Oranges are Not the Only Fruit - Jeanette Winterson

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This is Jeanette Winterson's first novel, which speaks in every way a memoir as well as a delightful fiction that would delight any reader.

She used the different books of the bible to arrange the structure of her book.  Starting from Genesis and finishes in Ruth, she weaves her story in a sequence that would bring you from her childhood days to her adolescent years that were closely intertwined with rigorous bible learning and growing up with a mother whose dominance overshadows her father who is mainly quiet in the whole course of the novel.

Gender roles in the novel were very much turned around with Jeanette's mother being the head of the house and Jeanette deemed too manly to be a girl.  She was given roles to lead Bible study and preach in church.  There are only two male characters that are mentioned throughout the book; Jeanette's father and Pastor Spratt.

The story revolves around Jeanette's mother who is a fervent evangelist and an advocate for the Society of the Lost in their church.  Jeanette was constantly drilled on the Bible so that she can recite word by word during Bible quizzes in church and come up as the top of the class.

Jeanette's mother never believed in sending Jeanette to school, in which she calls it 'the breeding ground'.  She believes that all is lost in terms of spiritual guidance from God when one goes to school.  However, Jeanette welcomed it with an open enthusiasm and glee.  Jeanette goes on to terrorize the kids in school about how they would all eventually burn in Hell if they don't accept the Lord which brings her into a lot of trouble even though she believes that what she was saying was the truth and her way of trying to fit in.

As she grow into her adolescent years, Jeanette started realizing her hidden sexual attraction for the fairer sex.   She grew to love a new convert named Melanie and all turned topsy turvy when the church found out about their 'evil' relations.  Jeanette went through exorcism which aimed to rid her of her 'demons', where she experienced and orange demon that bids her to make a choice - either stay the same or change.  The writer clearly showed Jeanette's strong will and strong belief in God that helped her make her decision.  Jeanette eventually left home as she no longer is able to tolerate her mother who keeps cursing her as 'evil' and she worked in a funeral parlour, sold ice cream in a van and eventually moved out of town.  She eventually went home to visit her parents after some time away but nothing much has changed except for some extra electrical appliances in the old house.

This book is quite an inspiration for anyone whose searching for the inner truth within themselves.  It's a typical coming of age novel that not only inspires but also entertains.