Book Review: The Blackberry Bush

The Blackberry Bush, by David Housholder is a fictional story of two main characters, Josh and Kati, growing up in different countries, yet their family’s heritage still links them together.  According to page 175, “The Blackberry Bush is basically a story about Josh and Kati, both born the day the Berlin Wall falls in 1989, and their coming of age and understanding.”

The family tree, titled The Generations, is an extremely helpful tool, while reading this book, since the stories skip between several characters, locations, and time frames.  The various characters share their stories in different time periods and locations, while the book’s font changes with the stories, too.  Throughout the novel, readers will be introduced to the following characters: Josh, Kati, Angelo, Walter, Nellie, Harald, Adri, Linda, Konrad, Janine, Michael, etc.  All their stories are intertwined and eventually lead back to Kati and Josh.

After reading this novel, there are several sections in the back of the book, under the heading…Taking It Deeper.  These sections include the following: About the Book, Questions for Discussion, Interview with the Author, Your Backstory, and About the Author.  The Questions for Discussion section is divided into two levels, which are “great to work through alone; best in a group, book club, or classroom setting,” as indicated on page 117.

The Blackberry Bush is an intriguing, well-written story, and it’s worth reading.  Christian themes are loosely woven into the story, but it’s not written as a typical Christian novel.  This fictional book is geared towards most age groups (from young adults to older generations).


Note: I received this book from B and B Media, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.