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Ohstacy
, January 21, 2010
(view all comments by Ohstacy)
Dune Road, a remarkable trip!
Admittedly, when I first delved into “Dune Road” by Jane Green, I felt like I had haphazardly discovered someone’s to-do list. Drab, drab, drab. That someone is, namely, Kit Hargrove. In these first pages, the main character has pulled through her divorce effortlessly. Ho-hum, she doesn’t mind downsizing into a small house after living the high life with a husband who just can’t seem to separate from his work life…now isn’t this an overdone idea. And, wouldn’t you know it, a job working as an assistant for a famous author, Robert McClore, falls right into Kit’s lap.
No conflict. No appeal. I thought Dune Road was going to become Drab Road, but as I forced myself to read, I found the characters and situations took some interesting and surprising turns that roused my curiosity more and more.
A leap above pop psychology, Jane’s knowledge of recovery from drugs and alcohol and family interactions is remarkable and right on! Her expertise gives the characters credibility and the elements certainly play into the melodramatic stage that Jane so refreshingly sets.
My connection with the book is the locale of Dune Road. A native of Fairfield County, CT, in fact, on occasion I play tour director on coach motorbuses through the fabulously posh Gold Coast that Jane writes about. Although Jane fictionalized the street and other relevant names of businesses and such, she re-creates the region precisely. I also enjoyed the Easton, CT, backdrops in the book. As a professional day-tripper, however, I must say when she illustrates Maple Row Farm, where Kit and her family go to obtain their Christmas tree, the author describes the farm setting perfectly down to the cider and donuts, but leaves out the oxen. How can you miss those mammoth creatures? They are what make the farm extraordinary. But, hey, we’re talking fiction here, so oxen or no oxen, Dune Road, apart from a few bumps along the way, is well worth the trip.
Stacy Lytwyn Maxwell, Author/Book Reviewer/Teacher
CONSUMMATE CONNECTICUT: DAY TRIPS WITH PANACHE
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