The Purple Girl (GFT book blast, excerpt and GIVEAWAY)

 
 
The Purple Girl
 
is a delightful children's story by Audrey Kane and illustrated by Tory and Norman Tabor


BLURB:

CAUTION! Violet lives within the pages of this book. And her purple spreads to everything she touches…

Violet lives behind garden walls. Is she magical? Is she the devil’s child—or simply cursed? When the lonely thirteen-year-old embarks on a dangerous journey to find the one boy that dared to befriend her, she travels at night...in the dark...to keep people from seeing her purple skin. But no one is more surprised than Violet when she unlocks her mysterious gift.


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EXCERPT


This is how the story was told to me.
   
When the midwife brought me into the world, she let out a scream. Hands trembling, she swaddled me in a white blanket, leaving only a small opening so I could breathe. She refused to let my mother see me until my father appeared and stood by her side. Purple mist seeped through the white blanket, staining the midwife’s fingers.
   
“God help us all. This baby is cursed!” the midwife cried, thrusting me into my father’s arms. She grabbed a rag and tried to scrub the stains off her hands.
   
As my father unwrapped me, the color drained from his face. My mother, weak from the delivery, reached toward him...or perhaps to me.
   
“What’s wrong?” After a moment, he held me up.
   
My mother wailed when she saw her purple baby.
   
My father turned away from her and laid me in the cradle, far from my mother, his fingers shaking as he bundled me in the plum-colored blanket. He remained silent, wiping his purple stained palms on his pants. The stains wouldn’t stay on him forever... only a few moments...but he didn’t know that then.
   
“Oh, Samuel,” my mother sobbed. “How did this happen?”
   
My father gazed into my eyes, and when he finally spoke, his voice broke.
   
“We’ll call her Violet.” He stroked a tuft of my lavender hair and sank to his knees.



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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 As a writer, and also a designer of tapestries with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Georgia, it is only natural for Audrey to weave visual stories. When she is not designing tapestries, she is busy conjuring up characters that find themselves in extraordinary situations. Between carpools and design work, she is plotting, scheming, writing, and revising. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, their three children, and her unruly dog, Rascals. Audrey's favorite time to write is in the early morning while her family sleeps. With Rascals sprawled out snoring beside her, it only takes one oversized cup of coffee to get her mind moving.

Audrey is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. She loves traveling, museums, and blackberry-apple pie. Actually, she loves all kinds of pie. And she especially loves her family. They have put up with Violet and Waxy for a long time. You can visit her at: www.audreykane.com.
  
Website
Facebook


GIVEAWAY:

Audrey will be awarding a $20 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter.  Please leave a valid e-mail address and a comment on your favorite color (and whether it has changed through your life).

Visit other tour stops for more entries.  Find them at this link. 

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My review:
(slightly revised)
 4 out of 5 stars


The Purple Girl is a sweet children’s book beautifully illustrated by Tory and Norman Taber that tells the tale of a child named Violet who definitely is unlike any others but is loved by her parents anyway.  The townspeople aren’t quite so comfortable with a child who can even turn things she touches to purple and reject her.  A little boy named Frankie challenges her to embrace her difference and eventually she finds that she has something to contribute even as she learns to accept who she is.
 
This whimsical children’s story is a celebration of the color purple and the importance of finding one’s comfort zone.  There are plenty of obstacles to overcome and Violet chooses her own pathway to become a person who is comfortable with herself.  There were a few threads that I would have liked to have had cleared up but overall this is a fun story that is enhanced by the lovely pictures.