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"The Chicago Tribune" Bret Lott's "Jewel" is a beautifully crafted first-person epic of one poor southern woman's personal duel with God....This is a voice we don't want to stop hearing....Some of the tenderest scenes of family love since those in Dickens....
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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In the backwoods of Mississippi, a land of honeysuckle and grapevine, Jewel and her husband, Leston, are truly blessed; they have five fine children. When Brenda Kay is born in 1943, Jewel gives thanks for a healthy baby, last-born and most welcome. "Jewel" is the story of how quickly a life can change; how, like lightning, an unforeseen event can set us on a course without reason or compass. In this story of a woman's devotion to the child who is both her burden and God's singular way of smiling on her, Bret Lott has created a mother-daughter relationship of matchless intensity and beauty, and one of the finest, most indomitable heroines in contemporary American fiction.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Jewel is a woman who earns our respect for the sacrifices she is willing to make to ensure that her Brenda Kay has the best opportunity to aquire skills and knowledge despite her retardation. Less admirable, but a sympatheic character nonetheless, is Leston, whose pride is injured by his failure to be financialy successful, and by losing what he perceives to be his head-of-the-household status. Lott has written a compelling novel that disappointingly loses steam in its final chapters when decisions must be made for the future.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:School & Library Binding
This is a wonderful, luminous book about families. It focuses on one family, in particular. The novel centers around a poor, undereducated woman named Jewel, who began her life in the backwoods of rural Mississippi. It takes us on her life journey and, consequently, that of family. It shows us how Jewel dealt with a situation that can often make or break a family, and the impact that this issue had on that same family.
Beautifully written in the voice of a poor, ill educated, southern woman, the author gives life to a three dimensional character, Jewel. Born in 1904, her parents died when she was young. She then lived with her maternal grandmother who simply did not treat her with affection, as she had disapproved of her daughter's marriage to Jewel's father. While Jewel's grandmother did her duty by her, Jewel lived a life devoid of familial love and affection.
Consequently, when Jewel up and married, she was determined to have a household filled with love. She and her devoted husband, Leston, made a life. They had five children. Life was good, though hard. Then they had a sixth child, Brenda Kay, when Jewel was pushing forty. They loved her dearly. It soon, however, became apparent that Brenda Kay was not like their other children. Jewel's worst fears were realized, when she was told that her youngest daughter had Down Syndrome.
How Jewel coped and how this event affected each member of the family is the crux of this wonderfully written novel. Brenda Kay's birth is the catalyst for a journey that would take this family in search of a better life for its newest member. It would be a test of the measure of the love that they had for one another. It is a story of perseverance and survival. It is a story of familial love and acceptance. It is a story of a mother's struggle to make sure that her beloved child reaches her full potential, no matter what the cost.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
The Hardships and Triumphs of a Simple Life
3 April 2005
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Brett Lott's Jewel, despite its fine critical reception, languished in obscurity until Oprah selected it as one of the titles in her book club. The sudden attention had a twofold impact: thousands of readers who had never heard of Lott eagerly snapped up copies, and serious readers who were originally more inclined to pick up Lott's work instead shunned it as an "Oprah book." Since a good book is a good book - and Jewel IS good - I recommend that readers give it a closer look before deciding.
The novel begins in 1940's Mississippi as Jewel discovers that she is pregnant with "one last child." Her husband Leston reacts to the news with a gentle smile and affection, although her five children don't know quite what to make of it. Her oldest child James is almost old enough to enlist in the military, and her youngest, Annie, still depends on the comfort of a tattered blanket. Jewel worries about her children and their impending displacement by the needs of a new baby, but she cannot foresee how much the weight will be. Cathedral, a black woman who lives "out back" with her family and who has become a sort of friend (as much as a white woman and a black woman could in 1940's Mississippi), has an inkling. She prophesies that the coming baby will be Jewel's "hardship in life." When Jewel and Leston face the heartbreak that their beautiful Brenda Kay is not normal, Jewel tailors her entire life towards ensuring that her Down's Syndrome child is given nothing but the best. Through financial and domestic hardship, Jewel maintains devotion to her "baby girl" as the world around them changes over the decades.
Lott has created a compelling narrative voice in Jewel, a character whose honest, steadfast beliefs take her and her family through difficult times. Lott writes convincingly from her point-of-view, proving that one does not have to be a woman to understand one. Although occasionally the prose gets a little dewy, the novel is generally well-written, in a style that evokes the rhythms of the South. I recommend this book for readers who appreciate quiet, character-driven novels.
The novel begins in 1940's Mississippi as Jewel discovers that she is pregnant with "one last child." Her husband Leston reacts to the news with a gentle smile and affection, although her five children don't know quite what to make of it. Her oldest child James is almost old enough to enlist in the military, and her youngest, Annie, still depends on the comfort of a tattered blanket. Jewel worries about her children and their impending displacement by the needs of a new baby, but she cannot foresee how much the weight will be. Cathedral, a black woman who lives "out back" with her family and who has become a sort of friend (as much as a white woman and a black woman could in 1940's Mississippi), has an inkling. She prophesies that the coming baby will be Jewel's "hardship in life." When Jewel and Leston face the heartbreak that their beautiful Brenda Kay is not normal, Jewel tailors her entire life towards ensuring that her Down's Syndrome child is given nothing but the best. Through financial and domestic hardship, Jewel maintains devotion to her "baby girl" as the world around them changes over the decades.
Lott has created a compelling narrative voice in Jewel, a character whose honest, steadfast beliefs take her and her family through difficult times. Lott writes convincingly from her point-of-view, proving that one does not have to be a woman to understand one. Although occasionally the prose gets a little dewy, the novel is generally well-written, in a style that evokes the rhythms of the South. I recommend this book for readers who appreciate quiet, character-driven novels.
39 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Jewel is not much of a gem...
1 July 2002
Format:Mass Market Paperback
What a struggle this book was! Aside from the fact that Bret Lott is obviously a very talented writer, I had such a hard time moving through this story. I'm not sure what it was about Jewel that failed to excite me. Excellent writing skills and a decent storyline are both present; however, I could not enjoy myself. Something was definitely missing for me.
Jewel Hilburn is a good wife, bringing forth five strong, healthy children and making a comfortable home for her family. Although late in life, Jewel finds herself pregnant again -- a sixth child, the baby of the family, the apple of her eye. But five months after little Brenda Kay is born, Jewel notices something dreadfully different from her other children. God has blessed the Hilburn family with a special child, a Down's Syndrome baby, and one who will prove she is both the burden and joy of all their lives. The story spans an entire lifetime, beginning with flashbacks of Jewel's childhood and ending with Jewel in her 80s. For readers who enjoy epics and characters that grow up before you, Jewel, at least in that respect, will provide.
I am clearly stumped as to the drawback of this book (for me). Pages did not turn quickly, I was never excited to pick it up and return to the world of Jewel and her family. I will say the last few chapters of this book did evoke some emotion, but other than that, Jewel fell flat. There is an audience for this book; however, be aware that the story does not move quickly, paragraphs are overly descriptive, and there is not enough dialogue to push things along. If you are in a reading slump, bypass Jewel for something more exciting.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Loved this book!
9 Mar 2006
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I bought this book on the recommendation from someone in my Down Syndrome Group. I loved the way the book was written...it kept me intrigued. It was so hard to put the book down. This book is about the love and dedication of a woman who does everything she can to help her daughter. I enjoyed this book so much!
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