Book reviews

Where the Lilies Bloom
Vera and Bill Cleaver Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography History
Vera and Bill Cleaver Books
New book search
Vera and Bill Cleaver Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Where the Lilies Bloom
"Mary Call Luther struggles to keep her family together in North Carolina's Great Smokey Mountains after the deaths of her parents. As he lay dying, her father made her promise to look after her batty but sweet older sister Devola and younger sisters Romey and Ima Dean. She also had to fufill several conditions. First, she was not to call a preacher or an undertaker when he died. She was to wrap him in a sheet and bury him on the mountain. Second, she was to always take pride in the name of Luther and instill that pride in her sisters. Third, she was to do her utmost to keep the family together and not accept charity. Fourth, she was always to keep Devola with her and treat her kindly and never, under any circumstances allow her to marry their hillbilly neighbor Kiser Pease.

Though Mary Call does her utmost to fulfill her promises, hardships settled on thick and fast. People insisted on seeing her father and seemed suspicious of his absence. Money was tight, and the Luthers had to work long hours in the mountains to get any money at all. Winter came with vengeance, and the roof of the house partially collapsed from the weight of the snow. Finally, the Luthers were told they had two weeks to leave their home. At this point, Mary Call finally admitted that she could not continue to battle and found help from a surprising source."

Katherine Brooks, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Where the Lilies Bloom
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - depressed
Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's
Kids growing up/acting up? Yes
Kids: - struggling to earn a living to survive
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Age group of kid(s) in story: - high school
Parents/lack of parents problem? - orphan story

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - student
Age: - a teen
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - society
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an above average amount

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 7 (a good amount)
Mountains/Cliffs Yes

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Where the Lilies Bloom
Weeping Willow by Ruth White
Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton
Reckmire Marsh by Sara Hylton
Lost and Found by Marilyn Harris
The Mountain and the Valley by Ernest Buckler


Click here for more information about this book


Vera and Bill Cleaver Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Katherine Brooks  

SCHOLARS:


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Literature books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal story

Crime & Police story

Ethnic/regional/gender life

Exploring into the wild

Family, caring for ill

Family, loving relations

Family, struggle with

Internal struggle/realization?

Job/Profession/Status story

Kids growing up/acting up?

Political/social activism

Poverty, surviving

Pregnancy/Child rearing

Religion theme?

Romance/Romance Problems

Sports Story?

War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
Feedback
About us
Bribe your congressman!
Rudy Giuliani



Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Online Dating Advice
Martina Cole 10:17:18 AM
Elin Hilderbrand 8:21:17 AM
Online Dating Advice 8:15:38 AM
George W. Bush 4:16:14 AM
Suzanne Collins 1:19:33 AM
The Beatles 1:08:17 AM
Southampton Row 12:42:02 AM
Ellen Hopkins 11:45:40 PM
General Discussion (All Topics) 10:20:53 PM
Wendelin Van Draanen 8:15:48 PM
Sister Souljah 7:16:51 PM
Kate Brian 5:52:28 PM
Dave Pelzer 5:41:28 PM
Barack Obama 5:28:37 PM
Billy Hills and Dale Hudson 5:10:22 PM
Joyce Reardon 4:11:40 PM
Aline Countess of Romanones 3:10:46 PM
Robert Stanek 10:10:58 AM
Linda Berdoll 8:58:27 AM
Eoin Colfer 8:43:26 AM

More message boards