Anxious Hearts [Hardcover]

Gold Star Award Winner!

There's always going to be those stories that capture your heart. Whether it's something that is heartbreaking and sticks with you, or something that is so pure and enticing that your heart envelops it; one way or another your heart becomes involved with the words and the characters inside. ANXIOUS HEARTS by Tucker Shaw is not only one of those stories, it's the latter of the two. It's the one that runs through your mind over and over again; it's the one that's so pure that you become one with the story.

In 1847, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published a poem, "Evangeline," that has now become one of his most notable works, and also one of the most commonly taught poems in English classes. This beautiful poem inspired Tucker Shaw to write ANXIOUS HEARTS, and for that I must thank Mr. Longfellow (Yes, I am going to thank a man who's been dead for somewhere around, oh, 125+ years).

ANXIOUS HEARTS begins the story of Eva and Gabe, two teenagers who lost touch in each other's lives, only to pick back up years later as they explore the forests surrounding their seaside town. They follow the same paths, and are exploring the same tranquil forests, as Evangeline and Gabriel, two young lovers who did the same over one hundred years before them. On the day of Evangeline and Gabriel's wedding, their village was attacked by enemies and they were separated from one another. In the present, Gabe suddenly disappears from Eva and it seems as if their love will mirror that of the two lovers torn apart on their wedding day.

The first couple of chapters threw me for a loop. I'm used to alternate points of view, but I don't think I've ever read anything that is not only alternate voices, but also alternate time periods. Eva and Gabe's story is told by Eva, while Gabriel and Evangeline's tale is told by Gabriel, some hundred years earlier. It only took a few chapters in for me to not only get used to the change, but to also welcome the bits of each tale I got.

The imagery in ANXIOUS HEARTS is something I've not seen in a long time, not since AP English in high school. It's got the air of one of those old stories your teacher forces you to read, then you're thankful in the end. It's pure, beautiful, and vivid in the words that flow across the page. The beauty in Longfellow's tale weaves into Shaw's and the characters, both new and old, come alive on the page and leap into your mind.

I found it really hard to find the words to describe ANXIOUS HEARTS. There were moments that made me laugh and smile, then there were the ones that made my jaw drop and stay hanging open in fear and pain for the characters that had woven themselves into my heart in fewer than 300 pages. Eva, Gabe, Evangeline, and Gabriel all found their own place in my heart, and I found myself understanding them in different ways and wanting the best for them.

If you've never read "Evangeline" then I advise you not to read it until after you've read ANXIOUS HEARTS. It's been years since I've read it, but once I started reading the story of these lovers those years faded away and the story was there again. The story behind Shaw's words is just as important as the words themselves. This book is beautiful and lyrical; it flows with a fluid grace that enamors and captures the soul, all in the same page.

ANXIOUS HEARTS speaks to the hopeless romantic in all of us. It contains the purest love I've read in a long time. I didn't want the story to end, even though I knew it had to. If there's one romance that should be on everyone's shelf, it should be the timeless beauty that is this novel. Even those who aren't big fans of romance will have no other choice but to fall in love with these characters and the stories they have to tell.

Reviewed by: Samantha Clanton, aka "Harlequin Twilight"

Anxious Hearts by Tucker Shaw, is a modern retelling of Henry Wadsworth's epic love poem "Evangeline": the tale of Evangeline and her beloved Gabriel - with a twist. The novel alternates between the modern day, voiced by Eva, and the past, voiced by Gabriel.

Eva lives in modern day Maine, where she lives with her dad and cares for her neighbor Ada. Out of the blue, her estranged best friend from childhood, Gabe, comes back into her life - only to disappear again.

Gabriel lives in Maine, centuries before Eva. His story is one about his love for childhood friend Evangeline. The two are wed, only to be separated by an attack on their village. Gabriel is determined to reunite with her, no matter what it takes.

I thought both Eva and Gabriel's stories were interesting to read. Gabriel's side is a more thorough telling of the actual poem, "Evangeline", while Eva's side explores her modern life. I enjoyed reading Eva's interactions with Ada, and the way Evangeline loved Gabriel.

I only wish that there had been more character and plot development. Too much, in my opinion, was left to the imagination. While I imagine I understand Gabe's motivation in running away, it didn't make complete sense. Eva's complete acceptance of Gabe after ignoring each other since they were children was also hard to understand. Additionally, I didn't feel like I understood Gabriel very well, either. Gabriel rarely interacted with Evangeline, choosing to watch her from a distance, making me wonder if he truly loved her, or was just obsessed with her.

Overall, Anxious Hearts was a fun read, though it lacked in depth and soul.

Book reviewed for Luxury Reading

Anxious Hearts was another just okay book for me. It was hard to really connect with any of the characters in the story. The book alternates viewpoints AND alternates time periods which I think makes it difficult to really care. Eva tells the story of her and Gabe in the current time and Gabriel tells the story of him and Evangeline in the past.

One thing I do have to say is that the author painted a very vivid picture. I could easily picture the setting and the feelings that the characters had. But that being said, I think some of those feelings were a little off. Gabe's response to what happened seemed a little too out there for me, and Eva's love of Gabe seemed to come out of nowhere too--it wasn't built really.

Overall, an okay story. Something that I feel I would have had to read back when I was in school where I didn't love it, but didn't hate it either.