The Blue Bottle Club (Paperback)

by Penelope J. Stokes (Author) "Brendan Delaney pulled up the collar of her coat, held up three fingers, and began the countdown for the cameraman: "Three, two, one, roll!..." (more)
Key Phrases: cobalt blue bottle, blue glass bottle, Mary Love, Reverend Mother, Adora Archer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
The book draws the reader into the lives of the characters and won't let go until the last page… -- Courier-Times, Roxboro, NC

Product Description

In the wake of the depression of 1929, four friends gather in a cold, dusty attic on Christmas day to make a solemn pact. Our dreams for the future, they whisper, as they place tiny pieces of paper holding their life wishes into the blue, cabin-shaped bottle. Letitia dreams of marriage and children; Mary hopes to be a painter; Eleanor aspires to help those in need as a social worker; Adora longs to be a Broadway actress. Four girls, four dreams, and four futures sealed in a cobalt blue bottle. Sixty-five years later, local news reporter Brendan Delaney stumbles upon the bottle, discovering the most meaningful story of her career and possibly the meaning missing from her own life.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849937809
• ISBN-13: 978-0849937804
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #352,377 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing Tale of Spirituality and Love..., June 5, 2000

By	K. Melissa Galyon "melreads" (Rockwall, Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't think I've read anything as wonderful as this book in a long, long time! This tale of four friends who lose touch over time but are brought together sixty-five years later will touch your heart and bring tears to your eyes. Brendan, a TV news reporter, comes upon a blue bottle enclosed with the handwritten dreams of four young girls following the 1929 Stock Market Crash. Brendan is looking for something more in her life, and she decides to find out what happened to the women. What Brendan finds is more than a story, though, when she discovers that God held these women up during their lives and that God would be there for her also. What a wonderful story! I can't recommend it enough... - Melissa Galyon

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hallmark Movie of a Book, September 4, 2000

By	Mamalinde "mamalinde" (Dallas) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Blue Bottle Club (Hardcover)

In this Hallmark Movie of a book, you will be challenged to reassess your dreams - this is a thoughtful and well-written trip down memory lane with 4 elderly ladies, 65 years after committing their dreams to paper. Clearly dreams change the path we take - which often ends up not being the path we choose. Mamalinda's favorite quote from the book was on family being where you find it "based on spirit, not genetics - the people your soul connects with, the people who fit in your heart."

This book is actually multi-generational, directed to young, old and the full spectrum in between. "Don't give your future to your past. Don't look back, let go of regret. Love. Forgive" is some of the best advice in the world.

A quirky complaint, though: Don't you hate it when you can tell that whoever designed the cover, had not even read the book? The Blue Bottle referred to in the story is set out as in the shape of a log cabin, but the cover has a more ordinary shaped bottle. Actually, the cover art was a huge disappointment, especially considering the artistic slant of one of the characters. If you like this book, you'll need to go to Jan Karon's Mitford series next!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Our dreams and God's purpose..., March 31, 2000

By	Carmen Redding "credd53" (Athens, Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blue Bottle Club (Hardcover)

This is a book that engages the reader from the very first page. Penelope Stokes weaves a story and characters so skillfully that I came to know each of them intimately. As I read the story, I was forced to examine my own life and the way God has worked in it to bring me closer to his will. When Letitia, Eleanor, Mary Love and Adora verbalize their youthful dreams and tuck them away in a blue bottle hidden in the rafters at Caneron House, they have no idea what the future has in store for them. When they look into the future all they see is the desires of their hearts. For Letitia the dream is marriage to a prosperous man and children. For Eleanor the dream is a life in social service to the needy. For Mary Love it is a life of solitude dedicated to her art. Adora's dream is stardom in Hollywood, California. At this tender age, God's will eludes all of them. Though all of them are churchgoers, God is not real to them. It is only when their circumstances are affected by the Depression of the 1930's, by illness, or by the choices they make that they come to realize that God is with them for better or for worse always working to refine their faith and strengthen their trust in him. Sometimes that means that before we can see God's true face, we must go through the purifying fire of suffering and self-denial. As painful as this may be, God is always there like a stream of living water and a refuge in the storm. Why is it that we have to be brought to our knees in order to look up and see the one who is truly in control of our lives? Perhaps this is the essence of our humanity and God's divinity. Our natural inclination is to go our own way, to take control of our lives, to follow our dreams. God's design is to mold and perfect our lives so that we can appreciate every day that we walk in his presence and do his will. The plan is that as we age we become closer to God so that we can lead others to him. If there is a flaw in the story, it is the ending. Brendan Delaney, the reporter who is given the blue bottle, has some unresolved conflicts in her life. I think the author tried too desperately to tie the loose ends in Brendan's life. Some of that could have been left open. After all, Brendan is only in her 30's. The members of the Blue Bottle Club are in their 80's and did not come by wisdom overnight. All in all, however, this is a memorable book. I hope it will inspire other readers for years to come.