Interrupted: Life Beyond Words
by Rachel Coker
Harcover, 320 pages
Published February 14th 2012 by Zondervan
Premise:
Can love really heal all things? If Sam Carroll hadn't shown up, she might have been able to get to her mother in time. Instead, Allie Everly finds herself at a funeral, mourning the loss of her beloved mother. She is dealt another blow when, a few hours later, she is sent from Tennessee to Maine to become the daughter of Miss Beatrice Lovell, a prim woman with a faith Allie cannot accept.
Poetry and letters written to her mother become the only things keeping Allie's heart from hardening completely. But then Sam arrives for the summer, and with him comes many confusing emotions, both toward him and the people around her. As World War II looms, Allie will be forced to decide whether hanging on to the past is worth losing her chance to be loved.My Review:
Um... Wow!!
I think age disappears in writing, I really do. But I've never read a book where I felt so completely like I was 14 again. The incredible thing about Rachel Coker is not that she has such a good grasp on youth... she is a youth!! But that her writing is so seamlessly smooth!! She has skill and perspective that make this book very unique.
On my copy there's a quote from Publisher's Weekly: "Coker is one to watch" and I have to agree 100%.
Interrupted has a somber tone. The main character, Alcyone, faces some difficult circumstances and grows hard & bitter. Her friend, Sam, is a neat character. Both of them are complicated, multi-layered. I was pretty much in awe of all the supporting cast. They are alive and vibrant.
The setting is beautiful and completely 1930 - 1940's. I could picture the lake, the ocean, the beach, the local hang-out. There was old-time chivalry, parties with dancing, cute polka dot dresses. In fact, "cute" describes the main feel of reading, rather like a (somber) flitting butterfly dancing along Ally's inner conflict.
It feels weird to close the book and find myself in the present day. The pace of life and the values of the community were very refreshing. Ally's search for God and meaning was realistic, too. I would have liked more romance, maybe. And maybe a little less time-jumping, 'cause that pulled me out of the moment, away from my connection with Ally, and left me catching up. But that just brings me around full circle to the beginning - I was just transported over seventy years back in time, where I felt completely at home. So... Wow!
My Rating: 3.5 - Worth the Time, Cute and better-than-cute.
About the Author:Rachel Coker resides in Virginia with her parents and two sisters. She has a passion for great books, and has been surrounded by them all her life. Her gift for writing became apparent at the age of eleven, at which time her parents signed her up for a year of lessons with a professional writing coach.
Rachel also has a deep love for classical music and old black-and-white movies. When she is not writing or playing the piano, Rachel enjoys spending time with her family and friends and serving her Lord and Savior.
Check out this GREAT author interview at wordslikesilver!!!!!
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