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Eli the Good
In his timely YA debut, a best-selling novelist revisits a summer of tumult and truth for a young narrator and his war-torn family.
Bicentennial fireworks burn the sky. Bob Seger growls from a transistor radio. And down by the river, girls line up on lawn chairs in pursuit of the perfect tan. Yet for ten-year-old Eli Book, the summer of 1976 is the one that threatened to tear his family apart. There is his distant mother; his traumatized Vietnam vet dad; his wild sister; his former warprotester aunt; and his tough yet troubled best friend, Edie, the only person with whom he can be himself. As tempers flare and his father’s nightmares rage, Eli watches from the sidelines, but soon even he cannot escape the current of conflict. From Silas House comes a tender look at the complexities of childhood and the realities of war — a quintessentially Southern novel filled with music, nostalgic detail, a deep respect for nature, and a powerful sense of place.
Bicentennial fireworks burn the sky. Bob Seger growls from a transistor radio. And down by the river, girls line up on lawn chairs in pursuit of the perfect tan. Yet for ten-year-old Eli Book, the summer of 1976 is the one that threatened to tear his family apart. There is his distant mother; his traumatized Vietnam vet dad; his wild sister; his former warprotester aunt; and his tough yet troubled best friend, Edie, the only person with whom he can be himself. As tempers flare and his father’s nightmares rage, Eli watches from the sidelines, but soon even he cannot escape the current of conflict. From Silas House comes a tender look at the complexities of childhood and the realities of war — a quintessentially Southern novel filled with music, nostalgic detail, a deep respect for nature, and a powerful sense of place.
295 pages, Hardcover
First published September 8, 2009
113 people are currently reading
1982 people want to read
About the author
Silas House
38 books1,586 followersSilas House is the nationally bestselling author of six novels--Clay's Quilt, 2001; A Parchment of Leaves, 2003; The Coal Tattoo, 2005; Eli the Good, 2009; Same Sun Here (co-authored with Neela Vaswani) 2012; Southernmost (2018), as well as a book of creative nonfiction, Something's Rising, co-authored with Jason Howard, 2009; and three plays.
His work frequently appears in The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Salon. He is former commentator for NPR's "All Things Considered". His writing has appeared in recently in Time, Ecotone, Oxford American, Garden and Gun, and many other publications.
House serves on the fiction faculty at the Spalding School of Writing and as the National Endowment for the Humanities Chair at Berea College.
As a music writer House has worked with artists such as Kacey Musgraves, Jason Isbell, Lee Ann Womack, Kris Kristofferson, Lucinda Williams, The Judds, Jim James, and many others.
House is the recipient of three honorary doctorates and is the winner of the Nautilus Award, an EB White Award, the Storylines Prize from the New York Public Library/NAV Foundation, the Appalachian Book of the Year, and many other honors.
His work frequently appears in The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Salon. He is former commentator for NPR's "All Things Considered". His writing has appeared in recently in Time, Ecotone, Oxford American, Garden and Gun, and many other publications.
House serves on the fiction faculty at the Spalding School of Writing and as the National Endowment for the Humanities Chair at Berea College.
As a music writer House has worked with artists such as Kacey Musgraves, Jason Isbell, Lee Ann Womack, Kris Kristofferson, Lucinda Williams, The Judds, Jim James, and many others.
House is the recipient of three honorary doctorates and is the winner of the Nautilus Award, an EB White Award, the Storylines Prize from the New York Public Library/NAV Foundation, the Appalachian Book of the Year, and many other honors.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 307 reviews
December 4, 2011
Somewhere around 4/5 stars (I'll explain)
I feel a little guilty for the way I treated this book. I've wanted to read it for ages. But I keep putting it off, all while hearing great things from people about it. Then I read it when I'm really in the mood to read something else, distracted and stressed from work. I'm sorry Eli the Good. I did not give you the attention you deserved. It took me about halfway through before I pushed through my distractions and really into the story. But I honestly don't think the book is to blame.
I've heard this called a YA book but I'm still not convinced. The main character is 10, more of a middle-grade age, and it's told from the all-seeing older self perspective. So even though most people call it YA I'm going to disagree. Call it middle grade, call it adult with a child protagonist, but I don't see how you can call it YA.
Ten-year-old Eli reminds me of my childhood (even though the book takes place about 10 years before I was born). He's an innocent but intelligent child, the type of boy who rides his bicycle everywhere and believes that trees have something to say. He's endearing. In many ways I feel like childhood me was a mix of Eli & his best friend Edie (a tomboy of a girl).
"Country people sure do have more stars than anybody else," she said. "We ain't got much but we got the stars."
The fact that the author is from Lily Kentucky (I drive past this community daily) only reinforced the resemblances to my childhood. I kept distracting myself by trying to figure out if this book took place in a real local town (ultimate conclusion: It takes many familiar elements of surrounding towns without specifically being London, Lily, Corbin or Barbourville).
Eli's the child of a Vietnam Vet struggling with memories from the war. The book follows the summer when his father starts losing himself in the memories of the war. It's heartbreaking how the Vietnam Vets weren't honored, appreciated or even taken care of. Sometimes this book feels like a cautionary tale for the current war we find ourselves in. Not about the outcome or politics, but about what might happen when veterans return.
"That's what it was like to be the child of a Vietnam vet, though: we're always caught between defending our fathers and not understanding them."
This is a sentimental book about a more innocent time when children rode bicycles, talked to trees and went swimming in creek. It's the type of book that should be read in the dog-days of summer somewhere with the scent of honeysuckle hanging in the air.
The book wasn't as Southern as I expected. My attempts to read with a Southern accent in my head just muddled things. Occasionally I feel like the adult voiceover interjects a little too much, but overall it works. It's a nice story, different from a lot of the other stories currently being told. The style is different and might take some mental adjustments. But I think it's worth reading.
I feel a little guilty for the way I treated this book. I've wanted to read it for ages. But I keep putting it off, all while hearing great things from people about it. Then I read it when I'm really in the mood to read something else, distracted and stressed from work. I'm sorry Eli the Good. I did not give you the attention you deserved. It took me about halfway through before I pushed through my distractions and really into the story. But I honestly don't think the book is to blame.
I've heard this called a YA book but I'm still not convinced. The main character is 10, more of a middle-grade age, and it's told from the all-seeing older self perspective. So even though most people call it YA I'm going to disagree. Call it middle grade, call it adult with a child protagonist, but I don't see how you can call it YA.
Ten-year-old Eli reminds me of my childhood (even though the book takes place about 10 years before I was born). He's an innocent but intelligent child, the type of boy who rides his bicycle everywhere and believes that trees have something to say. He's endearing. In many ways I feel like childhood me was a mix of Eli & his best friend Edie (a tomboy of a girl).
"Country people sure do have more stars than anybody else," she said. "We ain't got much but we got the stars."
The fact that the author is from Lily Kentucky (I drive past this community daily) only reinforced the resemblances to my childhood. I kept distracting myself by trying to figure out if this book took place in a real local town (ultimate conclusion: It takes many familiar elements of surrounding towns without specifically being London, Lily, Corbin or Barbourville).
Eli's the child of a Vietnam Vet struggling with memories from the war. The book follows the summer when his father starts losing himself in the memories of the war. It's heartbreaking how the Vietnam Vets weren't honored, appreciated or even taken care of. Sometimes this book feels like a cautionary tale for the current war we find ourselves in. Not about the outcome or politics, but about what might happen when veterans return.
"That's what it was like to be the child of a Vietnam vet, though: we're always caught between defending our fathers and not understanding them."
This is a sentimental book about a more innocent time when children rode bicycles, talked to trees and went swimming in creek. It's the type of book that should be read in the dog-days of summer somewhere with the scent of honeysuckle hanging in the air.
The book wasn't as Southern as I expected. My attempts to read with a Southern accent in my head just muddled things. Occasionally I feel like the adult voiceover interjects a little too much, but overall it works. It's a nice story, different from a lot of the other stories currently being told. The style is different and might take some mental adjustments. But I think it's worth reading.
May 25, 2020
It is the summer of 1976 and Eli is 10-years-old. I was also 10 in 1976 and living in Kentucky. I enjoyed being reminded how summer days lasted forever, the excitement of the Bicentennial, hiding under a willow tree and how cold bottled soft drinks were out of a machine. I miss those little pieces of ice that would form inside the bottle and what a treat they were on a blistering hot afternoon.
This book brought back many reminders of that time period:
Charlie perfume
Lemon Joy dish detergent
The Bad News Bears
Window air conditioner units and only being able to run them a few hours a day.
The Outsiders(Stay Golden)
The Waltons/John Boy
Leif Garrett
Bay City Rollers
David Cassidy
Bohemian Rhapsody
Record Players
Vinyl
Discovering the music and lyrics that will repeat in your head for a lifetime
1966 Mustangs
Aigner sandals
Reading the Diary of Anne Frank for the first time
Porch sitting
Shelling beans
Your favorite aunt
Each time I read a Silas House book, I think it is my favorite. This one my stay my favorite. While written as a YA novel, it does not come off as too young or trivial. This is a beautiful book that I savored. Perfect for summer reading.
“Later in my life I would come to understand that history books are the least reliable witnesses. When I was ten years old, though, I believed everything that was taught to me at school. America was a completely generous presence in all regards. The Indians were heathen murderers who had to be driven out so we could settle the nation in a civilized, God-blessed fashion. The Revolution was a war fought in smart blue and red uniforms wherein men with freshly powdered wigs acted as gentleman while they killed one another. The Civil War was as simple as the North fighting the South to free the slaves. America had saved all of humanity in both world wars, with little help from anyone else.”
— Eli the Good by Silas House
This book brought back many reminders of that time period:
Charlie perfume
Lemon Joy dish detergent
The Bad News Bears
Window air conditioner units and only being able to run them a few hours a day.
The Outsiders(Stay Golden)
The Waltons/John Boy
Leif Garrett
Bay City Rollers
David Cassidy
Bohemian Rhapsody
Record Players
Vinyl
Discovering the music and lyrics that will repeat in your head for a lifetime
1966 Mustangs
Aigner sandals
Reading the Diary of Anne Frank for the first time
Porch sitting
Shelling beans
Your favorite aunt
Each time I read a Silas House book, I think it is my favorite. This one my stay my favorite. While written as a YA novel, it does not come off as too young or trivial. This is a beautiful book that I savored. Perfect for summer reading.
“Later in my life I would come to understand that history books are the least reliable witnesses. When I was ten years old, though, I believed everything that was taught to me at school. America was a completely generous presence in all regards. The Indians were heathen murderers who had to be driven out so we could settle the nation in a civilized, God-blessed fashion. The Revolution was a war fought in smart blue and red uniforms wherein men with freshly powdered wigs acted as gentleman while they killed one another. The Civil War was as simple as the North fighting the South to free the slaves. America had saved all of humanity in both world wars, with little help from anyone else.”
— Eli the Good by Silas House
June 15, 2010
Eli the Good details the story of Eli, a ten-year-old boy living in the summer of 1976. He is observant, curious, and often times ponders his surroundings regardless of his young age. He notices that his family appears to be torn asunder by the consequences of the Vietnam war - his dad suffers from terrifying dreams and hallucinations, his sister discovers an unsettling fact about herself, and his estranged aunt suddenly returns to live with them. The story shows Eli overcome the obstacles he face and progress through life as it happens.
3.5 stars. This book possessed very deep meaning - there were coming of age themes and also the effects of war themes. The underlying ideas, such as the growth and development of all the characters, was magical in the sense that it was not communicated ostentatiously but obscurely through metaphors such as the tree. There was a lot of historical information concerning the Vietnam war as well.
While House's writing was superb in certain parts of the novel, at times he went on tangents and failed to control Eli's thoughts. It is understandable that a ten-year-old boy would observe and take note of the world, but he seemed to think too much sometimes. Also, despite what I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I thought the ending could have been expressed more thoroughly.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy decent post war fiction.
3.5 stars. This book possessed very deep meaning - there were coming of age themes and also the effects of war themes. The underlying ideas, such as the growth and development of all the characters, was magical in the sense that it was not communicated ostentatiously but obscurely through metaphors such as the tree. There was a lot of historical information concerning the Vietnam war as well.
While House's writing was superb in certain parts of the novel, at times he went on tangents and failed to control Eli's thoughts. It is understandable that a ten-year-old boy would observe and take note of the world, but he seemed to think too much sometimes. Also, despite what I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I thought the ending could have been expressed more thoroughly.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy decent post war fiction.
July 9, 2014
This book encompasses everything about small-town Kentucky life in the 1970s, specifically during the summer of the bicentennial, 1976. The details that the author includes - smells, textures, sounds, even the brand names that were a part of daily life - took me back to my childhood! (I was not very old in 1976, and I don't actually remember the celebrations!)
This book made me wonder, more than any other book I've ever read, how different my life would have been if my parents had lived to raise me. The music and the politics of the day that make up so much of this book, would have been filtered in completely different ways raised by parents who were part of that Vietnam generation, rather than by my grandparents.
I love Silas House's writing. His voice is so authentically Kentucky and so authentically Appalachian Mountains.
This book made me wonder, more than any other book I've ever read, how different my life would have been if my parents had lived to raise me. The music and the politics of the day that make up so much of this book, would have been filtered in completely different ways raised by parents who were part of that Vietnam generation, rather than by my grandparents.
I love Silas House's writing. His voice is so authentically Kentucky and so authentically Appalachian Mountains.
October 10, 2016
This book had all the feels! It was about real life, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It was about family, blood and people brought together by the fates who become like family. It was magical, sweet, and sad. It walks you through brokenness, darkness, acceptance, love and healing. It was a beautiful read and I can't wait to meet Silas House in a few weeks and thank him for sharing his gift of Eli the Good with all of us.
February 24, 2025
I loved this book so much. In my top five easily.
June 11, 2012
Silas House characters always seem to linger in my mind long after I finish the last page...He also did a great job of bringing multiple sides of an issue to the table thru the charactera that he brought to life for us...A beautiful southern read that I know I will read again.
June 5, 2024
Good book by a local Kentucky author. I enjoyed the Kentucky dialect in the book, and the storyline is good as well.
April 2, 2025
Wow. That was beautiful.
July 7, 2009
Generally, it seems pretty easy to determine if a book fits into the YA genre, but Silas House's new novel, Eli the Good, threw me for a loop. His writing is carefully crafted to set the tone of any given scene, and the main character, Eli, seems to think in prose. I had no idea that this novel was, in fact, House's YA debut until I did a bit of research about the author.
The year is 1976, and Eli Book is ten years old. With the book told entirely from his perspective, the reader learns first hand why this summer is different than all the others. The story starts at the beginning of the summer, when a ten year old's world is suddenly graced with freedom and responsibility is out the window. Days consist of bike rides, swims in the lake, and not much more.
When we meet the other characters, we discover the conflict present in Eli's seemingly paradisaical world. His beautiful mother seems distant, preoccupied with smoothing ties between his Vietnam traumatized father and his sister, a former Vietnam protester that has taken up residence in the Book house. Eli's older sister Josie is in a spree of rebellion, questioning all she was taught to believe and clashing with her parents who just doesn't understand her way of thinking. Edie is the girl next door and Eli's best friend, but she turns inward when her parents decide to split up.
Eli is stuck in the middle of it all, as he watches the people he loves tear at each other. But he always remains on the perimeter, usually eavesdropping.
This book was much more than I expected at first glance. It is incredibly heartfelt, and Eli is one of the most likeable characters I have encountered in a while. He possesses a deep understanding of what is happening around him, much more than anyone would guess. The narrative is a nice mix of what's going on both inside and outside his head. I was reminded of how much thought goes through a ten-year-old's mind--observing, analyzing, pondering life's events. House gives us the full story by using the adult Eli to recount the summer from his ten-year-old perspective. The situations beyond a child's understanding are explained by this older voice.
Eli the Good had me crying at the end. Not out of sadness; but it just seemed so poetic. I remembered the complexity of being a child--figuring out the world and how it all worked, and holding on to little moments and feelings that you want to last a lifetime. Eli has profound little one-liners that are sprinkled throughout the book, but the most telling of his story is this:
"Whole scenes of your life can slip away forever if you don't put them down in ink."
This instantly became an all-time favorite, and I highly recommend it.
The year is 1976, and Eli Book is ten years old. With the book told entirely from his perspective, the reader learns first hand why this summer is different than all the others. The story starts at the beginning of the summer, when a ten year old's world is suddenly graced with freedom and responsibility is out the window. Days consist of bike rides, swims in the lake, and not much more.
When we meet the other characters, we discover the conflict present in Eli's seemingly paradisaical world. His beautiful mother seems distant, preoccupied with smoothing ties between his Vietnam traumatized father and his sister, a former Vietnam protester that has taken up residence in the Book house. Eli's older sister Josie is in a spree of rebellion, questioning all she was taught to believe and clashing with her parents who just doesn't understand her way of thinking. Edie is the girl next door and Eli's best friend, but she turns inward when her parents decide to split up.
Eli is stuck in the middle of it all, as he watches the people he loves tear at each other. But he always remains on the perimeter, usually eavesdropping.
This book was much more than I expected at first glance. It is incredibly heartfelt, and Eli is one of the most likeable characters I have encountered in a while. He possesses a deep understanding of what is happening around him, much more than anyone would guess. The narrative is a nice mix of what's going on both inside and outside his head. I was reminded of how much thought goes through a ten-year-old's mind--observing, analyzing, pondering life's events. House gives us the full story by using the adult Eli to recount the summer from his ten-year-old perspective. The situations beyond a child's understanding are explained by this older voice.
Eli the Good had me crying at the end. Not out of sadness; but it just seemed so poetic. I remembered the complexity of being a child--figuring out the world and how it all worked, and holding on to little moments and feelings that you want to last a lifetime. Eli has profound little one-liners that are sprinkled throughout the book, but the most telling of his story is this:
"Whole scenes of your life can slip away forever if you don't put them down in ink."
This instantly became an all-time favorite, and I highly recommend it.
November 12, 2012
10-year-old Eli, who lives out in the country is finding out that his family has secrets. His dad is mentally sick from being in the Vietnam War, his Aunt Nell is an anti-war protester and makes it on the news for all to see, his older sister Josie is rebelling against his mother, and his parent’s marriage is falling apart. The author does a great job of making the audience feel what Eli is feeling. I recommend this book to young adults of the high school age. I thought it was a good book but it didn’t quite capture my full attention.
June 12, 2020
This book has been on my shelf forever and I’m mad at myself that I didn’t read it years ago. It’s beautiful.
August 19, 2021
Eli the Good is a slice-of-life tale set in Kentucky in 1976 that is very evocative of that era and really captures what it is like to be ten years old. The summer of the bi-centennial proves to be pivotal for Eli's entire family- his teen sister is pushing boundaries, his Vietnam vet father is dealing with PTSD, his cancer-stricken aunt moves in with them, and his young mother tries to keep everyone calm and steady. He is a bookish and nature-loving boy who is a keen observer and takes things hard as his family and best friend deal with challenges and trauma. This book is written as a middle school YA book, however, it reads adult at times, especially as the narrative is Eli reminiscing about his youth and the epilogue shows him grown up. This was a bit of a slow read that somewhat dragged in the middle, but would be perfect to put in the hands of a sensitive youth.
I have a major literary crush on the author Silas House and have read most of his novels, both for youth and adults, so I couldn't help but wonder how much of his Kentucky childhood ended up in this novel and any of his other books. He really captures the Applachian region and family life, so it feels like all his characters are real and could walk off the page.
I have a major literary crush on the author Silas House and have read most of his novels, both for youth and adults, so I couldn't help but wonder how much of his Kentucky childhood ended up in this novel and any of his other books. He really captures the Applachian region and family life, so it feels like all his characters are real and could walk off the page.
March 1, 2021
Is this an adult or teen fiction? It is certainly a cross-over, not sure which direction it crosses. Silas House is one of those authors that could write the phone book and make it interesting. I just love the way he puts words on a page and he does not disappoint, telling the story of Eli and his family, standing in the wake of their father suffering from PTSD, although it wasn't called that, after Vietnam.
March 31, 2022
I wish there were words to describe how much I loved this book. It's been years since I've read a novel by Silas House, and I had forgotten what a gifted writer he is. Kentucky is so lucky to have him! While there are many differences between my family life and that of Eli, the protagonist, I felt like our childhood - or at least, where we grew up - are so similar. This book and this family felt familiar to me. I usually get rid of a book once I read it, but I'm keeping this one on my shelf - with my other Silas House books.
September 8, 2019
I'm a fan of Silas House. He is the Kentucky Ron Rash.
September 12, 2019
4.5 stars.
My husband and I truly enjoyed this book. So touching, heartbreaking.
My husband and I truly enjoyed this book. So touching, heartbreaking.
dnf
August 20, 2020dnf, I got bored.
December 19, 2024
I laughed. I cried. It became a part of me
March 31, 2025
This is my favorite book by Silas House and will go on my list of favorite all time books. It is hard to explain why I loved it so much. More than I expected. I felt like I was there that summer, sitting under a tree on the hill, watching the story unfold. I found myself gasping and smiling and really feeling these characters. Well done, Mr. House.
October 13, 2023
Not my favorite story… but the most beautiful writing and wonderful characters.
September 15, 2015
I'm a huge Silas House fan, so I had the highest expectations.
I'm immersing myself in Appalachian fiction in preparation for the Appalachian Writer's Workshop later this summer. Because this is YA, I thought I'd read it aloud to my 10yo son. In doing so, it gave us both a chance to really hear the language of these characters.
I noticed that my son was a little lost with certain references, so I found myself interjecting explanations (who was Ralph Malph, for example). This could be because of his age; maybe this should be for the upper end of YA. It was also slow going for him -- there was no begging on his part. He is used to the fast-paced action and intrigue of Harry Potter type books. On the plus side of his experience, this book allowed for great history lessons about Vietnam -- the war itself, and America's reaction to it later. I believe he really connected with Eli, the main character who is also 10. Just for fun, I asked him a few questions about it.
"I thought the descriptions were good. Like the gas station. I really liked the gas station."
--Who was your favorite character?--
(rolls eyes)
"C'mon, really?"
--Ok, your favorite after Eli.--
"Mama. And Nell was nice. Edie was okay. ... I didn't like Charles Asher because he was way too cool. I'm not saying I don't like cool people, but..."
--Why was Mama your favorite after Eli?--
"She was enthusiastic."
"I liked the descriptiveness. Except the house. I couldn't tell which rooms were next to each other."
--What was described well?--
"The landscape. It was nice. The cliff. The trees."
"It was a pretty good book."
As for myself, I love the way House paints a scene with words. I felt the heat of that summer, the strength and shelter of the tree, the feeling of riding a bike with no hands. Personally, I loved the relationship between Eli and Josie, because at about this same time in history I was her age, with a brother six years younger. We were very close as well. I loved the vulnerability of Eli and Edie. Of all the characters, but especially the children.
I do recommend this book, and I enjoyed reading it. Here are the 2 reasons I gave this a 4 instead of a 5.
1. The YA aspect is a bit muddy, though this could be because my 10yo isn't quite ready. And perhaps Silas House has earned the right to write this book how he likes, letting it muddy the lines of distinction in genre.
2. I usually find his use of metaphor perfectly suited to the movement of a book, developing characters, painting a scene, moving plot along. In this book I noticed it too much. It was still beautiful, but I was aware that he was using metaphor. I would rather just "feel it."
I'm immersing myself in Appalachian fiction in preparation for the Appalachian Writer's Workshop later this summer. Because this is YA, I thought I'd read it aloud to my 10yo son. In doing so, it gave us both a chance to really hear the language of these characters.
I noticed that my son was a little lost with certain references, so I found myself interjecting explanations (who was Ralph Malph, for example). This could be because of his age; maybe this should be for the upper end of YA. It was also slow going for him -- there was no begging on his part. He is used to the fast-paced action and intrigue of Harry Potter type books. On the plus side of his experience, this book allowed for great history lessons about Vietnam -- the war itself, and America's reaction to it later. I believe he really connected with Eli, the main character who is also 10. Just for fun, I asked him a few questions about it.
"I thought the descriptions were good. Like the gas station. I really liked the gas station."
--Who was your favorite character?--
(rolls eyes)
"C'mon, really?"
--Ok, your favorite after Eli.--
"Mama. And Nell was nice. Edie was okay. ... I didn't like Charles Asher because he was way too cool. I'm not saying I don't like cool people, but..."
--Why was Mama your favorite after Eli?--
"She was enthusiastic."
"I liked the descriptiveness. Except the house. I couldn't tell which rooms were next to each other."
--What was described well?--
"The landscape. It was nice. The cliff. The trees."
"It was a pretty good book."
As for myself, I love the way House paints a scene with words. I felt the heat of that summer, the strength and shelter of the tree, the feeling of riding a bike with no hands. Personally, I loved the relationship between Eli and Josie, because at about this same time in history I was her age, with a brother six years younger. We were very close as well. I loved the vulnerability of Eli and Edie. Of all the characters, but especially the children.
I do recommend this book, and I enjoyed reading it. Here are the 2 reasons I gave this a 4 instead of a 5.
1. The YA aspect is a bit muddy, though this could be because my 10yo isn't quite ready. And perhaps Silas House has earned the right to write this book how he likes, letting it muddy the lines of distinction in genre.
2. I usually find his use of metaphor perfectly suited to the movement of a book, developing characters, painting a scene, moving plot along. In this book I noticed it too much. It was still beautiful, but I was aware that he was using metaphor. I would rather just "feel it."
April 28, 2010
Eli the Good is a beautifully crafted and compelling novel about love, war, and the meaning of family.
To me this book felt timeless, something you could read over and over again and still get something new out of it. It brought you back to your childhood and made you remember what it was like being a kid on the edge of discovering a complicated world. Eli had so much wisdom to tell you have to slow down, savor the words, and listen. It’s doesn’t matter if the setting is in 1976 or that the Vietnam war has long pasted, realistically the world has not changed; we are still fighting wars we cannot end, families are still families, and love is still love.
I loved how the book is set in the 70s because it was like taking a peak into what life might have been for my mom, who was sixteen (the same age as Josie) in 1976. I enjoyed the references to songs and artists like the “Rubber Band Man”, ABBA, David Cassidy, etc. (I’m actually quite familiar with 70s music because my sister listens to Kasey Kasen every Saturday morning.)
Since Eli is a country boy, he lives in small town, rides his bike, and likes trees. (Exactly how I grew up as well.) Because Eli loves trees, House incorporates the meaning of life into this story, something that is all too often forgotten.
House is a gifted writer and I wouldn’t be the least surprised if one day Eli House became a classic, in fact, I hope it does.
Overall, I highly encourage both teens and adults alike to read this earthy and touching American novel. You will never forget it.
~Silas House is the best-selling author of Clay's Quilt, A Parchment of Leaves, and The Coal Tattoo. He lives in eastern Kentucky with his two daughters and two dogs. This is his first book for young adults.~
|Pages: 295|Year Published: Aug. 2009|Publisher: Candlewick|
|Genre: Contemporary, historical fiction, family drama|
|Age Group: YA, ages 14+|Content: Some language and sensuality|
|Recommend? Yes|
Ages 14+ Because:
The older you are, the more likely you will understand this novel and it's themes.
Courtesy of booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com
To me this book felt timeless, something you could read over and over again and still get something new out of it. It brought you back to your childhood and made you remember what it was like being a kid on the edge of discovering a complicated world. Eli had so much wisdom to tell you have to slow down, savor the words, and listen. It’s doesn’t matter if the setting is in 1976 or that the Vietnam war has long pasted, realistically the world has not changed; we are still fighting wars we cannot end, families are still families, and love is still love.
I loved how the book is set in the 70s because it was like taking a peak into what life might have been for my mom, who was sixteen (the same age as Josie) in 1976. I enjoyed the references to songs and artists like the “Rubber Band Man”, ABBA, David Cassidy, etc. (I’m actually quite familiar with 70s music because my sister listens to Kasey Kasen every Saturday morning.)
Since Eli is a country boy, he lives in small town, rides his bike, and likes trees. (Exactly how I grew up as well.) Because Eli loves trees, House incorporates the meaning of life into this story, something that is all too often forgotten.
House is a gifted writer and I wouldn’t be the least surprised if one day Eli House became a classic, in fact, I hope it does.
Overall, I highly encourage both teens and adults alike to read this earthy and touching American novel. You will never forget it.
~Silas House is the best-selling author of Clay's Quilt, A Parchment of Leaves, and The Coal Tattoo. He lives in eastern Kentucky with his two daughters and two dogs. This is his first book for young adults.~
|Pages: 295|Year Published: Aug. 2009|Publisher: Candlewick|
|Genre: Contemporary, historical fiction, family drama|
|Age Group: YA, ages 14+|Content: Some language and sensuality|
|Recommend? Yes|
Ages 14+ Because:
The older you are, the more likely you will understand this novel and it's themes.
Courtesy of booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com
July 29, 2016
This isn't the type of book I usually read. I do like some historical fiction, but the setting of this one is fairly recent. To be honest, I almost gave up after 75 pages or so. I'm used to books having more plot, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. But I found that I didn't really want to give up on this one, since I'd been drawn in by the characters. I think that's actually the point here; Eli the Good has some nice themes, and the excellent characterization held my interest and conveyed those themes well, even after I accepted that there wasn't going to be much plot to speak of.
I really enjoyed the writing in Eli the Good. There was a certain sense of nostalgia for my own childhood that bubbled to the surface as I read Eli's descriptions of that summer in 1976, a time and a place seen through the innocence of a child's eyes. Though this story took place before I was born, there was a sense of familiarity that really drew me in; it seems that things have really only changed in the last ten years or so. When I was a child, we still played outside, pushing the boundaries of the curfew-by-streetlight, rolling in the grass and letting it prickle on our skin, and studying the myriad bugs we managed to capture (and then release, of course). This is a young adult title, and I'm not sure how much of this would be familiar to today's teens... so how much they can relate to is uncertain. But the themes in the book -- about family, friendship, and growing up -- are pretty universal.
Despite the slow start, I really enjoyed Eli the Good. By the end, I'd come to know the characters well. I can't say that I liked them all or even agreed with their choices, but I think that was part of the message the book was trying to convey.
http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20...
I really enjoyed the writing in Eli the Good. There was a certain sense of nostalgia for my own childhood that bubbled to the surface as I read Eli's descriptions of that summer in 1976, a time and a place seen through the innocence of a child's eyes. Though this story took place before I was born, there was a sense of familiarity that really drew me in; it seems that things have really only changed in the last ten years or so. When I was a child, we still played outside, pushing the boundaries of the curfew-by-streetlight, rolling in the grass and letting it prickle on our skin, and studying the myriad bugs we managed to capture (and then release, of course). This is a young adult title, and I'm not sure how much of this would be familiar to today's teens... so how much they can relate to is uncertain. But the themes in the book -- about family, friendship, and growing up -- are pretty universal.
Despite the slow start, I really enjoyed Eli the Good. By the end, I'd come to know the characters well. I can't say that I liked them all or even agreed with their choices, but I think that was part of the message the book was trying to convey.
http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20...
July 5, 2011
The summer that I was ten--
Can it be there was only one
summer that I was ten? It must
have been a long long one then--
---May Swenson "The Centaur" (as qtd. in House's Eli The Good)
I loved this quotation from the get-go and have since re-read Swenson's poems with a new eye because of this book. Silas House gained famed through his book Clay's Quilt, a book I need to by God go back and read. But this book captured me on a deep level I'm still picking my way through.
Our (anti) hero Eli is 10 as the book opens, and he has all the struggles many kids growing up in 1970's America you'd expect. It's 1976 and the July 4th Bicentennial celebrations are upon him. His southern town is gearing up for a $10,000 fireworks display; his 16 year old sister is plaguing her mother by fitting and stamping her feet for her "right" to wear a pair of ultra-tight pants that look as if they were made from a flag (striped up the thighs, star-spangled butt); his hippie aunt has come home to roost and his Vietnam veteran father is waking them all with the screams of his night terrors.
Eli is still very young; 10 was younger back then, wasn't it? But he spies on everyone in the house with a level of stealth a CIA operative could study; he learns more secrets about the adult world than he's ready for, and he knows it. I finished the book last night with the sounds of fireworks exploding all over town and I'm still reeling from it all; we haven't healed from that awful and wonderful part of our country's history. Maybe picking at scabs is a good way to make us really remember the hurt and try to learn from it.
Can it be there was only one
summer that I was ten? It must
have been a long long one then--
---May Swenson "The Centaur" (as qtd. in House's Eli The Good)
I loved this quotation from the get-go and have since re-read Swenson's poems with a new eye because of this book. Silas House gained famed through his book Clay's Quilt, a book I need to by God go back and read. But this book captured me on a deep level I'm still picking my way through.
Our (anti) hero Eli is 10 as the book opens, and he has all the struggles many kids growing up in 1970's America you'd expect. It's 1976 and the July 4th Bicentennial celebrations are upon him. His southern town is gearing up for a $10,000 fireworks display; his 16 year old sister is plaguing her mother by fitting and stamping her feet for her "right" to wear a pair of ultra-tight pants that look as if they were made from a flag (striped up the thighs, star-spangled butt); his hippie aunt has come home to roost and his Vietnam veteran father is waking them all with the screams of his night terrors.
Eli is still very young; 10 was younger back then, wasn't it? But he spies on everyone in the house with a level of stealth a CIA operative could study; he learns more secrets about the adult world than he's ready for, and he knows it. I finished the book last night with the sounds of fireworks exploding all over town and I'm still reeling from it all; we haven't healed from that awful and wonderful part of our country's history. Maybe picking at scabs is a good way to make us really remember the hurt and try to learn from it.
April 28, 2016
I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author, with his soft, slow Appalachian drawl. The book is flawless, it is descriptive without being effusive, and carries the reader along it's narrative stream like a floating leaf on a lazy summer afternoon.
The protagonist, ten year old Eli Book, has an old soul. He observes his family, friends, and nature with full awareness, and has understanding beyond his years. The story takes place during the summer of the bicentennial, when Eli's Aunt Nell comes to live with them. Nell gained national attention when her photo was taken during a protest against the Vietnam War, and Eli's father, Stanton, has never forgiven her. He is a Vietnam veteran, with post-traumatic stress disorder. Eli's mother, Loretta, spends most of her attention calming and soothing her husband, while Josie, Eli's sixteen year-old sister, is in a constant power struggle with their mother. Eli's best friend is his next-door neighbor Edi, who shares his love of trees, reading, and bike riding.
The family attends a 4th of July parade, in which veterans of World War I, World War II, and Korea march and are honored. Eli wonders where the Vietnam veterans are, and catches a shift in his father's demeanor. The full effects of PTSD come to a head, and threaten to destroy the family.
Eli the Good is a sympathetic, loving story of an American family, struggling with the pressure of external conflicts that have become internalized. I foresee it becoming a classic, on the order of To Kill a Mockingbird.
The protagonist, ten year old Eli Book, has an old soul. He observes his family, friends, and nature with full awareness, and has understanding beyond his years. The story takes place during the summer of the bicentennial, when Eli's Aunt Nell comes to live with them. Nell gained national attention when her photo was taken during a protest against the Vietnam War, and Eli's father, Stanton, has never forgiven her. He is a Vietnam veteran, with post-traumatic stress disorder. Eli's mother, Loretta, spends most of her attention calming and soothing her husband, while Josie, Eli's sixteen year-old sister, is in a constant power struggle with their mother. Eli's best friend is his next-door neighbor Edi, who shares his love of trees, reading, and bike riding.
The family attends a 4th of July parade, in which veterans of World War I, World War II, and Korea march and are honored. Eli wonders where the Vietnam veterans are, and catches a shift in his father's demeanor. The full effects of PTSD come to a head, and threaten to destroy the family.
Eli the Good is a sympathetic, loving story of an American family, struggling with the pressure of external conflicts that have become internalized. I foresee it becoming a classic, on the order of To Kill a Mockingbird.
June 1, 2012
Places exist in this world that hold a sense of power and wonder over the people who love them. The town of Refuge, the setting of The Book of Eli by Silas House, is such a place. In the summer of 1976, Eli Book ages well beyond his actual time on earth. He may be 10 years old, but by the end of the summer, he is an old ten-year old. Eli spends his summer struggling with a father who suffers from the aftershocks of fighting in Vietnam, a 16-year-old sister who is rebelling, and a best friend who has been abandoned by her mother. Through it all, Eli seeks solace from the natural world around him and an aunt who has returned to rural Kentucky from Washington, D.C. It is from the wisdom of this aunt that Eli learns to value the place of his childhood as she tells him that "there's not a tree in the world like the ones you grow up with. You never forget them, and the trees remember you." He also learns that "it was better to cry than to suck it up and go around conjuring hate in your heart." The powerfully descriptive writing of Silas House left me with chills despite the rising temperatures outside my own mountain windows. I finished this tremendous book with both a sense of awe in House's power to transport me to Refuge, Kentucky and a sense of sadness that so many of my own students, this week preparing for the end of grade reading tests, may never experience the power a great piece of fiction has to pick you up out of your own life and drop you for a time in someone else's.
September 21, 2010
ELI THE GOOD is one of those stories where setting -- place and especially time -- takes center stage. The year is 1976 -- a year I remember for our town's bicentennial parade and because I spent most of it angry that I wasn't allowed to ride my bike to the park alone. Eli remembers it as the year things fell apart in his family -- with a wild-spirited aunt who shows up with a secret, a mouthy, strong-willed sister who comes to blows with their mother, and a father who is trapped in his memories of Vietnam. It's a beautiful, poignant book, full of the kinds of details that made me want to go back and reread passages. There were many that I loved, but maybe this one most of all:
"Whole scenes of your life slip away forever if you don't put them down in ink." ~Eli Book
I loved this book, though I haven't had a chance to share it with students yet, and there's one thing that makes me most curious as to how it will be received. Even though Eli is ten years old the summer of 1976, he's a grown man, narrating from years in the future as he narrates the book. In that sense, it feels more like an adult book sometimes than a title aimed at kids. I'm curious to see how much students will connect with that older, wiser voice. Has anyone shared this title with tweens & teens yet? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
"Whole scenes of your life slip away forever if you don't put them down in ink." ~Eli Book
I loved this book, though I haven't had a chance to share it with students yet, and there's one thing that makes me most curious as to how it will be received. Even though Eli is ten years old the summer of 1976, he's a grown man, narrating from years in the future as he narrates the book. In that sense, it feels more like an adult book sometimes than a title aimed at kids. I'm curious to see how much students will connect with that older, wiser voice. Has anyone shared this title with tweens & teens yet? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
October 14, 2016
“Since that night I have come to understand that sometimes the best families of all are those we create ourselves, the people we choose to be with.”
This tale is one of family, love, and war. Ten year-old Eli spends his summer learning what it means to have a father who fought in the Vietnam war. He learns that not everyone supported the war, and this very thing seems to threaten to tear his family apart. This coming of age novel perfectly captures the American South in the 70's, while also showing us that love and family are timeless.
Eli was such a great protagonist, and I was so enlightened by his pure heart. All of the characters were extremely prominent and well-rounded. I fell in love with every single one of them for different reasons, and I came to see them as my very own family.
This book was an emotional journey, and it was told so beautifully. I truly gained a new perspective after reading this book, and those are always my favorite kinds of stories.
It is a very character-driven book, and the plot was definitely not quickly paced. However, I enjoyed savoring this book and getting to know the characters along the way. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in it.
This tale is one of family, love, and war. Ten year-old Eli spends his summer learning what it means to have a father who fought in the Vietnam war. He learns that not everyone supported the war, and this very thing seems to threaten to tear his family apart. This coming of age novel perfectly captures the American South in the 70's, while also showing us that love and family are timeless.
Eli was such a great protagonist, and I was so enlightened by his pure heart. All of the characters were extremely prominent and well-rounded. I fell in love with every single one of them for different reasons, and I came to see them as my very own family.
This book was an emotional journey, and it was told so beautifully. I truly gained a new perspective after reading this book, and those are always my favorite kinds of stories.
It is a very character-driven book, and the plot was definitely not quickly paced. However, I enjoyed savoring this book and getting to know the characters along the way. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in it.
May 28, 2011
Eli, a country boy in Kentucky, turns 10 over the summer of 1976, the summer of America’s bicentennial celebrations. Eli spends time riding bikes with his best friend Edie, reading The Diary of Ann Frank and writing in his journal. His aunt Nell (a war protester during the 1960s) has come to live with them bringing her large record collection and his 16-year-old sister Josie is always mad and fighting. Eli’s father is having nightmares about Vietnam and is a quiet shadow in the family when he is not losing his temper.. Eli is trying to figure things out about him and his family; he observes, eavesdrops and secretly reads letters written by his father to his mother from Vietnam, trying to understand this man whose silence “ is how he kept on the edge of explosion.” Themes: Silence, secrets, regret, trees “the undisclosed connection that bound us [Eli and his dad] now.” Growing up amid women with a silent father who stares at him but doesn’t see anything looking past him and seeing the trees of Vietnam. All is written from the retrospective viewpoint of Eli, now a man in incredibly beautiful language. One of the finest books about the Vietnam War I've read.
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