3 out of 4 stars
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Do you remember it? The twitterpated feeling of your first love? You thought, most of us thought, that was it. You were head over heels. This would be the person you would be with forever. For some of us, it turned out to be the case. You lived the dream and stayed the course; marriage, house, kids, the whole bit. For others, something happened that broke the bond. You realized it was just an infatuation, not true love. Or that person broke your heart and walked away. Maybe the cards just didn't line up. Fate seemed to work against you, taking you and your dearly beloved on completely different paths. This last scenario appears to be the case for Ben and Carol in the book The Most Perfect Girl, by Reen Christie.
The prologue of this story introduces us to Ben and Carol, two wizened people in their late eighties who are enjoying a beautiful day snuggling on a blanket, watching the clouds above them in the year 2009. They both are thankful for the years of happiness they have been blessed to have spent with one another. Then comes the flashback, their love story.
The author takes us back to Ben and Carol's first day of sixth grade in 1933, describes how they met, and how instantly Ben thought Carol to be the most perfect girl. The story progresses through their school years and into the tender time right after high school when things between them finally start to become romantic. Then, the attack on Pearl Harbor brings America into World War II. Some time later, Ben, serving overseas, goes down behind enemy lines and is believed to be dead. Carol, heartbroken, eventually marries David, a doctor at the hospital where Carol works. After several months go by, Ben is able to contact his family to let them know he is in fact alive, and he discovers that Carol has moved on. After the war, he also marries someone else; a young lady named Julia, who saved him after his plane crashed. So, how do Ben and Carol go from being married to other people to cloud watching in their eighties, reflecting on their years of happiness together? Is Carol still Ben's most perfect girl? The answers may surprise you.
I would be amiss if I did not mention two interesting facts in regard to the author and her novel. First of all, Reen Christie is Reen Christie Bula who played Marcia Woolery on the old television show The Waltons. Viewers of The Waltons may recognize similarities in the styles of storytelling exhibited in both the show and the book. Also, Reen Christie’s novel was inspired by a real-life love story. She puts it this way at the end of the prologue. “The tale of love in this story is true. . .”
This novel is so much more than a love story. Being set across decades, there are elements of historical fiction as well. We get glimpses of the Great Depression, World War II, and the post-war years. Due to the fact it covers such a lengthy span of time, I was concerned the plot was going to get bogged down. There were moments early on where this was the case, but the longer I read, the more I wanted to keep reading. The author made a good decision to include the prologue, where it is revealed that Ben and Carol were together in their later years. This was an effective hook for me. I wanted to keep reading to find out how they ended up together. Then, I reached a point where I was so invested in the narrative itself, I read just to enjoy the story.
The wholesomeness infused into this book is one of its strengths. It touches on valuable themes such as true love, faithfulness, and faith. I also love that the main characters face real problems with grace and moral character. Despite parts of the plot covering heavy topics like war, loss of loved ones, PTSD, and cancer, there is no foul language or gruesome descriptions.
While the idyllic style of the storytelling is one of this novel's strengths, it is simultaneously one of its weaknesses. Ben, Carol, and Julia all face hardships, like all people do at some point in their lives. This was realistic. Their responses, however, were sometimes less realistic. These three characters in particular seemed to be innately good, almost too good to be true. For example, when Ben discovers his most perfect girl has married someone else, he accepts it pretty quickly as fate or providence. This man has loved this girl since the sixth grade. While, as a reader, I can believe someone can arrive at this place of acceptance, it seems more likely that Ben would first go through stages of hurt and even anger. Emotions such as these were downplayed, or left out entirely. They had fears, like Carol fearing she would never see Ben again. There were moments that they grieved, like Carol grieving over the loss of Ben. However, when it came to moments when they might naturally feel angry or otherwise morally tempted, these emotions felt glossed over. Given that this story is an inspirational one, I wouldn't recommend that the actions of the characters change. Their honorable actions are a strength. However, I think revealing more examples of their internal struggle to arrive at their good behavior would make the characters more realistic and relatable.
Unfortunately, this book did not appear to be professionally edited. Dialogue was often punctuated incorrectly. It was especially a problem in the beginning of the story. Even if one overlooked the issues with punctuation there were some other critical editing mistakes. There is a scene where young Julia and Ben are talking and Julia is telling Ben about this foreboding feeling she has been having. She says that she fears they will never see each other again… except it is written as, “I have a strange feeling right now, like I see you again.” It's missing, “never”. This mistake messed with the flow of the story. Also, in the title of chapter 11, lightning is spelled l-i-g-h-t-e-n-i-n-g. It is also repeatedly misspelled in the chapter itself, though there are some instances where it is spelled correctly. This is just a sampling of some of the errors.
I award this book 3 out of 4 stars. The overall story made for a pleasant read. The wholesomeness and sweetness found within its pages are uplifting and enjoyable. The lack of professional editing was enough to deduct a star. While I believe work could still be done to make the characters’ actions more believable, this work deserves more than two stars. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy love stories and wholesome stories in the style of The Waltons or Little House on the Prairie. Those who like historical fiction would also appreciate this period piece. I relished my time with The Most Perfect Girl, and I believe many others out there will as well.
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The Most Perfect Girl
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