Bum Lambs and Red Tractors by Virginia Babcock

Bum Lambs and Red Tractors by Virginia Babcock
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The beauty of Bum Lambs and Red Tractors is its slow, easygoing pace. It makes you feel as if you've been transported to rural Utah, where you get to watch the lives of some interesting and very real, people. It is a love story, but it's also packed with information about farm life and a world among some members of the Mormon church.

I enjoyed standing beside Leon and Marion, watching them fall in love. Leon was attracted to Marion as soon as he saw her and knew he wanted to get to know her better. But Marion reacted differently. She had been spending much of her life evaluating her situation. Did she want to stay on a farm like the one she'd been raised on? Did she want to go back to school? She had a been an engineering major, but hadn't finished her degree. What would she have to sacrifice if she tied her life to someone else's plans? And what would she give up if she didn't? Their romance was real, because they both recognized their needs and desires as separate people.

My father grew up on a Kansas farm and spent his college days working hard to get off that farm, but in his final years he seemed to miss the life he'd left. I saw some of him in both Marion and Leon, which meant a lot to me. I also enjoyed the way their lives were shaped by their church. I don't want to give the wrong impression here. Bum Lambs and Red Tractors is NOT a preachy novel, but it does show how a strong church family can affect someone's life. I loved that, too.

I recommend Bum Lambs and Red Tractors for anyone who enjoys books with lots of detail and well written characters.


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R.S.V.P.: A Novel by Ruchira Khanna

R.S.V.P.: A Novel by Ruchira Khanna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

R.S.V.P. is a novel about forgiveness and understanding, with an emphasis on the latter. Jay is a young man, originally from India, who runs a tea cafe in California. He's a tight-fisted business man, proud of the ka-ching sound of his cash register and of the way he can make money from special events at his shop.

Jay has buried himself in his work because of two emotionally damaging events in his past, the loss of his father, who left their family when Jay was a teenager and the end of a relationship with a woman he loved. When the novel begins, Jay has found meaning and purpose in success, which he measures in dollars and cents. Gina, Jay's cousin, shows up and takes note of Jay's mercenary tendencies. But it isn't until Jay experiences an unexpected event and meets some unusual people that his life finally begins to change.

Ruchira Khanna's language is somewhat formal. For example she might say “...keeps inquiring about my welfare...” instead of “...keeps asking how I am doing...” It took me a while to get used to her style, but once I did the book read well. I liked the way each chapter begins with a quote from a different well-known person: writers, singers, philosophers, etc. The quotes appear to be carefully chosen and did a fine job of focusing my attention on what the author wants to say about life. But what I liked the most about the novel is what it says about the need to understand someone's actions before forgiveness can be achieved. There's also a subtext about finding balance between personal needs and family obligations. I'm not sure the author intended that message, but it was there for me.

R.S.V.P. is a good read for people who like a book with a message.


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