The Accidental Marriage by Annette HawsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: LDS Romance
Book Description: Nina Rushforth was born with a silver spoon caught in her throat. She and her father have mapped out a future that includes a brilliant legal career, a marriage to an equally stellar attorney or Wall Street whiz kid, and eventually the production of three perfect children. A semester at St. Andrew's University in Scotland, was part of the plan, but falling in love with a handsome missionary was not.
Six months later, after Elliot returns
from his mission and after a tumultuous courtship, Nina finds herself teaching
at a junior high school, learning to keep house in a minuscule apartment, and
living with a man who doesn't know any more about being married than she does.
Intimacy, cooking, laundry, lesson plans, and a tug-of-war with a possessive
mother-in-law prove to be more overwhelming than Nina can successfully manage.
The newlyweds awaken to realize the head on the adjacent pillow belongs to a
stranger.
This novel captures the heartbreak of
young love caught in the turbulent social crosscurrents of the 70's, at a time
when brave women struggled to find dignity and equality in the workplace, as
well as peace at home.
My thoughts: Nina and Elliot were young and deeply in love. Their whirlwind romance and wedding was magical. Usually this is where a story would end, but for Nina and Elliot it was only the beginning.
The setting was early 1970's. Society was experiencing a revolution. Women wanted a chance to work and learn. Many men felt that a woman place was in the home. It was a transition from a traditional family to a modern family.
Nina and Elliot were caught in the crossfire. They came from homes with different economical backgrounds. Nina was raised to think for herself and believe in herself and her capabilities. Elliot was raised in a home where women raised their children.
What I really liked about the story was the characters of Elliot and Nina. They were very strong in their convictions and desires. They loved each other completely. They both tried to remain true to their convictions and to each other.
What I didn't like in the story is that they remained too true to their convictions and didn't know how to compromise. I didn't like their judgmental parents who tried to sway their children to their personal agenda's.
The story is well written and tells a story of two young people who are trying to find their way in a confusing world with too many people in the picture. It is true to the time period. I liked that Annette Haws was able to add cultural and political events. She was able to capture the struggle and conflict of women making their way into the work force.
This book has many references to the LDS religion. The romance is rocky, but realistic. This isn't a romance book that you sit down to read that is full of fluff. The book has substance and grit. It portrays that you don't automatically get a happily ever after, it's something that you have to work for.
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About Annette: Annette Haws’s literary strengths are based upon her experiences in the
classroom. She began her teaching career as a junior high teacher in Richmond,
Utah and ended it teaching Sophomore English at Murray High School in Salt Lake
City. However, her favorite assignment was a five year period at Logan High
School teaching English, coaching debate and mock trial, and watching the
antics of her own three children who were also students in the same school.
Her first novel, Waiting for the Light to Change, won Best of
State in 2009, A Whitney Award for Best Fiction, and the Diamond Quill Award
for Best Published Fiction in 2009 from the League of Utah Writers. In July of
2008, the Midwest Book Review selected it as a Top Pick for Community Library
Fiction Collections.
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