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How do you cope with your mother's death when you can't believe she's really dead?
How do you grieve?
How do you adapt to a new family?
Where is God in all this heartbreak?
Ten-year-old Mira is about to find out.
Kirkus Book Review
A young girl grieving her mother's death discovers the healing power of family, friends, and God in Templeton's middle-grade novel.
Mira is 10 years old when she loses her mom to cancer. At first, she remains in staunch denial that her mother would ever leave her, even believing that the entire funeral is fake. She doesn't really start to accept her loss until she mets up wth her mother's best friend, Sylvia. Mira navigates various bumps throughout the grieving process--including her friends pulling away, a new life in her father and stepmother's house, and panic attacks at school. She also wrestles with immense guilt over a fight she had with her mother before she died. Mira evetually begins to find solace in her church's grief support group and starts to keep her tears in a jar as proof of her love and grief: "I move the jar to catch the tears from the other eye. I think of Mom's face. Before long, I've made a ring of tears at the bottom of my jar. It's a little sillly, but maybe there's something to it. I screw the lid onto my jar. I can't believe it's come to this." Sylvia encourages Mira to continue making art that, along with her faith in God, helps her eventually move forward while honouring the memory of her mother. Based on the author's own experiences, the novel skillfully and sensitively tackles the wildly swinging emotions that can come with deep grief. While parts of Mira's narrative voice come across as oddly old-fashioned for a girl her age ("I hear her blaspheme, which Mom taught me is swearing using Jesus' name"), the dialogue is largely natural and age-appropriate.
Steeped in Christianity, Templeton's story is likely to provide deep comfort to those who observe the faith and would prove an excellent resource for Christian youth groups.
This Christian-centered story deftly limns the conflicting emotions of kids who have experienced loss.
ChristianBookFinds.com Review
A well-written children's novel with solid Christian themes.
Jar of Tears is a Christian story about a young girl dealing with grief after losing her mother. Mira is ten when her mother dies and she's forced to move in with her dad, step-mom and step-siblings. Not only did she lose her mother but she lost her home, her school, and her friends at the same time.
The author's real-life experiences with grief is evident in the details and I was moved to tears several times over the little things that Mira missed about her mom. The story spans the year after her mother dies and the ways Mira handles her grief during that time.
The Christian theme is sold but not pushy. I felt the way the ma character blamed God for her mother's death was realistic and her change of heart believable. The story is quite sad, as you would imagine, and for that reason I think it would be perfect for a read aloud book with an older child, up to a young teen. The chapters are short and allow many places to stop and discuss the attitudes about grief and also the religious aspects of the story. If ou'd like to open up a Christian conversation with your child this is a great place to start.
I think the biggest theme of the book was how God can care for us even during the bad times in our lives. Even when we don't hear His voice diectly, He's watching out for us and sends comfort in ways we might not expect from Him.
Tattie Maggard
