I have been a John Grisham fan since 1989 when his hit A Time To Kill was released. Grisham was a master of courtroom drama. For some reason, probably due to publisher deadlines, I havent been as thrilled with Grishams latest works. This February, A Painted House was set to be released. Much to my dismay, I hear it is not a legal thriller, but rather a fictionalized childhood memoir. There will not be one lawyer, one judge, or even a courtroom in Grishams latest novel!!  
 
Of course, hearing it is not a usual Grisham doesnt stop me from getting my own copy. I have no problem with Grisham trying to branch out into other genres. Just because he is a great legal thriller author, doesnt mean he cant try to be great at something else.  
 
As soon as I get my copy from the Literary Guild, it is opened and I begin to read. I have to admit, I was not expecting such a wonderful change of pace from the usual Grisham-style.  
 
A Painted House is about a seven-year-old boy, Luke Chandler, and his family. Luke is the narrator of the story, so you see everything through a childs eyes. The story is set back in 1952 in Arkansas. There is a cotton crop to be picked and Lukes family hires hill people and Mexicans to come to their farm and pick the cotton along with the Chandler family.  
 
The Spruills (the hill people hired by the Chandlers) and the Mexicans bring excitement and controversy to the Chandler farm for young Luke. Hank Spruill is a large fellow and with him knowing this, he is able to get himself into some trouble. The local sheriff wants him on a murder charge for killing a local troublemaker in a fight. However, the sheriff is willing to let him stay on the Chandler farm until the cotton is picked to help the Chandlers out during the pickin season. Luke is terrified of the large Hank Spruill. On the other hand, Hanks sister, Tally, a seventeen-year-old girl, has Lukes eye.  
 
To Luke ten years in age difference is nothing. Tally could love him. Tally gives Luke the thrill of a seven-year-olds life. Course, I am not going to tell you what it isbut, I have to admit I was laughing during this segment of the book.  
 
The Spruills and the Mexicans on the Chandler farm do not get along. One of the Mexicans, Cowboy, is a rough one too. Cowboy and Hank are rivals and neither one thinks the other can take him on.  
 
Luke sees all the problems on the farm among the people. He is a highly intelligent seven-year-old, in my opinion. Course, since I know nothing of 1952, maybe kids were smarter then. I dont know any seven-year-olds who know the amount of information Luke Chandler does in this book. Luke Chandler seems to understand just about everything the adults say around him. Nothing seems to get past young Luke.  
 
Luke loves baseball and would love to spend his cotton earnings on a new Cardinals jacket from the Sears catalog. He would be the envy of every kid in the town of Black Oak, even surrounding towns for that matter. In fact, Lukes dream is to leave the farm (as his mother wishes) and play for the St. Louis Cardinals when he gets older.  
 
Overall, the book mainly concentrates on the problems around the farm with the cotton crop. It seems that everything, and I mean everything, surrounds the picking of the cotton this season. The Chandler men are concerned with the crop. The women just try to get along and make it through and listen the men complain all the time. Basically, it all borders down to money.  
 
I hate to tell anything else about the story because I dont want to reveal too much. There has to be some mystery to the novel before you start reading it, otherwise what would be the point? For example, the title of the book itself, I cannot explain to you. It is an important aspect of the story that you need to discover for yourself.  
 
My viewpoint on this novel: I feel that overall the book was a wonderful change of pace for Grisham. Personally, I have been disappointed a little more each time I read his new releases. My problem is that I compare every one of his novels with his first release, A Time To Kill. Nothing compares!!! Some have come close to that greatness, but not many. I enjoyed this novel and Grisham even had me laughing at one point in time with Tally and Luke as I mentioned above. The biggest disappointment would have to be the end of the novel. It leaves the reader drawing a blank and wanting to know what else happens to the family. Personally, I feel that Grisham may have done this for a sequel maybe at some point in time. He may not have intended to write a sequel, but if enough of his fans love this style, maybe he will write a follow-up novel to the Chandler family. Who knows? This is just my opinion.  
 
If you are looking for a nice change of pace, pick up A Painted House and enjoy. I personally feel this is one of Grishams best in a very long time. 
