Review: The House on Persimmon Road
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 29, 2013
I enjoyed the premise of the story. I have read a lot of the reviews and many talk about the editing errors. There is one that is failed to be mentioned in any of them. I will relate to that later.I loved the story line about Justine Hale moving into an old home with her two children and with her mother and her former mother-in-law both in tow. Justine is now a divorcee and is trying to get her life back together after her husband divorced her to join a monastery as a monk in a foreign country. Hmm, much easier to compete with another woman or even if it was another man involved. Those were Justine's thoughts as well. She is a computer programmer and is looking to work from home so that she can take care of her two children at the same time.The antics between the mother and the mother in law create such energy in the story. You really have to feel for Justine. Throw into the mix a hunky next door neighbor and you know it is going to be an interesting story. The hunky neighbor has his own issues with his elderly father who lives in a nursing home since he burned down his own home. He comes 'home' on the weekends to spend time with his son.The neighbor spends a lot of time helping out Justine and you can tell that a romance is inevitable. It's predictable. Of course Justine has a lot of walls up since she relates that any man close to forty will end up with a midlife crisis and her feeling is 'been there, done that.'Now throw into the mix a ghost who states that she is 'betwixt and between' and is trying to find a way to get her 'life' back. She is the original owner of the house, it having been built by her late husband, Elmer, before the Civil War. The family in the house sense that there is some sort of presence but is not really sure what it is.It is a good read if you don't mind doing your own editing. Justine on occasions becomes Justin because of a letter missing. Missing punctuation is also an issue. The segue between some scenes is so vague that you have to go back and read it two or three times to understand what is happening. The one editing issue that no one has seemed to mention, which totally drove me right up the wall, was the consistent use of the word 'howsomever.' What the heck is that about? I have heard of whatsoever or however, but this one really threw me. The author needs a good dictionary and probably something to guide her as to when to use which word when. I also agree that it ended a little abruptly. Not enough information on the ghost, Lottie, when she finally 'appears.'So with all that said, if you don't mind the editing and the misuse of words, it is a book that will definitely give you a few laughs.