| Learning to Breathe |
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| Friday, 02 May 2008 | |
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Learning to Breathe
Enter Brenna’s high school sweetheart, Pierce McGovern, who broke her heart years ago. He’s come from California to tend his ailing father and, incidentally, to close the deal on building a multiplex in the neighboring town. This will siphon off first-run movies, Brenna knows, and doom her theatre. Brenna is emotionally crippled from her abandonments. She can’t let herself experience happiness because she fears it will come to an end, figuring a life unlived is better than another broken heart. She collects old letters, but only those that are unopened—and she never opens them. Could this be a way of trying to come to terms with her father, who served as Indianola’s postmaster? The arrival of Pierce brings all sorts of submerged questions to the surface. What exactly happened after he went off to college? Why did he never write or call when she was sick? Should she give in to her feelings for him and believe him when he says he didn’t abandon her, or marry the faithful-as-an-old-dog buddy who’s been lurking in the wings for years? The discovery of a cache of undelivered World War II letters while the old post office is being torn down—all addressed to Pierce’s ailing father—deepens the mystery. Who was the woman whose letters never reached the soldier she loved? Delving into this puzzle forces Pierce and Brenna to spend time together and confront their shared past and their future, as well as the future of the Royal Majestic. A nicely-put-together cast of supporting characters—including Aunt Dottie, who may or may not be succumbing to Alzheimer’s, and says precisely what she thinks—makes for an entertaining book. I had a slight quibble with Nathan, a cowboy type who more or less rides in to help save the fort. A more troublesome Nathan would have made for a stronger story, as would a greater sense of place. The reader will solve the mystery before the characters, but that’s not a bad thing. My only unanswered question was: Where did Brenna get the money to buy the Royal Majestic in the first place? This should have been explained. White is a great supporter of historic preservation, and she outlines here the issues involved in looking after an old building. The story explores the role of communication in relationships as well as the power of a controlling person to make others suffer in the name of love. She shows that family and forgiveness can be redemptive.
 Anne Lovett, a Georgia native, began her writing career with a humor column for her high school newspaper, hoping to write science fiction. She was educated at Emory and Georgia Tech, receiving a Ph.D. in natural products chemistry. She helped to found a manufacturing and technical supplies company now doing business nationwide and eventually made her way back to writing, though not science fiction. A member of Georgia Writers, Georgia Romance Writers, AWP and Rosemary Daniell’s Zona Rosa Alpha Babes, her short fiction has appeared in Aethlon: Journal of Sport Literature, The Distillery, The Jewish Women’s’ Literary Annual, and Red Wheelbarrow. Non-fiction, poetry, and essays have appeared locally, and several novels are in the pipeline. She is a regular contributor to the online journal The Grapevine Art & Soul Salon (www.barbaraknott.net). |
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