Michelle Buckman is known for her finely crafted works of
Catholic fiction. This latest offering continues that tradition. Two of the
characters in “Turning in Circles” were inspired by other creative works. “Beard”
was inspired by Dolly Parton’s song “Joshua” while Ellerbe DePaul finds his
roots in Earl Hammer’s John-Boy Walton. As a result, I couldn’t help but
picture him as Richard Thomas from “The Waltons” television program while I was
reading.
That being said, this tragic story is primarily about two
sisters, Savannah and Charleston, who live in a small Southern town and are
only ten months apart in age. When Charleston begins to court the attention of
Dillon Smith, a known bully and troublemaker, it sets in motion a string of bad
choices that build one onto another, leading down a treacherous road.
This is a thought-provoking cautionary tale of the way sin
and self-inflicted pain can subtly enter our lives and then become a trap we
can’t escape.
Savannah, the narrator, is mainly a bystander, watching her
sister’s spiral, feeling powerless to do anything about it. Yet, she too feels
complicit, wondering if she could have made different choices and created a
different ending.
2 comments:
Patrice,
Thank you for the wonderful review. I loved watching The Waltons while growing up. The family issues were always inspiring. So, I was thrilled when I met Earl Hamner, Jr., creator of the series, in an online writing group. We became email pals and he autographed several copies of his books for me over the years. Getting his endorsement for Turning in Circles was a great delight!
Your kind review is equally appreciated.
Wow! That's awesome!
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