Serpent Box (P.S. Series) [NOOK Book]

( 6 )

Overview

In the deep mountains of Appalachia, the Flints of Leatherwood, Tennessee, spread the word of the gospels by handling deadly serpents and drinking lye in front of large gatherings of the faithful. Believing his ten-year-old son Jacob—called Toad or Spud—to be a prophet, Charles, the patriarch, takes the boy down a long and arduous path as they travel the back roads of the postwar Deep South in search of God and plumb the depths of their unorthodox brand of faith. But sudden, shocking tragedy will shatter ...

See more details below
Serpent Box (P.S. Series)

Available on NOOK devices and apps  
  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK HD/HD+ Tablet
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for Windows 8 Tablet
  • NOOK for iOS
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK for Windows 8
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for Web

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

NOOK Book (eBook)
$9.99
BN.com price

More About This Book

Overview

In the deep mountains of Appalachia, the Flints of Leatherwood, Tennessee, spread the word of the gospels by handling deadly serpents and drinking lye in front of large gatherings of the faithful. Believing his ten-year-old son Jacob—called Toad or Spud—to be a prophet, Charles, the patriarch, takes the boy down a long and arduous path as they travel the back roads of the postwar Deep South in search of God and plumb the depths of their unorthodox brand of faith. But sudden, shocking tragedy will shatter Charles's cherished dream of building a ministry and a permanent church—and set young Jacob on a dramatically different course.

Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

In his lyrical if somewhat scattered debut, Carrella paints a vivid picture of a family struggling to survive and retain their faith in Depression-era Tennessee. Though his wife, Rebecca, is days away from giving birth, Pentecostal preacher Charles Flint feels the call of God and embarks for Slaughter Mountain, the site of a legendary Pentecostal church. Charles is gone when Rebecca, caught in the woods during a thunderstorm, gives birth to Jacob inside an ancient tree. Born deformed, Jacob is a quiet, pensive child, but as he grows up, Charles becomes convinced that Jacob is imbued with the Holy Spirit. When Jacob turns 10 and survives a bite from one of the snakes Charles uses when preaching, Charles decides to return to Slaughter Mountain, where Jacob can help spread the word. But when the Flints' faith is shaken by a tragedy, Jacob must decide how to both carry on his father's dream and protect his family. Despite an abundance of gorgeously rendered scenes, the narrative begins to lose steam midway through the book. With an atmosphere richer than its heroes, this first effort intrigues but does not wholly satisfy. (Feb.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780061751509
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 3/17/2009
  • Sold by: Harpercollins
  • Format: eBook
  • Pages: 496
  • Sales rank: 1,198,222
  • File size: 586 KB

Meet the Author

Vincent Louis Carrella is a writer and designer of interactive digital media who has created original adventure games (most notably Bad Mojo) and animated web serials and characters for DreamWorks, Warner Bros., SaturdayNightLive.com, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Pulse Entertainment, and Darkhorse Comics. He is cofounder of Drew Pictures and founder of Jinx Digital Studios, and he lives with his wife and daughters in northern California.

Read More Show Less

Read an Excerpt

Serpent Box
A Novel

Chapter One

Toad

It is still that part of the morning before the mist rises, in the time of ocher and amber and blue light that glows at the edges of things. Golden comes the sun through the ground clouds like a Bible picture.

Jacob Flint, a boy of nine summers, a boy of oddly shaped bones, whose large left eye seems to swirl in the socket of a head that, at a distance, appears to have been carved from a rough potato. It has that same organic, subterranean quality that earned him such names as Spud and Toad and Newt and Hog. There is no end to what he resembles from the very earth from which he sprang.

He stands alone now against a sycamore tree that is as small and crooked as himself, in the far corner of the play yard at the Toe Heel School in Leatherwood, watching the mist swirl above the ankles of the other boys, whose recent scorn has cast him again to the outskirts of the field. Here, the boys pay him no mind. They fight playfully among themselves over a handmade ball and thus pay him no mind. For the moment, he is invisible.

The ball is made of a rich brown hide stuffed with straw and sewn together with sinew. It wobbles in the air and careens off their fingertips. It flies off in his direction, vanishing beneath the mist and rolling unseen to his feet. They turn. Suddenly he is no longer the invisible boy.

He was at one moment part of the tree, part of the mist. Jacob Flint, part of the earth, part of the stone. A shard of ancient rock. A crude thing hammered out with the slow and deliberate chipping motion of a human hand. The jagged son of dust and chert. And now the eyes ofthe boys are upon him. They watch to see what he will do, if he will stand or if he will run. But they're not the only ones poised there waiting, watching, to see what he might do—his sister is in the tire swing, spinning slow, holding the rope in both hands and leaning up over the top of the tire to see if her little brother will stand or run.

Magdalena Flint can lick them all together if need be, she can swoop in like a hawk and save him the way she's done, and done, and the way she wants to do now. It's been hard for her to keep her oath to him, to keep her distance, to let him fend for himself. A man must fend for himself. But he will not have her protect him anymore. Tomorrow he will be a boy of ten summers, and perhaps, soon, a man of one. If what his daddy says is true, that manhood is not something you do, but something that is done to you, it could happen. So maybe it will come. It could come anytime. Ten is so close. It could come. It could come now if he stands and does not run. A man must fend.

The boys watch him. Jacob stoops down to pick up the ball. He pulls it out of the mist and holds it up to the light as if it was something he had discovered in a nest, and he holds it up for them to see in a gesture meant to claim it as his own. One of the boys steps forward. He is not the biggest of the bunch but he is by far the worst.

The Toad done got it, he says. Give it here, Toad.

They call him this a lot now. Because of his eye. He has not grown into his big eye as some have promised, and of all the names that are not his own this is the name that's stuck. It is not the worst thing he is called, only the most physically descriptive, the most relevant, and thus the most painful. You cannot run from what is true.

Jacob holds the ball. The hide is smooth beyond the stitching, and worn clean, and cracked in places, and it's cool and smooth like a good baseball glove, like the pocket of an old and trusted mitt. It feels good just to hold it.

I said give it, Toad, says the boy. The worst boy. Jude Acheson, with those Chinese eyes of his, and that flat pig nose, and all them square little goat teeth that bit Jacob once to the bone, the scar still there on his finger that holds the ball that feels so nice to hold. The other boys mumble and look to see what he will do. The tire swing is empty and spinning fast. Jude Acheson reaches down into the mist to pick up a walnut-sized stone.

Toad don't learn, he says. Do he?

Go get him, Jude.

Squish the Toad.

Jacob waits, too. He waits to see what he himself might do. His mind tells him to stand and fight, but his body wants to run. Why should this time be any different?

Toad, you got two seconds to find yourself some smarts.

Why not now? Jacob thinks. Why can't it happen now?

The stone comes at him like it was shot from a gun. It makes an audible pop when it strikes him in the head, just above his eye. Jacob drops to his knees. He sees stars. But he does not falter. He puts his fingers to his head and feels a small trickle of blood. He does not drop the ball. Jude Acheson stoops down for another stone.

You want it again, Toad? I can hit that big eye of yours. I been practicing for that.

Go get him, Jude.

Squish the Toad.

Kill the Toad.

I ain't gonna, Jude says. Let the Toad come to me. Come or run, Toad.

Serpent Box
A Novel. Copyright © by Vincent Carrella. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 6 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(3)

4 Star

(3)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
Sort by: Showing all of 6 Customer Reviews

  • Posted September 11, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    Chemistry and Other Stories
    Outer Dark

    Powerful tale of love, faith, family and religion

    In the end, this book got 5/5 instead of 4/5 for a number of reasons. It had a strong sense of authority that I just couldn't shake, it impressed me with its unique history, and I believe every word of it. It is an emotional story, one that deals with family and religion and faith and the harsh realities of the real world. It's a mix of Ron Rash and Cormac McCarthy and I enjoyed it immensely. VLC I hope you keep writing, as you have a lot to share with the world, and a very powerful, visceral voice that has left a mark on me.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 6, 2008

    Bob Medak, All Book Reviews

    I found the Serpent Box to be well written, full of descriptions and engaging characters. The story takes place in Leatherwood, Tennessee. Leatherwood, Tennessee is located deep in the Appalachian Mountains. A place steeped in superstition and the old ways. Preachers, who handle snakes, drink poison as part of their belief that nothing can happen to them as long as the Holy Ghost resides within them. This novel is about the Flints of Leatherwood and, Jacob the young blessed child of Charles and Rebecca Flint. Born under unusual circumstances in the hollow of the Tybor tree during a storm and marked by a lightning bolt birthmark. With his birth and subsequent deformity, his lot in life is not an easy one. Follow Jacob as he matures and grows into a special person. He travels through the Southeast United States with Hosea after an encounter that alters both of their lives and those around them. There is much about this novel that one well garner with the reading, and the characters while showing about life in rural Tennessee after World War Two. Has much changed from the years before? You will have to read and determine that for yourself. I found it to be an interesting look into a different culture and religious beliefs. As a first novel for Mr. Carrella, I found his writing to be well worth the read, albeit, the ending left me a bit cold, and wanting. Others may not feel this way. I am not sure what I expected after reading four-hundred plus pages, but I felt there should be more in some way. The Epilog that does answer some of my questions, but felt it did not go far enough. Perhaps there is a sequel that will come out to further the story of those relationship formed and what happens next in Leatherwood, Tennessee. Serpent Box is a good read, also, an education about snake handlers in a religious setting for those interested.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 11, 2008

    A vacation for your soul

    Reading Vincent Carrella's book is like taking your soul on a mystical backwoods appalachian retreat. The 'Holiness' people have a religious schema that includes drinking poison and handling deadly snakes. It is hard to imagine a life where religion permeates all aspects of life. Carrella paints a picture of rural life where the magic can be found in everyday things and faith is part of everything. The characters are vivid and enlivened with a lyrical voice that leaves you thinking about them throughout the day. In the end I didn't know whether to feel sorry for them or envy their pure faith. The story and the writing are filled with grace, power, and beauty.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 7, 2008

    Not to be missed...

    Vincent Carrella¿s first novel is lucid. Anyone who cares about the nature of faith, the redemptive powers of love, and the mysterious call toward God that some experience will find this book compelling. It is not a novel ¿about¿ religion. It is a mystical 'and nearly mythical' tale of family, love, tolerance, beauty¿with characters who feel genuinely called to God. Indeed, not only do the characters think they are called to God, they ARE called¿ the main character especially. Jacob Flint is described as a true ¿holiness¿ child¿and Carrella brings this ten year old boy to vivid life. With wonderful descriptions of the natural world mingling with a sharp ear for dialogue, the book is at once a part of our world and also somehow not of this world¿full of people who rise up out of love to handle snakes and drink poison to prove the power of the divine. In my opinion, many contemporary novels start off with a ¿bang¿ and then slowly sputter toward the end¿ perhaps because of the market pressures of the bottom line publishing world¿but Carrella¿s book avoids this trap. Indeed, one of the things that struck me most about this book is its structure. The author obviously cared as much about the rising action and tension as he did character, detail, and the vividness of his ¿dream.¿ The last hundred and fifty pages are tense, heartbreaking, and redemptive. I laid awake for a long time after I finished reading, the last few sentences ringing in my head. I highly recommend the book.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 26, 2008

    A journey

    This book is a journey of faith of family and of courage. The characters are real, you can understand each one of them and appreciate the role they play in the big picture. This is not a statement on the Holiness religion it is a story of the personal journey toward faith, each character has his or her own way of believing but they all have a faith that does not falter even through adversity. The background is so well developed that you are immersed in the cool dark woods. The ending is both surprising and rewarding. It is a very good book, I really got caught up in it and there were times I could not move along fast enough to see where I would go next, I highly recommend it.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 6, 2007

    A reviewer

    Excellent read, could not put the book down till it was finished. Interesting characters and use of detail is amazing. This fictional book would be great for those who like reading about Appalachia and Holiness religious beliefs. Even though I enjoyed this book, I feel that practitioners of the Holiness Serpent Handling faith would be upset over it. But then again it is a work of fiction and I WOULD READ IT AGAIN and recommend it to others. I look forward to reading other novels from Mr. Carrella and consider myself honoured to be one of the first outside of family and publishers to get to read it.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Sort by: Showing all of 6 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)