I was very impressed that this novel was written by a man! He describes so truthfully and eloquently the feelings of a married woman raising a family.

Jewel's courage and strength in raising her Down's Syndrome daughter Brenda Kay is admirable, although it is at the expense of her other five children.

This novel is about so many things; marriage, children, triumphs, struggles, mental disabilities, relationships, family life and love.

I often felt sadness while reading this novel. Sadness for Jewel who never really had any time to herself, for Leston who worked so hard to provide a home, for the other children who were neglected by Jewel's intense focus on Brenda Kay and for Brenda Kay herself who was already dealt a raw deal at her birth and again in her future "accident" with the fire.

This book reminded me more of a "memoir" than a novel. I became so involved in Jewel, Brenda Kay and the family that I felt as though I was reading Jewel's memoir of her life.

An EXCELLENT novel that I think will be become a "classic!"

Such a sad sack of a woman. and way too much use of the N-word.

Start this book and hang in there; you'll be glad you did. This is NOT the type of book I normally like so if I loved it you probably will too, but only if 1) you are a woman and 2) if you are a mother. I don't know if you will find this book as amazing without this connection. Granted it's seems a bit slow and verbose at times, but it's capture of the intense emotions and motivations of a woman stretched thin by the multiple demands of a large family, especially on limited finances and resources, is dead on, and quite startling when you remember the author is male. So often I found myself wanting to set the book down in order to call up the author and ask "How do you know this about us???" There are the deepest parts of us we think only women know, but somehow Mr. Lott does too.

As a teacher of special needs youngsters, this book was a must read for me. The story begins in the 30's, if I remember with the birth of a Down Syndrome child to a family in the deep south.The story describes the many difficulties the family members had dealing with the problems the child brought. The mother had difficult choices to make and, subsequently, so did the other family members. Would I have reacted in the same way if this was my child? I don't really know. But, I do know that having a special needs child, even today, presents the difficulties of making hard choices. The emotional aspect and worry that most parents go through is high. I loved working with my students and with the majority of their parents. I would not like to walk in their shoes.