Amanda Janvier’s idyllic home seems the perfect place for her niece Tally to stay while her vagabond brother is in Europe, but the white picket fence life Amanda wants to provide is a mere illusion. Amanda’s husband Neil refuses to admit their teenage son Chase, is haunted by the horrific fire he survived when he was four, and their marriage is crumbling while each looks the other way.
Tally and Chase bond as they interview two Holocaust survivors for a sociology project, and become startlingly aware that the whole family is grappling with hidden secrets, with the echoes of the past, and with the realization that ignoring tragic situations won’t make them go away.
Readers of emotional dramas that are willing to explore the lies that families tell each other for protection and comfort will love White Picket Fences. The novel is ideal for those who appreciate exploring questions like: what type of honesty do children need from their parents, or how can one move beyond a past that isn’t acknowledged or understood? Is there hope and forgiveness for the tragedies of our past and a way to abundant grace?
About SUSAN MEISSNER:
Susan Meissner cannot remember a time when she wasn’t driven to put her thoughts down on paper. Her novel The Shape of Mercy was a Publishers Weekly pick for best religious fiction of 2008 and a Christian Book Award finalist. Susan and her husband live in Southern California, where he is a pastor and a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves. They are the parents of four grown children.
Back Cover Review:
I grew up in a family that lived below poverty level – according to the government. I mean, we never went without food or clothes. God kept His promise and always provided for us. My Dad was a honest, hard-working handyman. My Mom stayed at home to raise the four of us and later on, to home school us. My parents made a lot of sacrifices for us, I understand that now. We had what really mattered though - lots of love.
And now, I’m married and have my own children and we live behind the proverbial picket fence. Well, not literally because we live in the woods. Do you know what I’ve learned though? Something that I heard, but you only really know it when you’ve dreamed of having a little more and then you do: it’s true, stuff can’t make you happy – doesn’t make you happy. It is God’s love, each other’s honesty and putting one another first – stuff like that are the only things that fill a home with genuine joy.
The Janviers look like they have the perfect life when Tilly first arrives. Amanda is the classic mom with brownies in the oven and willing to whip together a mug of warm cocoa when it’s wanted. Neil is a successful and generous husband, the classic family provider. Chase and Delcey are good kids – smart, obedient - typical. Behind the picket fence of their classic suburban home lurks a past that they all want to escape from. Chase’s Mom, Amanda, has hidden from the past for so long, from the truth, but hiding from the truth is eating her up. Chase has memories of the past that tease him – and threaten him. His Dad, Neil is blocking out everything, even his own family, as he pretends that nothing bad could exist behind their perfect stucco walls. Then Tilly appears.
Tilly…without roots, unburnt by memories, carefree - except for the fact that her unpredictable dad has left her to fend for herself – and he never meant for her to end up with his sister Amanda…
Susan Meissner’s strong characters are strongly developed and she creates the stage for forceful drama in suburbia. The final set of chapters especially left me stopping for breath. The end is powerful, complex and one that will change this family forever. Susan’s story sneaks up on you with the forcefulness of wasabi. It looks like guacamole, has a gentle texture, but in a flash – a spice that brings tears to your eyes – good stuff!
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
No comments:
Post a Comment