Official Review: Woman Refusing To Leave by Richard Duggin

Connie Otwani · Post by **Connie Otwani** » 11 Aug 2020, 17:54

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Woman Refusing To Leave" by Richard Duggin.]

4 out of 4 stars

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I must admit a part of me conjured up either grandiosely overdone verbiage or flowery meaningless rambling prose when I read that this book’s author taught fiction writing at the University of Nebraska for 55 years. I am delighted I went with the part of me that vouched for the possibility of an exceptionally crafted and well-edited story. Woman Refusing To Leave, a novel of the Other Fiction genre, by Richard Duggin, didn’t disappoint.

Though the story plays out in a mere 36 hours, it is sufficiently long. In this psychological drama, Catherine Harper unconventionally fights a divorce she doesn’t want. You see, losing her son in an accident five years ago ungrounded her, making her realize how disillusioned she was in her marriage. She, therefore, divorced her then-husband, Donald Sparta. Fast forward, Catherine’s second husband, Steven Harper, is now disillusioned in their marriage and has decided to divorce her.

Since trouble comes in threes, Catherine is also dismissed from her job, and her attempts to get answers from her former boss don’t go too well. This notwithstanding, the story is far from a Karma-is-a-bitch gloating. It is to a large extend, the story of a few ordinary people trying to make the most of the cards they have been dealt. Does Catherine salvage her marriage? How do her actions impact her two other children?

Deviating from the traditional protagonist-antagonist structure, Duggin uniquely weaves a plot with overlapping relationships between Catherine, Donald, and Steven. None of these three central characters is necessarily evil. Each is hurting, lost, and seeking for better. In short, they are all functional but flawed. Steven is a dreamer – that talented but a little strange university professor. On the other hand, Donald is a no-clue-why-I am-to-blame workaholic. These, and some supporting characters are very relatable.

The main character Catherine is the most eccentric of all. She is a little wild with her own brand of loony! Her childlike innocence and bewilderment had me oscillating between ‘ah, you poor thing,’ and ‘I can't believe you just did that, Catherine! Come on, girl, get a hold of yourself!’

In prose, Duggin strikes a perfect balance between going over the top and fumbling. I mean, without overwhelming the reader, his work leaves no doubt that he is an authority in fiction writing. For example, he references literary works, yet the narration doesn’t become too technical.

Uncommon words like garrulous or superciliousness also pepper his third-person conversational tone. However, their meaning can easily be derived from the context. This is a big plus for readers averse to reaching for a dictionary amid action. Furthermore, Duggin’s descriptions and imagery are also rich and vivid. Sample this:

"With each spectacular explosion of light, the gray underbellies of the clouds glowed as if they were loosely woven
duffels stuffed with light itself. But instead of pouring down rain, it snowed. It fell in flakes the size of pillow
feathers"

The plot execution is terrific. A book spanning 36 hours will no doubt call for lots of background information and flashbacks. Duggin expertly navigates through these without tiring or losing the reader. This he achieves by first dividing the book into three sections: Thursday Evening, Friday Afternoon and Friday Night/Saturday Morning. As a result, even when flashbacks were engrossing, I was always able to maintain a firm grip on where I was in the storyline.

Second, Duggin makes these background details so compelling that the plot doesn’t drag. Finally, he successfully creates a gripping tale, using plot twists that viciously blindside the reader. The drama is just as unpredictable as the characters. Even the book’s ending leaves the reader with more than one viable option for a happily-ever-after. The editing is professional – the few occasional typos didn’t interfere with the flow of the story.

The one thing I didn’t appreciate about the book was that sometimes descriptions were too long. This got especially annoying, when there was some juicy aspect of the ensuing drama, that needed to be uncovered. Imagine my frustration when just putting out a fire almost took the proportion of a side story! All the same, I bet detail-oriented people thrive on such exhaustive descriptions. I also bet that some non-detail oriented people can simply opt to skim over said lengthy descriptions.

For the compelling plot, exceptional execution, unique characterization, impressive word building, and effective editing, I rate Woman Refusing To Leave, 4 out of 4 Stars. The novel is hardly your regular action-packed page-turner. Neither is it a chilling psychological drama. I, therefore, recommend it to lovers of character-driven stories, who don’t mind flawed main characters. Though some blood is shed, the details are not gory. The book’s psychological discourse may, however, make it unsuitable for children.

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Woman Refusing To Leave
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Juliet+1 · Post by **Juliet+1** » 13 Aug 2020, 20:11

This looks like my kind of book. I love character-driven stories, and having the action take place over such a short span of time is really intriguing. Thanks for such a detailed and helpful review.

Phelicia Gloria · Post by **Phelicia Gloria** » 14 Aug 2020, 07:21

Very detailed review, though I'll skip this book as am not a great fun if fantasy novels

sharon titus · Post by **sharon titus** » 14 Aug 2020, 09:57

i admire the way you reviewed the book , it sounds like a must read

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 14 Aug 2020, 10:55

From the plot I'm not sure it's a novel for me, but the psychological element is intriguing. Thank you for your great review!

Manali_DC · Post by **Manali_DC** » 14 Aug 2020, 11:37

You've got me interested in this story. Psychological dramas are stuff I definitely like reading and I can't quite place Catherine's character. Guess I will have to read the book to find out. Thank you for a wonderful review!

Connie Otwani · Post by **Connie Otwani** » 14 Aug 2020, 12:49

Juliet+1 wrote: ↑13 Aug 2020, 20:11 This looks like my kind of book. I love character-driven stories, and having the action take place over such a short span of time is really intriguing. Thanks for such a detailed and helpful review.

You willno doubt enjoy this one. I hope you get to read it. Thank you for stopping by!

Nerea · Post by **Nerea** » 15 Aug 2020, 04:18

Psychological drama sounds interesting. A gripping tale with "plot twists that viciously blindside the reader" will work well for me. Lovely review.

Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 15 Aug 2020, 08:00

Sounds like a very engaging psychological drama I would love to check out!

Thank you for a great review!

Connie Otwani · Post by **Connie Otwani** » 15 Aug 2020, 09:58

Phelicia Gloria wrote: ↑14 Aug 2020, 07:21 Very detailed review, though I'll skip this book as am not a great fun if fantasy novels

It is not exactly fantasy - but sort of involves bits of crime and delusions. Anyway, I truly appreciate your stopping by.

Connie Otwani · Post by **Connie Otwani** » 15 Aug 2020, 09:59

sharon titus wrote: ↑14 Aug 2020, 09:57 i admire the way you reviewed the book , it sounds like a must read

Thank you!
Truly appreciate your stopping by, too!

Connie Otwani · Post by **Connie Otwani** » 15 Aug 2020, 10:00

NetMassimo wrote: ↑14 Aug 2020, 10:55 From the plot I'm not sure it's a novel for me, but the psychological element is intriguing. Thank you for your great review!

It has its charm! Thank you for stopping by!

Connie Otwani · Post by **Connie Otwani** » 15 Aug 2020, 10:03

Manali_DC wrote: ↑14 Aug 2020, 11:37 You've got me interested in this story. Psychological dramas are stuff I definitely like reading and I can't quite place Catherine's character. Guess I will have to read the book to find out. Thank you for a wonderful review!

You bet she is hard to place! I hope you get to read and enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by!

Connie Otwani · Post by **Connie Otwani** » 15 Aug 2020, 10:04

Nerea wrote: ↑15 Aug 2020, 04:18 Psychological drama sounds interesting. A gripping tale with "plot twists that viciously blindside the reader" will work well for me. Lovely review.

I hope you get to read it. Thanks for stopping by!