This is my first foray into the world of the `Novella' and although I didn't start to read with any preconceived ideas, I did wonder how a `beginning, middle and end' to the story, was going to be realised in such a few short pages. Felicia however, was well up to the challenge and managed all three elements with great aplomb and without managing to lose her way.
Starting off with three emotionally damaged characters and in just a few chapters turning them into a well balanced, stable family unit, was a feat in itself, without all the extraneous events which occurred to threaten the very tenuous fabric of their growing affections.
Some of these events appeared to have been added rather randomly and therefore slightly stilted the free-flowing nature of the central story, however they did build beautifully on the whole atmosphere of tension, which lurked beneath the surface, ready to rip assunder any relationship which was forming between Caleb and Ariel.
The introduction of Kelly, Caleb's ex-wife and Joshua's mother was the pivotal point in this new and fragile relationship and although, given the circumstances under which Caleb and Kelly had parted, I could see what Felicia was hoping to achieve by bringing her back into the equation; by either offering them a chance to regroup as a family and try to move on, or to finally bring and end and closure to the marriage, I wasn't sure that allowing Kelly to run roughshod over everyone and just move back into the family home was quite plausible, although in such a short story perhaps it was the only way to bring about a swift conclusion to the episode.
Tender moments which Ariel shared with Caleb's son, Joshua, strengthened and re-inforced the concept of the secure and loving family unit, which Ariel herself had longed for yet never known, whilst also highlighting the inbuilt resilience of the young to be able to adapt to and accept a new situation, if they are given time to assess for themselves its true value and worth.
I was with Joshua all the way, as he battles in his own mind, whether he should accept the return of a birth mother he has never known, only that she went away and left him; or whether he should move on and allow Ariel to be included in the life he has built around himself and his father and to adjust to having a third person in that tight-knit and strongly bonded relationship, which offered both father and son the security blanket they had so needed in those early days of being alone.
Central to the whole storyline is the character of Mabel, who has been looking out for Caleb and Joshua all the way down the line and, although she may at first appear to be the slightly nosey neighbour, is actually quite perceptive in her assessment of the pair's domestic and emotional needs. She realises that living a solitary existence is not the way to protect yourself against life and the ability to be hurt again, especially for Joshua who is ever-increasingly dependent on Caleb emotionally and is becoming unreceptive to outside intervention in his life. She is able to tread where other family members fear to go, as she recognizes that Caleb will be too polite to refuse her `meddlesome' ways outright, giving her the opportunity to intervene in her own unique style.
The most obvious thought I am left with, after reading `The Perfect Rose', is that inherently, we all of us like to think that we fit in and belong, and we all like to feel valued and loved. Would that we could all have a `Mabel' in our lives!
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I am not sure that `Novella' is the way to go for me, as I prefer a slightly longer novel, where the characters can be given clear definition and allowed to grow more into their roles, as part of a more complex plot, however, as a study in the genre, `The Perfect Rose' worked well and provided a relaxing and enjoyable break from more lengthy and studious novels.
I am certainly looking forward to reading Felicia's new full length novel `There Will Your Heart Be Also', which is due to be published in the Autumn of 2011.
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This book was a review copy, sent to me by the author, Felicia Rogers and as such, was free of charge.
This in no way influenced any comments I may have expressed about the book, in any blog article I have posted. Any thoughts or comments are my own personal opinion and I am in no way being monetarily compensated for this, or any other article.
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