Mulberry Park [Paperback]

Judy Duarte (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2010

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (March 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758241534
• ISBN-13: 978-0758241535
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Judy Duarte always knew there was a book inside her, but since English was her least favorite subject in school, she never considered herself a writer. An avid reader who enjoys a happy ending, Judy couldn't shake the dream of creating a book of her own.

That dream became a reality in 2002, when Silhouette released her first Special Edition. Since then, more than thirty of her books have hit the shelves, including three women's fiction novels and two novellas.

Her stories have touched the hearts of readers around the world, landing her a prestigious Reader's Choice Award. In 2009, she won the Maggie and finaled in the Inspirational category of the Rita® with MULBERRY PARK. And in 2010, ENTERTAINING ANGELS finaled in the Rita®, won the Maggie, and placed second in the Inspirational Readers Choice.

When she's not cooped up in her writing cave, Judy spends time with her somewhat enormous, but delightfully close family near the beach in Southern California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Uplifting Read, April 27, 2008

By 

Gayla M. Collins (Sheridan, WY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mulberry Park (Paperback)

"And a child shall lead them."

Analisa has faith that God is real despite losing her father and mother to tragic ends in South America where they serve as missionaries. Her deep faith is a well that many an adult learns to draw from. At 6 she is sent to live with her Uncle Sam who has little faith, but struggles to raise her in love. Hilda, her nanny, takes her to Mulberry Park as a respite each day where she and Analisa make several friendships of the other broken spirited park patrons. Claire comes accidentally into Analisa's life by finding a letter the child writes to God, leaving it on a high limb in a tree. As it falls at Claire's feet, she reads it wondering how best to assure the hurting tike that her parents are happy in Heaven. Walter, an elderly man who feels his worth fullness has long wore out, prays to be needed again. Maria with two children and another on the way, worries how to feed her family. And Trevor, a lonely nine year old, wonders if he will see his imprisoned father home again. All wounded souls, events arise that force them to pull together as a unit to heal their hearts. Though probably a bit coincidental, the story keeps you intrigued learning the reasons for all the sorrow in each of these character's souls.

A lovely, spiritually uplifting read that leaves one happy that there is a God that loves us all.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Real people in a real world, May 14, 2009

By 

S. Deeth "Sheila Deeth" (OR, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mulberry Park (Paperback)

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mulberry Park, March 30, 2008

By 

Sandra Mitchell "Sandra Mitchell" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mulberry Park (Paperback)

The story lines & characters of Mulberry Park are just as cute and heartwearming as the cover of this book. This novel is about heartbreak, healing, hope, love and friendship, all of which come together when a few lovable and interesting characters find their lives intertwined after meeting at Mulberry Park. I read this book in a few short hours and was completely caught up in each of the character's lives. I hope that Judy Duarte will write more in this genre.