I’d put off purchasing this novel as long as I could, but eventually my love for “the penny,” overcame me.
I was curious as anything to read this book from the first time I saw it at a Target bookstore shelf. (This is not normally my place for purchasing books, but that’s where sometimes you find hidden “treasures” ). The reason I didn’t want to buy it was simple: I don’t read many fictional books.
Eventually, though, I decided that of the five fictions I allow myself to read each year, THIS, should be one. I squeezed the book in with an amazon.com order. I’m so happy that I did.
As I’ve recounted earlier in this blog, I’ve always loved pennies. They have special significance for me, and when I’d lost my huge keepsake penny after many years, I was beside myself for a few days. I did not settle down, until I finally heard Spirit’s message to me about “the penny” and found peace.
That’s the same level of peace you’ll find as you get to the last page of Meyer’s and Bedford’s “The Penny.”
The novel starts off with Jenny, a 14-year-old girl living in St. Louis, who has a troubled family history. When Jenny finds “the penny” at the beginning of the novel, this sets off a chain of events in her life and in the lives of many others. The unfolding of events continue until the very last pages of the book.
Meyer and Bedford deliver a tale about sex abuse, life’s disappointments and pains, in a compassionate and healing way.
Jenny and her older sister, Jean, live in the shadows of their classmates and friends because of fear and lack of self worth. Slowly, the story about their lives is told. You read of the horror and fear these teenage girls struggle through on a daily basis.
Jenny’s and Jean’s story grips you in a way that you, too, begin to feel helpless and frustrated at the circumstances and conditions that would allow such horror to continue, even as these teenagers struggle to come of age. You will find yourself reading very slowly, i.e. a few pages at most a day, so as to capture each detail and message, but mostly not be wrenched emotionally by what you’re reading... you’re still haunted each time you pick the book up and...long after... you put it down on any evening.
You begin to question, like Jenny, where is God in all this? WHEN...WHERE...is he going to show up?
Slowly, slowly, Meyer and Bedford lead you to Jenny’s developing faith in God in the midst of the crises, even as she encounters greater challenges that must be overcome. Eventually, you begin to long for the mysterious Miss Shaw, Jenny’s Guardian Angel, to appear and keep appearing more and showing up more in this teenager’s life.
With unconditional love and total grace, Miss Shaw is able to melt Jenny’s hard reserve and resolve not to share her pain. As that thick wall starts crumbling, we also witness the transformation and uncovering of the mystery and secrets that Miss Shaw herself carried tightly wrapped up within herself.
For Jenny, the more pennies she found along the way, the more determined she became in spirit!
The more she reached within herself to rebuild the years “the locust had eaten away,” the more her beautiful spirit begins to shine.
With Jenny’s increasing courage, we witness her increasing compassion and love for others around her in her daily walk in life.
There comes a time in this delightful novel, where Jenny begins to fully believe in the “magic” of the penny and begins herself to give them away. As she does, touching more people as her strength of spirit and faith increase, we too are able to see the “penny magic” returned to her in a touching way.
This little thing, “The Penny,” touching so many lives with its magic!
May you find the same magic, delight and joy in this novel, as I did in all its wonderful 243 pages!
Namaste’,
Che’
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