Giveaway and Book MYView: White Picket Fences by Susan Meissner

Amanda Janvier’s idyllic home seems the perfect place for her niece Tally to stay while her vagabond brother is in Europe, but the white picket fence life Amanda wants to provide is a mere illusion. Amanda’s husband Neil refuses to admit their teenage son Chase, is haunted by the horrific fire he survived when he was four, and their marriage is crumbling while each looks the other way.

Tally and Chase bond as they interview two Holocaust survivors for a sociology project, and become startlingly aware that the whole family is grappling with hidden secrets, with the echoes of the past, and with the realization that ignoring tragic situations won’t make them go away.

Readers of emotional dramas that are willing to explore the lies that families tell each other for protection and comfort will love White Picket Fences. The novel is ideal for those who appreciate exploring questions like: what type of honesty do children need from their parents, or how can one move beyond a past that isn’t acknowledged or understood? Is there hope and forgiveness for the tragedies of our past and a way to abundant grace?

My Thoughts: White Picket Fences is an interesting story examining the harmful effects of secrets. Unfortunately, the four story lines and numerous characters didn’t work well for me. I think the story about the son dealing with his past and his parents’ marital problems should have been in one book. The story dealing with the Holocaust survivors (my favorite story) and the missing father should have been in another. The two books separately would have been great because the story lines were compelling. Don’t get me wrong, White Picket Fences was never boring; however, the disjointed plots hampered the overall flow of the story.

Meissner is an talented author who thinks of imaginative stories. I love that in an author because I get tired of reading the same plots over and over. I particularly enjoy how she weaves historical events into her stories. While White Picket Fences did not work for me, I did enjoy The Shape of Mercy, and I look forward to Meissner’s next book.

WaterBrook Press generously offered a copy of White Picket Fences to give away. If you would like to read the story for yourself, comment to this post by November 20, 2009.

While I appreciate the support of my international readers, I am unable, at this time, to offer this giveaway outside of the U.S. and Canada.