Mulberry Park by Judy Duarte

Mulberry Park Reviews

• 
  Christina

  This book was an EXCELLENT read!!!!!! The characters are so intertwined though out the whole book. The challenges they all face are heart breaking, I cried a few times while reading. This book also has a lot of characters asking God what is right, what is wrong and do you really believe in him. For anyone looking for a good read this is absoulutely the one you need to pick up.
• 
  Laura

  This was a very sweet, heartwarming book. It is a book with a few different people all dealing with grief and how they meet and help each other heal. A little girl, Analisa, has an unwavering faith in God that confuses them all, but makes them all take a step back and reconsider faith and God.
  Yes, it was a little sappy and tied up too neatly in a bow at the end, but it was good. For someone like me, who is still dealing with the deaths of my children, it was a nice reminder of how I need to heal and have more faith in God.
  Well written and a quick read.
• 
  Nancy H

  This is a satisfying and excellent story about people who have problems, yet who eventually find ways to work together to solve them. It is simply a nice story with pleasant people and a good ending. I had not read this author before, but will definitely read more of her work, because it is well-written and excellent, a breath of fresh air in today's world.
• 
  Deborah 🐝

  La scrittura è piuttosto semplice e scorrevole, ma non è stata una lettura banale, l’ho trovato toccante
• 
  Lisa

  In the San Diego suburb of Fairbrook, past Applewood Drive and up First Street, lies Mulberry Park, a peaceful haven for locals from all walks of life. And at the center of its lush green lawn grows a massive mulberry tree—tall enough to take a most precious wish as high as it can go, and to open a few hearts along the way...
  
  Each day after work, Claire Harper drives to Mulberry Park and jogs for miles, hoping to find a respite from her sadness. It's futile, until the evening a letter falls from its hiding place in a nearby tree. Inside the bright pink envelope emblazoned with the words "To God From Analisa," is a note written by a seven-year-old girl, urging God to look after her parents in Heaven and help those she loves on Earth. On impulse, Claire writes back, hoping to preserve Analisa's innocent belief in answered prayers—even if Claire lost her own faith...
  
  Gradually, Analisa's letters draw Claire out of her cocoon and into the companionship of other Mulberry Park regulars—all, in their own way, in need of comfort. As friendships grow, each will discover just how far one simple letter can reach...
• 
  Gin

  A sweet, quick-paced story about loss, love, friendship, and faith. The ending seemed a bit too contrived but the overall story and character development had appeal.
• 
  Sara

  Such a sweet story of how the faith of one little girl touches the lives of those around her. I loved how the lives of many converged and affected each other, loving and healing.
• 
  Cristina N.

  Mulberry Park talks openly about loneliness, of all age levels, there are told real events that inspire and moves towards reflection.
  This will be the type of reading that will acquire a ease and maybe even the courage to have an inner dialogue with ... you will find out when you will read the book.
  Enjoy your reading! is worth it
• 
  Ariana♢

  It’s weird, because I absolutely adore the book (it’s one of my favorites now) but I could not give it 5 stars. I can’t exactly tell why.
  It’s a book that reads slow, not because of the writing but because the events happening there are so real that you need to take a break and just process.
  I’m not overly religious but this book felt different, gentler in a certain way. Definetly a must read if you are intrigued by how individuals keep their faith (no matter age).
• 
  Elisa Denk

  A quiet beginning that pulls one into the story. Well done!
• 
  S.T.

  One star or two? Very simply, this is such a contrived, simplistic, and trite story.
  Wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. (I finally read it only because I bought the book years ago and hated that I had spent money on it and then not read it.😬)
• 
  Dana Burda

  Romanul a aparut in limba romana sub titlul de " Legaturi miraculoase", publicat de editura Litera in colectia " Romane de dragoste". Cartea ofera o lectura atractiva, sentimentala, luminoasa si plina de optimism exact acele lucruri de care avem imperioasa nevoie la un moment dat. Personajele principale sunt adunate toate in parcul Mulberry in zilele extremd e calduroase ale unei luni iulie, fiecare fiind prezent din alt motiv sau motive extrem de personale. Cea care intr-un fel este responsabila de aducerea lor la un numitor comun este o fetita orfana de ambii parinti avand in jur de sapte ani, pe nume Analisa. Ea este in grija unchiului ei, Sam Dawson, avocat de profesie, frate cu tatal ei care murise intr-un accident de masina. Si bona ei este o domna in varsta, Hilda Richards, care fiind inselata de un escroc si-a pierdut casa si economiile si este obligata sa munceasca pentru a se intretine. Tot in parc vine si un domn in varsta, Walter Klinefelter , veteran din razboiul din Coreea, care mereu asteapta un partener la jocul de sah, Prezent este si Maria insarcinata care vine cu cei doi copiii ai ei, Dany si Sara si cu teama permanenta ca va fi obligata sa/si vanda casa singurul bun pe care il avea. Claire Harper avea obiceiul sa alerge in fiecare zi, dupa orele de lucru cate 8km ca sa poata uita de durerea perderii fiului ei Eric lovit de un sofer pe cand se plimba cu bicicleta. In parc sta cu orele pentru ca este deja vacanta si baiatul de noua ani, Trevor Meredith a carui tata este in inchisoare pentru ca a lovit cu masina un copil pe bicicleta si a plecat de la locul accidentului.Toate dramele acestea sunt puse de Anelisa sub un numitor comun, increderea ca Dumnezeu stie tot, vede tot si rezolva asa cum este mai bine pentru fiecare. Si iata se intampla cu adevarat si cu fiecare personaj in parte.Se cunosc in parcul Melburry dar invata de la un copil ce inseamna solidaritatea umana, ce inseamna sa-ti pese de cel de langa tine, ce inseamna sa lasi miracolul sa se intample.
• 
  Sheila

  I’ve just finished reading Mulberry Park by Judy Duarte. It may be the first Christian novel in quite a while to move me almost to tears. It’s set in the area round a small park, where people who hardly talk to each other are bound to turn out to be neighbors. Over time, the good, the bad and the indifferent prove to be friends as well. The story centers on a young girl who’s lost her parents and a middle-aged woman who’s lost her child. Somewhere along the way the woman also lost her faith, but the child has kept hers and starts writing letters to God, which she persuades a fellow park-player to hide in a tree. Then God answers.
  
  In a small neighborhood, coincidences are inevitable, and there’s never any feeling of the characters being manipulated in this book. Each event arises naturally out of its own situation, and the characters build on their own shaky foundations of mistakes and mistrust. But somehow there’s a feeling, as in any good story—and in the faith of a little girl who writes letters to God—that life’s not entirely random. Death’s not the end, and hope is never lost.
  
  I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child, though Judy Duarte describes it with great poignancy and sympathy. I cannot imagine losing a beloved spouse, a child losing a parent, family losing home and livelihood. But life can be built on losses as well as on gains; hope is built on forgiveness, and forgiveness on faith.
  
  Okay, so maybe it wasn’t God who wrote an answer to Analisa’s letter. But it’s God who writes his name on our hearts and his healing on our lives. And Mulberry Park is a beautiful image of how that healing might look.
  
• 
  Deb

  Claire discovers a letter written by a little girl to God while jogging in the park. Intrigued, she reads it and discovers that the little girl has questions about the death of her parents. Wanting to console the little girl, Claire writes back to her and sticks her letter in the branches of the tree where she found it. Thus begins a story of several people suffering the losses of life who form a community centered around the park where Claire found the letter--and the faith and prayers of a little girl. It all works out a little too neatly in my opinion, and several well timed accidents add drama to the story, but it is a nice sweet read for those that like romances and gentle feel good stories.
• 
  Mario

  Maybe this is just a "knee-gut reaction," but I did not enjoy this. I usually find myself in one of two states of mind when reading a book -- either I enjoy it so much that I want to stay up as long as possible to keep reading it, or I hate it so much that it takes weeks to finish (I refuse to quit a book on principle (I did quit Ulysses, but I fully intend to go back to that)). Now, I'll have to add a third category -- a book I hate so much that I stay up way too late just to get it over with.
  
  Ultimately, everything you need to know about what happens you can figure out for yourself during the first two chapters in the flood of character introductions. The rest is formulaic, obvious, and tedious.
• 
  Michele Minor

  This is a good book where the adult characters learn something from a simple little girl's faith. When Claire starts to answer a little girl's letter to God she starts to have faith in God again after her son's death three years ago. The man who had killed her son in a hit and run accident is up for parole and his own son is hoping that his father will come home soon along with his young girlfriend who is caring for the young man. Also an older man's faith is reestablished when he finds a new friend in Mulberry Park.
• 
  Barbarac

  There's so many books and stories about children sending letters to God that it gets a bit tiresome. It was a good story and I did appreciate the characters, even though some of their stories seemed unfinished. But it was all too "happy ending" mushy at the end. All these people and all of them end up having the perfect ending, I understand they are hinting "miracle" here, but it just didn't ring true. I don't know, maybe I've turn into a skeptic and I need my own personal miracle to turn around. It's an easy short read, so I still recommend it for a day at the pool/beach/coffee shop...
• 
  Elaine

  What an amazing story!
  
  A young girl who lost both her parents...
  
  A young boy who lost his mother to cancer and his father to jail...
  
  A woman who lost her young son to an accident and her husband to divorce...
  
  A man who lost his wife and his stepsons...
  
  A woman who lost her husband to jail and divorce...
  
  Their lives and the lives of others entwine to bring healing to hurting souls.
• 
  Mary Pessaran

  After the first few chapters, I could see where the book was going, but I wanted to go with it. And there were a few surprises that I really enjoyed. Katie was one of them (no spoilers here). The author did a good job of offering a Christian theme while demonstrating how many people struggle with faith. And I will admit to a few tears at the end. Ms. Duarte has an easy style of writing. A worthwhile read.
• 
  Charise Nulsen

  This is a sweet, Christian religion toned story that holds no surprises, but is a nice quick read that can give you hope... in the same way that an episode of 7th Heaven or Touched by an Angel can. It explores themes of forgiveness and faith, and it will make you want to go hang out in the park in your neighborhood and make friends with the people that hang out there.
• 
  Laura

  What happens when Annalisa, a 6 year-old orphan, writes a letter to Goad after the death of her parents? She leaves the note in a tree in the park and it lands in the hands of a mother grieving the loss of her 9 year old son. What happens when she answers it for God? it was such a beautiful book about loss and forgiveness and the blind and complete faith of a child.
• 
  Kendra

  I applauded Claire for going out and excepting a young boy whose father caused her so much grieve, helping a young girl to have faith and bringing an old man a friend for life. in the end I was very surprised and happy for this book and will look for more of them