I should say up front that I don't generally read LDS fiction. My friend, Andi, got me to read Dean Hughes' Children of the Promise and Hearts of the Children series a few years ago, which I did enjoy and would recommend. Other than that, I don't think I've read any other LDS fiction after purposely boycotting The Work and the Glory because I got sick of people bearing their testimonies about them.However, Julie over at BestBooks got me interested in this one, enough to buy it with my B&N birthday money. It was a short novel, made up of various essays about different members of the Palmer family through different generations. I liked how the novel dealt with real issues like bipolar disorder, divorce, and children who stray from their faith. I also enjoyed Hallstrom's sparse prose that often cut quickly to the heart of the matter and left room open for reflection.
The last chapter wasn't my favorite. It seemed like the author was trying to tie the messiness up as best she could. I wish she wouldn't have because that wasn't really the point of the rest of the novel. Life is messy and how we work through it together as families is the true test of our eternal relationships.
4 comments:
Did I really try to get you to read Children of the Promise? If so, I'm glad you liked them. They are the only LDS fiction that I've enjoyed.
I'm still continuing the protest on Work and the Glory!
But, maybe I'll have to give this one a try. (That's a big maybe).
I like that "Life is messy." It's true. So true.
Oh, I remember those days of people bearing their testimonies about The Work and the Glory. Ugh!
Too amazing - my niece is a former missionary comp of cjane's. At least, that's my understanding of the relationship, so I was surprised to see her name in your comments.
I've read so much LDS fiction because my mil buys tons of it and passes it on to me. Some of it isn't that bad but a lot of it seems very similar. A few years ago I finally just stopped and started exploring. I'm so glad I did.
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