Enter
INTERVIEWS & REVIEWS
  • Home
    • About >
      • Mission Statement
      • FAQ'S
      • Review Us!
    • Contact
  • Interviews
    • Interview Requests
  • Reviews
    • Book Submissions
  • Team Members Only
    • Contemporary Fiction
    • Historical Fiction
    • Mystery/Suspense
    • Young Adult
  • Book of the Month
    • January Nominations
    • February Nominations
    • March Nominations
    • April Nominations
  • Our Reviewers
    • Marta Aldrighetti
    • Anna Bottoms >
      • Carolyn Bryant
    • Trinity Caver
    • Laura J. Davis >
      • Jeanette Durkin
    • Elizabeth Eckmeyer
    • Kristina Hall >
      • Joy Hannabass
      • Adriann Harris
      • Demetria Head
      • Raechel Helwig
      • Charity Henico
      • Mindy Houng
      • Monica Huyser
    • Heather L. Jones
    • Linda Klager
    • Beverly Laude >
      • Diana Lea
      • Tammy Lunsford
    • Rebecca Maney
    • Rick Norris
    • Trixi Oberembt
    • Lori Parrish >
      • Deanne Patterson
    • Kimberlee Sams >
      • Connie Porter Saunders
      • Paula Shreckhise
      • Katie Slocum
      • Amy Smelser
      • Katelyn Sponaugle
      • Emily Stephens
    • Laura Thomas >
      • Winnie Thomas
    • Billi Varela >
      • Diana Varela
      • Elisha Varela
      • Juanita Varela
    • Ewurabena Wilson >
      • Conny Withay
      • Cheryl Wood
  • 2024 Book of the Year Winner
    • 2024 Book of the Year Finalists
  • 2023 Book of the Year
    • 2023 Book of the Year Finalists
  • 2022 Book of the Year
    • 2022 Book of the Year Finalists
  • 2021 Book of the Year
    • 2020 Book of the Year >
      • 2020 Book of the Year Finalists
    • 2021 Book of the Year Finalists
  • 2019 Book of the Year
  • 2018 Book of the Year
    • 2018 Finalists
  • For Writers
  • Home
    • About >
      • Mission Statement
      • FAQ'S
      • Review Us!
    • Contact
  • Interviews
    • Interview Requests
  • Reviews
    • Book Submissions
  • Team Members Only
    • Contemporary Fiction
    • Historical Fiction
    • Mystery/Suspense
    • Young Adult
  • Book of the Month
    • January Nominations
    • February Nominations
    • March Nominations
    • April Nominations
  • Our Reviewers
    • Marta Aldrighetti
    • Anna Bottoms >
      • Carolyn Bryant
    • Trinity Caver
    • Laura J. Davis >
      • Jeanette Durkin
    • Elizabeth Eckmeyer
    • Kristina Hall >
      • Joy Hannabass
      • Adriann Harris
      • Demetria Head
      • Raechel Helwig
      • Charity Henico
      • Mindy Houng
      • Monica Huyser
    • Heather L. Jones
    • Linda Klager
    • Beverly Laude >
      • Diana Lea
      • Tammy Lunsford
    • Rebecca Maney
    • Rick Norris
    • Trixi Oberembt
    • Lori Parrish >
      • Deanne Patterson
    • Kimberlee Sams >
      • Connie Porter Saunders
      • Paula Shreckhise
      • Katie Slocum
      • Amy Smelser
      • Katelyn Sponaugle
      • Emily Stephens
    • Laura Thomas >
      • Winnie Thomas
    • Billi Varela >
      • Diana Varela
      • Elisha Varela
      • Juanita Varela
    • Ewurabena Wilson >
      • Conny Withay
      • Cheryl Wood
  • 2024 Book of the Year Winner
    • 2024 Book of the Year Finalists
  • 2023 Book of the Year
    • 2023 Book of the Year Finalists
  • 2022 Book of the Year
    • 2022 Book of the Year Finalists
  • 2021 Book of the Year
    • 2020 Book of the Year >
      • 2020 Book of the Year Finalists
    • 2021 Book of the Year Finalists
  • 2019 Book of the Year
  • 2018 Book of the Year
    • 2018 Finalists
  • For Writers

Book Reviews​

11/21/2016

1 Comment

Joe Peas

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Author: Sam Newsome
Genre: Inspirational Fiction

Who is Joe Peas? Is he a simple Italian immigrant house painter, or is he a complicated man with much to hide, even from himself? When the aging painter develops health problems, his life intersects with that of family physician James King. Dr. King is drawn to the curious Italian, whose life is a stark contrast to his own orderly life. The free-spirited painter and doctor forge a unique friendship—a friendship that only grows when Joe breaks a hip, and becomes a patient in a long-term care facility where he does rehabilitation under Dr. King’s care. As Joe interacts with other residents at the facility, he learns of their struggles, their triumphs, and witnesses their close relationships with their families. The spirited little Italian enriches the lives of the other patients—and encounters with the residents change Joe in ways he never expected. Through these interactions, Joe realizes just how much he missed in his own life. While Joe struggles to come to term with his past, Dr. King faces his own struggles living in a community that values conformity over individual expression. Eager to help his friend, Joe hatches a plan. But that plan—as colorful and vibrant as Joe himself—sets in motion a chain of events that sheds light on the secrets of the enigmatic painter. Things are not always what they seem on the surface. Could there be more—much more—to Joe Peas than meets the eye? And will the truth about the mysterious painter finally be unveiled?

Picture
Reviewer: Mary Hosmar
​
​Joe Peas is a complex man. The Italian itinerant house painter is much more than he seems. Mr. Newsome has taken what seems to be a simple story with a simple hero and turned it into a convincing and interesting character study of both Joe Peas and human nature.
 
Although I found the introduction of new characters in almost every chapter in the first part of the book somewhat mystifying and confusing, I kept reading. 
Eventually, it all came together into a good story which made the reading effort very worthwhile. The characters are well developed, interesting and believable although some of the situations they found themselves in were hard to imagine.

The author, being a medical doctor himself, brings in a lot of medical (and at times, legal) information, some of which, although informative, was too long and 
detracted from the story.

I was disappointed towards the ending. It seemed as if the author was in a rush to tie up loose ends, some of which might have been better left for the reader to 
wonder about. The rush to finish the story left this reader with a dissatisfied feeling. The last part of the last chapter, however, brings the story back to the 
beginning and is a fitting way to end.

1 Comment
Sam Newsome link
11/22/2016 08:52:52 pm

Thank you for reading and reviewing my story, Joe Peas. I am honored for a Christian site to review Joe Peas since a primary theme of the story is faith and family.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Action/Adventure
    Amish Fiction
    Anthology
    Bible Study
    Biblical Fiction
    Children
    Christian Living
    Christmas
    Church History
    Contemporary Fiction
    Contemporary Holiday Romance
    Contemporary Romance
    Cookbook
    Devotionals
    Dual Time
    Dual-Time
    Dual-time Romance
    Fantasy
    Fiction
    Gothic Historical Romance
    Historical Fiction
    Historical Holiday Romance
    Historical Mystery
    Historical Romance
    Historical WWII Fiction
    Inspirational Fiction
    Marketing
    Marriage
    Memoir
    Missions
    Mystery/Suspense
    Poetry
    Prophecy
    Regency Romance
    Romantic Suspense
    Science Fiction
    Self Help
    Self-Help
    Social Issues
    Spiritual Growth
    Spiritual Warfare
    Theology
    Thriller/Suspense
    Time Travel Romance
    Women's Issues
    Young Adult

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016

Services

Interviews
Reviews
Our Reviewers
For Writers
Book Submissions

Support

Contact


© COPYRIGHT 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Disclaimer
FTC DISCLAIMER: All the books reviewed on this site are given to us for the express purpose of review. They are provided by publishers, publicists, authors and agents. None of our reviewers were required to write positive reviews and none of them were paid monetarily. All opinions are those of each individual reviewer. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”