Jacob Have I Loved: A Newbery Award Winner

I read this book a number of years ago. I enjoyed it just as much now as I did before, but have a couple misgivings. This story is set in the 1940's, and follows the teen years and early adult years of Sara Louise Bradshaw. Sara Louise has grown up in the shadow of her fraternal twin sister Caroline, who is beautiful, gregarious, and musically talented. The family lives in a small island community in the Chesapeake Bay. Caroline is extremely popular in this setting, and Sara Louise feels less-than. Their parents are kind, loving and understanding, if not a little passive. The difficulty is that the girl's paternal grandmother lives with them. Grandma is caustic, bitter, mean-spirited and just hateful. Growing up with her would give anyone psychological issues! I can't understand why these nice parents allow this cruel woman to live in their home and harrass everyone. There are very few boundaries. This is evidenced not only by their grandmother's free reign, but also Caroline's take-over ways. She has been allowed to ride roughshod over Sara Louise, and this continues throughout the book. Caroline gets her way constantly, often at Sara Louise's expense. She horns in on Sara Louise's friendships and plans. Meanwhile, Grandma grows crazier as the years pass. She begins to compare the twins to Jacob and Esau in the Bible, implying that Caroline is the chosen one, and Sara Louise is hated by God. This causes Sara-Louise to turn her back on God and her faith. She grows up to discover that her parents do value her, and that she has been the one holding herself back. She goes to college, becomes a nurse, marries, and settles in the Appalachia mountains. She is happy in her life, and has made peace with her past. Sadly, the only part of it she doesn't make peace with is God. That was a disappointment. I'm not sure if the author was trying to give a message against faith. The book demonstrates a strong knowledge of both Catholic and Protestant beliefs. I dislike how the grandmother knows the Bible so well, but uses it as a weapon. Still an enjoyable read.

I think I’ve read this book more than a dozen times, but it still amazes me. It is so beautifully told. When I read it the first time, I enjoyed it, but secretly felt bad for Sara Louise. Didn’t she deserve more? As I reread the book as an adult, I absolutely saw that she did deserve more, and that is exactly what she got when her mother told her how much she would be missed. This book remains one of my all time favorites. It is a beautiful coming of age story that absolutely captures the complex feelings, insecurities, fears, and accomplishments of growing up.

This is a really powerful book. The story line is engaging; the setting and characters are fully is 3-dimensional. It is told "in real time" but by the narrator looking back on her early teenage years. It is also clear that she misinterprets or filters events through her pain. In short, it is a story of the extraordinary damage sibling favortism by parents does to a child, who carries it forever into adulthood, but it also is a story of how the central figure made her own life out of the scraps her family gave her. It is more uplifting than my review makes it sound, and more interesting for the details of her life that would be worth reading even without the sibling rivalry theme running throughout. I highly recommend the book.

Paterson captures the inner turmoil and hurt of the lesser-loved, plainer, and less-obviously gifted twin, Sara Louise ("Wheezy"), growing up on a remote island in the Chesapeake Bay in the 1940s. Caroline, her musically talented, beautiful, and spoiled sister has stolen the spotlight ever since birth, having been born fragile and sickly. Boredom, longing, psychic pain, and rage are exquisitely described yet there is humor - especially in the protagonist's interactions with McCall, the dunderheaded boy with whom Sara Louise shares many adventures. In the end, though Sara Louise is thwarted from her ideal career (due to being female ), she achieves one she can be proud of along with - at long last - love and acceptance in her personal life. I enjoy how this author is able to detail her characters's feelings with depth, intensity, and great honesty.

This was my second reading of this great novel by Katherine Paterson. I read it 20 years ago and enjoyed it, and re-read it a few weeks ago before taking a trip to the Chesapeake Islands of MD and VA. This is a story of life on a small island where residents had lived for centuries, enduring the harsh elements of sea, sun and storms, and earning their living from the sea. The characters are very well developed, and a glimpse into a life that does not get much attention in the mainstream USA was compelling. Having read this story again, I felt prepared for my visit and the lives lived by the locals whom I met. I was able to ask intelligent questions about their lifestyle, and to thoroughly enjoy myself on my visit.

The prologue was somewhat clunky, but once you're in the the first few chapters, this story just gets better and better. I would say this book would be good for young adults and older. This is a coming of age story, not a romance. The title of this book confused me. However, about 3/4 of the way though, it becomes apparent that this is a fitting title, though not in a way I expected. This would be an interesting book for a book club, as it's sure to bring about a variety of discussions. I really enjoyed this read, even got a little misty eyed. The characters are vivid and realistic.

It was well written and a good story, but it often dragged for me. I didn’t really feel like the resolution really resolved the protagonist’s issues.

Can wait to read it with my daughter

Wonderful and timeless piece of literature. My daughter got hooked. Amazing ending. Recommend

Perfetto!

I would not recommend this type of book for 9 year olds. It's long winded,big complicated words and if you don't know the bible you really just don't understand. I spent most of my time explaining. We're struggling to get through this one.