Customer Reviews

Eli the Good

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Silas House is the bestselling Kentucky author of CLAY'S QUILT, PARCHMENT OF LEAVES and THE COAL TATTOO - all centering around several generations of the same family growing up in the hills of Eastern Kentucky. With this book, Silas tries his hand a writing for young adults and he has ended up with an endearing look at a slice of life from the summer of 1976.

Eli Book is a ten year old boy, living like most children of the 1970s - riding his bicycle all over town, splashing in the town creek and enjoying hot summer days with his best friend Edie. This is really the coming of age story of how Eli deals with the overwhelming situations of strife in his young life.

Eli has undying love for his parents, Loretta and Stanton Book, but his growing curiosity of the secrets they both carry is threatening to eat him alive. Eli feels jealousy of his mother's unconditional love for his father - he wants to be the number one love of her life. Eli is filled with uncertainty and longing to understand his father's past as a Vietnam veteran and the nightmares that consume his dreams.

There is also underlying tension from Eli's sister, Josie, as she comes to grips with the fact that her mother was pregnant with her before Loretta and Stanton were married - she is not Stanton's biological daughter, but he has raised her as such. Then there is Stanton's way-ward, wildflower of a sister, Nell, who comes to live with the family for the summer. Stanton has unresolved feelings for his little sister because he feels betrayed that she was a war protester.

And then there is Edie, the sweet little girl from next door who has been Eli's best friend and confidante. Their friendship is pure and an accurate portrayal of childhood innocence of past decades. But she has family problems of her own and leans on Eli's family as her support system.

This is a book full of emotion and House's stylized lyrical prose. The words drip off the page and you want to lap them up, savoring every last drop and flavor. He has successfully written a compelling story that will not only capture the hearts of the intended young adult audience, but will hold an equal place in the hearts of adults. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a great story and is destined to become a classic.

Eli the Good is a well written descriptive book. I love the author's writing style. Vivid descriptions fill the pages that help paint pictures in your mind and heart as you read. I would strongly advise reading the book before placing it in the hands of a 5-8th grader, though, as recommended on this site. The themes are mature, language is strong,along with references to topics such as abortion, suicide, abuse, drinking and premarital sex. Eli carries around a lot of stress for a 10 year old, and reading it could be intense for the young age group. This book was not written for children, but would be enjoyed by someone who grew up in the 70's or has family/ friends who fought in Vietnam. Having said that, I thought the book was great...for grownups!

Absolute treasure. I read this book in one glorious afternoon because I could not put it down. I have already put it in the hands of my son and plan to pass it to all the readers I know. This book should make the Newberry list this year.

Eli the Good is a beautifully crafted and compelling novel about love, war, and the meaning of family.To me this book felt timeless, something you could read over and over again and still get something new out of it. It brought you back to your childhood and made you remember what it was like being a kid on the edge of discovering a complicated world. Eli had so much wisdom to tell you have to slow down, savor the words, and listen. It's doesn't matter if the setting is in 1976 or that the Vietnam war has long pasted, realistically the world has not changed; we are still fighting wars we cannot end, families are still families, and love is still love.I loved how the book is set in the 70s because it was like taking a peak into what life might have been for my mom, who was sixteen (the same age as Josie) in 1976. I enjoyed the references to songs and artists like the "Rubber Band Man", ABBA, David Cassidy, etc. (I'm actually quite familiar with 70s music because my sister listens to Kasey Kasen every Saturday morning.)Since Eli is a country boy, he lives in small town, rides his bike, and likes trees. (Exactly how I grew up as well.) Because Eli loves trees, House incorporates the meaning of life into this story, something that is all too often forgotten.House is a gifted writer and I wouldn't be the least surprised if one day Eli House became a classic, in fact, I hope it does.Overall, I highly encourage both teens and adults alike to read this earthy and touching American novel. You will never forget it.

[...]

Despite this book not having much of a plot (it's more of a "slice of life" story focusing on a 10-year-old boy in 1976), I quite liked it. All of the characters were interesting in their own way, and I wanted to keep reading to find out more. While I wish there had been more of an actual story, I still came away from the book feeling like I had enjoyed it. The events unfold slowly, like a lazy summer's day, but there's still enough history and emotion behind them that they pack quite an emotional punch.

As a character-driven story, it works quite well. If you require the stories you read to have well-defined beginnings, middles, and ends, you may be disappointed.

Silas House is the very best writer in all of Appalachia. This coming of age story should appeal to anyone who knew a soldier who came back from the Vietnam War a changed person. House describes 1970's life in rural/small town Appalachia in great detail. I felt like I knew the characters personally. This book took me back. Highly recommended.

Eli Book is ten years old the year the United States turned 200; Bicentennial 1976. It was a time when most people were happy and proud to be in America. Vietnam had ended just over a year before, leaving Eli's father in the trenches. His best friend, neighbor Edie, is a girl, (please don't tell). They do most everything together, including sharing of secret hideaways, under porches and in large bushes. Then one day, showing off in front of the guys, Eli hurts Edie and their friendship dissolves. Eli lives in a house-of-cards with everyone holding onto his or her own secret, including Eli. The big Fourth of July parade and town celebration becomes the breaking point for the family when the fireworks of secrets threatens the family. One person nearly self-destructs.

Eli the Good is a good Southern flavored story about the costs of war to a family. Eli's father was like any other until he voluntarily joined the army, thinking he will have an adventure, only to be sent to Vietnam where he saw and did unspeakable things. He brings the war home with him in the form of PTSD, a psychological disorder Vietnam vets are disproportionally affected. Eli's mother is the only line of defense when the soldier returns to the war. Eli is a brat. He eavesdrops on every conversation he can, borrows the letters his father wrote to his mother from Vietnam "to understand what happened over there," then deeply hurts Edie simply to be a big shot in front of a group of boys he was not even friends with (not that this would have excused his behavior).

Reading this was not the usually experience. At times, it seemed mundane, just as life can be. At other times, the story popped with excitement. The entire time, the story took me back to a timer when I was younger and did not understand war or the men who fought them. Eli's quest that summer is to figure out his father and the war he never came back from. Mixed in are secrets each character holds that has influenced their actions. Eli tries to become privy to each with his snooping. In the end, Eli wants his father to return home and love him as he thinks a pre-Vietnam father would love his young son. Throughout the story Eli is loved by both parents; he simply cannot feel it because of a wall built by the war, that no one can transverse.
It is odd how fragile, sad stories can lift you and renew your spirit. In this way, Eli the Good is an odd novel I'm glad I read. It is now available in paperback.

Note: received from publisher

If only I could read all the books I want to as quickly as I would like. Then, Eli the Good by Silas House would have been read last year for the Vietnam War Challenge. As it is, no matter my timing for this book, I am so glad I did read it. Although it is set in 1976, America's bicentennial year, this book really has a great deal to do with Vietnam.

Eli is ten during this summer. His sister, Josie, is sixteen, causing her mother constant aggravation by misbehaving - especially when she sneaks out of their home wearing a pair of jeans with an Amerian flag on the rear of them. Their father is plagued by flashbacks of his time in the war, and Eli struggles to understand what is going on. His best friend Edie is also going through her own tough times as her family falls apart. When Eli's aunt Nell moves in, he is happy to have this beloved relative near him. And despite the fact that Nell and her brother (Eli's dad) are in opposition when it comes to matters of war, the two siblings seem to live in harmony during this summer.

There are so many references to this time period - to the music of Bob Dylan, bell bottoms, war protesters, the Beatles, Jimmy Carter- that it truly feels like the 1970s and this decade comes to life.

While I have read several books about the Vietnam War, this is perhaps the first I have read for youth that deals with how the war affected the soldiers and their families - even years after the men return. Eli's innocence about this makes it stand out even more. He is just getting to an age where he is starting to notice that the nation's attitude toward the Vietnam veterans is different than it's attitude toward veterans of earlier wars. There is a very telling scene in this book during the Bicentennial parade where all the veterans march, each grouped by the war they served in. There is no representation for the Vietnam veterans. While Stanton (Eli's dad) still suffers from what he saw and took part in during the war, the way he is treated upon his return does not help matters. Eli so wants to know why his father is so changed, and decides to read the letters his father sent his mother while he was off serving his country. Although wrong, by reading them Eli can see how much his parents love each other, and the horrors his father is strill trying to forget.

The summer of 1976 is a time of growing up for Eli. House has written this book as though Eli is narrating it as an adult, looking back at this pivotal time in his life. It is good to know that although 1976 was a rough time for their family, Eli and the rest of the characters in this book remain true to who they are and have continued on with their lives.

The summer of 1976 was memorable for Eli Book Not only was it the country's bicentennial, but it was also the summer that his world exploded with secrets. Eli's dad is a Vietnam veteran and suffers from nightmares, hallucinations, and lack of respect from his fellow countrymen. To make matters worse, his sister is a famous anti-war protester, although she says she did it for him. Now she's come to live with them. Eli's sister, Josie is on the verge of rebellion against her family. Long adored by her father, she now grows distant from him and challenges her mother. Eli's best friend, Edie is going through some drama of her own. Through it all, Elis remains connected to the ones he loves, and to the nature that surrounds him. Told through Eli's voice, though from the distance of adulthood, Eli the Good is an unforgettable memoir-like novel. Stunning in its literary style, and compelling in its family drama, you will not be able to put this down. Have a box of tissues on hand. --- Goodreads review by Wendy Scalfaro

This book was truly touching. The characters were so well-developed, especially Eli. The 1970's setting seemed so realistic, as well as the setting of Eli's home and neighborhood. Although Eli is "good," he deals with issues such as jealousy, overwhelming curiosity and the price of sticking up for friends and family. House did a wonderful job at portraying what it might be like to live in a family where the father is dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder before it was classified as such and how difficult that must have been all around. Although this novel says for grades 5-8, I feel that it is for more mature young readers, but I wouldn't have been surprised to see it marketed for adults as well. This one is a keeper. I'm looking forward to reading House's other novels.