Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Head in the Clouds and reality too


A romantic idealist leaves everything she's ever known including a nice teaching position and hops on a train hoping to surprise her beau in his hometown, but what looks like a picture perfect romance turns horribly embarrassing for Adelaide Proctor. Alone in a strange city she finds an ad for the position of governess over a ward of Mr. Westcott on a sheep ranch. She is chosen to watch over Isabella a five year old mute and is almost instantly infatuated with her employer, Gideon Westcott. As Adelaide slowly or rather quickly, in my opinion, opens up the world to, Isabella's villainous Uncle Reginald reappears to seek the fortune that his late brother and sister-in-law denied him. Reginald's mercenaries attack Gideon leaving him with an abdominal wound. About to die he marries Adelaide in a very unemotional and artificial way.

The romantic appeal is limited at best for her relationship with the rancher is rather forced and not of a natural feel. Her romantic notions seem to carry her away, but the author tries not to let her which feels forced. The only authentic relationship formed throughout the book is the relationship she has with the little girl.

While I don't have a issue Christian writers, she writes over the top God language. Christian historical fiction should have a particular amount of religious speak, but the problem with most Christian writers especially Karen Witemeyer is that they overload the story with spiritual jargon. Historically speaking religion is a part of the everyday American life, but it is not drawn out into an entire page or two of spiritual thoughts. When something is a part of everyday life it isn't drawn out and rehashed fifteen different ways. This will probably overwhelm the readers and take away from the actual story.

With artificial romance and forced spiritual journey of the characters, I say skip this and go read something with real human connection and emotions.

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