BOOK REVIEW: “EMILY’S HOUSE” BY SHARON ARMSTRONG
REVIEWED BY: Kathy Anderson
May 2021
Kindness is a trait that is too often missing from daily life in modern times. But for Emily Parks, a teen who lives with her alcoholic and practically non-functioning parents and grandmother, kindness seeps into her life. As a newcomer to the small town of Mountain Grove, Virginia, Emily tries to navigate her way through school, making new friends, and finding part time work.
At the age of 14, she has a good deal of pluck, self-sufficiency and resilience, but she is blessed to make friends who will teach her so much more. At the beginning of the story, we see the heartache of a young woman who never had the advantage of learning first-hand what a “normal” life looks like. The citizens of the community sense her pain and loneliness and begin to wrap their arms around her and adopt her as their own. The neighbor Mrs. Apple gives Emily a journal, and she starts a page where she lists the qualities she wants in the house that she will have someday. She explains how to set goals and “make decisions about what you want in your life later on – and what you don’t want.”
Life lessons, tidbits about manners, and a good dose of how to live a life of purpose are abundant in the telling of Emily’s story. It’s informative without being preachy; kids from similar family situations could learn a lot in this book. Through the use of descriptive prose, the author makes it easy to visualize the sights, sounds, tastes and smells infused into the story. People from the Virginia mountains drawl their way through the book, giving a realistic tone to anyone who has ever been in the southern United States. Just a few pages into the book, the reader becomes acclimated to the language and intonation of the townspeople.
The heartwarming, funny, and colorful characters are larger than life. The tale of how the Chan brothers got their names is hilarious; you just want to be enveloped into Miss Mattie’s arms and eat everything in her bakery; Jonathan, Kelly Ann and Gilbert are her peers with stories of their own.
There is a balance of sorrow, tragedy and hope, but Sharon Armstrong’s story lends hope to our chaotic world. The blessings and curses of Emily’s family give way to the big hearts of the people of Mountain Grove, and Emily is well on her way to having the house she hopes for, someday. I am looking forward to the sequel, or better yet, the series!
Kathy Anderson
Superintendent/Principal (retired)
Winship-Robbins Elementary School District
California
To be released in June 2021, first time author Sharon Armstrong’s Emily’s House shows if Emily can change her trajectory, the reader can also. Fifteen and living in a toxic home, Emily is, unknowingly, being shaped by the folks in this quaint, Virginia town. Through the other characters’ interactions towards Emily and her personal journaling, she teaches readers that it’s okay to be broken and not see the end of the tunnel, to “Just take one step at a time” because eventually everything will be okay. There must be a sequel! The reader must know who and what Emily allowed in her future house as an adult, and to see how she will keep her promise to Ike, the owner of Good Eats, and be part of the Pass It Along Club. Emily’s House, a Christian fiction, is perfect for female teens and adults. The reader will find herself lost in Emily, or in any one of the other true to life characters who interact with her. Like Emily my “ghost” families fed into me and helped determine who or what I would later choose to let into my house as an adult, and it is for this reason, I give this a 5 star rating.
Paula Finlay
High School English Teacher (retired)
Faith Christian High School
Yuba City, California