Jack Rabbit Moon [Hardcover]

Dorraine Darden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 24, 2007

Everyone longs to be precious. Eleven-year-old Marnie Evans is no different. She wishes on stars for parents who adore her, even though her family is dysfunctional. She also believes that jack rabbits and a boot-wearing Texas angel show her mysterious signs of things to come. ??To escape her mother's neglect over summer break, Marnie finds a short cut through the woods to Garner State Park. There she discovers yodeling cowboy ranger Rick Carpenter and his wife, Claire, who live on site. ??From buried boxes to colorful characters such as Bible-thumper, Shelby Love, and peacock feather man, Vaughn Conner, Marnie eventually finds what she's looking for along the banks of the Frio River. Don't miss the boat on this environmentally lush ride that explores the mystery of connection and power of forgiveness. ???"You will love this story of Marnie Evans and her struggle to find a home. Jack Rabbit Moon is a novel of kinship and the true meaning of family, reaching from deep in the troubled heart of Texas to touch your own heart." ?-Robert Morgan, author of Gap Creek, an Oprah Book Club Selection ??"The world of Jack Rabbit Moon brims with wonderful characters. Dorraine Darden conjures up a Texas landscape full of life-a world that you'll remember long after you turn the last page." ?-Brenda Jernigan, author of Every Good & Perfect Gift

Product Details

• Hardcover: 284 pages
• Publisher: Cold Tree Press (May 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583851429
• ISBN-13: 978-1583851425
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,666,855 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in a family of nine siblings and to be heard in our family we had to be a little brassy. A lot entertaining.

We had a farm, one-hundred fifty acres, which bordered the Mark Twain National Forest. There were geese, ducks, chickens, pigs, cows, and a donkey who liked to climb on the hood of our VW Bug. What a huge family was doing with a tiny vehicle still baffles me. It was fun, though, to see how many kids we could cram inside and watch the thing crawl and bump down the dirt road.

I have worked in forestry and taught ballroom dancing. And I'm in the process of raising three hormonal girls. I've recently finished a second novel, The Passion Diary.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST READ I HAVE HAD SO FAR THIS YEAR!, August 4, 2008

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jack Rabbit Moon (Hardcover)

Every so often you are lucky enough to find a work that will grab you on the first page, almost force you to keep the pages turning until the last word, and then be nice enough to stick with you long after the read is over. This is one of those rare and wonderful works! The first requirement for such a book is that the author must be a natural story teller. The second, the author must have a story to tell, and the third; the story must be filled with believable characters, ones that allow you to feel what they feel, see what they see and react as they might act. Dorraine Darden has more than fulfilled these requirements with Jack Rabbit Moon.

Simply and briefly, this is a story of a young eleven year old girl who has just about everything going against her, but has been blessed with an unconquerable spirit and a very quirky outlook on life. Marnie Evans is a child who is basically without love, and is by just about any definition, an abused child. Her family is almost completely dysfunctional as are many of the adults around her. She lives is poverty and is more or less forced to fend for her self. Marnie's struggle to escape her situation and find love is the frame the story hangs upon.

This entire story is told through the eyes of three people, Marnie, the main character, a park ranger, Rick, and the ranger's wife, Claire. The author has used a rather fascinating first person technique where she gives us the story through the eyes and words of these three people. This novel is populated with a number of strong and interesting characters and Ms. Darden has had the ability to develop each of these characters in a way that you feel you have actually met them, and indeed, are apart of some of their lives. The back drop of the story is Garner State Park, located in Texas. The author possesses the ability and skill to describe wilderness and outdoor surroundings in a manner which causes the reader to shut their eyes for a second and actually be there. Lest you feel this is a grim read, fear not. You will actually find you self chuckling throughout the entire read and sometimes even laughing out loud. Some of the one liners coming out of Marnie's mouth are absolutely priceless. This is one spunky little girl, who has had to grow up quite quickly, and as I said before, has a pretty quirky outlook on life. Like our real lives, there is some sadness, some happiness and most of the time a mixture of both. This has all been wonderfully captured in this work. Ms. Darden apparently has a wonderful sense of humor and it shows. I am not sure where this author learned or acquired her writing skills, and developed her craft, but I must say that this is some of the best writing I have read in several years now.

On a personal note, I cannot believe that this book has not been picked up by some major publishing house. Some evaluators, some readers, at some publishing house somewhere, have really ripped their knickers letting this one get buy. There is no doubt in my mind that we will be seeing and reading a lot from this author in the future.

Recommend you put this one at the top of your "to be read list" and also recommend you buy an extra copy because when you loan your personal copy to a friend, you probably won't get it back.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars INGREDIENTS: Love, Hope, with a Dash of Suspense, May 30, 2007

By 

LJR Peters (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack Rabbit Moon (Paperback)

Author Dorraine Darden's Jack Rabbit Moon took this reader on an emotional adventure filled with the sights and smells of Garner State Park. I especially liked the story being told through the three main characters. It is like real life...everyone sees things through their own emotions and perspectives. This is a good read. L. Peters

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You're Going to Hear More From this Author!, May 28, 2007

By 

Linda A. Bretz (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jack Rabbit Moon (Paperback)

This book is populated with characters trying to do the best they can, with the knowledge and experience they have and the situations in which they find themselves. Some do well, some not so well. And caught in middle is Marnie, who has experienced more of the negative side of life than a 12-year old should; unloved, ridiculed and pushed aside. But thanks to the writing talents of the author and her ability to turn a phrase, Marnie is not maudlin in the least but emerges as a strong, optimistic girl with a great sense of humor. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll think. And you'll enjoy the lush settings described throughout the book. Thanks for a great read, Ms. Darden. May you give us many more.