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Mulberry Park #1
Mulberry Park
In the San Diego suburb of Fairbrook, past Applewood Drive and up First Street, lies Mulberry Park, a peaceful haven for locals from all walks of life. And at the center of its lush green lawn grows a massive mulberry treetall enough to take a most precious wish as high as it can go, and to open a few hearts along the way...
Each day after work, Claire Harper drives to Mulberry Park and jogs for miles, hoping to find a respite from her sadness. It's futile, until the evening a letter falls from its hiding place in a nearby tree. Inside the bright pink envelope emblazoned with the words "To God From Analisa," is a note written by a seven-year-old girl, urging God to look after her parents in Heaven and help those she loves on Earth. On impulse, Claire writes back, hoping to preserve Analisa's innocent belief in answered prayers - even if Claire lost her own faith...
Gradually, Analisa's letters draw Claire out of her cocoon and into the companionship of other Mulberry Park regulars - all, in their own way, in need of comfort. As friendships grow, each will discover just how far one simple letter can reach...
282 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2008
About the author
Judy Duarte
332 books98 followersWhen life threw Judy Duarte a curve twenty years ago, she did what many newly single mothers do. She pulled herself and her four kids together, became even more determined to come out on top, and decided to start following her dreams. What better role model could she provide her children than to show them that anything is possible? So, she returned to school, graduating from UC Irvine about the same time her oldest kids hit the teen years.
With her dream of getting her degree having come true, another dream presented itself by way of a new, perfect mate. Life was good again, but one dream still nagged at her:
"I always knew there was a book inside me, but since English was my least favorite subject in school, I never considered myself a writer."
All her life Judy has been spinning stories--telling tales to her kids as they grew up, plotting stories and creating characters to fill the time during carpool days and all those commutes back to college...and she never stopped dreaming of putting those stories on paper. Determined to follow her yearnings, she joined Romance Writers of America and met her critique partners Crystal Green and Sheri WhiteFeather (both are now multi-published award-winning authors and the trio have worked together and encouraged each other ever since).
“I might not have been a born writer, but I was a storyteller. The characters and plots came easy, but I had to learn how to make the scenes in my head come alive for the reader. And that meant I had to learn how to write.”
Judy's determination to become a published author grew and she began focusing on creating poignant stories designed to touch a reader's heart. As she fine-tuned her writing style and learned her craft, she found herself writing the stories she liked to read. Stories about families, second chances, and true love. In creating her own happily-ever-after stories she took ordinary characters, put them in emotionally compelling situations, and forced them to grow. They learned, as she had, that when a door is closed, they must look for that open window.
“Since I love books and movies in which people must overcome insurmountable odds to win and earn their happy-ever-after, those are the kinds of tales I like to create.”
Judy's unpublished stories won not only the coveted Emily (West Houston RWA Chapter) and Orange Rose (Orange County RWA Chapter) awards, but also earned her the status of a double RWA Golden Heart finalist in 2001.
Then Judy's dream became a reality in March 2002 when Silhouette Special Edition released her first book, COWBOY COURAGE. Since then, she has published seventeen books and is contracted to write three more. Her stories have touched the hearts of readers around the world. Her tales of redemption and renewed trust generate many fan letters from readers who tell her of the positive impact reading her stories have had in their lives.
A woman who had been shattered by her husband’s recent betrayal and desertion had not been able to read or watch anything that had a romance involved writes: I saw your book in the store, and the title caught my eye. (I have a thing for cowboys.) When I read the back cover, I bought it and couldn’t put it down. I finished it in one day. I still have my doubts about meeting a decent man and trusting again. But maybe in time I will be able to love again. I will be watching for your next book.
In July 2005, Judy won the prestigious Reader's Choice Award for THE RICH MAN'S SON.
“When I received the call telling me I had finaled in the Reader’s Choice, I was thrilled beyond measure. Being judged by real readers and recognized as a finalist was a joy in itself. I went to the ceremony honored to be in attendance. And when they announced me the winner, tears came to my eyes and a lump formed in my throat. It took days for my feet to touch the ground.”
Judy makes her home near the beach in Southern California with her husband, their son, and a cat
With her dream of getting her degree having come true, another dream presented itself by way of a new, perfect mate. Life was good again, but one dream still nagged at her:
"I always knew there was a book inside me, but since English was my least favorite subject in school, I never considered myself a writer."
All her life Judy has been spinning stories--telling tales to her kids as they grew up, plotting stories and creating characters to fill the time during carpool days and all those commutes back to college...and she never stopped dreaming of putting those stories on paper. Determined to follow her yearnings, she joined Romance Writers of America and met her critique partners Crystal Green and Sheri WhiteFeather (both are now multi-published award-winning authors and the trio have worked together and encouraged each other ever since).
“I might not have been a born writer, but I was a storyteller. The characters and plots came easy, but I had to learn how to make the scenes in my head come alive for the reader. And that meant I had to learn how to write.”
Judy's determination to become a published author grew and she began focusing on creating poignant stories designed to touch a reader's heart. As she fine-tuned her writing style and learned her craft, she found herself writing the stories she liked to read. Stories about families, second chances, and true love. In creating her own happily-ever-after stories she took ordinary characters, put them in emotionally compelling situations, and forced them to grow. They learned, as she had, that when a door is closed, they must look for that open window.
“Since I love books and movies in which people must overcome insurmountable odds to win and earn their happy-ever-after, those are the kinds of tales I like to create.”
Judy's unpublished stories won not only the coveted Emily (West Houston RWA Chapter) and Orange Rose (Orange County RWA Chapter) awards, but also earned her the status of a double RWA Golden Heart finalist in 2001.
Then Judy's dream became a reality in March 2002 when Silhouette Special Edition released her first book, COWBOY COURAGE. Since then, she has published seventeen books and is contracted to write three more. Her stories have touched the hearts of readers around the world. Her tales of redemption and renewed trust generate many fan letters from readers who tell her of the positive impact reading her stories have had in their lives.
A woman who had been shattered by her husband’s recent betrayal and desertion had not been able to read or watch anything that had a romance involved writes: I saw your book in the store, and the title caught my eye. (I have a thing for cowboys.) When I read the back cover, I bought it and couldn’t put it down. I finished it in one day. I still have my doubts about meeting a decent man and trusting again. But maybe in time I will be able to love again. I will be watching for your next book.
In July 2005, Judy won the prestigious Reader's Choice Award for THE RICH MAN'S SON.
“When I received the call telling me I had finaled in the Reader’s Choice, I was thrilled beyond measure. Being judged by real readers and recognized as a finalist was a joy in itself. I went to the ceremony honored to be in attendance. And when they announced me the winner, tears came to my eyes and a lump formed in my throat. It took days for my feet to touch the ground.”
Judy makes her home near the beach in Southern California with her husband, their son, and a cat
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
September 7, 2013
This book was an EXCELLENT read!!!!!! The characters are so intertwined though out the whole book. The challenges they all face are heart breaking, I cried a few times while reading. This book also has a lot of characters asking God what is right, what is wrong and do you really believe in him. For anyone looking for a good read this is absoulutely the one you need to pick up.
March 20, 2016
This was a fantastic story. Didn't want to put it down. Claire went to work day after day, put her time in, then after work made her way to Mulberry Park where she would go on a run. She hoped to dull her senses, wear herself out, anything to escape the pain of having lost her son three years ago. Unable to let go of the past and move on, she'd watched her husband walk away from their marriage. Her best friend, Vickie, who'd been there for her when Erik died, no longer called her regularly and Claire knew it was only a matter of time until Vickie quit calling altogether. But Vickie's family is still intact and hearing Vickie talk about them only makes things worse.
One day Claire comes to the park and sits on a bench watching the people around her. There's the older man, Walter, who is looking for a new chess partner since his close friend passed away. Hilda, an older lady, brings the little girl, Analisa just about every day to play. There's also the little boy, Trevor, who mostly keeps to himself and always shows up alone.
On this particular day, however, their lives are about to intersect in a very amazing way. While sitting on the bench, an letter lands in her lap. It's a letter to God from Analisa. Curious, Claire reads it then decides to answer it as if she was God. She places it back in the tree where the other one was and the next day there's a reply. After a couple of days, Claire begins to regret her actions. Analisa is requesting things Claire has no means of providing and not wanting to mislead the youngster, writes back and introduces herself.
Before long, Claire's pain begins to ease and she finds herself not only involved with Analisa herself, but with the other people that come to the park on a regular basis. She also discovers that Analisa's uncle, Sam, is her guardian and Claire's attorney. A romance slowly begins to develop between them.
I can't begin to tell you everything that takes place in this story. There's so much because of all the characters. However, the author does a wonderful job of tying it all together, relating each character's story, and bringing everything to a marvelous conclusion. I loved the struggles each character had and how they were able to overcome it. I also enjoyed the faith elements to the book especially that of Analisa's. There was nothing complicated. She believed when she prayed God would answer and she unselfishly prayed for them while urging them to talk to God themselves.
Trevor's plight touched my heart and I thought it was so sweet the way Walter cared for Hilda when she went into the hospital. Sam loved his niece but struggled with juggling his work and the presence of Analisa in his life. Sam's brother died in an accident while serving as a missionary in Guatemala, leaving Sam to take his daughter. He knows nothing about caring for a child but seems to be doing a good job given the circumstances. Claire's willingness to help is a godsend and his attraction for her grows when she volunteers to watch Analisa while Hilda is in the hospital.
This was one story where my emotions were engaged from the start and I came close to tears a couple of times. I loved the characters, loved the plot, and loved how it all worked out in the end. I was so excited to discover there are more books involving these people. I highly recommend.
One day Claire comes to the park and sits on a bench watching the people around her. There's the older man, Walter, who is looking for a new chess partner since his close friend passed away. Hilda, an older lady, brings the little girl, Analisa just about every day to play. There's also the little boy, Trevor, who mostly keeps to himself and always shows up alone.
On this particular day, however, their lives are about to intersect in a very amazing way. While sitting on the bench, an letter lands in her lap. It's a letter to God from Analisa. Curious, Claire reads it then decides to answer it as if she was God. She places it back in the tree where the other one was and the next day there's a reply. After a couple of days, Claire begins to regret her actions. Analisa is requesting things Claire has no means of providing and not wanting to mislead the youngster, writes back and introduces herself.
Before long, Claire's pain begins to ease and she finds herself not only involved with Analisa herself, but with the other people that come to the park on a regular basis. She also discovers that Analisa's uncle, Sam, is her guardian and Claire's attorney. A romance slowly begins to develop between them.
I can't begin to tell you everything that takes place in this story. There's so much because of all the characters. However, the author does a wonderful job of tying it all together, relating each character's story, and bringing everything to a marvelous conclusion. I loved the struggles each character had and how they were able to overcome it. I also enjoyed the faith elements to the book especially that of Analisa's. There was nothing complicated. She believed when she prayed God would answer and she unselfishly prayed for them while urging them to talk to God themselves.
Trevor's plight touched my heart and I thought it was so sweet the way Walter cared for Hilda when she went into the hospital. Sam loved his niece but struggled with juggling his work and the presence of Analisa in his life. Sam's brother died in an accident while serving as a missionary in Guatemala, leaving Sam to take his daughter. He knows nothing about caring for a child but seems to be doing a good job given the circumstances. Claire's willingness to help is a godsend and his attraction for her grows when she volunteers to watch Analisa while Hilda is in the hospital.
This was one story where my emotions were engaged from the start and I came close to tears a couple of times. I loved the characters, loved the plot, and loved how it all worked out in the end. I was so excited to discover there are more books involving these people. I highly recommend.
April 1, 2009
This was a very sweet, heartwarming book. It is a book with a few different people all dealing with grief and how they meet and help each other heal. A little girl, Analisa, has an unwavering faith in God that confuses them all, but makes them all take a step back and reconsider faith and God.
Yes, it was a little sappy and tied up too neatly in a bow at the end, but it was good. For someone like me, who is still dealing with the deaths of my children, it was a nice reminder of how I need to heal and have more faith in God.
Well written and a quick read.
Yes, it was a little sappy and tied up too neatly in a bow at the end, but it was good. For someone like me, who is still dealing with the deaths of my children, it was a nice reminder of how I need to heal and have more faith in God.
Well written and a quick read.
June 17, 2019
This is a satisfying and excellent story about people who have problems, yet who eventually find ways to work together to solve them. It is simply a nice story with pleasant people and a good ending. I had not read this author before, but will definitely read more of her work, because it is well-written and excellent, a breath of fresh air in today's world.
October 18, 2020
La scrittura è piuttosto semplice e scorrevole, ma non è stata una lettura banale, l’ho trovato toccante
Want to Read
June 3, 2022In the San Diego suburb of Fairbrook, past Applewood Drive and up First Street, lies Mulberry Park, a peaceful haven for locals from all walks of life. And at the center of its lush green lawn grows a massive mulberry tree—tall enough to take a most precious wish as high as it can go, and to open a few hearts along the way...
Each day after work, Claire Harper drives to Mulberry Park and jogs for miles, hoping to find a respite from her sadness. It's futile, until the evening a letter falls from its hiding place in a nearby tree. Inside the bright pink envelope emblazoned with the words "To God From Analisa," is a note written by a seven-year-old girl, urging God to look after her parents in Heaven and help those she loves on Earth. On impulse, Claire writes back, hoping to preserve Analisa's innocent belief in answered prayers—even if Claire lost her own faith...
Gradually, Analisa's letters draw Claire out of her cocoon and into the companionship of other Mulberry Park regulars—all, in their own way, in need of comfort. As friendships grow, each will discover just how far one simple letter can reach...
Each day after work, Claire Harper drives to Mulberry Park and jogs for miles, hoping to find a respite from her sadness. It's futile, until the evening a letter falls from its hiding place in a nearby tree. Inside the bright pink envelope emblazoned with the words "To God From Analisa," is a note written by a seven-year-old girl, urging God to look after her parents in Heaven and help those she loves on Earth. On impulse, Claire writes back, hoping to preserve Analisa's innocent belief in answered prayers—even if Claire lost her own faith...
Gradually, Analisa's letters draw Claire out of her cocoon and into the companionship of other Mulberry Park regulars—all, in their own way, in need of comfort. As friendships grow, each will discover just how far one simple letter can reach...
April 20, 2009
This book speaks of healing from deep within by pushing aside our pains to reach out to someone in need. God often gives us what we need by putting in our life/path a person[s:], but the difficulty is can we step away from our pain to minister to that someone else? When we are able to do that, the rewards are many.
January 14, 2009
A sweet, quick-paced story about loss, love, friendship, and faith. The ending seemed a bit too contrived but the overall story and character development had appeal.
February 7, 2010
Such a sweet story of how the faith of one little girl touches the lives of those around her. I loved how the lives of many converged and affected each other, loving and healing.
December 5, 2024
What a beautifully written story about loss, healing, friendship, and the power of faith. Little Analisa, a young girl who recently moved in with her uncle after losing both of her parents, decides to write a letter to God to find out how her parents are doing. The story that follows is what happens when God writes back. The touching tale of people dealing with loss, in many forms, follows Analisa's life as well as the lives of several others who frequent Mulberry Park in the heart of town. The book shows what happens when they are able to open their hearts to those around them and the beautiful things that happen that help each of them grow, thrive, forgive, and come together. This is a truly beautifully written story that I cannot recommend highly enough.
February 27, 2022
This is a very good book. It is an interesting story with great character development. It is very sad, with a lot of loss, grief, loss of faith, loneliness. But it also has healing, forgiveness, renewed faith, friendship, meaning and purpose. It does have a good ending. Most of the characters struggle with faith in God because sometimes prayers are answered how we want them to and people are healed, but other times we prayfor healing and people die. Analise's faith helps the others to find faith in God. It is a very sweet story.
January 20, 2019
Mulberry Park talks openly about loneliness, of all age levels, there are told real events that inspire and moves towards reflection.
This will be the type of reading that will acquire a ease and maybe even the courage to have an inner dialogue with ... you will find out when you will read the book.
Enjoy your reading! is worth it
This will be the type of reading that will acquire a ease and maybe even the courage to have an inner dialogue with ... you will find out when you will read the book.
Enjoy your reading! is worth it
March 7, 2022
It’s weird, because I absolutely adore the book (it’s one of my favorites now) but I could not give it 5 stars. I can’t exactly tell why.
It’s a book that reads slow, not because of the writing but because the events happening there are so real that you need to take a break and just process.
I’m not overly religious but this book felt different, gentler in a certain way. Definetly a must read if you are intrigued by how individuals keep their faith (no matter age).
It’s a book that reads slow, not because of the writing but because the events happening there are so real that you need to take a break and just process.
I’m not overly religious but this book felt different, gentler in a certain way. Definetly a must read if you are intrigued by how individuals keep their faith (no matter age).
April 22, 2024
3.5 stars**
This was a sweet book. I did find it was slow to get going so that made it a bit boring at first. I did like how all of the characters ended up being connected in a way to each other. I also really enjoyed the theme of forgiveness and how important it is. Overall enjoyable, just kind of slow.
This was a sweet book. I did find it was slow to get going so that made it a bit boring at first. I did like how all of the characters ended up being connected in a way to each other. I also really enjoyed the theme of forgiveness and how important it is. Overall enjoyable, just kind of slow.
August 8, 2023
STUPENDO!
Era prevedibile che i vari personaggi fossero collegati tra loro ma mi è piaciuto comunque. Molto reale, non adatto alle persone troppo sensibili o finirete per mettervi a piangere in spiaggia davanti a tutti
Era prevedibile che i vari personaggi fossero collegati tra loro ma mi è piaciuto comunque. Molto reale, non adatto alle persone troppo sensibili o finirete per mettervi a piangere in spiaggia davanti a tutti
August 25, 2017
A quiet beginning that pulls one into the story. Well done!
March 30, 2019
A tear jerker
February 1, 2021
Christian novel, sappy and predictable.
June 10, 2024
Good Summer read....a little too sweet and convenient , not very realistic.
March 7, 2025
Very religious story.
December 2, 2020
One star or two? Very simply, this is such a contrived, simplistic, and trite story.
Wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. (I finally read it only because I bought the book years ago and hated that I had spent money on it and then not read it.😬)
Wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. (I finally read it only because I bought the book years ago and hated that I had spent money on it and then not read it.😬)
March 18, 2026
This book was so cute. It's sweet and inspirational, but it's also just so cute. It's such a nice book to read when you're having a tough week and just want to smile. It's just so cute!
February 18, 2016
Romanul a aparut in limba romana sub titlul de " Legaturi miraculoase", publicat de editura Litera in colectia " Romane de dragoste". Cartea ofera o lectura atractiva, sentimentala, luminoasa si plina de optimism exact acele lucruri de care avem imperioasa nevoie la un moment dat. Personajele principale sunt adunate toate in parcul Mulberry in zilele extremd e calduroase ale unei luni iulie, fiecare fiind prezent din alt motiv sau motive extrem de personale. Cea care intr-un fel este responsabila de aducerea lor la un numitor comun este o fetita orfana de ambii parinti avand in jur de sapte ani, pe nume Analisa. Ea este in grija unchiului ei, Sam Dawson, avocat de profesie, frate cu tatal ei care murise intr-un accident de masina. Si bona ei este o domna in varsta, Hilda Richards, care fiind inselata de un escroc si-a pierdut casa si economiile si este obligata sa munceasca pentru a se intretine. Tot in parc vine si un domn in varsta, Walter Klinefelter , veteran din razboiul din Coreea, care mereu asteapta un partener la jocul de sah, Prezent este si Maria insarcinata care vine cu cei doi copiii ai ei, Dany si Sara si cu teama permanenta ca va fi obligata sa/si vanda casa singurul bun pe care il avea. Claire Harper avea obiceiul sa alerge in fiecare zi, dupa orele de lucru cate 8km ca sa poata uita de durerea perderii fiului ei Eric lovit de un sofer pe cand se plimba cu bicicleta. In parc sta cu orele pentru ca este deja vacanta si baiatul de noua ani, Trevor Meredith a carui tata este in inchisoare pentru ca a lovit cu masina un copil pe bicicleta si a plecat de la locul accidentului.Toate dramele acestea sunt puse de Anelisa sub un numitor comun, increderea ca Dumnezeu stie tot, vede tot si rezolva asa cum este mai bine pentru fiecare. Si iata se intampla cu adevarat si cu fiecare personaj in parte.Se cunosc in parcul Melburry dar invata de la un copil ce inseamna solidaritatea umana, ce inseamna sa-ti pese de cel de langa tine, ce inseamna sa lasi miracolul sa se intample.
May 14, 2009
I’ve just finished reading Mulberry Park by Judy Duarte. It may be the first Christian novel in quite a while to move me almost to tears. It’s set in the area round a small park, where people who hardly talk to each other are bound to turn out to be neighbors. Over time, the good, the bad and the indifferent prove to be friends as well. The story centers on a young girl who’s lost her parents and a middle-aged woman who’s lost her child. Somewhere along the way the woman also lost her faith, but the child has kept hers and starts writing letters to God, which she persuades a fellow park-player to hide in a tree. Then God answers.
In a small neighborhood, coincidences are inevitable, and there’s never any feeling of the characters being manipulated in this book. Each event arises naturally out of its own situation, and the characters build on their own shaky foundations of mistakes and mistrust. But somehow there’s a feeling, as in any good story—and in the faith of a little girl who writes letters to God—that life’s not entirely random. Death’s not the end, and hope is never lost.
I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child, though Judy Duarte describes it with great poignancy and sympathy. I cannot imagine losing a beloved spouse, a child losing a parent, family losing home and livelihood. But life can be built on losses as well as on gains; hope is built on forgiveness, and forgiveness on faith.
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t God who wrote an answer to Analisa’s letter. But it’s God who writes his name on our hearts and his healing on our lives. And Mulberry Park is a beautiful image of how that healing might look.
In a small neighborhood, coincidences are inevitable, and there’s never any feeling of the characters being manipulated in this book. Each event arises naturally out of its own situation, and the characters build on their own shaky foundations of mistakes and mistrust. But somehow there’s a feeling, as in any good story—and in the faith of a little girl who writes letters to God—that life’s not entirely random. Death’s not the end, and hope is never lost.
I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child, though Judy Duarte describes it with great poignancy and sympathy. I cannot imagine losing a beloved spouse, a child losing a parent, family losing home and livelihood. But life can be built on losses as well as on gains; hope is built on forgiveness, and forgiveness on faith.
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t God who wrote an answer to Analisa’s letter. But it’s God who writes his name on our hearts and his healing on our lives. And Mulberry Park is a beautiful image of how that healing might look.
Want to Read
May 18, 2009Book Jacket:
Each day after work, Claire Harper drives to Mulberry Park
and jogs for miles, hoping to find a respite from her sad-
ness. It's a futile effort, until the evening a letter
falls from its hiding place in a nearby tree. Inside the
bright pink envelope emblazoned with the words "To God
From Analisa" is a note written by a seven-year-old girl,
urging God to look after her parents in Heaven and help
those she loves on Earth. On impulse, Claire writes back,
hoping to preserve Analisa's innocent belief in answered
prayers--even if Claire lost her own faith when her young
son was killed in a hit-and-run accident three years ear-
lier.
Since that day, Claire has watched numbly as her life lost
its meaning and her marriage dissolved, unwilling and un-
able to engage with the world around her. But Analisa's
letters gradually draw Claire out of her cocoon and into
the companionship of other Mulberry Park regulars--all, in
their own way, in need of comfort. Aside from Analisa and
her elderly nanny, Hilda, there's Sam,Analisa's attorney
uncle; Trevor, a young boy in need of companionship; Wal-
ter, the chatty old man who plays solitary chess games;
and Maria, a single and pregnant young mother of two
struggling to keep her family home. As friendships grow,
sorrows lift, and lives and hearts connect, each will
discover just how far and how high one simple letter can
reach...
Each day after work, Claire Harper drives to Mulberry Park
and jogs for miles, hoping to find a respite from her sad-
ness. It's a futile effort, until the evening a letter
falls from its hiding place in a nearby tree. Inside the
bright pink envelope emblazoned with the words "To God
From Analisa" is a note written by a seven-year-old girl,
urging God to look after her parents in Heaven and help
those she loves on Earth. On impulse, Claire writes back,
hoping to preserve Analisa's innocent belief in answered
prayers--even if Claire lost her own faith when her young
son was killed in a hit-and-run accident three years ear-
lier.
Since that day, Claire has watched numbly as her life lost
its meaning and her marriage dissolved, unwilling and un-
able to engage with the world around her. But Analisa's
letters gradually draw Claire out of her cocoon and into
the companionship of other Mulberry Park regulars--all, in
their own way, in need of comfort. Aside from Analisa and
her elderly nanny, Hilda, there's Sam,Analisa's attorney
uncle; Trevor, a young boy in need of companionship; Wal-
ter, the chatty old man who plays solitary chess games;
and Maria, a single and pregnant young mother of two
struggling to keep her family home. As friendships grow,
sorrows lift, and lives and hearts connect, each will
discover just how far and how high one simple letter can
reach...
June 23, 2016
I didn't think "Mulberry Park" was as good as "Entertaining Angels", the first book in the Fairbrook series. I loved the seven-year-old Analisa because, even though she had lost both of her parents, she still had a child's pure and innocent faith. Her letters to God were absolutely the best part of the book. It made me smile that she mailed her letters to God by placing them high in the Mulberry tree in the park.
What I found objectionable about the book is that there were too many chance connections and too many issues (Meredith is in prison for hitting and killing Erik; Claire is divorced and grieving the death of her son; Walter is grieving the death of his friend Carl and also his wife in addition to being a recovering alcoholic; Samuel is grieving his brother's death and trying to overcome the death of his mother at the hands of his father; Maria is divorced from a husband who is in prison for murder, but pregnant, and trying to hold on to the house she inherited from her Aunt; Katie grew up in foster care and has difficulty making ends meet as she raises Trevor; Trevor's Mom died from cancer and his dad is in prison). On top of all of the above, at one point three characters are in the hospital at the same time: Hilda, Annalisa's nanny collapses in the park; Trevor falls off his skateboard and is in a coma; and Maria is giving birth almost 6 weeks early.
What I found objectionable about the book is that there were too many chance connections and too many issues (Meredith is in prison for hitting and killing Erik; Claire is divorced and grieving the death of her son; Walter is grieving the death of his friend Carl and also his wife in addition to being a recovering alcoholic; Samuel is grieving his brother's death and trying to overcome the death of his mother at the hands of his father; Maria is divorced from a husband who is in prison for murder, but pregnant, and trying to hold on to the house she inherited from her Aunt; Katie grew up in foster care and has difficulty making ends meet as she raises Trevor; Trevor's Mom died from cancer and his dad is in prison). On top of all of the above, at one point three characters are in the hospital at the same time: Hilda, Annalisa's nanny collapses in the park; Trevor falls off his skateboard and is in a coma; and Maria is giving birth almost 6 weeks early.
June 6, 2016
To accept this plot and enjoy the book, the reader has to believe that there are no coincidences, only tender mercies and miracles. If the reader believes that the events in the book are just coincidences, then the plot would be just too farfetched. Six-year-old Analisa loses her missionary parents in two separate sudden deaths and goes to live with her uncle Sam, a successful lawyer in Fairbrook, a suburb of San Diego. Believing that we can communicate with God and get answers from him, she writes him a letter and, with the help of a young boy in Mulberry Park, places it high in the branches of a tree. Claire Harper runs daily through the park as a way to relieve the anxiety and depression she experiences still, three years after the death of her son and the dissolution of her marriage. As she sits on a bench under the tree, the letter falls next to her. Her decision to answer the letter in an attempt to console the writer, leads to an interplay among a whole group of strangers who frequent the park. The themes of neglect, abuse, loss, regret, redemption, forgiveness, loneliness, sharing, and love are explored through the lives of all these people.
March 4, 2011
Claire discovers a letter written by a little girl to God while jogging in the park. Intrigued, she reads it and discovers that the little girl has questions about the death of her parents. Wanting to console the little girl, Claire writes back to her and sticks her letter in the branches of the tree where she found it. Thus begins a story of several people suffering the losses of life who form a community centered around the park where Claire found the letter--and the faith and prayers of a little girl. It all works out a little too neatly in my opinion, and several well timed accidents add drama to the story, but it is a nice sweet read for those that like romances and gentle feel good stories.
November 21, 2011
Maybe this is just a "knee-gut reaction," but I did not enjoy this. I usually find myself in one of two states of mind when reading a book -- either I enjoy it so much that I want to stay up as long as possible to keep reading it, or I hate it so much that it takes weeks to finish (I refuse to quit a book on principle (I did quit Ulysses, but I fully intend to go back to that)). Now, I'll have to add a third category -- a book I hate so much that I stay up way too late just to get it over with.
Ultimately, everything you need to know about what happens you can figure out for yourself during the first two chapters in the flood of character introductions. The rest is formulaic, obvious, and tedious.
Ultimately, everything you need to know about what happens you can figure out for yourself during the first two chapters in the flood of character introductions. The rest is formulaic, obvious, and tedious.
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