Silver Birches: A Novel [Paperback]

Adrian Plass (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 2009

When David Herrick receives an invitation to a reunion from a long-forgotten acquaintance, his first reaction is to refuse. He isn't feeling very sociable since his wife, Jessica, died six months ago. But the invitation comes from Angela, one of his wife's oldest friends---and mysteriously, she has something for him from his beloved Jessica. Reluctant but curious, he visits Headly Manor. When the friends gather, they no longer resemble the fresh-faced group of twenty years ago. One has been deserted by her husband, another has lost his faith, and another is filled with anger and Bitterness. As they have less than forty-eight hours with each other, they decide to be vulnerable and bear their souls. This poignant and moving story blends Adrian Plass's rich style of writing with his knack for addressing the deep issues we all face, such as faith, grief, love ... and fear.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bestselling British author Plass (Bacon Sandwiches and Salvation) offers an intentionally offbeat story of bereaved widower David Herrick, who suffers intensely following the loss of his beloved wife, Jessica. Herrick, a popular Christian speaker, finds it sadly ironic that the very words and pat phrases he offers to listening audiences aren't doing him much good in his personal sorrow. With the arrival of a letter and an invitation from an old friend, Herrick travels to a former haunted bed-and-breakfast and rejoins classmates from years earlier; during their gathering, they eventually expose their deepest longings and struggles. Keenly attentive to his own skewed view on life at present, Herrick finds himself strangely moved by his former friends' individual plights and begins to glimpse small slivers of hope in the cracks of brokenness. No matter how he tries to shut out the divinely orchestrated lessons, Herrick finally surrenders and what he discovers surprises him most of all. Finely tuned and sensitively written, this moving story reminds readers that everyone bleeds the same on the inside. (June)
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Review

Bestselling British author Plass (Bacon Sandwiches and Salvation) offers an intentionally offbeat story of bereaved widower David Herrick, who suffers intensely following the loss of his beloved wife, Jessica. Herrick, a popular Christian speaker, finds it sadly ironic that the very words and pat phrases he offers to listening audiences aren't doing him much good in his personal sorrow. With the arrival of a letter and an invitation from an old friend, Herrick travels to a former haunted bed-and-breakfast and rejoins classmates from years earlier; during their gathering, they eventually expose their deepest longings and struggles. Keenly attentive to his own skewed view on life at present, Herrick finds himself strangely moved by his former friends' individual plights and begins to glimpse small slivers of hope in the cracks of brokenness. No matter how he tries to shut out the divinely orchestrated lessons, Herrick finally surrenders and what he discovers surprises him most of all. Finely tuned and sensitively written, this moving story reminds readers that everyone bleeds the same on the inside. (June) -- Publishers Weekly reviews

(Publishers Weekly reviews )

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (May 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310292034
• ISBN-13: 978-0310292036
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,849,929 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #51 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Occult > Ghosts & Haunted Houses

More About the Author

Adrian Plass is one of today's most significant and successful Christian authors, and he has written over thirty books, including his latest, Looking Good Being Bad - the Subtle Art of Churchmanship. Known for his ability to evoke both tears and laughter for a purpose, Plass has been reaching the hearts of thousands for over fifteen years. He lives in Sussex, England with his wife, Bridget, and continues to be a cricket fanatic

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful and poignant, November 25, 2010

By 

Tiffany A. Harkleroad "Tiffanys Bookshelf" (Kittanning PA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Silver Birches: A Novel (Paperback)

Still reeling from the death of his wife Jessica, the last thing David feels like doing is spending a weekend with old youth group members getting reacquainted. However, his old friend Angela was given something by Jessica before she died, and the only way for David to get it from her is to attend a weekend retreat at her country home with several members of his childhood youth group. Honesty, humility, and raw human emotion result.

I thought this was a beautiful story. There is something quite lovely and enchanting about the character of David, and watching him struggle with faith and grief, alternately and simultaneously. I thought the characters in general were incredibly well developed, and could actually see the story playing out in my mind like a movie. My only wish is that we had learned a bit more about Jessica, and were able to feel more connected to her as a character, instead of a memory.

The book is set in England, and there is something delightfully British about it. It has a tone different from American books. The story is poignant and emotional, making one want to smile and weep all at the same time. This book evoked a strong emotional reaction from me.

I loved that this book openly discusses faith, with many of the characters having crises involving faith or religious issues, yet the book never feels preachy or presumptuous. It is a note we as Christians should take. I find this book to be appropriate for a wide variety of audience. It may be a little deep for young adult readers, but certainly still appropriate content wise.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Evangelical Writer Adrian Plass Casts His Wit and Wisdom in a Novel With a Ghostly Aura, October 13, 2009

By 

David Crumm "Editor of ReadTheSpirit magazine" (Canton, Michigan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Silver Birches: A Novel (Paperback)

If you're already a fan of Adrian Plass, my advice is easy: Buy this novel and, yes, you'll thoroughly enjoy it. If you've never discovered this British gem, then you might also want to order something like his classic The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass, Aged 37 3/4 or maybe something newer like his ABCs-of-faith book Bacon Sandwiches & Salvation.
The novel will be a lot more fun and spark more reflection if you have a sense of Adrian's razor-sharp wit and his deep, compassionate faith.
In this novel, he casts himself as the main character. Those who've seen Adrian in one of his world tours will be glad to know that his real wife, Bridget, who appears on tour with him is alive and well! In the book, the main character, named David, has lost his wife in a tragic and transformative experience.
He agrees to accept an invitation to a reunion with old friends--something the real Adrian also has attempted in his life and still recalls the emotional scars of that weekend. He transfers that kind of emotional wrestling match into this novel.
Plus, to spice things up, he sets it all in a sort of "haunted house"--just eerie enough that it's appropriate to the book.
The title? Well, Adrian's main character actually tries to live out the Robert Frost poem by climbing a birch tree ... but I won't spoil the novel by telling you what happens.
It's well worth meeting this fine fellow of faith. If you're a restless Christian yourself, you'll richly enjoy this companion!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL!!, May 22, 2009

By 

ruthjoec "ruthjoec" (Kenner LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silver Birches: A Novel (Paperback)

I've read a lot of books that tell a good story, but books that are really well written, those which really paint pictures with words, which make you feel the story are few and far between. Maybe that's because I generally prefer fluffy light fiction, or maybe it is because being able to write like that is an exceptional talent. Anyone can say there is a red-painted vase with a yellow sun. A few gifted writers can make you feel the red, and use the red to set the overall tone of the scene. Adrian Plass, author of Silver Birches is such an author.

The main character in Silver Birches is David, a man in his late 30's/early 40's, who was recently widowed. David is one of those guys who makes his living talking about Jesus, but he hasn't given a speech since his wife died. He is evaluating what he wants to do with his life, and falling into depression when he gets a call from an old friend of his wife. The three of them had been in the same church youth group in their teens. Angela told him that his wife had given her something to give to him. She wanted to give it to him at her house, an old English manor, on a weekend attended by other friends from that youth group. He agrees to attend, as do several other people.

The group gets together with the goal of telling the others their greatest fear. They eat, drink and talk. We learn about their hurts, fears, faith--and for some, lack thereof. That being said, this isn't the typical Christian novel. For one thing, I have read that some industry standards for Christian novels require that Christians do not drink alcohol. In this book they do, socially and without adverse effects. Also while the thread that holds these people together is membership in a church youth group, many of the stories told and issues addressed could be those of any group of almost middle-aged adults. I don't really want to give anything away (but this book is much more about the characters than the plot) but at the end one of the characters embraces traditional Christian sexual morality and rejects today's "if it is what I'm attracted to, it must be good".

As I noted at the beginning, what struck me most about this book was the absolutely beautiful use of language. It is faith-based fiction and anyone who has been on one of those youth group weekend retreats with their Saturday night combination of sleep deprivation, prayer, candle or firelight and introspection will feel at home around the fire with this group.

Just in case you haven't figured it out, I loved this book