No Dark Valley

Once again, Jamie Langston Turner has written a book that touches on areas of the heart that can strike a chord in any reader. I love Ms. Turner's style and have been quick to recommend her books to many of my Christian friends who want something a bit more challenging than the simplified writing that many Christian authors put out. No Dark Valley, and Ms. Turner's books overall, are not difficult to read, just more thought provoking and interwoven in a way that I've truly enjoyed.

I had never heard of Jamie Langston Turner before I read this book and honestly only bought it because it was on sale! I was pleasantly surprised though and have since purchased every other book that she has written. "No Dark Valley" tackles some of life's most difficult issues without the usual glib conclusions seen in most fiction. There is no bright light that shines from heaven, no sudden conversion at an alter, but a journey back to faith and God. Although Ms. Turner has been accused of drawing her stories out, I find her style refreshing. I think anyone who has been through simular dificulties (as the main character of this book) would know what I mean by that. Deep seated issues, as portrayed in this book, aren't resolved in 150 pages. I love the ending! After reading the book, I went back and re-read the last chapter probably five times. Ms. Turner has the true skill of a story teller and fine literary skill that could be likened to Jane Austin.

This book was about 2 people with troubled pasts, who end up living next door to each other. I enjoyed the characters in the book. They were very well developed, people that you can easily relate to. We all have things in our past that we are ashamed of, but being a Christian does not make you immune. I enjoy the author's writing style a great deal. She has a poetic way of writing. Sometimes, the past-present switch throughout the book got a little confusing. It was difficult, at times, to determine if she was referring to something now or in the past. The book was also a little wordy, which made it hard to follow the storyline. I also would have liked to see more on how Celia and Bruce resolved the ghosts of the past. It seemed to end a little abruptly. I do agree with the reviewer who said that the author took the reader to the peaking point, then changed scenes from Celia's story to Bruce's. But overall, the book was very enjoyable and interesting to read.

Jamie Langston Turner, one of the best of the current crop of evangelical fiction writers, turns in another fine and richly detailed novel, this one tracing the interior lives of a woman burned out on faith and of her neighbor, a man learning what it takes to live according to his newfound faith. Their vastly different but parallel stories eventually intersect in a way that challenges both of them to take a risk and leave their "dark valleys" behind. Celia Coleman seems to relish her dark valley, choosing to live in a basement apartment in a small South Carolina town and keep any socializing to a bare minimum. Orphaned as a teenager, Celia spent her remaining high school years in the Georgia home of her legalistic and grim grandmother. After attending college in Delaware, Celia moved to South Carolina and took a job in an art gallery. When her grandmother dies, Celia is forced to keep her promise to return to Georgia for the funeral. The unhappy reunion with her relatives unsettles her, as does her discovery that she has inherited her grandmother's meager estate --- a rundown house and adjacent store, and assorted household possessions. Instead of making a final break with her Georgia past as she had wanted to do, Celia will remain connected to it, at least until the estate is settled. Meanwhile, Bruce Healey's story is a bit tougher to tell without giving away too much of the plot line. Let's just say that he's not what he appears to be at first. He tries to befriend Celia but finds her to be surprisingly uncivil --- in fact, downright icy. Her behavior is perfectly understandable to the reader, although Bruce is baffled by it. But then, he knows a whole lot more than the reader does at first. Which brings us to the end of the book, which will probably be a subject of debate among Turner fans until they get distracted by her next book. Some will no doubt consider it to be a pat ending, and I can understand that. But I thought she handled the ending well. It was so like God, in so many ways. The story begins to reach its conclusion in a wonderful scene --- or actually, a series of scenes --- in a Cracker Barrel restaurant, and from that point on, I had no trouble believing that the hand of God was completely involved in the lives of the characters. One of the gifts that sets Turner apart as an author is the exquisite detail of her writing. She crafts every scene so meticulously that readers can easily become immersed in the setting. That's true of all of her books. Unlike her other novels, though, NO DARK VALLEY is much more character-driven than plot-driven, with much of the story developed through the interior thoughts of the point-of-view characters. That makes for a slower-paced novel, but that wasn't a problem for me and may not be for many of Turner's longtime fans as well. Regardless of where you place this in comparison with her previous novels, NO DARK VALLEY is a worthwhile read that underscores the many reasons why Turner is a fav

Once again, Jamie Langston Turner has written a novel that I was able to totally lose myself in....wishing it never to be over! I realize that some people complain about how "wordy" her novels are, but in my opinion that is part of their appeal. I love getting to know the characters so well. I also love the way characters from earlier books pop up throughout the story. ' If you have enjoyed any of her previous novels, you will like this one! I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite out of them all.