About the Book: Treasure Blume is a pear-shaped first-grade teacher with a love of embroidered sweaters and an awkward tendency to blurt out whatever she’s thinking. And she has a family curse (or gift, depending on who you talk to); everyone who meets her (over puberty but under Alzeheimer’s) initially dislikes her. If you ask her grammy, Tabiona Blume—passer of the gift, keeper of the family lore, and star of the elite over-sixty dance team “Ruby’s Red Hot Chili Steppers”—she’ll say it’s a blessing. But Treasure isn’t buying her explanation. Especially since Grammy Blume hasn’t exactly embraced the gift in her own life.
Treasure leaves St. George, Utah bound for Las Vegas and her first job, where she referees show-and-tell, creates Sneetch shirts for the Dr. Seuss Party, and tangles with Bonnie B. Baumgartner, the school secretary. But when Grammy Blume gets kicked out of her retirement community and has to move in with her, Treasure gets tutored in the power and pain of her unlikely gift.
With her life full of kids and codgers, Treasure has given up on ever falling in love. And so has Dennis Cameron, a divorced chef who sinks from near culinary stardom to working with the lunch ladies in the school’s cafeteria to be near his daughter, Micaela, a student in Treasure’s class. At first Dennis can’t see anything redeemable in Treasure. He’s busy juggling the demands of his six-year-old daughter, his terminally-ill mother, and his selfish, plastic ex-wife. But somehow, the more he comes in contact with Treasure, the less he dislikes her, until finally he finds himself falling in love with her.
About the Author: Lisa Rumsey Harris grew up writing stories and riding horses in Southeastern Idaho. She received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English from Brigham Young University, where she now teaches writing classes. Lisa lives in Orem Utah, with her ancient Siamese cat, her husband Griffin (who cooks nearly as well as Dennis) and her two adorable daughters. When Lisa began writing this book, her oldest daughter was in first grade. Her youngest daughter finished first grade this year. Check out her world at www.treasureblume.com or on facebook under Lisa Rumsey Harris, author.
My thoughts: First, I have to thank my mother in law, for telling me about this book! Like me, she loves to read, but this one was especially exciting for her because she actually knows the author! For me, that’s like knowing hollywood celebrities.
I really enjoyed The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume. Before knowing what “the gift” is, we meet Treasure and her quirks. My first reaction was this was not the most likeable main character. With her embroidered sweaters and blunt comments. As I continued to read though, I felt an almost kinship to her.
This book is full of lessons we all need. To look beyond the outside and first impressions we get, and see what a person is made up of inside (not their guts, their feelings, and actions!). To love children and their innocence. Finally, we can take from this book to love. Love beyond a persons flaws, beyond their mistakes, and just love them. We are all, afterall, human.
You can pre-order The Unlikely Gift of Treasure Blume
on Amazon
