⇒ Download Pepperland Mark Delaney Books

Pepperland Mark Delaney Books

Download As PDF : Pepperland Mark Delaney Books

Pepperland Mark Delaney Books

"...in my life, I've loved them all..." John Lennon, 1965 from "In My Life"

This sadly, movingly beautiful 1965 John Lennon classic is the song that underscores this book. Set in 1980, the year John Lennon died, the story is one of death, loss, coping and art. It seems sadly a propos that the story takes place in 1980.

The protagonist, Star (not Ringo Starr) is a Lennonphile who identifies strongly with Beatle lyrics, most especially those penned by John Lennon. The 16-year-old copes with the death of her mother and with a psychiatrist as well as bullies and a father with a love for motorcycles.

Star, per her therapist's request writes a song for her mother. In so doing, she finds a letter her mother wrote to John Lennon in 1965 (the year before she, Star was born); a guitar and an obvious love for the Beatles among her personal effects. Star has the guitar repaired and identifies with John's 1968 Beatle classic, "Julia" and solo work, "Mother," both of which are about John's mother Julia. Star takes John's maternal history to heart; she uses this as a springboard to writing the lyrics to her song. As George Harrison said in his 1976 solo work, "This Song," there is "nothing tricky about it...without you, there is no point to this song."

Star and her love for Lennon Help! her down the Long & Winding Road towards coping and acceptance. This is an exceptional work.


Tags : Amazon.com: Pepperland (9781561453177): Mark Delaney: Books,Mark Delaney,Pepperland,Peachtree Publishing Company,156145317X,Family - Parents,Social Themes - Death & Dying,Social Themes - Emotions & Feelings,Grief;Fiction.,Guitar;Fiction.,Mothers and daughters;Fiction.,Children's Teenage fiction & true stories,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Fiction,Grief,Guitar,JUVENILE FICTION Social Themes Death & Dying,Mothers and daughters,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Family Parents,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Death & Dying,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Emotions & Feelings,Beatles,Lennon, John,

Pepperland Mark Delaney Books Reviews

Pamela Jean Cochran, or Star as she would rather be called, lives for her music. After her beloved mother dies, music seems to be the only thing that gets her through the day -- specifically Beatles music. Star's mother loved the Beatles and now their music is all Star has left to remember her by.

When she hears that John Lennon is coming to town, she gives herself a mission. Her mission is to get backstage, meet John Lennon, and give him her mother's fan letter.

Thinking about this mission gets her through the long days of school and therapy. That, and spending time with her best friend, Dooley. Dooley is an amazing artist and Star ends up helping him through some pretty rough times.

This book was really, really good, and I made a personal connection with it. PEPPERLAND may cause you to reach for a few tissues and by the end of it you'll walk away with a "wow, life isn't so bad after all" attitude.

Reviewed by Michaela Pallante aka "Mickey"
The main reason I'm writing a review of this book is that the author seems to want some feedback. I enjoyed the book but felt it could have been better. When Star finds the letter her mother wrote to John Lennon I was sure the reader was going to be treated to what the letter said and I kept on waiting to read the letter. In the end, maybe it's right for us not to read it. (As it is also right for Star to get caught backstage.) One reason I liked the book is that it's great to read a young adult novel partly about Lennon. Brought back memories! The reason this is almost the book I could have written is that I always wanted to write about how The Beatles--John's music in particular--actually saved my life after my father died. So, I can relate to how Star feels about John and music in relation to her mother's death. The novel deals with guitar playing (and repairing) a lot too. This book is must reading for young adults who play the guitar, are Lennon fans, or are getting therapy to deal with a death in the family. It kept my interest throughout but, since it ends immediately before John is murdered I had to wonder how Star would react to his murder. (It devastated me!) Maybe we could have a sequel to see how Star is coming along and how she feels about John's death. If you're a Beatles fan, be sure to read it!
Pamela Jean Cochran (a.k.a. Star) is sixteen when her mother dies from breast cancer. Struggling to find a way to cope, she turns to her music hoping that if she can write a song to honor her mother then she can finally let go of her anger and pain. While going through her mother's belongings, Star discovers a fan letter to John Lennon and a vintage Gibson guitar--now in need of repair. These two items are the catalyst to Star's healing process. Set in the fall of 1980, Delaney's novel is a wonderful exploration of grief, anger, loss, and confusion. Star and Dooley, her best friend, are remarkably well-developed characters. And Delaney's use of language is impressive. One striking passage occurs when Dooley shows Star his new drawing

"Before me is a portrait of a young woman. She is strikingly beautiful, her face nearly white and her cheekbones shaded in an ice pale blue. Her eyes are large and pretty, but dark and a little wounded-looking. She's not really smiling. Behind her is a background of burgundy and violet. Within this background, and over the girl's face, are crossing lines, like the squares on a sheet of graph paper. It's as if little parts of her have been painted on hundreds of tiles, and the tiles have assembled themselves to make this image. Except in the upper left-hand corner, the pattern breaks down. The tiles are scattered, the lines no longer forming perfect angles. The pieces seem to be falling, cascading into place. The girl is in the process of becoming a complete picture...And then I understand. I see it. The girl with the wounded eyes, the girl who doesn't quite smile, the girl made of a thousand pieces that are falling, at last, into their proper places...She's me" (105-106).
"...in my life, I've loved them all..." John Lennon, 1965 from "In My Life"

This sadly, movingly beautiful 1965 John Lennon classic is the song that underscores this book. Set in 1980, the year John Lennon died, the story is one of death, loss, coping and art. It seems sadly a propos that the story takes place in 1980.

The protagonist, Star (not Ringo Starr) is a Lennonphile who identifies strongly with Beatle lyrics, most especially those penned by John Lennon. The 16-year-old copes with the death of her mother and with a psychiatrist as well as bullies and a father with a love for motorcycles.

Star, per her therapist's request writes a song for her mother. In so doing, she finds a letter her mother wrote to John Lennon in 1965 (the year before she, Star was born); a guitar and an obvious love for the Beatles among her personal effects. Star has the guitar repaired and identifies with John's 1968 Beatle classic, "Julia" and solo work, "Mother," both of which are about John's mother Julia. Star takes John's maternal history to heart; she uses this as a springboard to writing the lyrics to her song. As George Harrison said in his 1976 solo work, "This Song," there is "nothing tricky about it...without you, there is no point to this song."

Star and her love for Lennon Help! her down the Long & Winding Road towards coping and acceptance. This is an exceptional work.