In Search of Eden
Nichols’s latest effort follows the wanderings of Miranda DeSpain, a young woman who has been unable to recover from a painful adolescent experience. An upstanding drifter (she always finds gainful employment where ever she goes), Miranda finds herself in bucolic Abingdon, Virginia, where she meets an array of lovely Christian townsfolk, among them a spunky 11-year-old girl named Eden who helps Miranda find a job and a place to live. Nichols’s writing style is often engaging, and while some of her characters are clichéd (the ruggedly handsome, tough but tender leading man, for example), a few of her characters, most notably Eden, are quirky and real. Nichols blends the romance genre with a more problem-oriented women’s novel here. While there are few surprises and the many coincidences make it difficult to suspend disbelief, the plot holds together well enough, with likable characters fighting nobly against adversity and unlikable characters trying their best to change. Spiritual themes such as forgiveness and redemption are well integrated into the novel, and the Christian characters are genuine, openhearted and giving. Readers looking for sentimental yet well-written women’s fiction won’t be disappointed.