Book review by Ann Snuggs
It’s a gift. Not just the entertaining book itself, but also Laura Castoro’s talent for creating living, breathing characters for readers to meet.
Characters from her pen — okay, an anachronism, make that keyboard — come to life for the reader and, as a character-driven reader of books and watcher of films, that’s very important to this reviewer. No vague, cardboard stereotypes in Castoro’s tales.
Her latest, “Love on the Line,” (release date, Feb. 3) continues the story of Thea Morgan — business exec, single mom, woman in love — and her fiancé Xavier Thornton — former football star, man of the cloth, returning missionary — AND their families, associates and challengers. A movie writer would subtitle it, “The Further Adventures of . . .” or maybe “Thea and Xavier Get Married.”
We first met these characters in Castoro’s earlier novel, “Crossing the Line.” (If you did not meet them previously, run don’t walk to the nearest outlet, grab a copy of “Crossing the Line” and read it first. You’ll be glad you did.)
Thea loves her man and he loves her. The problem is: Love doesn’t live in a vacuum.
Thea has just received a long-strived-for promotion — a vice-president position with a corporation in Dallas. Not just her name on the door but also worldwide business deals with perks aplenty. Responsibility aplenty, too. Thea has achieved a major professional goal.
Xavier has just returned from a year of missionary work in Africa. He’s given up his high-profile spot with his charitable foundation to try life as a small church minister in a tiny town in Arkansas with — gasp! — not even WiFi in the parsonage. No WiFi? No amenities of any type — not even an unlumpy mattress.
These circumstances would be enough to challenge any new marriage.
But wait, there’s more.
Thea’s daughter Jesse is leaving for college — not at UT-Austin or anywhere in Texas or even in the region. She’s bound for Simmons in upper New York state. Her father’s parents, of THE Philadelphia Morgans, not only support the college, there’s a building with their name on it on campus. Jesse’s trying to hide that legacy, to reinvent herself AND to deal with the changes coming from her mother’s remarriage. Thea needs to keep the mother-daughter ties strong at the same time she and Xavier start a new life together and her career heats up.
But wait, there’s more.
Xavier is African-American, obviously. Thea is also African-American, but not obviously. Her fair skin often made her an outsider even in her own family as a youngster. When she left home, she went far. Thea’s first husband was white, and young Jesse, dealing with her own bi-raciality, flips a natural blonde ponytail. Thea and Jesse deal with the race card again and again, even if sometimes just in their own thoughts and feelings.
Though Thea and Xavier have a same-race marriage it does not appear that way to Xavier’s new parishioners, who have many eyebrows to raise concerning his “white”, citified, businesswoman wife.
They say “love conquers all” but it certainly has its hands full in this story, and you’ll just have to read “Love on the Line” for yourself to learn how well love meets these challenges. No spoilers here. Just the assurance of a well-written, interesting book full of characters such as you might meet in everyday life.
As always, Castoro tells an absorbing tale of believable people — her sacred cow church lady was almost TOO real for this reviewer to handle! — who are dealing with real issues. In “Love on the Line” she delivers again.
(To keep up with Laura’s real-life issues and comment on her writing, check out her blog, Laura Writes)
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:34 pm
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September 16th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
And why so little became such interesting blogs, thank you!