An able, if incomplete, rendering of Genesis in elegant verse.
In this streamlined, sprightly debut collection of biblical poetry, Sheahan tries to make Genesis rhyme—and mostly succeeds.
In the centuries since its composition, some literary heavy hitters have taken cracks at reshaping the book of Genesis—John Milton, Mark Twain and Thomas Mann among them. So when Sheahan presents his “verse form” of the first book of the Bible, readers may wonder if he’s bitten off more than he can chew. He hasn’t, but he has set himself a tough task. Beginning “in the beginning” and taking readers all the way to Joseph’s Egyptian palace, Sheahan aims to portray all of Genesis’ motley crew—from Adam to Abraham to Jacob to the pharaoh—essentially in rhyming couplets. Most of the time, his scheme comes off gracefully, as when Abraham prepares to kill his son Isaac in a reworking of Genesis 22: “He raised his sword to smite his son / An offering to the Lord, / But an angel voice from Heaven called:— / ‘Abraham, put down your sword.’ ” Only rarely do the rhymes deform the verse, as in the poem “Jacob Blesses His Twelve Sons and Dies”; most often, the text is quite accessible. Of course, Genesis’ readability has less to do with the book itself and more to do with its translation; the King James Version, for example, may feel “archaic” to some, but more modern glosses, such as the New Revised Standard Version or University of California, Berkeley, professor Robert Alter’s translations, are paragons of textual accessibility. As a result, Sheahan’s poetry isn’t unique in its readability, but it’s appealingly comprehensible. Some readers may note, however, that in making Genesis more approachable, Sheahan has polished away some of its seedier elements, including Lot’s incestuous liaisons, Noah’s drunkenness and God’s fear at the construction of the Tower of Babel. These may not be popular passages, but they are Scripture, and by leaving them out, Sheahan does an injustice to one of the greatest, most challenging texts ever written.
An able, if incomplete, rendering of Genesis in elegant verse.Pub Date: March 26, 2013
ISBN: 978-1481788021
Page Count: 94
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK
Review Posted Online: Aug. 28, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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