Rating: 
Summary: The Blue Bottle Club~
Review: A young girl dreams of becoming a famous Hollywood actress~
A young girl dreams of marrying & having children~
A young girl dreams of becoming a social worker and helping those less fortunate than her~
A young girl dreams of becoming an artist & living a life of peace and solitude~
They place their dreams on slips of paper, inserted into the cobalt blue bottle and throw it up into the rafters of an attic.
Do their dreams come true? What becomes of their lives, dreams, hopes? Sixty-five years later a young news reporter finds the blue bottle in her possession and embarks on a story that will change her life. The Blue Bottle Club is a religious novel with the theme of Christianity binding it a the seams. It explores what roles God can play in our lives, our struggles to find happiness and to heed to our callings. It's also about friendship, strength, determination and making the best of the life you've been given. This is a light, easy read with some good messages about life. The writing is simple, but the messages complex.
Rating:
Summary: The Blue Bottle Club~
Review: A young girl dreams of becoming a famous Hollywood actress~
A young girl dreams of marrying & having children~
A young girl dreams of becoming a social worker and helping those less fortunate than her~
A young girl dreams of becoming an artist & living a life of peace and solitude~
They place their dreams on slips of paper, inserted into the cobalt blue bottle and throw it up into the rafters of an attic.
Do their dreams come true? What becomes of their lives, dreams, hopes? Sixty-five years later a young news reporter finds the blue bottle in her possession and embarks on a story that will change her life. The Blue Bottle Club is a religious novel with the theme of Christianity binding it a the seams. It explores what roles God can play in our lives, our struggles to find happiness and to heed to our callings. It's also about friendship, strength, determination and making the best of the life you've been given. This is a light, easy read with some good messages about life. The writing is simple, but the messages complex.
Rating:
Summary: A Novel of Dreams Deferred and Lives Fulfilled
Review: Author Penelope J. Stokes starts out with a most interesting situation. Four young girls, lifelong friends, gather on Christmas Day of 1929 and each decides to write down her hope for the future on a slip of paper and place it in a blue bottle. The Depression occurs, the girls' lives all change drastically, and they drift apart.Sixty-five years later, a workman discovers the bottle while demolishing the house where the girls had met. He turns it over to Brendan Delaney, a newswoman covering the demolition story. Brendan's life outside of her work is empty to the point of not existing, but something about four young girls sharing dreams of becoming a famous artist, a Hollywood film star, a social worker, and a wife and mother touches her and she is restless until she can find the women and see just how their lives did turn out. Brendan's journey to find the four women and attempt to reunite them leads the reader on an interesting adventure. Will any of the young girls realize her dream? Will unexpected detours and unfortunate experiences deter any or all of them? Will their dreams change from the one they envisioned that Christmas Day so long ago? Discover with Brendan that although conscious dreams may go unfulfilled, the deeper plan that God has for our lives can bring unexpected happiness. The religious aspect of this novel is strong and touches the characters even when they don't want it to and sometimes at their darkest hour. This is a story of how life does not always end up as you wished, but how you accept the life you are given and find such joy in it that you are glad God was in charge and not you. So, if you're interested in seeing how the lives of four young girls change as they move from their teens to their early 80's, and if following a path of tragedy, broken dreams, and recovery appeals to you, keep your heart open to this uplifting tale. I think John Lennon once said something to the effect of life is what happens while you're busy making other plans. That could well be a theme for this novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Dreams that come true in a round about way.
Review: Four Young girls decide to write down their dreams and place them in a blue glass bottle where they remain hidden in the eves of a house for 65 years. It is during the destruction of the house that the bottle is found thus setting Brendan Delaney, a local reporter, on an adventure that there is no turning back from. As she attempts to find the four woman, who have been scattered by the wind, she is surprised to find herself filling a deep need within. This is a touching book with an array of life and paths chosen, showing the reader that life is much more than what ever could be expected. The message is clear. The "big picture" is not always in accordance with the whims and wishes of the narrow sighted young, yet the joys abound for those who just let it unfold. This is a well written book with a timely message. I enjoyed this book very much and would be happy to read another book by this author. Kelsana 5/01/02
Rating:
Summary: Nice read
Review: I loved this book. My grandmother gave me the book and told me that i would probably read the book in less than a week. She was right. I read the book in less than three days. i cried, and laughed as i read through the book. i got so caught up in with the charchters. i didn't want it to end. this book talks about friendship and makes you think about your own dreams and ambitions. my best friend is moving, and i am buying her this book to take along with her. my great grandmother was reading this book before she past away. she only had 40 pages left. this book is very special to me. i recomend everyone read this.
Rating: 
Summary: Sentiment not substance
Review: I read this book on the recommendation of a friend from church. On the surface it seems like a nice story. Underneath, the hidden messages concern me and present a skewed and slanted picture of life and where our help comes from. Throughout the entire story: there is no healthy, nurturing nuclear family--all traditional families are seriously flawed; organized, structured mainline churches are presented as hopelessly stuffy and "not really Christian;" of the three pastors mentioned, the first two aren't worth turning to. 1 is slavishly devoted to wealth and betrays his own daughter; the 2nd is presented as boring. Both are from mainline churches. The only pastor with any integrity, as described by Ms. Stokes, is the pastor of a non-denominational church whose worship style is laid-back and structure-less; Ms. Stokes' message is clear: mainline churches are not a dependable source for worship or faith-help; the only real source of Christian faith and fellowship is provided by women... there are no faithful male characters in this book, just a couple of nice ones towards the end; the only male character of any importance, and also with any decency is Roman, who betrays and hurts first; finally, and most importantly, though the characters talk about "the Lord" a lot and following God's will, the person of Jesus Christ isn't mentioned much. Does this story appeal to sentiment? Yes, but it's not something I'd want my daughter to read. Novels are more than stories; they promote ideas and attitudes. I'd like her to have other impressions about the structure of families, about pastors, about organized churches, and about the person of Christ.
Rating:
Summary: Sentiment not substance
Review: I read this book on the recommendation of a friend from church. On the surface it seems like a nice story. Underneath, the hidden messages concern me and present a skewed and slanted picture of life and where our help comes from. Throughout the entire story: there is no healthy, nurturing nuclear family--all traditional families are seriously flawed; organized, structured mainline churches are presented as hopelessly stuffy and "not really Christian;" of the three pastors mentioned, the first two aren't worth turning to. 1 is slavishly devoted to wealth and betrays his own daughter; the 2nd is presented as boring. Both are from mainline churches. The only pastor with any integrity, as described by Ms. Stokes, is the pastor of a non-denominational church whose worship style is laid-back and structure-less; Ms. Stokes' message is clear: mainline churches are not a dependable source for worship or faith-help; the only real source of Christian faith and fellowship is provided by women... there are no faithful male characters in this book, just a couple of nice ones towards the end; the only male character of any importance, and also with any decency is Roman, who betrays and hurts first; finally, and most importantly, though the characters talk about "the Lord" a lot and following God's will, the person of Jesus Christ isn't mentioned much. Does this story appeal to sentiment? Yes, but it's not something I'd want my daughter to read. Novels are more than stories; they promote ideas and attitudes. I'd like her to have other impressions about the structure of families, about pastors, about organized churches, and about the person of Christ.
Rating:
Summary: Nice read
Review: I really enjoyed this book and found myself choked up at times by the emotions that the characters go through in reliving the past and in reunion. There was a part where I felt like the author belabored a point about singleness but it was not a significant enough to destroy the book for me. I give this book a strong recommendation.
Rating: 
Summary: It was so easy to identify with them.
Review: I too had trouble putting the book down. Our lives often take twists and turns you don't anticipate as a 17 yr old. I remember my girlfriend and I exchanging thoughts on what we were going to do with our lives at that tender age, so I can identify with these characters. This book is a "must read" if your life took a different direction than you ever expected.
Rating:
Summary: Four Funerals and a Wedding
Review: Penelope J. Stokes tends to rely heavily on life's passages to make her points in The Blue Bottle Club, the story of four women's lives from 1929 through 1994. Funerals in particular are given a lot of room on the page as times when wisdom is passed from generation to generation. My grandmother and I both read this book. She's in her 80's and Christian. I'm in my 30's and not. She found it satisfying; I found it sentimental. She liked the way the characters were drawn and found a chord of realism throughout the book. I thought the characters were not drawn fully enough--sketched would be the word I'd use, and found the realism of the book challenged by the way in which every significant character eventually finds her relationship with God. It was an easy, quick read, however--a "knife-through-butter" read--and in spite of myself and my objections to the book I was compelled to finish it. It's definitely a "your mileage may vary" book, one which will give you back a reflection of what you are bringing to it. My grandmother would probably give this book 5 stars. Without her input, I'd have given 3. Thus the compromise rating: 4 stars.
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