Tag: Generational Saga

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Where the Rivers Merge Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

A Memorable Lead Character

Cover of Where The Rivers Merge depicts Carolina marshland with lazy river at forefront and lone tree a short distance from the river bank.Mary Alice Monroe’s matriarchal novel Where the Rivers Merge is satisfying until the abrupt end. Apparently, there is a sequel in the works. Since the first is just recently released, I will impatiently await the end of the story. I can already picture this tale of Eliza Pinckney Rivers Chalmers DeLancey as a television miniseries with the lush lowlands of South Carolina as a backdrop for a life spanning the twentieth century.

History through the Eyes of Eliza

Most of the novel reflects the life of 88 year old Eliza as she tells a granddaughter and a great-niece the history of the murals on the wall. Each chapter begins with facts about the nature of the South Carolina lowlands. This detailed description of the surrounding nature is deftly woven into the story. The author is not so subtly sounding a wake-up call to protect our environment. All through the eyes of a fictional character. Monroe is a maestro.

Where the Rivers Merge Themes

As Eliza shares her history with a younger generation, the reader becomes a part of the learning. The 20th Century arrived on horseback and by 1988, the current time period of Where the Rivers Merge, rocket ships and women CEOs were present, if not the norm. A lifetime of change.

Monroe’s writing touches on technological, political, racial, and gender equality progress. Yet, she is not preachy. The story unravels naturally, allowing the reader to experience history. Eliza is the vehicle to convey past, present and perhaps the future.

Reminiscence

Flashbacks in Where the Rivers Merge occur through the stories Eliza tells Savannah and Norah. Both women are eager to hear her story, as was this reader. The author masterfully employs this technique to bring the past to life while simultaneously creating resonating characters.

At the end of the novel, Eliza is only partway through her life story. Hence the abrupt ending. Mainstream literature has yet to develop devoted followers of lengthy novels such as those readers of fantasy or sci-fi. If Where the Rivers Merge belonged in either of those genres we would have but one book. However, Monroe is mainstream and so Book Two: The Rivers’ End cannot be published soon enough for this reader.

Meant to Be Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

Small Town America

Fictional Mason, Kansas, the setting for Meant to Be, is representative of hundreds of small towns across the Great Plains. And thousands of similar communities all across flyover country. Even though Jude Deveraux paints a less gritty picture than those of author Kent Haruf, the depiction of small town life hits a bull’s eye.

Outsiders to rural America are not immediately accepted. Adapting to places without stoplights and shopping malls can be difficult. Unravelling who is related to whom and how, is even more challenging. Over time individuals either become part of the community. Or move away.

The roadblocks in life are just as taxing for those born and bred in small towns. The yearning to explore the outside world can run strong. The struggle between desire and duty to family is very real. Deveraux captures this conflict in her latest novel.

Meant to Be

Growing up I often heard the phrase “It wasn’t meant to be.” My paternal grandmother used it most often. The words were an effort to console a youngster when she couldn’t have everything she wanted. Deveraux’s use of the phrase takes a slight twist. Sometimes things are meant to be-regardless of what life presents. In this book, true love among the key characters is inevitable. Life delays, but doesn’t erase.

The storyline revolves around the Exton sisters. Close in age, but far apart in dreams. Vera yearns to explore the world while Kelly desires to make the small town of Mason her world. Throw in multiple love interests and you have an intriguing tale of passion and true love.

Generational Themes

Meant to Be begins in the early 1970s and continues to the present day. The sisters age and remain close in heart if not proximity. There are twists and turns as each generation faces consequences stemming from the actions of the initial characters. The author’s writing tugs at the heart strings. Life is messy and world events impact small towns on a grand scale.

I thoroughly enjoyed Meant to Be. Deveraux captures the conflict of the Vietnam War, the complexity of Equal Rights and many other challenges of the past fifty years. Both technological and sociological. She paints a picture of change without preachiness. Or superiority. Instead, her writing reflects the culture. All while weaving a story of love, lost and found.

Book Cover of novel Meant to Be