Review: In All Thing by Shawna Williams
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 3, 2010
"In All Things" is a continuation of the story of Meri and Jakob Wilheimer that began in "No Other." Several years have passed and Jakob and Meri have achieved many of the goals they had dreamed about in "No Other." Meri is now a well-known actress with the stage name Meredith Louis, and Jakob is a successful architect. In some ways they have more than they could have ever hoped for, but in other ways their dreams prove to not be so dreamy after all.The full cast of characters from "No Other" is present, and readers will be happy to get to spend more time with Jakob's siblings (my favorite is Ruth). A few new characters are introduced as well--some as lovable as the original cast and some not so much ;).Again, Shawna Williams shows her prowess for characterization. You feel everything along with Jakob and Meri, really getting into their heads and hearts. And while this is a character-driven novel, the plot is by no means a weakness. The lives of Meri and Jakob are complex, and a smooth pacing of events will keep you turning pages.The description got a little wordy in places for my taste, but I admit it did add to the authenticity, as the story is set in the 1950's. My guess is that readers of historical fiction (which I normally am not) will relish the depth of description.The story comes to a clean ending, but there is a little wiggle room left for another book. I certainly hope one is forthcoming--Shawna Williams has created a host of characters to whom I've become rather attached and I don't want their story to end here.