The Priest and the Peaches - Larry Peterson

Summary: Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, uncharted and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Summary and cover image from Tribute Books (www.tribute-books.com) Book given free for review.

My Review:  This book details the week after the Peach children are left orphaned following their father’s unexpected death. Teddy, Joanie, Beeker, Dancer, and Joey must learn quickly how to fend for themselves. The road ahead won't be easy. Yet with faith and togetherness they soon discover all things are possible.

The nicknames of the children and the choppy writing style made this book a bit difficult to embrace at first. Yet after a couple chapters the writing style began to mesh well with the setting. It felt natural and the Peach family became quite endearing. This book is full of emotion. The author did a phenomenal job of combining humor with profound sadness, confusion, and even anger. He was able to fully capture the emotion felt after the death of a loved one. There is an underlying religious message but it is not overly done. The motto for the story "LYN" (love your neighbor) is one that should be embraced by all. This story contained a few odd moments that young adults would probably appreciate more than I was able to. Yet the final chapters straighten everything out and my overall feeling when closing the book was one of satisfaction.span>

My Rating: 3 solid stars

To sum it up: A touching tale that will leave you believing in miracles.