I have always had difficulty with fiction books specifically written for “inspiration” and this was of that genre so you can guess my reluctance. My reasons for staying shy of the genre are the usual, contrived plot, controlled vocabulary, too predictable etc. That is not to say I never recommend them or say they are bad, just not my cup-of-tea.That being said, this was better than most of the genre that I have tasted. On Christmas Eve in 1929 four young girls place written dreams and plans for their future into a blue bottle. They make a pact to forever be best friends and place the bottle on a rafter in the attic of one of their homes. Sixty five years later that bottle is found upon the demolition of that house. Brendan Delaney, a local newscaster takes the bottle on a quest to find the four girls, now octogenarians, to see if their lives turned out as they wished and hoped. The plot was very intricate and sometimes I got lost thinking about how the Brendan got places so fast and easily? She had to go from one side of the country to the complete opposite then north and home again in a matter of days!Of course none of the girls got exactly what they wanted, and all of them had to live through many tribulations. They became adults during the Great Depression and during a time when women did not do the things these girls wanted to do such as go off to be a social worker, move to NYC to become an artist, take off for Hollywood and become and actor. Only one wanted to stay home, marry her school sweet-heart, and have a lot of babies, which she didn't get to do. It is my opinion that the best story is that of Adora Archer, the preacher's daughter who ran away to Hollywood. She ended up trying to climb the acting ladder too quickly by getting involved with a director, ending up pregnant, homeless, and jobless. When she turns to her family for forgiveness they proclaim her dead and have a funeral. That is the only part of her story that didn't feel true to me. The author did spend a lot of time showing the reader the hypocrisy of the Archer's church as one pandering to the wealthy and turning away the needy, but turning away your own daughter, to me felt off. I actually really liked all of the four life stories but I did feel like the second half of the book got too preachy. Inside my head I felt like, “OK, I get it already!” But I also think people who love Christian fiction expect that and may look forward to it in their stories.Sometimes I did the silent eye-roll when things got tied up too neatly, but I loved the four lives being so different and the twists each girl's path took. I got the warm fuzzy “good-people-doing-good-because-of-their-religion” feeling via twisted life years ago when reading Billie Letts' books such as The Honk and Holler Opening Soon and Where the Heart Is, which I prefer – if that makes any sense to you, but if you are a female CF reader I would not pass this one by. It is not a guy book at all though and Letts' books can be enjoyed by all.
A friend was getting rid of some books and gave me a stack. I wasn't expecting to find a treasure, but I did. I'm teaching Sunday School today on Proverbs 16:9 "A man's heart plans his way but the Lord directs his steps." and James 4:15, "We ought to say, 'If the Lord wills we shall live and do this or that.'" These two scriptures summarize the theme of this book. Brandon Delaney, was a television reporter who wanted--who needed--more. She needed a purpose, hope and a dream. She summarized her journey to discovery toward the end of the book with these words, "It wasn't just a story about four friends who despite all odds found each other after sixty-five years. It was about dreams--the fulfillment of dreams and the death of dreams. That was the common denominator--the factor that would make viewers identify with these women." It made me, as a reader, identify with the story, appreciate it for not only good story-telling, but for the principle of life it brought to light: that we most often discover God in the midst of struggles and He takes us out of darkness into the light. And there, we find that though our own dreams may not have been realized, God was the One who directed our lives, molded and changed us, and gave us better things than we ever could have dreamed.
What do You think about The Blue Bottle Club (1999)?
Four teenage friends gather in an attic one Christmas day to declare and place their life-dreams in a cobalt blue bottle while they pledged their eternal friendship, love, and support. They hide the bottle where no one else will find it, sure their futures are bright. Sixty-five years later the bottle is found, and a search for the stories of each of the four begins. This is a very sweet story and a pleasant, easy read. I was sure as I read it that I have seen a Hallmark movie made from this book in a previous year sometime.
—Barbara
The book has an interesting premise and engaging characters, but the writing was fairly juvenile. It's a Hallmark movie in book form. I liked the structure of the book, telling each woman's story and looking at how their lives changed from what they'd hoped from their girlhoods then reuniting them 60 years later. And I believed that the journalist could become intrigued by the story and that it could affect her own search for happiness. But the speed at which the depth of these new friendships and "becoming family" developed seemed overly rushed and convenient to the story. Nothing was terribly surprising and the author stayed fairly superficial as a writer. For example, the trite stereotype of Nordic Minnesotan was amusing at best, insulting at worst. And the ease with which the journalist was able to reach her goal was simplistic.I didn't initially mind the religious aspect in the young girls' lives, but once the author had every woman's life become ultimately fulfilled by realizing she must follow God's path, it got too preachy and heavy handed. If this is an example of Christian fiction, no thanks.
—Amy
This book was okay. I liked that all the characters were strong women in the face of adversity and unashamed of their mistakes, or the faith they had found. I liked that the book was based on friendships lost and then found again. And yes, I did cry when Brendan received the portrait. (But I cry at everything, so you can't count that as making this a great novel.)The major problem with the book--the stories were too contrived. I had a hard time with the fact that the hardships put in their way s
—Marian
