Ansay, A. Manette. River Angel. William Morrow, 1998,
Reason read: Wisconsin became a state in the month of May.
In the fictional town of Ambient is a tight-knit community. You will get to know Shawn and his son, Gabriel. Shawn’s brother, Fred, wins the prize of caring for Gabriel after Shawn skips town, leaving the chubby ten year old behind. Gabriel’s personality is restricted to the fervor of religion and the preoccupation with food. Fred’s wife, Bethany, is less than thrilled to have another male in the house. She has enough on her hands with her husband’s father, Alfred, and own two boys, Pete and Robert John from different fathers.
Then there is Lorna Pranke, the police chief’s wife. Joe Kimmeldorf, the Mader family: Ruthie, Cherish and Gwendolyn. Father Oblerling, Mr. Shuckel, John Grosshuesch, Maya Paluski, Marty, and Anna Grey Graf and Anna’s husband Bill and daughter Milly.
Ambient is an unsightly rundown town that is unashamed to bare its dirty knickers. But at the heart of is charm is an old legend about a river angel. A boy, supposedly drowned in a river ends up in a barn, looking like a sleeping angel. Anday admits River Angel is more about the community than the legend.
Confessional: I did see a similarity between the town of Ambient and my hometown. Rich people from “away” worm their way into the community and start calling the shots with their money doing all the talking. They buy their way into changing all the rules and the way of life.
The only line I liked, “…she wore red lipstick that stuck like a miracle to the complicated shape of her mouth” (p 13).
Author fact: Ansay also wrote Vinegar Hill which is on my Challenge list.
Book trivia: I read this book way too fast because none of the characters grew on me.
Music: Stille Nacht,” “Die Kinderlein Kommen,” “Amazing Grace,” and Pink Floyd.
BookLust Twist: from More Book Lust in the chapter called “Big Ten Country: the Literary Midwest (Wisconsin) (p 25).
~*LunaSea*~ 