“Jane Griffioen’s London Street is one of the finest portraits of family life I have ever read. On London Street, in the heart of a Dutch-American enclave, the too-frequent reminders that we are not like God are examined by a very curious girl named Janie, who grows up trying to solve all the big puzzles of family life—love and betrayal, coping with loss, and faith. We share both Janie’s joys and sorrows in this startlingly intimate examination of a family that we all recognize, at least in part. This fabulous book should not be missed and is a must-read for book clubs!“
– D. E. JOHNSON,
author of The Detroit Electric Scheme
‘Why is it sometimes so hard to learn the truth from those we love the most? Young Janie discovers why. As did I, reading London Street. Her story, her education, will stay with me a long time.‘
– VIC FOERSTER,
arborist / author of Naked in the Stream
BOOK DETAILS
Griffioen, Jane E.
London Street: A Memoir
ISBN: 978-1-7252-6755-8
Retail: $26.00
Publish Date: 5/25/2020
Available at your favorite Indie Bookstore including:
- Books & Mortar, Grand Rapids, MI
- The Bookman, Grand Haven, MI
- Readers World, Holland, MI
- Schuler Books, Grand Rapids, MI
- McLean & Eakin, Petosky, MI
- Praire Lights, Iowa City, IA
Within a Dutch enclave already removed from the larger world, Janie’s family is further isolated and odd. Janie struggles within the tight-knit community to understand the secrets and events involving her family. She knows the line her father draws between the holy and the sinful. His boundaries and rigid belief system nearly destroy the very family they were meant to protect. Persistent rumors and shunning by church members add to Janie’s heartache and confusion. Her endurance to preserve a loving relationship with her family is an intimate story of triumph over community bigotry and religious zeal gone too far.