Customer Reviews

Little Flowers

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4 star:		(5)
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The story begins when the life of a noted abortion physician is tragically cut short by murder. However, this is much more than your standard murder mystery. Kathryn Lively has written a wonderful depiction of a family and community caught up in the throes of murder, set against the backdrop of the abortion issue. The story leads readers to the Merwin family, and their daughter Monica who finds herself with an unwanted pregnancy, thus incurring a crisis in faith. But "Little Flowers" is not as predictable as it would seem, having its own fair share of twists and turns before the last page.

Written from a Pro-Life, Catholic viewpoint, "Little Flowers" is a refreshing break from pro-abortion rhetoric, and a return to traditional family values so lacking in today's world. Although Ms. Lively's characters have many problems, these problems are worked out through love, temperance and a good deal of prayer.

If you are looking for something new and different, with a return to moral values and traditional family cohesion, "Little Flowers" is the book for you. It may be shared with family and friends, and would be an especially good book for today's teens.

Without getting preachy or condescending, Katherine Lively makes big points on issues like premarital sex, abortion, deception, and violence. She treats all the issues in her book with fairness, but without giving up ground on her beliefs.
Her well-written characters face a wide range of problems and deal with them in many different ways--some extreme.
Laugh, hope, cry, and grieve with the Merwins, a deeply devout family. Discover just how different two brothers and two protesters can be. Cope with a new life situation with Carrie, and learn how much difference one person can make and how gently it can be done. And let Pre take you on an emotional roller-coaster ride you won't soon forget.
It's a lively story from the very first page to the end.

Great book, I strongly recommend it. Besides being well written and being an enjoyable read, I think it is a book that Youth and Young Adult ministers and moderators, or anyone who works or deals with young people, should take a close look at and consider adding to their libraries. It is very instructive in an appealing way. There is a message, and while spoken with unmistakable clarity, it is by no means overbearing.

The story is about the murder of an abortion doctor in the Williamsburg, Norfolk area in Virginia and the eventual resolution of the murder. The story explores a cast of characters related to the murder and the abortion question in different ways. There is the sympathtic widow of the slain doctor who takes you into the mind of someone not unfavorable to abortion and this foray into her worldview, may surprise you. There are the devout Merwins, the perfect Catholic family dealing with complex contemporary internal family issues. There are the young people at a Catholic school whose relationships and decisions give compelling insight into the school life and relationships of teens. There is romantic tension between two of the more likeable characters, and of course, Rosie the devout and perceptible old lady whose apostolate is to make and distribute rosaries in front of an abortion clinic. Mystery, romance, and drama, all woven together seamlessly.

I would have thought that in a novel about abortion, you'd expect to easily find the people you like and those you hate, but KL allows us to get a feel for the psychology of each character which makes the people real. She takes us into the minds of the characters and you get to understand everyone's motivations. I think this book is a very good way to explore the abortion issue and issues regarding the pressures of young adult life.

I think this book would make a great gift for a young person and also for anyone who just plain likes a good, well told story.

The power of prayer - a precious instrument or an immeasurable weapon?

Controversial subjects abound in this timely manuscript; from a secret teenage pregnancy to the legalities and moral issues of abortion to the murder of a doctor working at a women's clinic. All themes wrapped within the impenetrable cloak of Catholicism. There is a strong religious factor in this story. All the characters deal with their faith in their own way. Their faith in God, their faith in their Saints, and their faith in the teachings they received in their religion directly influence their actions, decisions, and reactions throughout the book.

Kathryn Lively's characters virtually leap from the page full of life and emotion. They'll wind their way into your heart as you flip page after page following the events of their lives.

You'll become a member of the Merwin family as mother and father struggle to raise their children in a burgeoning society wrought with temptation and sin. Follow the doctor's widow as she strives to find her way back to her Catholic roots by way of her estranged aunt.

Settle in for a warm, heart-wrenching delight of words and emotions as you become a member of this close-knit community and share their ups and downs as young and old, they endeavor to live their lives for Christ.

Kathryn Lively's first novel, Little Flowers, gives readers a glimpse into the tangled web of abortion. Each character is carefully and believably crafted to show the impact of abortion in a personal way.

I am pro-life, but I was most captivated by the turmoil of Monica, an unwed, pregnant teenager from a traditional Catholic family. I desperately wanted her to tell her family about her pregnancy, but understood what extraordinary courage it would take for her to do so. I sympathized greatly with her plight.

The plot contains some unexpected twists and turns and the outcome will not leave you dissapointed. I would recommend this book as a good discussion opener for teens and their parents on the subject of unplanned pregnancies and abortion.

Little Flowers is a story about faith in God and the power of prayer. This novel by Kathryn Lively is a beautiful illustration of how flawed people can order their lives if they will follow the biblical command to "pray without ceasing."

When an abortionist is shot to death a wide net is cast that snags a whole school of seemingly unrelated characters. As the killer plans to strike again, a teen-aged girl must decide whether she will let her unborn child live, even as her romance dies. And another young woman-unable to bear a child-refuses to let her own romance grow.

In the middle of the turmoil is Rosie, the Rosary lady, who spends her days praying and making rosaries across from the local abortion clinic. She dispenses advice when she must, but seems to confront most problems with a rosary and her prayers.

The circle around Rosie encloses them all at the end. It's not all happy, for the consequences of evil must be paid, but for those who pray, all things work out for the good.

This is a stunning novel which handles a controversial topic with clear vision and incredible skill.

It should be required reading for every high school student.

Wow! Kathryn Lively chooses to tackle probably the most controversial topic of our time, abortion, for her debut novel. That not only takes guts, but a deep insight to her characters and the dilemmas they encounter.

First let me warn readers that the first 50 pages is whether confusing. Lively introduces a myriad of characters and while they are delineated very well, the sheer number can be overwhelming. Essentially the novel boils down to three main characters: Barbara Fitzgerald, otherwise known as Rosie for her crafting handmade rosaries; Monica Merwin, a high school girl who thinks she is pregnant; and Pre Winningham, who harbors a deep secret that deters her from any intimate relationship.

The manner in which Lively puts all these characters into motion, interacting with each and the events in which they find themselves is characteristic of an up-and-coming novelist. The book starts off with a bang, literally and figuratively.

Lively also does an excellent job in explaining the Catholic faith. To a Catholic, the descriptions might seem redundant, but each scene is pushed forward by relating to the non-Catholic readers.

There is an interesting twist to the novel that I never saw coming and, to be honest, it shocked me, but it pulls the novel together and makes readers think. Lively has drawn a basic set of characters that readers will want to follow no matter what
situation.

Add to the mix that Lively never gets preachy with the characters point of view and you'll find a great read.

The first chapter's gripping, graphic description compels the reader to meet unforgettable people and make a journey of love and forgiveness with them. At first I thought the Merwin family was an anachronism or a throwback to the Catholic family of the mid-1950's. By the end of the book, I realized that they are a conservative Catholic family, perhaps the ideal, which lives today in a "culture of death". The characters are realistic. Their difficulties and eventual transformations are woven skillfully together making a compelling and lovely story. I can't wait to read the next one.

This is a story that should be read by parents of teenagers and teenagers themselves. The characters are well developed and the story is excellent.