Book Review

I'm not sure what to say about this book.

First, let me say that Haywood Smith needs an editor...bad. (I would be willing to do this for her next book between loads of laundry. Haywood! Call me girl!) By the first fifteen pages, I was ready to return this one before finishing. Here's a few reasons I hated it.

1. Within 2 pages, the author used the word 'tangential' twice. Look, I appreciate a good vocabulary as much as the next gal but if you had a conversation with someone who used a word like 'tangential' twice, you would likely think that person was a pretentious butthole. You would probably be right.

2. The main character attends what she calls a'Ladies Sewing Circle'. Each time she describes or mention this group, she calls it her 'whine and cheese' group. That joke was barely funny the first time.

3. There are other instances where the character names just get mixed up. Like "Patricia waited while Bob and Patricia ate dinner." Somebody should have noticed that...besides me.

Despite my misgivings, I kept reading. And the story was actually good. It's about a couple, Howe and Elizabeth Whittington. Howe is the president of the family bank, he's a distant husband, he's basically a jerk, he and his wife haven't shared a bedroom in 20 years, his mother rules the family with an iron fist, etc. Basically you've heard all these character cliches before. But then the story gets interesting. Howe has a stroke. He is in a coma for six months. He finally awakens as a new man. He remembers his wife and family and he also remembers what a horrible person he was. He sets out to right his wrongs. It's pretty awesome. He's affectionate to the son he previously ignored. He disciplines the daughter he had let run wild. He stands up to his mean mama. And he tries hard to regain the affection of his wife.

One of the most interesting things that happens to Howe is that he 'meets Jesus'. I don't get the impression that the author is trying to make any big Christian statements. It's used mainly as an excuse for the other characters to roll their eyes or exhale heavily whenever Howe starts talking religion. As a faithful church attender for his whole life, no one can understand why Howe now prays, argues about theology with his Episcopalian brethren and (horror of horrors) makes statements like "God told me...". I know how hard this can be. Anyone who actually meets Jesus starts getting that reaction pretty quickly. Some of you are rolling your eyes right now. I know. I was you.

There's more to this book than I have highlighted here. Some of it is good. Some ain't. Overall, it was fun to read and surprisingly thought provoking.