Harvey & Eck

Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (4/06) When Harvey's married lover finds out she's pregnant, he dumps her....just like that. Luckily her husband doesn't know she's been cheating on him, so he's delighted that they're going to have a baby and is determined to take care of Harvey whether she likes it or not. Fired from her job because she's pregnant, and not really sure she even wants to have a baby, Harvey has no friends to talk to about her troubles. One night in desperation, she picks a name from the phone book and writes a letter to that person, whose name is Eck, a middle-aged librarian living alone with his parakeet, Dickens. Eck has lived his entire life on an unvarying schedule and routine, and Harvey's letters throw him for a loop. As Harvey's pregnancy advances, her husband tries to box her in more and more by monitoring her food and drink intake, her activities and then the ultimate insult, refusing to have sex with her because it might hurt the baby. Eck's heart, which he thought he had safely tucked away, is slowly broken by the unhappiness in Harvey's letters, but he has no way to contact her and offer his support. Meanwhile, as he reads Harvey's letters, which have brought a sense of fun into his life, he finds within himself the courage to break free of his narrow lifestyle and start to really live again. In turn, Eck gives Harvey the stability she so desperately needs. I won't give away the ending, but you'll be very happy with it. This book is a love story, but a love story with many dimensions. It's a love story between husband and wife, between parents and children, between man and woman and finally, between friends. This book is a real keeper.

Unique, captivating, and personal-this novel is brilliant from cover to cover as it bares the soul of humanity naked, in a manner that will excite you. A smashing read indeed, one that I would feel dignified to have accompany me into any coffee shop.

If you are human and have ever loved, read this book. Read carefully and learn something about yourself, and about those who are not at all like you on the surface. Learn deep down that we all have the same needs, no matter how much we repress them, and love will find a way into your heart whether you want it there or not. And learn that, if you really try, you can be happy.

Harvey & Eck is a wonderful novel that demonstrates the power that writing and communication can have on the recipient as well as the author. Through a series of letters, the reader not only watches, but participates as the characters develop, grow and change. Erin O'Brien does a superb job telling this compelling story through a series of letters; an interesting and difficult literary device - which she pulls off brilliantly. I highly recommend Harvey and Eck.

The premise of this story is so clever. I became hooked from the very beginning. The author is obviously very smart and witty. I'll be buying this for all my gal-pals for Christmas!