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Two babies Kati and Josh are born on opposite sides of
the world at the very moment the Berlin Wall falls. You'd
think such a potent freedom metaphor would become the
soundtrack for their lives, but nothing could be further
from the truth.
Despite his flawless image, Josh, an artistic and gifted
California skateboarder, struggles to find his true role in the
world, and his growing aggression eventually breaks him.
Kati, a German with a penchant for classic Swiss watches
and attic treasure-hunting, is crushed with disappointment
for never being enough for anyone most especially her
mother.
Craving liberation, Kati and Josh seem destined to claim
their birthright of freedom together. After all, don't the chance encounters transform your life or are they really
chance?
Walls are built to separate, to guard, or to imprison. Hadrian's, and The Great Wall in China were built to keep the barbarians out. Walls rarely pass the test of time.
The day the Berlin Wall fell, a girl child was born in Germany and a boy child was born in America. The narrator of the tale of The Blackberry Bush bore witness to both births. His name is Angelo.
What has this to do with a treasure box discovered in an attic; old coins and a collection of priceless old watches? Coins and Time, like breadcrumbs through the forest, follow the money trail. Trace the thread of destinies that intertwine through a complex tangle of generations who dared to look beyond the impenetrable walls of blackberry thickets.
Is this a tale, or your backstory? Dive deep into the symbolisms, or skim the surface of The Blackberry Bush. Either way, story telling doesn't get any better than this.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.rtwins
Posted May 31, 2011
Faith, like water, will always find its way back to its Source... It takes a crown of thorns and a truly good heart to destroy the wounding thorns of life. ~Angelo
The Blackberry Bush by David Housholder is one of the most uniquely beautiful books I have ever read. The author's rhythm of writing is unusual, but his cadence is the beauty of this story revolving around the lives of Josh and Kati.
The plot begins with the birth of the main characters, continents apart, November 9, 1989. Josh is born in the United States, a surfer and artist. Kati is born in Germany, an introvert with low self-esteem, due mostly to the verbal abuse from her mother, but has a loving relationship with her grandfather, who also shares Kati's love for watches. Josh and Kati share more than a birthday. Their family trees are linked.
Kati and Josh tell their stories. Their ancestors also share their joys and sorrows through day and night dreams seen by these children. Angelo, an angel who has been protecting members of this family, shares the backstory and links the past events to the present of Josh and Kati. The past of this family leads up to one event.
The author presents the reader with these questions:
? Are our lives just random encounters?
?Are our lives planned even before we are born?
?Is it possible to say yes to God's truth without being saved?
?Has God ever spoke to you through circumstance or events?
Although this book is a treasure full of symbolism, it is also a story of redemption, of God bringing us into His will for our lives once we surrender. The author provided a few empty pages at the close of this book for the reader to write their backstory. There are also discussion questions which make this a perfect book to study in a group setting. Angelo's conclusion provides a hint of future novels which I anticipate reading!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I must say that I really enjoyed this book. I was capivated from the very beginning in how their life's were intertwined and how it all came together in the end. The plot was very good. I really enjoyed the feel of traveling into the past and seeing the characters then. All the secrets, and betrayals they habored, you really didn't think how it would connect with the future characters but it did. It also makes you think a lot. It makes you see how even things done in the past can have such a profound effect in the future generations.
As for the characters, I thought they were amazing. Mr. Householder, did a great job capturing all of the characters in all of their stages of life. Young, Old, new. I really could relate to what they were going through. So many families went through so much during the war. It was a great refreshment to read it from all kinds of points of views.
Which brings me to my gripe. I really didn't like the pov switching. For me, it did flow well, but you were constantly switching characters views over and over again. It was sort of nerving. I really wanted to stay in one person shoes for longer than a few pages. But, then again, after finishing it, I can see how the pov switches were nesscary.
The Blackberry Bush, is real, intense read like no other. The plot and writing is intense enough that is captures you right away. This book is definitely something you want to read if you enjoy war stories that are caught up in the web of secrets, betrayal and hurt.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This is actually a novel about family relationships, interweaving destinies, and journeys of self-discovery. David Householder successfully brings out this story in a creative way - the story is layered with words of wisdom and the plot moves on with a suitable pace with the help of passages of the past and current events. Although this book has something to do with Christianity, it is not written in a "preachy" style, so readers of other religions can read it without problems of any sort.
I can totally relate to Kati's hurt that involves her not being pretty and likable enough. She has pale skin, black hair and a big nose, and her mother, mutti is never proud of her. She is always comparing her with her beautiful elder sister, Johanna. She always chastises Kati's appearance without even trying to see her good points. Kati's (only) best friend is her grandfather, Opa Harald who looks past her appearance and loves her unconditionally. Opa teaches her all sorts of things, and she loves hanging out with him. The loving relationship between grandfather and granddaughter is really heart-warming.
On the other hand, Josh is a gifted child, but he seems a bit unsure about how he should live his life. I'm not sure how to describe him, but I feel like I'm a little like him in some ways. I'm glad that both Josh and Kati eventually find their ways in life, discover the goodness of God's love and the beauty of life itself.
In a few words, The Blackberry Bush is a moving, thought-provoking novel in which lies a powerful message. It is a book to read and keep.
"Life is like a coin with two sides--destiny and random chance. The truth is, each side grows out of the other. Quantum stuff. And life spins and spins."
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.KatrinaAZ
Posted October 21, 2011
The story of two lives on two continents that you know are going to cross at some point but you cannot see how. The story line skitters across their seperate lives picking up vital points without loading you down with more details than needed. The symbol of the Blackberry bush weaves in and out with the story and you feel the urge to keep reading to see how the lives of these two interesting characters progress.I loved it. NOT your usual book.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 28, 2011
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Posted March 22, 2012
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Overview
Two babies Kati and Josh are born on opposite sides of
the world at the very moment the Berlin Wall falls. You'd
think such a ...