One of the most interestingly different novels I've read in a long time is this new release by River Jordan. Taking place in a sleepy southern town in the Florida panhandle, it tells the story of people living with regret and how they deal with it and so much more.
Ever since her husband, Joe, died, Velma True's world has been limited to what she can see while clinging to one of the multicolored threads tied to the porch railing of her rural home outside Echo, Florida.
Then one day a stranger appears at her door. Without knowing why, the agoraphobic widow welcomes him into her kitchen for coffee while she tells him stories of how life used to be, before her purposes were "all dried up." Just before disappearing as suddenly as he came, the man presents Velma with a special gift, one that allows her to literally step back into the past through her own memories to a place where Joe still lives and the beginning is closer than the end.
While Velma is consumed with the man's gift, her son Rudy is also being presented with a challenge to his self-centered, complacent lifestyle. And a teenage girl winds her way to Echo, determined to unravel the mysteries her dead mother left behind. As secrets old and new come to light, Velma finds herself unmoored from the fears of the past and feeling her way toward freedom.
I really didn't know what to expect from this novel, but as soon as I started reading I found myself intrigued by Velma and the ocurrences that happen as a result of the gift she is given by a stranger. You can feel the lonliness she lives with since the death of her husband and immediately get the sense that there are things in her past that still need to be faced.
Along with Velma, we also meet her son, Rudy, who has quite a reputation in their small community. It's many people's opinion that Rudy hasn't lived up to the potential his life could have been and we watch as Rudy comes to that realization as well.
We also meet Annie, a young girl making her way to Echo, Florida, to find answers to questions she has about her life. Annie has a feeling she's being followed to Echo, and when she finally arrives, it becomes obvious that she is being followed by someone - or is it something?
I really liked this story. It didn't take long for me to develop a compassion for Velma for the loss of her husband and the fact that she was afraid of so many things. The book also has several supporting characters that are likeable and interesting as well. It becomes clear that the three protagonists are all on a road of discovery that ultimately lead to each other.
This is a very interesting book that has some mystical elements mixed in that make it a unique story of faith and the power of one's mind over regret. It was described to me by the author's publicist as Christian Fiction, but the godly elements are subtle and does not overpower the story at all.
River Jordan is a southern writer with a knack for lyrical prose that keeps the pages turning fluidly while the story unfiolds. You can visit her website to learn more about her and the other books she's written.
Author: River Jordan
Publisher: WaterBrook Press
Published: May 5, 2009
Pages: 352
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars (I really liked it!)
Ever since her husband, Joe, died, Velma True's world has been limited to what she can see while clinging to one of the multicolored threads tied to the porch railing of her rural home outside Echo, Florida.