Glendale Meadow - Book Review

Glendale Meadow is a heart-tugging saga of love and courageous challenges, dysfunctional families, and families that triumph over diversity. Char White is an author with an interest in historical 1800s settings and will delight historians with her accuracy in her descriptions of small towns and large productive farms.  Her inclusion of terrifying past experiences of the two main characters, Millie and Tom, are satisfactorily balanced by their determination and acceptance of each other’s survival skills.

Millie and Tom are forced into an arranged marriage by Millie’s unscrupulous father, who is settling a gambling debt, regardless of the dire consequences to the two. Unbeknownst to the two young people, the arrangement meant for monetary gain by the men turned what was meant for evil to work for their good. Thirteen-year-old Millie is forced out of her home with her baby half-brother to care for, adding depth to the family situation.

Readers will applaud the maturing of the two main characters as they face trial after trial, testing their compatibility as a couple and as parents for the baby. Criminal charges and physical attacks, as well as feeling ostracized in a new community, force the couple to depend on one another. Millie’s grandparents and extended family are a contrast to the couple’s naivety and youth with their strong morals and welcoming experiences.

Other positive as well as negative characters test their survival in the adult world. Trusting the advice of experienced adults challenges the assumptions held by the young couple who have experienced traumatic relationships with adults. Their maturing and personal growth is an inspiration to the reader.

The novel references the young family’s learning to read and use Bible Verses as a source of solace.  As their relationship matures, their trust and faith grow also. The moral values of the characters, whether they are villains or heroes, are contrasted dynamically, much like in real-life situations.

The narrative unfolds with a backdrop reminiscent of Erskine Caldwell's poignant "Tobacco Road," set a century prior. Millie, entangled in the sordid world of prostitution since childhood due to her father's reckless gambling debts, is regarded with scorn by the townsfolk who see her as nothing more than a fallen woman. Meanwhile, Tom, having endured years under the yoke of servitude to settle a family debt, shares the same fate of social exclusion. Char White draws us into the heartrending reality of the impoverished in the 1800s, revealing their plight and the societal challenges they faced.

This is a book of encouragement and finding love, peace, and a happy marriage through toughing it out and faith. In spite of the horrific abuse that is implied but not detailed, this novel is suitable for mature young adult readers and will grab the hearts of all who enjoy stories of family trauma that results in healing.

Glendale Meadow is book one in the author’s Glendale Meadow Saga.  Readers will anticipate the future growth and adventures of Millie and Tom.