Belonging to Heaven

(Whitney Finalist, historical)

The first chapter of Gale Sears' Belonging to Heaven sucked me in immediately--I loved the detailed historical perspective on 19th century Hawaiian culture. After that, however, the book began to slow for me a little. The story follows roughly Jonathan Napela's conversion to the Mormon church and George Q. Cannon's early missionary efforts on the island. Both stories are interesting and deserve telling--but sometimes I felt that Sears told *too* much. I didn't need detailed conversations about every event in the story. As interesting as the historical element was, the book felt long and at times I was tempted to skim. The last portion of the book is one of the most interesting, as it describes Jonathan's retreat to a leper colony to be with his wife (his refusal to leave her is especially touching).

Sky Jumpers

(Whitney Finalist, middle grade)

Peggy Eddleman's Sky Jumpers is a terrific middle grade novel--it's easy to see why it's been getting all the buzz it has. It's got a great action sequence combined with heart, and should appeal to most young (and not-so-young) readers.

After the green bombs of World War III wipe out most of humanity (but don't destroy the planet because they're "green"), the survivors struggle to rebuild their communities. Some fifty years or so after the war, 12 year-old Hope lives in a unique community in White Rock, a rich farming community inside a bomb crater, protected from marauding bandits by a ring of deadly, super compressed air known as "Bomb's Breath." Because so much of the pre-war technology was lost, Hope's community values inventors and inventions above anything else. And Hope--who is smart, funny, and courageous--is a lousy inventor. What she likes to do, more than anything else, is jump through the "Bomb's Breath," where the denser air catches her and slows her fall.

But when bandits find a way into White Rock and demand the last of their critical medical supply, Hope realizes it's time for her to use her strengths. Since the bandits only count adults and youth 14 and up, Hope and her friends are able to sneak away. But it takes all of her considerable smarts and resourcefulness to find the help her town desperately needs.

Eddleman's writing is pretty straight-forward and unadorned, but that works perfectly for this novel, as it doesn't get in the way of the action. But what I liked best was that, in addition to the great concept, Hope has a rich character development, as she finds a way past her concerns about fitting in and making her parents proud. The central message--to find your strengths and use them--is one that all children need to hear.

Esther the Queen

Heather B. Moore, Esther the Queen (Whitney, Historical)

Esther has always been one of my favorite Biblical heroines, and I enjoyed reading Moore’s meticulous recreation of her story. Thought the overarching plotline remains true the Bible account (if the timeline is abridged), Moore does a nice job of fleshing out other details. I wasn’t entirely convinced by the backstory to Haman, but I thought the accounts of the harem and Persian court culture were fascinating, and Moore did a great job making the romance between Esther and the king believable and compelling. My major complaint is that the story wrapped up too quickly. After building for some time to the confrontation between Esther and Haman, things seemed to resolve fast.

Ruby's Secret

Whitney Finalist, General

I've read several other books in the Newport ladies book club, and the concept is always entertaining: the series alternates between the point of view of the different women in the book club. Each book overlaps the others in terms of time, and it's been fun to get peeks at what goes on behind the scenes of each woman's life. The book club scenes are similar in each book, though of course you get a new perspective based on what the point of view character notices.

This one features Ruby, the older woman who organized the book club in the first place. At 62, Ruby is a widow, but she's put that behind her and she's determined to enjoy life. In addition to arranging the book club, she also joins a senior center and is talked into taking a trip with the group to Greece.

There she meets the charming tour guide, Gabriel, whose sister Maria is a friend of Ruby's back in California. Initially, Ruby's enjoyment of the tour is dampened by her previous experience in Greece: her husband spent most of their shared vacation at meetings, and it was after that trip that she first found out that he was unfaithful to her. Ruby is still deeply conflicted by what she sees as a failed marriage (though she stayed with him to his death) and this creates trouble as Gabriel begins to show interest and seek her out. Ruby isn't sure she wants another romantic relationship--and she isn't sure she deserves one.

I liked that the perspective of this romance was that of an older woman--I don't think we see that often. And I liked how caring and concerned Ruby was for the women around her. I did get frustrated at times with Ruby, because I felt she was punishing herself too much, but that did seem in keeping for her character.

The Orchard

Whitney Finalist, Romance

I enjoyed  Jensen's previous Whitney-nominated romance, Of Grace and Chocolate, and had high hopes for this book, which was based on Jane Austen's Persuasion. (And as anyone who knows me will attest, I'm a sucker for Austen adaptations).

This book was sweet, rather than deeply stirring. In some ways, Jensen's previous book had more depth. Here, of course, she's somewhat limited by the Austen book she chose. And of all Austen's books, Persuasion is her most mature, and her most subtle. A difficult one to adapt. (Probably also my most favorite).

After the death of her mother, Alisen Embry finds solace in keeping the orchard her mother loved alive. Just after graduating from high school, Alisen meets Derick Whitney (Jensen's nod to "Frederick Wentworth"), a striking young man who's the nephew of the farmer who's been teaching Alisen to care for her orchard. They quickly grow close, and Derick introduces Alisen to his LDS faith. Alisen's father and aunt are concerned both by Alisen's rapid commitment to the relationship and the new church, and they urge her to break things off. Alisen goes along with them, largely because a crisis in her father's health leads her to believe she's needed at home.

Fast forward four years. At twenty-three, Alisen is older and more reserved. Her father's financial situation has changed, and she encourages him to rent their lovely lake-house and take a more modest condo in town. Alisen continues to work on the orchard, but when the lake-house rental is picked up by Derick's older sister and her family, Alisen finds herself both dreading and fearing the imminent advent of Derick. Can he forgive her for not holding constant?

The storyline, of course, is familiar to anyone who knows Persuasion. I was most interested in seeing how Jensen updated certain story lines (like the famous fall at Lyme Regis), and I thought for the most part her adaptations made sense. I loved the Montana setting (brought back fond memories of my childhood). The characters were interesting and nice, but I don't feel particularly drawn to any of them. Overall, a sweet, clean read but not a profound one.