Charles Martin
Chasing Fireflies (2007)
Author: Charles Martin
Genre: Christian/Gentle
Plot Summary:
Chase Walker has always questioned his past. As a foster child he spent much of his life wondering and waiting for his parents to arrive, despite being welcomed into the loving foster home of William McFarland (known as Unc Willee). When a young, mute boy is found abandoned near the site of an apparent suicide Chase is asked to cover the story for his newspaper and he soon becomes deeply involved with this boy and his story. While trying to piece together the boy's past Chase is also still trying to solve the decades-old mystery surrounding Willee's falling out with his brother and the community. In searching for these answers Chase is able to develop a new relationship with Mandy (an attorney in the D.A.'s office) and also put to rest a tumultuous relationship with his foster cousin Tommye who has returned from California. As an orphan Chase has always had many questions, and in this story some are answered, but he learns to accept that others are unanswerable. SPOILER: Chase and Mandy are able to determine that the young boy, who's been nicknamed Sketch for his ability to draw, was abandoned as a young boy and greatly abused. Unc Willee and his wife bring the boy into their home and eventually adopt him. Meanwhile, Chase comes to terms with his relationship with Tommye once he learns she's returned to Georgia die. However, it is Willee's refusal to clear his name in a murder and robbery from years ago that plagues Chase until the very end when he finds out that Willee is his father and has been quiet all these years to protect Chase.
Geographical Setting: Brunswick, Georgia
Time Period: 2006
Appeal Characteristics:
The pacing of Chasing Fireflies tends to be a bit slow, but it is deliberate because the author goes to great lengths to describe events, characters, and places. Because these elements are all interesting the reader will keep reading to find out more and eventually the pace picks up more once the story has been set. Told in first person by the character of Chase, the other characters are well-drawn in a loving manner. Chase himself is fleshed out through by recounting his history, but it is some of the secondary characters (especially Unc Willee) who will keep readers interested due to their real-life, and often eccentric, personalities. However, it is the story and the telling of the story that most make this an interesting read. The story is complex, involving both a present day mystery and one from many years earlier, and it asks readers to consider what it means to not know the answers to many important questions. The author layers these story lines in such a manner that as he slowly reveals each layer the reader becomes more engrossed in the story. Though there are references to darker aspects, the novel is quite gentle without every trying to deny the realism of violence and cruelty. Also, though it's considered a Christian story there is very minimal mention of God and "the church" is often drawn as an unimportant (at times ignorant) portion of the community. To create such a complex story the author has provided a very detailed frame that involves a small town, southern community with a deep history. Details of flora and fauna run throughout, as do descriptions of fishing, baseball, and cooking, but rather than make the story drag these descriptions bring the book to life. The tone of the book is neither too upbeat nor too depressing; rather it's a straightforward description of these characters and their lives with a bit of suspense thrown in. All of this is accomplished due to a candid writing style that is polished without being pretentious. As Charles Martin peels away the layers of his story readers are drawn deeper and deeper into a world that seems at once both very personal and very real.
Read-alikes: For those who enjoyed Martin's Chasing Fireflies there are many other novels by the author to compare, but perhaps the best suggestion for this novel is his earlier story Wrapped in Rain: A Novel of Coming Home. Like Chasing Fireflies, this story is set in the south and brings with it the southern mannerisms as well as geography. In this story, a young man has made well for himself and left the unloving home of his father only to be drawn back by his mentally ill brother and an ex-girlfriend who's living in a bad marriage. It is the theme of families that makes these two novels the most alike. Both novels use an adult male protagonist who's looking back on his childhood to deal with issues he's presently facing. Though the past and present of the characters on these two books may be different, the frame and story line are very similar. Readers are also likely to enjoy In Search of Eden by Linda Nichols if they liked Chasing Fireflies, especially those readers who like a similar tone and style, but may be looking for a female protagonist. In this story, a twenty-something woman is trying to begin her life, despite the hardships of her past, and encounters a young girl named Eden who helps her make a home in Abingdon, Virginia. Like Martin's book this story is again set in the south and involves a history of child abuse. However, readers who liked Martin's book will most likely enjoy Nichols' detailed characterization and complex storytelling. Another suggestion for fans of Chasing Fireflies who may be looking for a female lead character is After the Leaves Fall. In this debut novel by Nicole Baart the main character, Julia, struggles with parental abandonment and how that has affected her identity. Baart's novel revolves much more around the importance of God in a person's life, but like Chasing Fireflies this importance is founded in the protagonist's search for his or her identity. Another read-alike for Martin's novel is fellow Christy award-winner Dale W. Cramer's Levi's Will which is about Will, an Amish man who leaves home in 1943. Will leads a nomadic and unhappy life and eventually finds himself becoming the distant father that his father was to him. Similar appeal elements to Chasing Fireflies include the complex writing style Cramer and Martin use to create a layered story. Another element that will appeal to fans of Martin's book is the deliberate pacing which allows readers to become immersed in the details. Finally, for fans of the Christian novels who might want a little more emphasis on God's role there is Jan Karon's Home to Holly Springs: The First of the Father Tim Novels which includes similar character elements to Chasing Fireflies. With a cast of eccentric characters who have interesting pasts and the small town southern feel to frame this story, the two novels should please readers who liked Charles Martin's Chasing Fireflies.
Red Flags: Description of child abuse (including sexual) and the discovery of a murder as well as a scene describing a bloody fight. Reference to the adult-film business and one scene of brief nudity.
The Dead Don't Dance (2004)
Author: Charles Martin
Genre (and subgenre): Christian/Gentle
Plot Summary:
Dylan Styles and his wife Maggie live in Digger, South Carolina on the farm where he grew up. They have a blissful marriage: he farms the land that was once his grandparents and Maggie is a gardener who can work wonders with plants. Maggie becomes pregnant with their first child and they are overjoyed, but something goes terribly wrong during the delivery. Their baby boy does not survive and Maggie falls into a coma due to severe hemorrhaging. Dylan is grief-stricken, but he does not give up. Dylan’s best friend from childhood, Amos, still lives in Digger and he is the local deputy. Amos gently prods Dylan to take a job as an English instructor at the local community college since he is staring at mounting medical bills and a bad crop. (Dylan has a doctorate in English, but he was unable to find work upon finishing school, so he and Maggie decided to return to his family farm.) The students in his class prove to be challenging, but they ultimately play an important role in Dylan’s grieving process as he tries to accept the unknown. Dylan is forced to face death once again when he attempts to rescue Amos and one of his pregnant students, Amanda Lovett, in a car accident. Not only does he attempt to rescue them, but he also delivers Amanda’s baby boy at the scene of the accident. Dylan’s experiences throughout the novel help him find the answer as to whether or not God has forsaken him. SPOILER: Dylan rescues Amanda and Amos and they survive. Maggie wakes up with brain functions intact soon thereafter.
Geographical Setting: South Carolina
Time Period: Present day (2004)
Appeal Characteristics:
This non-literary, inspirational story is Martin’s first novel and was a Christy Award nominee in 2005 for Best First Novel. Readers who are looking for a slow-paced story set in a small town with strong characterization might be satisfied with this novel. It should also appeal to anyone interested in reading about a Christian’s internal struggles relating to faith in God. The strength of this novel is the colorful characters who weave themselves in and out of Dylan’s life. There is Dylan’s neighbor, Bryce Kai MacGregor, a raging but wealthy alcoholic who plays his bagpipes in the nude. Another interesting character is one of Dylan’s students, Koy Jones, a talented but troubled writer who hides behind her sunglasses. The story takes place over a period of five months in a fictional small town in South Carolina. Martin spends a lot of time describing the climate, the trees, and the river, but he is unable to evoke a strong sense of place in relation to South Carolina. The story embodies Christian values while addressing difficult topics such as rape, abortion, and death.
Read-alikes: Martin’s second novel, Wrapped in Rain: A Novel of Coming Home, should not be missed if you enjoyed The Dead Don’t Dance. It is an inspirational story set in a small town in Alabama and is comprised of an eccentric cast of characters. If you are interested in reading about a grieving man confronting loss, then you might try Dee Henderson’s, The Rescuer. This is book six in the O’Malley Series. Another novel that explores a character grappling with his faith due to grief and loss is James Bryan Smith’s, Room of Marvels. If you specifically want an inspirational author who addresses difficult issues like death, abortion, and rape, then you should try reading Karen Kingsbury’s, A Thousand Tomorrows. Nicholas Sparks may appeal to readers of this genre even though he is not classified as Christian/Inspirational. His work often revolves around the values of family, religion, faith, and love. His novel, At First Sight, is a good read-alike because it addresses young married people, life changing events, and small town life.
Red Flags: The novel is not evangelical or denominational specific. There is allusion to sex, but no graphic descriptions. However, there are two somewhat descriptive passages about childbirth. Some beer drinking occurs and there is discussion of alcoholism, kidnapping, rape, and abortion.
|top|
|
