Review by prowlingivy -- The Spirit of Want
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prowlingivy
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Review by prowlingivy -- The Spirit of Want
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Spirit of Want" by William H. Coles.]
The Spirit of Want by William H. Cole is a page turning drama. The story built around Lucy Macmiel and her family is both heart-wrenching and beautiful.Lucy is an ambitious lawyer who has earned her spot in the legal profession. Gifted and beautiful , she easily stands out from her homely and reserved adopted sister,Elizabeth. The author brings out her insecurities during her drive home with Luke Osbourne, an eye surgeon. Luke is A.J Macmiel’s colleague and a very close associate. Despite her icy calmness, Lucy is ashamed of herself. She however, is unaware of this and blames others. Her first encounter with Luke at the party ends up with an accident which puts them in a strange association that later ends up in a marriage that satisfies neither. Luke, is a homely and caring man whereas Lucy is tempestuous and ambitious. Unlike normal marriages where couples are excited about having babies, Lucy is not thrilled. Her baby, Jennifer is without motherly support and comfort. Jennifer's the final straw in an already failing marriage. Lucy gets into an extramarital affair with a problematic televangelist who she's representing as a lawyer and ends up spending lesser and lesser time with her family. This decision not only destroys her career but also result in her family disowning her. This is the beginning of her adventure. We follow her to Africa as she pursues her illegitimate love and on her journey back. The book brings up the question of whether her decisions are right or wrong.
I particularly enjoyed the plot of the book. It was understandable and the characters are well thought out. The author does not give his personal opinions about his characters and instead leaves it to the reader to decide.This style makes the book very engaging. Lucy's character is brought out through her interactions with the other characters. In a way,it's as though the author wishes to explain why we make the choices that we make.
The novel also brings out other instances of moral dilemmas. Is the right thing always the right thing? Or even better, is the right thing subjective? Through Luke , Lucy and A.J Macmiel,we are able to see the result behind compromise, compulsion as well as the result of standing for what we know to be right. The author also creates a very noble character in Elizabeth Macmiel. She grows from the shadows into the true model of human decency. Her degree of selfless in complete contrast with her egotist adopted sister, Lucy sparks a flame of affection in one's heart. She cares for her sister, and even after looking after Jennifer during Lucy's escapade to Africa, she keeps reminding her of her mother.
There is nothing I disliked about the book. It kept me turning the pages all night long and once I was finished,I could not keep it out of my mind. The book is thoroughly researched and the character are beautifully formed. Each of them representing a particular part of our population. They easily make you question why you do what you do. It also provides a vital lesson in finding out who we are for eventually it is the main determiner of the type of decisions we make and ultimately the type of life we lead.
I would recommend this book to a more mature adult audience due to the cases of borderline profane terms used. I believe that it will also be a great read for people who enjoy romantic dramas. I am rating it a 4 out of 4 stars for the great work done by the author. This is because I also did not come across typos and grammatical errors. I give the author a heartfelt applause for this wonderful piece.
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The Spirit of Want
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
The Spirit of Want by William H. Cole is a page turning drama. The story built around Lucy Macmiel and her family is both heart-wrenching and beautiful.Lucy is an ambitious lawyer who has earned her spot in the legal profession. Gifted and beautiful , she easily stands out from her homely and reserved adopted sister,Elizabeth. The author brings out her insecurities during her drive home with Luke Osbourne, an eye surgeon. Luke is A.J Macmiel’s colleague and a very close associate. Despite her icy calmness, Lucy is ashamed of herself. She however, is unaware of this and blames others. Her first encounter with Luke at the party ends up with an accident which puts them in a strange association that later ends up in a marriage that satisfies neither. Luke, is a homely and caring man whereas Lucy is tempestuous and ambitious. Unlike normal marriages where couples are excited about having babies, Lucy is not thrilled. Her baby, Jennifer is without motherly support and comfort. Jennifer's the final straw in an already failing marriage. Lucy gets into an extramarital affair with a problematic televangelist who she's representing as a lawyer and ends up spending lesser and lesser time with her family. This decision not only destroys her career but also result in her family disowning her. This is the beginning of her adventure. We follow her to Africa as she pursues her illegitimate love and on her journey back. The book brings up the question of whether her decisions are right or wrong.
I particularly enjoyed the plot of the book. It was understandable and the characters are well thought out. The author does not give his personal opinions about his characters and instead leaves it to the reader to decide.This style makes the book very engaging. Lucy's character is brought out through her interactions with the other characters. In a way,it's as though the author wishes to explain why we make the choices that we make.
The novel also brings out other instances of moral dilemmas. Is the right thing always the right thing? Or even better, is the right thing subjective? Through Luke , Lucy and A.J Macmiel,we are able to see the result behind compromise, compulsion as well as the result of standing for what we know to be right. The author also creates a very noble character in Elizabeth Macmiel. She grows from the shadows into the true model of human decency. Her degree of selfless in complete contrast with her egotist adopted sister, Lucy sparks a flame of affection in one's heart. She cares for her sister, and even after looking after Jennifer during Lucy's escapade to Africa, she keeps reminding her of her mother.
There is nothing I disliked about the book. It kept me turning the pages all night long and once I was finished,I could not keep it out of my mind. The book is thoroughly researched and the character are beautifully formed. Each of them representing a particular part of our population. They easily make you question why you do what you do. It also provides a vital lesson in finding out who we are for eventually it is the main determiner of the type of decisions we make and ultimately the type of life we lead.
I would recommend this book to a more mature adult audience due to the cases of borderline profane terms used. I believe that it will also be a great read for people who enjoy romantic dramas. I am rating it a 4 out of 4 stars for the great work done by the author. This is because I also did not come across typos and grammatical errors. I give the author a heartfelt applause for this wonderful piece.
******
The Spirit of Want
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Latest Review: The Sins of a Master Race by Matthew Tysz
