Review: Review From Eva's Sanctuary
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 04 27, 2011
Amanda is a fourteen year old girl who is angry with the world. Her mother has deserted her and her father and moved to New York to be with another man. She is also hurting because her grandfather has died. Her grandmother moves in with them to help fill the void her mother has left.While life is starting to settle into a routine, Amanda's grandmother becomes ill with cancer. Amanda retreats to that which she loves, fly fishing.This is a lovely story about betrayal, love, loss and the road to healing and forgiveness. Amanda shares her pain with her adopted dog Shana and finds an unlikely friend in her journey with Vernon, a grieving alcoholic. Vernon has his own simplistic answers to everything in which he brings God into the equation. This is not a religious type work, but more a philosophical reading. The relationship between Amanda and Vernon seems to give them both something that they are searching for at this time in their lives.This is a long short story that is easily read in one sitting. The author gives wonderful descriptions into the land and the art of fly fishing. My only complaint with the story was the way the ending was so abrupt when the mother came back on the scene. I thought there could have been a smoother ending to the story. Overall a very good read.I actually gave this story 3.5 stars out of 5.