Official Review: But the Thorns Had Roses by Lynn Jones

[Jsovermyer]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "But the Thorns Had Roses" by Lynn Jones.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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But the Thorns Had Roses, by Lynn Jones, is the first book in her “Popcorn Trilogy.” It is a fictional nostalgic look at life during World War II. Glenda and Herb Erikson grew up in a dysfunctional family in Clearwater, Minnesota. Their father was the town drunk and displayed a violent temper when he had been drinking. Their mother was beaten down by life, emotionless and unsupportive. Glenda took care of her younger brother and became a mother-figure to him. At eighteen, she met handsome Charles O’Bannion. She fell in love and agreed to marry him. He took her to live in his hometown of Popcorn, Indiana. Because most of the men had enlisted, the population of Popcorn had shrunk to sixty-five people. This is the story of Glenda and Charles making a new life in Popcorn.

Popcorn is a sweet and sentimental caricature of a small rural town. It is a farming community with fields of soybeans, wheat, and corn. There are rolling picturesque hills where Hereford cattle graze. It possesses a “Mayberry” quality where everyone knows everyone else’s business, and there could be no secrets. I found Popcorn is indeed a real place in central Indiana with a current population of 42 people. In the story, the people there were warm and welcoming to Glenda. There are parades, the Founder’s Day picnic, a pie-baking contest, a Thanksgiving feast, and Christmas caroling. This book shows a simpler and more wholesome way of life.

It also gives an accurate look at how people felt waiting for their husbands, fathers, and sons to come home from the war. There is an emotional toll on both the soldiers and their families. The discussion of food rationing and gas coupons made me realize how hard life was during this time. People had little and gave up much for the war effort. A funny part was when Glenda was painting a line up the back of her legs with an eyebrow pencil. This was to simulate stockings that were hard to get at this time.

I was afraid this would turn boring once Charles and Glenda moved to Popcorn, but I was surprised by the mysterious turn of the story. Who is the grumpy, tattered elderly lady who lives alone with only her cat in a ramshackle shed in the woods? Why have the normally friendly townspeople shunned her? What did she do to deserve such treatment? This part revived my interest and made it a suspenseful, exciting, and remarkable story.

The characters in this novel are effectively developed and realistically portrayed. Glenda, the main character, is shown as a strong woman. She stands up to her father and takes care of her brother. She makes a life for herself in the new town. She is warm, loving, and shows herself to be a good friend. She is resourceful and self-reliant as she carries on when her husband is sent overseas. Herb, her brother, is equally strong. He is unbroken by his abusive childhood. He is patriotic, loyal, a devoted brother, and a lover of Notre Dame University Football. Other fascinating characters are Ada Merrick, the lady in the woods, and Ned Pierson, the old postmaster who becomes Glenda’s best friend and confidante.

I would recommend this book to lovers of character-driven tales. This is not an action thriller. It is a story of small-town life. There is some depiction of war, but it is not overly violent or gory. The book contains only mild swearing. There are no graphic sexual scenes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would like to give it a perfect score, but there are too many grammatical errors. This book needs another round of editing. Therefore, I am awarding But the Thorns Had Roses, by Lynn Jones, with a score of 3 out of 4 stars. I was completely drawn into this story and can’t wait to read the second book in the trilogy to see what happens next.

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But the Thorns Had Roses
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[Stephanie Elizabeth]

A beautifully written review; I can't imagine how agonizing it would have been waiting for a loved one to come home from war. I also like the small-town aspect of the book. Thanks for sharing!

[Jsovermyer]

Thank you for your kind words. It was a thoroughly enjoyable book. I cried and laughed aloud while I was reading it.

[Letora]

I love stories that take place in small towns. The overall feel of the setting really immerses me. I always like seeing how the characters interact and participate in activities small towns are known for. Great review!

[Splendour0606]

The question,who could the grumpy elderly lady be?really kept me on suspense,for her to be shunned by the friendly town people depicts something bad.Nice review.

[Kachi_Ejiogu+_]

"People had little but gave up much for the war effort". I can't imagine what that felt like. Sounds quite emotional for me. I think I'm going to add this book to my shelve. Excellent job you did with the review!.

[Rachel_Emmanuel]

I love stories where everyone wants to be there for each other. In times of war everyone finds succor with other people and pray for their loved ones in battles. This period of Corona Virus too has made me realize that we cannot totally depend on ourselves. We need to be there for each other and from the review, the author portrayed that as well. Lovely review.

[Magnify3]

Great review and beautifully written. I must say I am curious about the old lady who lives with her cat.

[Adanna Inya]

This is really a nostalgic one. Most times, I'm grateful to Gid that I wasn't born in that era. Heaven only knows how I'd have coped. And Popcorn is a real place with only 42 people? Wow! Wish I could visit.

[Nzube Chizoba Okeke]

I love the small town aspect of the book and I'm curious about the elderly lady who lives alone with a cat. I also love the realistic aspect of this book which is Popcorn. This is a book I'd really love to look into. Thanks for the review.

[Tessa1]

I definitely love character-driven stories. This seems like a book I would enjoy.

[Brenda Creech]

This sounds like a book I would thoroughly enjoy so I was disappointed when I got to the end of your review and discovered there were multiple errors! I hope the author will have the book professionally edited because the story sounds like my cup of tea! Thanks for the wonderful review!

[Damis Seres Rodriguez]

Character-driven stories are the best. I hope the book gets another editing round so it can get the attention it deserves. Great review!