From Publishers Weekly
Chris Fabry (
Dogwood)—evangelical fiction author of more than 60 titles and coauthor of Left Behind: The Kid series—offers a lovely, moving, present-day account of sacrifice linking to the famed novel
Les Misérables. It all begins in a nondescript Wal-Mart parking lot where nine-year-old June Bug sees an artist's rendition of herself on a missing child poster in the store where they've parked their broken-down RV trailer. With questions galore, June Bug starts pestering her dad about their RV vagabond life and where they're headed next. Johnson, little June Bug's father, is obliged to face his past in short order as a series of unexpected media events force his hand and reroute his life. Afraid and emotionally battered, Johnson returns to the scene of the crime and discovers what he thought was lost forever. Fabry's retelling of the world-renowned Victor Hugo tale is a stunning success, and readers will find themselves responding with enthusiastic inner applause.
(Aug.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
It has been said that there are only seven different stories in existence - the books you enjoy are all just variations on these seven different themes. I don't know whether this is true, but I do know that it's not uncommon for an author to copy old stories intentionally. Sometimes this is done well, and sometimes... not so well. I don't usually go for modern retellings of old stories. (Though I admit that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies does have a strange sort of appeal...) It seems to me that the best "copies" of this sort are those that are both good in their own right, and good in that they enhance an original work rather than try to re-create it. Sometimes new books are wonderful on their own, but sometimes they are most valuable when they help you read old books well. I just read a book that copied an old story loosely, and copied it pretty well. June Bug is Chris Fabry's newest book, due out in August 2009. (Thank you to the folks at Tyndale for providing me with an advanced reader copy!) June Bug is Fabry's modern interpretation of the classic Les Miserables. It's a somewhat loose interpretation, but Les Miserables fans will quickly recognize some key themes and plot points. The story is told mostly from the point of view of "June Bug", a young girl who travels the U.S. with her dad in an old RV. One morning, she is shocked to find a picture of herself on the missing children board inside a WalMart. The story follows her as she finds out more about her dad, her long-absent mother, and herself. It's a pretty good story even apart from its ties to Victor Hugo's classic book, but I particularly enjoyed the way it illumined the original work for me. It distanced itself from Hugo's book enough that it did not feel like a copy of a better book, but it also offered me a window into some of the original players. June Bug is not a Great Book in the way that Les Miserables (arguably!) is, but it does make for good weekend reading. I enjoyed reading June Bug, and now I can't wait to re-read Les Miserables. I think I'll appreciate it even more for having read Chris Fabry's book. I think Hugo would approve of this... and I bet Fabry would, too. Review by Rachel Motte --Evangelical Outpost, April 1, 2009
June Bug Chris Fabry. Tyndale, $13.99 paper (350p) ISBN 978-1-4143-1956-8
Chris Fabry (Dogwood)--evangelical fiction author of more than 60 titles and coauthor of Left Behind: The Kid series--offers a lovely, moving, present-day account of sacrifice linking to the famed novel Les Misérables. It all begins in a nondescript Wal-Mart parking lot where nine-year-old June Bug sees an artist's rendition of herself on a missing child poster in the store where they've parked their broken-down RV trailer. With questions galore, June Bug starts pestering her "dad" about their RV vagabond life and where they're headed next. Johnson, little June Bug's father, is obliged to face his past in short order as a series of unexpected media events force his hand and reroute his life. Afraid and emotionally battered, Johnson returns to the "scene of the crime" and discovers what he thought was lost forever. Fabry's retelling of the world-renowned Victor Hugo tale is a stunning success, and readers will find themselves responding with enthusiastic inner applause. (Aug.) --Publishers Weekly, June 15, 2009
While traveling by RV across the country with her dad, a young girl wanders into a Walmart and sees herself in a missing-persons poster. So begins a series of long journeys-physical, emotional, and spiritual--for both father and daughter as both try to sort out the puzzle of their past and build a future. Readers of Fabry's well-received novel Dogwood (2008) will recognize many of the same themes here: the search for home and family; forgiveness and faith; and the best way to navigate the repercussions of old choices and wrong turns. The publisher bills the novel as a "modern interpretation of Les Miserables," and readers who know that novel will enjoy spotting the parallels in this contemporary story. Familiarity with the Hugo classic, though, certainly isn't required to enjoy this involving novel, and once again, Fabry inserts enough plot twists and dramatic tension to keep readers turning the pages. Some clichéd prose may distract some, but the story of love's infinite power to shape and sustain will draw readers, particularly those seeking fiction with Christian themes. -- Gillian Engberg --Booklist, August 1, 2009
“Once the story starts cooking, [Dogwood] is difficult to put down . . .”
Publishers Weekly
“Chris Fabry is one of the most creative minds I know. His fiction always delights and never disappoints.”
Jerry B. Jenkins, New York Times best-selling author
Chris Fabry (Dogwood)—evangelical fiction author of more than 60 titles and coauthor of Left Behind: The Kid series—offers a lovely, moving, present-day account of sacrifice linking to the famed novel Les Misérables. It all begins in a nondescript Wal-Mart parking lot where nine-year-old June Bug sees an artist's rendition of herself on a missing child poster in the store where they've parked their broken-down RV trailer. With questions galore, June Bug starts pestering her “dad” about their RV vagabond life and where they're headed next. Johnson, little June Bug's father, is obliged to face his past in short order as a series of unexpected media events force his hand and reroute his life. Afraid and emotionally battered, Johnson returns to the “scene of the crime” and discovers what he thought was lost forever. Fabry's retelling of the world-renowned Victor Hugo tale is a stunning success, and readers will find themselves responding with enthusiastic inner applause.--Publisher's Weekly August
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