gesture would alter the rest of her life, or the lives of those she loves...
400 pages, Paperback
First published February 29, 2008
756 people are currently reading
1900 people want to read
About the author
Joy Jordan-Lake
16 books508 followersJoy Jordan-Lake's varied--and admittedly odd--professional experience has included working as a college professor, author, journalist, waitress, director of a program for homeless families, university chaplain, horseback riding instructor, free lance photographer, and --the job title that remains her personal favorite--head sailing instructor.
Born in Washington, D.C., Joy Jordan-Lake's first vivid childhood memory was watching her mother weep in front of the television, where newscasters were just reporting the shooting of Martin Luther King, Jr. Later moving south with her family, she grew up on Signal Mountain, Tennessee, just outside Chattanooga, where she learned to observe the ways in which communities respond with courage to bigotry and violence--or fail to do so.
After earning a bachelors degree from Furman University and a masters from a theological seminary, Joy re-located to the Boston, Massachusetts, area where she earned a masters and a Ph.D. in English Literature from Tufts University, and specialized in the role of race in 19-century American fiction.
While in New England, she founded a food pantry targeting low-income and homeless families, served on the staff of a multi-ethnic church in Cambridge, worked as a free-lance journalist, and became a Baptist chaplain at Harvard. Her first book, Grit and Grace: Portraits of a Woman's Life (Harold Shaw Publishers, 1997), was a collection of stories, poems and essays which The Chicago Tribune described this way: "Written with much heart and wit, this little gem of a book touches on the ordinary and profound experiences that make up a woman's life . . . a poignant and satisfying collection . . . funny and sad, inspiring and awfully surprising."
Joy's second book, Whitewashing Uncle Tom's Cabin: Nineteenth-Century Women Novelists Respond to Stowe (Vanderbilt University Press, 2005) continued her doctoral dissertation work, exploring the inter-weavings of literature, theology, and race in American culture.
During this period, life for Joy and her husband, Todd Lake, was becoming increasingly chaotic with two careers, numerous re-locations for Todd's work, two young biological children and the adoption of a baby girl from China. Joy's nearly-manic need to ask everyone around her about how they managed--or not--to balance kids and career led to her third book, Working Families: Navigating the Demands and Delights of Marriage, Parenting and Career (WaterBrook/ Random House, 2007). Publishers Weekly called the book, "refreshing for its social conscience," and written with "sharp humor and snappy prose."
In its review of Joy's fourth book, Why Jesus Makes Me Nervous: Ten Alarming Words of Faith (Paraclete Press, 2007), Publishers Weekly again praised the author: "A professor at Belmont University and a former Baptist chaplain at Harvard University , the author mines her personal history...to illumine and interpret ideas such as...hope. Sometimes wry, occasionally stern, Jordan-Lake, with a touch of Southern gothic sensibility...has a gift for welcoming, lucid and insightful prose...."
Joy's first novel, Blue Hole Back Home, published in 2008 and inspired by actual events from her own teenage years, explores the tensions and eventual violence that erupt in a small, all-white Appalachian town when a Sri Lankan family moves in. Ultimately, Blue Hole Back Home, which bestselling author Leif Enger called "beautifully crafted," is a story not only of the devastating effects of racial hatred and cowardice, but more centrally, a celebration of courage, confrontation and healing. Used in a variety of classroom and book club settings, Blue Hole Back Home was chosen in 2009 as Baylor University's Common Book, and as the Common Book at Amarillo College in 2014.
Joy's latest novel, to be released in fall of 2017, is A Tangled Mercy. Told in alternating tales at once haunting and redemptive, A Tangled Mercy is a quintessentially American epic rooted in heartbr
Born in Washington, D.C., Joy Jordan-Lake's first vivid childhood memory was watching her mother weep in front of the television, where newscasters were just reporting the shooting of Martin Luther King, Jr. Later moving south with her family, she grew up on Signal Mountain, Tennessee, just outside Chattanooga, where she learned to observe the ways in which communities respond with courage to bigotry and violence--or fail to do so.
After earning a bachelors degree from Furman University and a masters from a theological seminary, Joy re-located to the Boston, Massachusetts, area where she earned a masters and a Ph.D. in English Literature from Tufts University, and specialized in the role of race in 19-century American fiction.
While in New England, she founded a food pantry targeting low-income and homeless families, served on the staff of a multi-ethnic church in Cambridge, worked as a free-lance journalist, and became a Baptist chaplain at Harvard. Her first book, Grit and Grace: Portraits of a Woman's Life (Harold Shaw Publishers, 1997), was a collection of stories, poems and essays which The Chicago Tribune described this way: "Written with much heart and wit, this little gem of a book touches on the ordinary and profound experiences that make up a woman's life . . . a poignant and satisfying collection . . . funny and sad, inspiring and awfully surprising."
Joy's second book, Whitewashing Uncle Tom's Cabin: Nineteenth-Century Women Novelists Respond to Stowe (Vanderbilt University Press, 2005) continued her doctoral dissertation work, exploring the inter-weavings of literature, theology, and race in American culture.
During this period, life for Joy and her husband, Todd Lake, was becoming increasingly chaotic with two careers, numerous re-locations for Todd's work, two young biological children and the adoption of a baby girl from China. Joy's nearly-manic need to ask everyone around her about how they managed--or not--to balance kids and career led to her third book, Working Families: Navigating the Demands and Delights of Marriage, Parenting and Career (WaterBrook/ Random House, 2007). Publishers Weekly called the book, "refreshing for its social conscience," and written with "sharp humor and snappy prose."
In its review of Joy's fourth book, Why Jesus Makes Me Nervous: Ten Alarming Words of Faith (Paraclete Press, 2007), Publishers Weekly again praised the author: "A professor at Belmont University and a former Baptist chaplain at Harvard University , the author mines her personal history...to illumine and interpret ideas such as...hope. Sometimes wry, occasionally stern, Jordan-Lake, with a touch of Southern gothic sensibility...has a gift for welcoming, lucid and insightful prose...."
Joy's first novel, Blue Hole Back Home, published in 2008 and inspired by actual events from her own teenage years, explores the tensions and eventual violence that erupt in a small, all-white Appalachian town when a Sri Lankan family moves in. Ultimately, Blue Hole Back Home, which bestselling author Leif Enger called "beautifully crafted," is a story not only of the devastating effects of racial hatred and cowardice, but more centrally, a celebration of courage, confrontation and healing. Used in a variety of classroom and book club settings, Blue Hole Back Home was chosen in 2009 as Baylor University's Common Book, and as the Common Book at Amarillo College in 2014.
Joy's latest novel, to be released in fall of 2017, is A Tangled Mercy. Told in alternating tales at once haunting and redemptive, A Tangled Mercy is a quintessentially American epic rooted in heartbr
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
November 25, 2018
I must say the writing in this book is fabulous; it is absolutely stunning in its stark simplicity, perfect pacing, and superb character development. This is the kind of book that pushes all other books aside (and that's saying a lot coming from a multi-book reader like me - I usually have five or six going at once) and will probably stay with me the rest of my life. Joy Jordan-Lake takes simple words and strings them together into sentences of pure gold.
However, I was also completely disappointed with this book - it fell so utterly short of being a masterpiece (and it could truly be one, I think, with the author's stupendous writing skills).
I am growing more and more disturbed with the current trend among Christian fiction writers to go so far in portraying what they think is reality that they actually miss reality.
After reading this book, I felt like the overall point of it was: LIFE IS INSANE. And I agree...(tell me something I don't already know). The author shows you the awfulness of racial strife, of teenage life, of life cut short, of hypocritical big-haired Christians - and I agree with her. Life is crazy, life is awful. It is bad.
But that is not the whole story!
I don't want to be left with misery and despair after finishing a book, especially one that is supposed to be Christian! We of all people should know that there is HOPE in life, that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that this life is not IT.
Why, oh why, does Joy Jordan-Lake take so much time and effort to tell me that life is evil and then leave me utterly hopeless? Is all this expended just to portray "real" life? For those who don't acknowledge God, this is probably real life for them. But aren't they actually blind to a whole other realm of life and reality?
I already know that this world is messed up! I need my eyes to be lifted from this terrible existence to the beauty and hope of spiritual life (and the hope of a physical life transformed).
Let's not try to be so "real" and relevant that we wander into the nightmare fantasy of godlessness.
However, I was also completely disappointed with this book - it fell so utterly short of being a masterpiece (and it could truly be one, I think, with the author's stupendous writing skills).
I am growing more and more disturbed with the current trend among Christian fiction writers to go so far in portraying what they think is reality that they actually miss reality.
After reading this book, I felt like the overall point of it was: LIFE IS INSANE. And I agree...(tell me something I don't already know). The author shows you the awfulness of racial strife, of teenage life, of life cut short, of hypocritical big-haired Christians - and I agree with her. Life is crazy, life is awful. It is bad.
But that is not the whole story!
I don't want to be left with misery and despair after finishing a book, especially one that is supposed to be Christian! We of all people should know that there is HOPE in life, that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that this life is not IT.
Why, oh why, does Joy Jordan-Lake take so much time and effort to tell me that life is evil and then leave me utterly hopeless? Is all this expended just to portray "real" life? For those who don't acknowledge God, this is probably real life for them. But aren't they actually blind to a whole other realm of life and reality?
I already know that this world is messed up! I need my eyes to be lifted from this terrible existence to the beauty and hope of spiritual life (and the hope of a physical life transformed).
Let's not try to be so "real" and relevant that we wander into the nightmare fantasy of godlessness.
November 2, 2017
A moving coming of age story that will leave readers with much to think about.
Told in retrospect, from the first person viewpoint of a woman recalling a pivotal summertime when her small world in the North Carolina mountains lost its sense of peace, and the 'blue hole' swimming spot became a crucible for friendship, justice, and mercy.
Told in the lyrical Southern style of mountain raised teenagers, the story lulled me into feeling like I was there, jumping into the back of a pickup with the 'mangy pack' on a hot day in 1979. It was an interesting, well drawn set of characters, full of the hopefulness of life, yet finding the truth of things the hard way. Fell a little in love with 'Jimbo' like Turtle did, as his kindness and sincerity was shown in "...always digging out room for a chance that somebody could change." Felt sad for Sanna as she realizes America--at least in that corner of it--isn't the end of the rainbow that her father hoped for.
The series of events built up the tension so well, it was like watching a show where you knew that something awful would happen, but couldn't look away until it was over. The main theme of the destructiveness and evil of prejudice is sadly still one our country struggles with. Also the courage it takes to stand up against it is hard sometimes, but not doing anything is like agreeing with it. It felt like a story from the 50's, not in my lifetime, but unfortunately is based on real incidents of the late 70's.
"...maybe we were all fools...for believing that love makes you better, and bigger, and braver--but not safe." But that the unsafe is worth it.
Readers who enjoy stories with realism, social issues, and a redemptive theme will want to dive into this moving tale. It had me reaching for the tissues more than once. (Contains some language and adult subject matter.)
4.5 stars
(An ebook was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.)
Told in retrospect, from the first person viewpoint of a woman recalling a pivotal summertime when her small world in the North Carolina mountains lost its sense of peace, and the 'blue hole' swimming spot became a crucible for friendship, justice, and mercy.
Told in the lyrical Southern style of mountain raised teenagers, the story lulled me into feeling like I was there, jumping into the back of a pickup with the 'mangy pack' on a hot day in 1979. It was an interesting, well drawn set of characters, full of the hopefulness of life, yet finding the truth of things the hard way. Fell a little in love with 'Jimbo' like Turtle did, as his kindness and sincerity was shown in "...always digging out room for a chance that somebody could change." Felt sad for Sanna as she realizes America--at least in that corner of it--isn't the end of the rainbow that her father hoped for.
The series of events built up the tension so well, it was like watching a show where you knew that something awful would happen, but couldn't look away until it was over. The main theme of the destructiveness and evil of prejudice is sadly still one our country struggles with. Also the courage it takes to stand up against it is hard sometimes, but not doing anything is like agreeing with it. It felt like a story from the 50's, not in my lifetime, but unfortunately is based on real incidents of the late 70's.
"...maybe we were all fools...for believing that love makes you better, and bigger, and braver--but not safe." But that the unsafe is worth it.
Readers who enjoy stories with realism, social issues, and a redemptive theme will want to dive into this moving tale. It had me reaching for the tissues more than once. (Contains some language and adult subject matter.)
4.5 stars
(An ebook was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.)
January 31, 2010
When a Sri Lankan family moves to all-white Pisgah Ridge in the Appalachian region, Shelby invites the daughter Farsanna to be part of the Pack she hangs out with (consisting of her brother and his friends). Not everyone in town is happy to have this family in town. Racial tensions run high and come to an explosive head. Shelby learns a lot about herself this summer and about the townspeople she thought she knew.
This novel, set in the 1970s, is inspired by true events from the author's childhood. As a result, I came to know the characters in depth was invested in their story. The story is powerful, heart-breaking, and eye opening. Jordan-Lake hooked me from page one with her fast-paced, first person narrative and vivid language.
This book evoked a lot of emotions in me and I highly recommend it to those seeking a good coming of age story.
This novel, set in the 1970s, is inspired by true events from the author's childhood. As a result, I came to know the characters in depth was invested in their story. The story is powerful, heart-breaking, and eye opening. Jordan-Lake hooked me from page one with her fast-paced, first person narrative and vivid language.
This book evoked a lot of emotions in me and I highly recommend it to those seeking a good coming of age story.
Read
August 12, 2021DNF at 15%. Not what I expected.
November 17, 2023
I generally don't like Christian fiction. As a whole, CF authors tend to be too focused on the point/lesson to worry about pesky things like quality writing, characterization, or pacing. So, I wasn't that excited to read this Christy award winner gifted to me by a friend. I'm so happy to be proven wrong in this case. This is a beautifully written book about a group of friends who let an outsider into their group, changing them and their town forever. Set in a fictional North Carolina town, the book uses two true historical events from Chattanooga, TN as the backdrop of this plot about racism and friendship in 1979. The author gets very heavy handed with the southern-isms and relies a little too much on stock characters/stereotypes for my tastes for this to be great literature, but its a story worth reading.
December 10, 2017
First of all I have to thank NetGalley for the honor of reading such a touching and heartfelt book. It is truly a story that everyone should read.
I hate prejudice. It’s something I find I have very little patience with. I was born and raised in the south and have alway rebelled against hating someone because of the color of their skin, or their religious beliefs or sexual preferences. I try my best to love everyone and treat everyone with respect. Now, the bigots, haters and ones who think their race is the only one that counts; I throughly detest. I can’t tolerate haters. I have NO use for them be it in AL or in WASHINGTON. I won’t get polititacal here, but sure could with all that is going on right now in 2017. It’s a shame. It’s sad beyond words. That being said.....
I loved this book. It was written with such beauty, such eloquent words. In a way that to me most haters could read and it might get through to them. Maybe not, but maybe
Each character was formed so beautifully. Each person, each response to what this story was about, was written perfectly in my opinion.
I loved the setting and the Blue Hole reminds me in lots of ways of a place some of my friends and myself went to during hot summers when I was a teen in the 70s. I don’t remember there being trouble if someone different was there but I know in lots of places there was much trouble. Much hatred and pain.
This should be a book that kids in high school should have to read. Maybe it would teach them something. Something about belonging. Not being a bully or a hater. Just maybe it would get through to a few. You never know.
This book starts out great and it never let me down. I love how it started out with Turtle grown then going back in time to tell her story. Or the story I should say. It was just the right way to do this. She had a good story to tell albeit sad at times and very sad about half way through. Each character was touched by the New Girl, Sanna. Maybe some in not so good ways, they being haters. But the mangy pack took her as their friend and never let her down. She was different and some people can’t accept different, even now. She was kind and loving and a good friend. Em, he was one of my favorite characters. He loved reading and was kind in so many ways too. (Turtle’s brother). Then Jimbo. He was probably my very favorite person in this story. The son of a preacher. He was funny, well spoken, loving, kind and fell for the wrong, in their opinion, no mine, girl. I hated what happened to him.
I knew this was going to be a story that would get under my skin but I read it anyway and am so glad I did. It was so worth it. All the characters were so well written and so perfect for their part. Even the mean hearted. I wonder if the mean people do that out of fear of something or if they are truly just mean cruel people? I’ve often wondered about that. In this story you get to know each character and feel bad for some and happy for some.
It has something for everyone and lots of tears to be shed so be warned that you will need that box of Kleenex.
I gave this book a 5 star rating and would have given it many more if I could have. It is true to it’s time and it makes me wonder why there are some that would go back to that time or worse if they could. Or they think they would anyway. The author did a great job and I thank her for writing such a good story. It touched my heart deeply and completely.
I hate prejudice. It’s something I find I have very little patience with. I was born and raised in the south and have alway rebelled against hating someone because of the color of their skin, or their religious beliefs or sexual preferences. I try my best to love everyone and treat everyone with respect. Now, the bigots, haters and ones who think their race is the only one that counts; I throughly detest. I can’t tolerate haters. I have NO use for them be it in AL or in WASHINGTON. I won’t get polititacal here, but sure could with all that is going on right now in 2017. It’s a shame. It’s sad beyond words. That being said.....
I loved this book. It was written with such beauty, such eloquent words. In a way that to me most haters could read and it might get through to them. Maybe not, but maybe
Each character was formed so beautifully. Each person, each response to what this story was about, was written perfectly in my opinion.
I loved the setting and the Blue Hole reminds me in lots of ways of a place some of my friends and myself went to during hot summers when I was a teen in the 70s. I don’t remember there being trouble if someone different was there but I know in lots of places there was much trouble. Much hatred and pain.
This should be a book that kids in high school should have to read. Maybe it would teach them something. Something about belonging. Not being a bully or a hater. Just maybe it would get through to a few. You never know.
This book starts out great and it never let me down. I love how it started out with Turtle grown then going back in time to tell her story. Or the story I should say. It was just the right way to do this. She had a good story to tell albeit sad at times and very sad about half way through. Each character was touched by the New Girl, Sanna. Maybe some in not so good ways, they being haters. But the mangy pack took her as their friend and never let her down. She was different and some people can’t accept different, even now. She was kind and loving and a good friend. Em, he was one of my favorite characters. He loved reading and was kind in so many ways too. (Turtle’s brother). Then Jimbo. He was probably my very favorite person in this story. The son of a preacher. He was funny, well spoken, loving, kind and fell for the wrong, in their opinion, no mine, girl. I hated what happened to him.
I knew this was going to be a story that would get under my skin but I read it anyway and am so glad I did. It was so worth it. All the characters were so well written and so perfect for their part. Even the mean hearted. I wonder if the mean people do that out of fear of something or if they are truly just mean cruel people? I’ve often wondered about that. In this story you get to know each character and feel bad for some and happy for some.
It has something for everyone and lots of tears to be shed so be warned that you will need that box of Kleenex.
I gave this book a 5 star rating and would have given it many more if I could have. It is true to it’s time and it makes me wonder why there are some that would go back to that time or worse if they could. Or they think they would anyway. The author did a great job and I thank her for writing such a good story. It touched my heart deeply and completely.
July 16, 2014
There are books that are 5 star in terms of quality and 1 star in terms of enjoyment.
This book was one of those. It is a gripping story, brutally realistic without being angsty or overdone at any time, and a valuable read. I think it will still be read when many authors we love so much nowadays are forgotten. It's that kind of book. It's like Othello---another magnificent story with a repellent storyline. Actually, it's a lot like the classic Greek tragedies. The tragedy is inevitable, the dialogue raw and real, the characters mostly hard to like, and the ending very sad.
I feel it's important that books like this are written. Particularly since some people are tempted to forget the horrors of racism and what is really like. Everyone should read this story once, for the good of their souls.
But it's not the kind of thing you want to re-read.
Basically, it's a video tape of some 70s teenagers as they make friends with a girl from Sri Lanka and discover the ugly secret racism still going on in their southern town. It's like the events were caught on camera. The conversations are perfectly believable, the male characters not softened up and the villains not overdone. Also many aspects of the 70s--besides racism--are noticeable, like whiny feminism ( girls complaining their moms think too much about nail polish etc),dissatisfaction with the parent generation, and a new fascination with British culture. It's like a telescope into the past. An interesting and not overly attractive picture. ( The 70s are not exactly my favorite decade.) ;)
Things I liked most about it: The scene where Em says 17th century poetry to Farsanna. Also the way Shelby managed to be friends with Farsanna in spite of her jealousy over Jimbo. Also Shelby's final scene with Jimbo. And the tragedy at the end-- it was not quite what I had expected and was very well handled.
Things I liked least: The book overall feels slightly long, largely because the cast isn't attractive enough to make the story a fun read. It would have worked slightly better as a novella. Shelby's complaining about how boys prefer dumb girls came across as jealous whining. ( It doesn't help that she didn't strike me as overly intelligent) Also two of the villains--the preacher and the school bully---were interesting characters in themselves, but too much negative attention was given to their appearance. In a story that pleads for valuing the insides of every person and not caring about looks, it was a bit distracting to hear the heroine spouting off comments about weight. In fact, the story might have been better told in omniscient narrative. Shelby's mind got monotonous to live in after a while.
A final warning: There's quite a bit of vulgar references in this book and the heroine mentions at one point that her brother's best friend often changes his clothes in her presence--not meaning any insult to her, just because he feels like a brother to her. Some readers might find content like this offensive, and I'll admit I found the last point rather weird.
To wrap up...a great story. But not the type you enjoy over and over. Like medicine, it's not nice and rather yucky, but good for you. :)
This book was one of those. It is a gripping story, brutally realistic without being angsty or overdone at any time, and a valuable read. I think it will still be read when many authors we love so much nowadays are forgotten. It's that kind of book. It's like Othello---another magnificent story with a repellent storyline. Actually, it's a lot like the classic Greek tragedies. The tragedy is inevitable, the dialogue raw and real, the characters mostly hard to like, and the ending very sad.
I feel it's important that books like this are written. Particularly since some people are tempted to forget the horrors of racism and what is really like. Everyone should read this story once, for the good of their souls.
But it's not the kind of thing you want to re-read.
Basically, it's a video tape of some 70s teenagers as they make friends with a girl from Sri Lanka and discover the ugly secret racism still going on in their southern town. It's like the events were caught on camera. The conversations are perfectly believable, the male characters not softened up and the villains not overdone. Also many aspects of the 70s--besides racism--are noticeable, like whiny feminism ( girls complaining their moms think too much about nail polish etc),dissatisfaction with the parent generation, and a new fascination with British culture. It's like a telescope into the past. An interesting and not overly attractive picture. ( The 70s are not exactly my favorite decade.) ;)
Things I liked most about it: The scene where Em says 17th century poetry to Farsanna. Also the way Shelby managed to be friends with Farsanna in spite of her jealousy over Jimbo. Also Shelby's final scene with Jimbo. And the tragedy at the end-- it was not quite what I had expected and was very well handled.
Things I liked least: The book overall feels slightly long, largely because the cast isn't attractive enough to make the story a fun read. It would have worked slightly better as a novella. Shelby's complaining about how boys prefer dumb girls came across as jealous whining. ( It doesn't help that she didn't strike me as overly intelligent) Also two of the villains--the preacher and the school bully---were interesting characters in themselves, but too much negative attention was given to their appearance. In a story that pleads for valuing the insides of every person and not caring about looks, it was a bit distracting to hear the heroine spouting off comments about weight. In fact, the story might have been better told in omniscient narrative. Shelby's mind got monotonous to live in after a while.
A final warning: There's quite a bit of vulgar references in this book and the heroine mentions at one point that her brother's best friend often changes his clothes in her presence--not meaning any insult to her, just because he feels like a brother to her. Some readers might find content like this offensive, and I'll admit I found the last point rather weird.
To wrap up...a great story. But not the type you enjoy over and over. Like medicine, it's not nice and rather yucky, but good for you. :)
November 7, 2013
Another writer recommended this book to me because of a similarity with a scene setting I was trying to write.
This is a beautifully crafted work, so much so that at times it made me despair of ever calling myself a writer. There is not a piece of lazy prose in the whole book. Each metaphor and simile is original and thought provoking.
Even the parts that were just describing routine situations were enjoyable because of the writing, while the ending left me trying not to cry in front of my family.
It will also leave you wanting to speak with a Southern accent, just warning you.
This is a beautifully crafted work, so much so that at times it made me despair of ever calling myself a writer. There is not a piece of lazy prose in the whole book. Each metaphor and simile is original and thought provoking.
Even the parts that were just describing routine situations were enjoyable because of the writing, while the ending left me trying not to cry in front of my family.
It will also leave you wanting to speak with a Southern accent, just warning you.
December 24, 2019
Blue Hole Back Home
It is 2019 and this ugly cancer boils to the surface even still. We have to be stronger and not be afraid to stand against prejudice. It won’t go away on its own.
It is 2019 and this ugly cancer boils to the surface even still. We have to be stronger and not be afraid to stand against prejudice. It won’t go away on its own.
September 23, 2022
Joy Jordan-Lake’s Blue Hole Back Home reminds me of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Like Lee’s, Jordan-Lake’s prose is exquisite. Like To Kill a Mockingbird, Blue Hole Back Home is a heartbreaking, redemptive coming-of-age story of racism and anti-racism. Set in 1979 small-town North Carolina and recounted in 2008 Boston by a North Carolina transplant of 2+ decades born in 1964, it was especially resonant for me—born in 1965, raised in New England, and now living in Virginia 3+ decades. But you don’t need to be my age or have lived in the North or South US to value and benefit from this remarkable book. Like To Kill a Mockingbird, its messages transcend time and place.
November 15, 2017
This is a book I will always remember reading. To me it was an emotionally difficult read. I read it with dread in my stomach almost the whole entire time. I wanted things to be so different and I knew they wouldn't be. It is so well written. There are so many lines that were very descriptive...one made me wonder how there could be such extreme hate... "The human heart gone to rot." It made me have so many feelings spending the summer with the "Mangy Gang" and living their lives through the racial tensions. I couldn't put the book down, I had to find out how it was going to end. It broke my heart in so many places and the realization that it took place in the late 70s, early 80s wasn't something I ever knew happened. I highly recommend this book. TY Joy Jordan-Lake for this literary work. I received a kindle copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
February 20, 2018
I think perhaps the best books are books whose message to you is perhaps not the one you were expecting after you finished the book, or even the one that the author was intending to convey. These kind of books reach you at a soul level and allow you to understand what God wants you to learn.
I didn't think this book would be that kind of book for me. Yes, the writing was amazingly evocative. Yes, the characters were beautifully flawed, yet somehow relatable in the best kind of way. Yes, the storyline was haunting and apropos for 2018, even though it was written years ago and set even further back.
All those factors, though lovely and important, would have only resulted in a 4.5 star rating from me, except for this one fact: that even after I finished the book, God had one more thing to whisper to my heart, and though it's something I *know*, He wants me to know it soul-deep . . . so deep that I cannot help but not only *know* it, but *live* it. Not only is this a message, but it's a calling:
All of the people on the earth: no matter their gender, no matter their sexuality, no matter their skin tone or their ethnicity, no matter their socioeconomic status . . . ALL PEOPLE are creations of the same God who created me . . . and He wants me to seek to love them as He loves them.
I didn't think this book would be that kind of book for me. Yes, the writing was amazingly evocative. Yes, the characters were beautifully flawed, yet somehow relatable in the best kind of way. Yes, the storyline was haunting and apropos for 2018, even though it was written years ago and set even further back.
All those factors, though lovely and important, would have only resulted in a 4.5 star rating from me, except for this one fact: that even after I finished the book, God had one more thing to whisper to my heart, and though it's something I *know*, He wants me to know it soul-deep . . . so deep that I cannot help but not only *know* it, but *live* it. Not only is this a message, but it's a calling:
All of the people on the earth: no matter their gender, no matter their sexuality, no matter their skin tone or their ethnicity, no matter their socioeconomic status . . . ALL PEOPLE are creations of the same God who created me . . . and He wants me to seek to love them as He loves them.
March 15, 2009
My sister-in-law's book club recommended this one highly and it was gripping. The author is from the Nashville, TN, area. It was a beautifully crafted, lyrical story set in a southern mountain town in 1979. A "new girl" from Sri Lanka stirs up racial prejudices and divides her high school classmates. The voice of the story is amazing and the author's descriptions of people, scenes, and emotions are "right on:"
"...Momma's voice, which was usually sweet and soft as moss, except when she cranked up the volume--then sweetness grew serrated edges."
"...Now all white Southern women keep as a weapon against an uncouth world a certain smile that can be whipped out of storage and tacked up in an instant, covering over a multitude of too-candid moments."
"...tried to tread water above the loneliness that broke over me like a wave..."
Fascinating interview with the author at the end of the book. Her brushes with Ku Klux Klan activity in her childhood (late sixties in Tennessee) were unsettling.
"...Momma's voice, which was usually sweet and soft as moss, except when she cranked up the volume--then sweetness grew serrated edges."
"...Now all white Southern women keep as a weapon against an uncouth world a certain smile that can be whipped out of storage and tacked up in an instant, covering over a multitude of too-candid moments."
"...tried to tread water above the loneliness that broke over me like a wave..."
Fascinating interview with the author at the end of the book. Her brushes with Ku Klux Klan activity in her childhood (late sixties in Tennessee) were unsettling.
March 16, 2012
Although categorized as Christian fiction, published by a Christian publishing house, this really is a fine piece of literary fiction dealing with the harsh realities of prejudice and racism in the post civil-rights era in the south. In no way "preachy," the story takes you back on a journey to the not so distant past, to a summer in a rural Appalachian town where the idea of white superiority still retains a strong hold on the community and the code of separatism reigns. A memorable group of teenagers come to grips with the terrorism of the KKK that broils under the surface of gentile southern manners. The first few chapters loll about like a lazy summer day, but set the stage for a startling and terrifying climax. This is a very good, very sad, very real story.
April 1, 2013
The author of this book is genuine talent. She tells a tale that seems in places to be as much poetry as it is novel. Her characters are wonderful and round to the extent that I felt like I was a neighbor to the kids in "the mangy pack" in this tale. I so often felt as I did growing up in a rural neighborhood as I played out the story of "Turtle" in my head. However, it was the end that disappointed me. A horrible event occurs at the end. I wasn't prepared for it and worse still, nothing seemed to redeem it from being horrible. I wanted SOMETHING good to come out of the bad. That is why we read books. :) In the end, an excellent author with a horrible ending makes a only "decent" book.
May 30, 2009
Picked this up in the new section of the library. Beautifully written - an absolute treat to read because of the fine writing! This author is great with her descriptions using metaphors... "Like the fall of a theater curtain on the last act, dusk dropped onto the blue hole..."and in infusing the sarcasm of a teenager in the voice of the narrator (Momma made certain everyone in her path felf affirmed at all times, even if she had to perjure herself to do it...) It is a story of racial tension in late 70's in the south, (but dealing with a Muslim family instead of a black one.) I loved it! Told through the eyes of teenagers that are more accepting than their parents.
June 18, 2012
I would love to give this book a 3.5 star, but that isn't an option. Initially I didn't want to read the book due to being a Southerner myself. The time period was set in 1979. My husband and I grew up during that time in separate southern towns. Both of us never knew of anyone in KKK or heard of incidents. However, the area where this book is based on, Single Mountain, TN... Yes, that area is known to this day for white supremacy.
The actual book is well written and easy read, but sad. Racism is everywhere not just the South as most books and movies portrays.
The actual book is well written and easy read, but sad. Racism is everywhere not just the South as most books and movies portrays.
April 6, 2013
Though I was skeptical when I found this for free download on my Kindle, I literally could not put the book down. I had to know what happened to Turtle, Sanna, Em, Bo, and the rest of their mangy pack. This is what Christian fiction should be like: bold in confronting the difficult, often ugly realities of life, and courageous in understanding that not everybody lives happily ever after, not everybody gets "saved," there aren't always answers to tough questions. (The author's deep love of John Donne's poetry didn't hurt either.)
January 3, 2011
BEST book I've read in a long time! The story revolves around highschool kids but I had no problem relating to them and was immediately drawn in. A great story about a pack of mangy kids, racism in the south, and some appearances of men in white bed sheets. (A side note, my sister-in-law edited this book, and I couldn't be more proud!)
EDIT (1-3-2011): I've just finished reading this book for the THIRD time and I loved it just as much as the first.
EDIT (1-3-2011): I've just finished reading this book for the THIRD time and I loved it just as much as the first.
August 8, 2008
I wondered early into the story if I was going to enjoy this book - it turns out I really did. The story is built around true incidents that ocurred in Tennessee in the writers life. The colorful language of Jimbo and L.J., which did not include profanity, was refreshing and entertaining. I loved the wide array of personality that made up the "mangy pack."
July 30, 2009
This book is a page turner! I felt that the beginning was a little slow, but around page 75 the action picked up and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen. The author did a wonderful job of developing the characters through the development of the plot. I really felt connected to the characters, which is what I'm always looking for in a book.
April 28, 2011
Intense, moving story that is loosely based on actual events of racial unrest that took place in Signal Mountain, Tenn. around 1979. The author was a fellow classmate at Furman. I had no idea Joy was an author till talking with her at our recent reunion. I am very impressed with her talent as a writer. Look forward to reading more of her work.
March 3, 2012
This story had me nearly in tears at the ending. Kind of a coming of age story that deals with racism, foreigners, teens, the South, Klu Klux Klan, love of friends and siblings. Wonderfully written, reminding me of my teens and hanging out with my friends and complex relationships we had with each other but this story deals with a whole lot more than that.
May 25, 2025
I listened to this book on audiobooks. I recommend this because the narrator is fantastic! I loved the story, the interesting perspective and the honesty. I loved it so much and was so stricken by the beautiful prose, that I emailed the author. She responded! I look forward to more of her work. She has a keen understanding of human nature and the talent to convey it through the written word.
August 1, 2009
I really enjoyed this book! It was a page-turner with characters that I fell in love with. I could't put it down!
August 7, 2009
This book always held my interest. I absolutely fell in love with the characters and the relationships within the pack.
August 20, 2009
I enjoyed savoring the descriptive phrases as they danced upon my imagination.
May 2, 2017
the ending was not has heartfelt as the rest of the book was.
November 24, 2019
Best as audio book
Loved LOVED listening to the audio version of this book! I usually far prefer reading, but the narrator of this edition added huge dimensions to each character in the book, particularly Shelby/Turtle.
The story is set in the 1980's, with a group of teenagers as the main characters. They live in a small mountain town in the South. While we usually connect the Klan (KKK) and racial hatred to the era of the Sixties, this story tells the true tale of intolerance and hatred being alive and (absolutely not) well in the Eighties. Most of the targets of hatred and violence in this story are not Black. Focus is on a family from Sri Lanka.
The story was about more than racial tension. It was about speaking up, being true to yourself, self-forgiveness, being safe; being sorry. Integrity. It was very much about having integrity... How rare integrity really is, and how vital to hope for the human race.
Beautifully written, well told. Great characters, great historical detail.
Reading this book has me feeling at least a little more ready and willing to do the next right thing in those times where it may be easier, or more convenient, to go the expected, most accepted way when my Soul is whispering and judging me a different way. For that reason, I hope the story stays with me for a long time.
Loved LOVED listening to the audio version of this book! I usually far prefer reading, but the narrator of this edition added huge dimensions to each character in the book, particularly Shelby/Turtle.
The story is set in the 1980's, with a group of teenagers as the main characters. They live in a small mountain town in the South. While we usually connect the Klan (KKK) and racial hatred to the era of the Sixties, this story tells the true tale of intolerance and hatred being alive and (absolutely not) well in the Eighties. Most of the targets of hatred and violence in this story are not Black. Focus is on a family from Sri Lanka.
The story was about more than racial tension. It was about speaking up, being true to yourself, self-forgiveness, being safe; being sorry. Integrity. It was very much about having integrity... How rare integrity really is, and how vital to hope for the human race.
Beautifully written, well told. Great characters, great historical detail.
Reading this book has me feeling at least a little more ready and willing to do the next right thing in those times where it may be easier, or more convenient, to go the expected, most accepted way when my Soul is whispering and judging me a different way. For that reason, I hope the story stays with me for a long time.
March 22, 2021
Beautiful, Evocative, and Heart-wrenching
Pisgah Ridge, North Carolina, 1979. A “different” family moves into the mountain home town of Shelby, Emerson, Jimbo, LJ, and Bobby, teenagers working their way through the summer and cooling off in the evenings at the title swimming hole. The new family has a daughter about Shelby’s age and as different as can be from the other girls in Shelby’s class. A chance encounter at school leads to including the girl in the nightly trek to the Blue Hole and thereby begins the tale of Blue Hole Back Home.
As intriguing a “mangy gang” of teens as I have ever met on the pages of a book work their way through friendships, attractions, danger, allegiances, hero-worship, and facing hard realities while breaking off bits of the scab that had formed over the wounds of racism and culture wars to find long lasting infections harbored there. What to do or not do?
Joy Jordan-Lake first published this book in 2008, the dawn of what many thought was a new era in America. It is even more relevant today. Her beautiful, musical prose draws the reader right into that world of the deep South in an era when things seemed somehow simpler but in reality were extremely complex under the umbrella of Southern courtesy.
I highly recommend this thought-provoking book and eagerly await more from this talented author.
Pisgah Ridge, North Carolina, 1979. A “different” family moves into the mountain home town of Shelby, Emerson, Jimbo, LJ, and Bobby, teenagers working their way through the summer and cooling off in the evenings at the title swimming hole. The new family has a daughter about Shelby’s age and as different as can be from the other girls in Shelby’s class. A chance encounter at school leads to including the girl in the nightly trek to the Blue Hole and thereby begins the tale of Blue Hole Back Home.
As intriguing a “mangy gang” of teens as I have ever met on the pages of a book work their way through friendships, attractions, danger, allegiances, hero-worship, and facing hard realities while breaking off bits of the scab that had formed over the wounds of racism and culture wars to find long lasting infections harbored there. What to do or not do?
Joy Jordan-Lake first published this book in 2008, the dawn of what many thought was a new era in America. It is even more relevant today. Her beautiful, musical prose draws the reader right into that world of the deep South in an era when things seemed somehow simpler but in reality were extremely complex under the umbrella of Southern courtesy.
I highly recommend this thought-provoking book and eagerly await more from this talented author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews