Long and Short Reviews

Love is a Many Splendored Thing by Nancy Fraser
The Wild Rose Press, Vintage Rose
Historical
Short Story, Spicy
Review by Snapdragon

At a friend’s wedding, Marnie Shelton encounters Air Force Major Edward Louden, a man she originally met three years earlier when he’d come to her door to tell her that her husband had been killed while serving in Korea. Since that fateful day, Marnie has turned her life around by attending college and earning a business degree all while caring for her two young children. The last thing on her busy agenda is to become involved with a man, especially one in the military.

Ed has other ideas. Surely this beautiful, confident woman can’t be the same young girl he’d met just three years earlier. Despite Marnie’s refusal to see him again, the persistent Major won’t take no for an answer and sets out to woo and win both mother and children.

♥ ♥ ♥

"Love is a Many Splendored Thing," by Nancy Fraser, takes us to 1955, and the life of a widowed mother. At an evening wedding celebration, pretty young widow Marnie has to stay on her toes to escape her never-say-die best friend's matchmaking effort. The handsome Major friend Terri rushes to introduce her to is a kindly person, but he and Marnie share a sad bit of history, and the meeting is not especially joyful. Still, it is hopeful. Fraser has a great ability to subtly evoke emotion, and hopefulness is incredibly strong throughout, even as we come to understand Marnie's sadness.

Poignant yet with lighter moments, this touching story acknowledges some of the sadness of war, yet never cedes that hopeful, promising aura. The lovely Marnie is composed and even self-possessed, and comes across as a very admirable main character, and her doubts and indecisions are entirely understandable. The handsome Major, 'Eddie' is all one could dream him to be, but his understanding and his general demeanor will make you wonder if he has the strength to reach Marnie through her sadness.

"Love is a Many Splendored Thing," has a storyline that is quirky enough to carry some surprises, but it is Fraser's characters who make this story shine.

Comments:

Date: Fri, Aug 8, 2008 at 9:30 PM

Your Name: Celia Yeary
Your Comment: this title was used for the 1957 movie, LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING. As I recall, I was a good movie, love and all that. Hope you do as well as the movie. Celia