Review: At The End of the Line, or, "Please Don't Make Me Marry That Man"
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 20, 2014
(Quote) "Mama, please don't make me marry that man. I don't love him." (end of quote) This is the opening sentence of "At The End of The Line", by Abby L. Vandiver and Kathryn Longino. Instantly, I anticipate that this marriage will form the fundamental structure, or premise, of the story. In other words, without this marriage, the story does not exist. I wonder why the marriage is taking place. Parents don't do such things to their children, do they? (I read on, searching for the answer)(Quote) Mama speaks: "Brother Peterson is a very nice man. And he will take good care of you." (end of quote) Sounds like the mother is looking out for her daughter's best interests. Grownups usually have a way of knowing what's best for their children, especially when it comes to finding good husbands for them. And of course, there's the universal truth we learn in the opening sentence of the book, Pride and Prejudice: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." And as everyone knows, in the end everything worked out well for everyone, especially Darcy and Elizabeth, who didn't care very much for one another.But that's another story, another book, another time. This is not Jane Austen'sPride and Prejudice. We know that when the daughter responds to her mother by saying: (quote) "But Mama, he's so much older than me. He's Daddy's age...Besides, he already has two wives. What does he need with a third one?"I must admit that from that point forward I was hooked. I felt empathy and sympathy for Beatrice (Beanie), who was in this situation. Sometimes our parents have our best interests at heart, but they aren't perfect. They can make mistakes, and this mistake was epic for Beatrice, who was going to have some difficult times ahead of her.The story is an extraordinary one, well-told, and engaging throughout. There is courage and friendship, resilience and determination within the pages of this book. I recommend it highly (five stars) to anyone, male or female, age 15 to 100. You will not regret having read this book. It is sure to make you think about many things you cherish and hold dear after you finish reading the book.Reviewed by Thomas Jerome BakerAuthor ofHow to Coach A Debate TeamI received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.