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reviewsbyerin
When I gave a disappointed review of Elizabeth Camden's debut novel, I promised not to judge any further releases on the merit of that one alone. The author has gone on to publish three more novels, and I decided to give one a try. Would I alter my opinion with a further sample of her writing talent?
Our main character in this story, Libby Sawyer, has struggled with dyslexia and even as an adult cannot read. This has left her feeling inadequate as a person and withdrawn from society. She spends her time drawing up plans for her professor father's many inventions and playing with her young niece. She and her father are spending a summer at her brother's house when they receive word that a group of Romanian immigrants have moved into their house on Winslow Street, claiming rightful ownership by inheritance from the previous owner, who is long deceased. Libby and her father are outraged and begin seeking legal counsel on how to evict the meddling ragtag group from their home.
Michael Dobrescu has led this group of four adults and two children to America to claim the house his uncle left to him. Multiple tragedies forced them to flee their home country. He's convinced that once the proper authorities look into his documentation that they will be allowed to keep the house, especially since they are already occupying it.
Although Libby wants to see everything that her father has worked for restored to him, she also has compassion on these people who have nothing. She begins bringing care packages of food, and soon friendship blossoms. When Michael needs her help to procure something that will assist his family financially, his appreciation for her makes Libby feel whole and accepted like no one else has before. But how can they have a relationship with this house situation in between them? Who will the courts side with, and how will the other survive?
The premise of this novel is not bad. Unfortunately, though, the writing style made it hard to enjoy. You've heard of the writing adage "Show, don't tell"? Elizabeth Camden is very fond of telling, and in quite annoying ways. She beats you over the head with heavy descriptive phrases like "more powerful than a barrel of nitroglycerine." There's quite a bit of narrative hyperbole, such as when Libby believes she knows "the location of each loose cobblestone in the street." Every one, eh? The way Michael and Libby think about each other pushes the boundaries of that which is acceptable in Christian fiction, making me uncomfortable as a reader. The plot twists were often contrived, and the most obvious case of a writer not understanding and properly following through on a plot line occurred later in the story. The person currently living in the Winslow Street house discovers that there is an extra fireplace which has been boarded up and covered in shelves in the library, and he believes it necessary to completely remove that fireplace and chimney from the house. Just after removing it, he seeks to find additional ways to heat the house because they will be lacking now that they have one less fireplace. How would removing something you never used and were in fact completely unaware of in past winters change the way you heated a house in the present? This made no sense and was quite a glaring error.
I wanted to like this book and to be able to revise my opinion about the author. I am sad to report that although this story had its moments, it did not allow me to do either.
Our main character in this story, Libby Sawyer, has struggled with dyslexia and even as an adult cannot read. This has left her feeling inadequate as a person and withdrawn from society. She spends her time drawing up plans for her professor father's many inventions and playing with her young niece. She and her father are spending a summer at her brother's house when they receive word that a group of Romanian immigrants have moved into their house on Winslow Street, claiming rightful ownership by inheritance from the previous owner, who is long deceased. Libby and her father are outraged and begin seeking legal counsel on how to evict the meddling ragtag group from their home.
Michael Dobrescu has led this group of four adults and two children to America to claim the house his uncle left to him. Multiple tragedies forced them to flee their home country. He's convinced that once the proper authorities look into his documentation that they will be allowed to keep the house, especially since they are already occupying it.
Although Libby wants to see everything that her father has worked for restored to him, she also has compassion on these people who have nothing. She begins bringing care packages of food, and soon friendship blossoms. When Michael needs her help to procure something that will assist his family financially, his appreciation for her makes Libby feel whole and accepted like no one else has before. But how can they have a relationship with this house situation in between them? Who will the courts side with, and how will the other survive?
The premise of this novel is not bad. Unfortunately, though, the writing style made it hard to enjoy. You've heard of the writing adage "Show, don't tell"? Elizabeth Camden is very fond of telling, and in quite annoying ways. She beats you over the head with heavy descriptive phrases like "more powerful than a barrel of nitroglycerine." There's quite a bit of narrative hyperbole, such as when Libby believes she knows "the location of each loose cobblestone in the street." Every one, eh? The way Michael and Libby think about each other pushes the boundaries of that which is acceptable in Christian fiction, making me uncomfortable as a reader. The plot twists were often contrived, and the most obvious case of a writer not understanding and properly following through on a plot line occurred later in the story. The person currently living in the Winslow Street house discovers that there is an extra fireplace which has been boarded up and covered in shelves in the library, and he believes it necessary to completely remove that fireplace and chimney from the house. Just after removing it, he seeks to find additional ways to heat the house because they will be lacking now that they have one less fireplace. How would removing something you never used and were in fact completely unaware of in past winters change the way you heated a house in the present? This made no sense and was quite a glaring error.
I wanted to like this book and to be able to revise my opinion about the author. I am sad to report that although this story had its moments, it did not allow me to do either.
