The Happy Room

Rating:
Summary: The Happy Room
Review: I found this book to be disturbing and depressing. If you like a lot of dialogue, you'll LOVE this book. If you had a happy childhood in a loving family, you'll be surprised by the scars some people carry into adulthood. If you had a not so happy
childhood in a not so loving family, you'll dredge up a lot of memories you would rather leave buried. Truth is, no matter how hard parents try to do what is best for their children, the kids rarely think they "measured up" as parents. Sad situation on all sides. I didn't feel better after reading this book! AM in Texas

Rating:
Summary: A very moving and powerful story
Review: I really, really liked this book. One reason was that I read so many Christian fiction books that are...well, entertaining, but not very meaningful. And a lot of them are just too much alike. This book addressed issues that don't come up in a lot of christian novels. It was so interesting to look at missionary kids' lives in such a different way. I loved the characters, and how real they were...esp. that they struggled so much even though they were Christians. I loved the message that being a Christian doesn't mean life is easy, or that we have to pretend we have it all figured out. I recommend this to everyone!

Rating:
Summary: Does Missionary life cause dysfuntional kids at times?
Review: This was a different type of story for Palmer. It could have been a "true story with changed names to protect the innocent" type of book. I was amazed at the recollections of three adult siblings who were raised by Missionary parents in Africa. Although the three of them have totally different lives now, their pasts were similar and they bear the scars of what they perceive as neglect by their Christian parents whose main desire was to do the will of God. Palmer spells out the feelings, frustrations and memories which have formed the lives of the kids and shows how they each now handle adversity in their own lives. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who previously thought that missionaries only raised well adjusted kids, because apparently that is not the case.

Rating:
Summary: Gripping
Review: Though Catherine Palmer is a versatile and talented author, she shines with stunning brightness when writing contemporary fiction. The plot and characters in The Happy Room will not only grip you, but will make you think long and hard about what "doing God's will" means, particularly if you are a parent. Though MKs (missionary kids) may relate most closely to this story, this non-MK found The Happy Room a compelling read. I urge you to read the book for yourself!