Review: Honest, charming, touching
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 16, 2013
Set in 1980s Alabama, EYE OF THE BEHOLDER is one of the most charming books I've read. I enjoyed it in much the same way I enjoyed another novel, Susan Elizabeth Phillips' DREAM A LITTLE DREAM. There was some similarity in the two stories: a stubborn, desperate, courageous young woman whom others depend on; an embittered man betrayed by a woman he loved and trusted; a large, lovable, family of fully-realized characters; a thoroughly believable popuation of secondary characters; and a rural Southern setting with a wealth of atmosphere - and challenge. Despite these similarities, EYE OF THE BEHOLDER is a unique and original story, with wonderful characters who remain fresh and true throughout the book.The reader falls in love with cheeky Phoebe almost immediately. Her mix of pride and bravado, exasperation with and devotion to her family, and her determination to provide for them are endearing. You can't help but admire her, even when you're thinking, "Oh, no, Phoebe! You didn't just do that!"  Humor mixes with drama and emotion in the same messy way it does in life. Nothing ever feels contrived in this story.Gage Morgan is an embittered man who is only going through the motions of living, barely able to care for himself, much less his bereaved young daughter. His journey is a rough one, often one step forward and two back, but very satisfying for readers to take with him. Little more than a cypher at first - to himself and to almost everyone else - he gradually becomes as vivid a character as Phoebe as his heart and spirit slowly return.Ms. Weger's gift for creating wonderful characters makes this a charming and truly involving novel. Even characters like Stout and Erlene, who appear in, at most, a few paragraphs, are unique and interesting people who leap to life from the page as you read.Since this story is set in the 1980s, there is a bit of nostalgic feel to it, but the characters, their passions and their problems, are timeless. I loved this novel and highly recommend it!