Review: It Takes Change to Truly Amend One's Past!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 11, 2012
Livie Saunders was left at the altar on the day of her wedding and has never recovered. She compensates by dressing up and spending the night with other lovers who are absolutely nothing to her. For the love of her life, Cotton O'Dell, is gone; and while she can't forgive him, she can't forget him as well, that is until the day he returns as quite a different young man.As the novel proceeds, this reviewer realized the story was really about Cotton, a fact that leaves one with a a bit of confusion but which is a worthy story in itself and should have begun in that vein. For Cotton now lives his life based on the title's step of Alcoholics Anonymous, even though he has no interest at all in any of the other steps of the program. The ninth step is enough to stop his drinking even in the most stressful moments in this story, of which there are many. So the reader learns about Cotton's past, of which he is deeply ashamed, and how he plans to make amends. However, life interferes with intriguing characters and the story continues to quite a different ending from the expected one, with some very poignant moments and sad events in between.This is an interesting novel because although the surface meaning is apparent, it goes beyond to the motives and personality of the addict. In other words, we learn the patterns leading to the addiction that must be faced and reconciled with one's new drink-free existence. For that alone, this reviewer thinks this is a very valuable story and interesting one in that vein, with characters who move on from unbelievable pain to grow and those who don't!Remarkable worthy story, Ms. Sissel!