IndieReader recs 'Sara's Promise' and 'Chaste'

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Sara's Promise by Deanna Lynne Sletten

Sara's Promise begins with an introduction to Sara, a loving wife to William and mother to Sam and Sandy, and a homemaker/artist whose only regret is not having time to finish a number of paintings that she's started, because of the demands of her family. William works long hours, Sam is pursuing a future in golf along with his education, and Sandy is a rebellious teenager with the usual rebellious teenage issues. But when Sara suddenly dies of a burst appendix, her soul cannot stand the possibility of leaving her family alone, so she makes a bargain with the Powers That Be, and persuades another soul to go back in her place. When that soul, Annie Paxton, meets William, they hit it off immediately, and the children accept her as a warm and caring part of their lives — but do they love her as herself, or because she is a reflection of Sara? Can her relationship with William survive the inevitable comparisons to Sara, and can she build a life with him on her own terms?

The story is sweet and caring, and the characters entirely sympathetic. The setting is beautiful — Seaside, Ore., is one of the most scenic places on the planet, and the author does a good job of illustrating its charm. The growing love between Annie and William is warmly demonstrated, and her developing bond with the children, in particular with Sandy, is believable even without her tie to their mother. The author deftly makes it clear that Sandy's rebelliousness is driven by a deep-seated ache, and brings the reader into deep sympathy with her losses and struggles. Additionally, the author never makes the mistake of subsuming Annie's personality completely into Sara's, and it is always perfectly clear that she is her own woman, with her own mind, rather than a victim of possession.

The story does feel a bit artificially drawn out — the conflict between William and Annie could, it seems to me, be resolved by any two sensible humans in far less time than it takes them. His behavior is almost unbelievably unreasonable at points, and it makes him less sympathetic as a character, even to the occasional point where the reader wonders what Annie sees in him. Also, some of the aspects of Annie's connection with Sara feel a bit creepy rather than romantic (especially when Sandy is taken to the hospital, and Annie casually tells the doctors she's her mother).

However, despite a few flaws, this is a rather charming love story, which should appeal to incurable romantics in search of a pleasant diversion. (Reviewed by Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader)

Chaste by Angela Felsted

Quinn Walker and Katarina Jackson are both high school students in Northern Virginia, but they don't seem to have much in common. Quinn is a quiet, devout Mormon boy with solid convictions and a strong sense of self, but resents feeling judged by those who criticize his faith (including Katarina's father, a fundamentalist Christian minister who despises Mormons), and feels put upon by his family's expectation that he will do much of the child care for his sister's out-of-wedlock baby, Elijah (though he loves his nephew dearly). Katarina is tough as nails on the outside but hurting badly on the inside — her parents have been emotionally absent since the tragic death of her older brother, Roland, in a drunken-driving accident. In order to regain their attention, she has taken to acting out emotionally and sexually, involving herself in a dangerously abusive relationship with her brother's violent and possessive best friend, Mike. Can Kat and Quinn learn to work together despite their differences, and maybe even find their path clear to falling in love? Can Quinn maintain his promise to himself to remain chaste and not make his sister's mistake? Can Kat defend herself against Mike's determination to keep her for himself at all costs?

Felsted writes with a sympathetic and generous heart — Quinn and Kat are likable characters whose struggles are realistically portrayed. The religious aspect of the book is handled deftly — neither overly preachy nor intrusive, though the author's pro-Mormon position is quite evident. Quinn shows genuine devotion to his beliefs without being either a two-dimensional saint or an unquestioning sheep, and Kat is able to grow as a character without being shoehorned into conversion or losing her own faith. The characters' emotional conflicts are sincere and painful, their misunderstandings believable, and their resolutions neither casually nor easily bought.

The book could use a trifle of editing — there were occasional misspelled or misused words, but not many. There were likewise only occasional failures of characterization — their teacher, Ms. Williams, comes across as frankly crazy, and Katarina's father is a bit two-dimensional in his anti-Mormon crusade, though not unrealistically so. However, these are minor flaws.

This book is more likely to be appreciated by someone who already has deeply felt religious beliefs, and especially by those already either convinced Mormons or else sympathetic to that faith, but it is by no means inaccessible even to confirmed atheists. It is a tender and caring look at two teenagers trying to cope with difficult situations in a world where mistakes can have real and damaging consequences. (Reviewed by Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader)

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