The Civil Wars of Jonah Moran

Marjorie Reynolds' book THE CIVIL WARS OF JONAH MORAN sat on my bookshelf for a couple of years before I pulled it out from the near bottom of one of my many stacks of unread books (as a fellow reader I'm sure you can relate to that). Although I should've read this book when it first came out, I'm glad I waited until now. Jonah Moran has Asperger's Syndrome and two years ago I wouldn't have had a clue as to what this was all about. In the past month I have done a lot of research on this syndrome since the child of a friend was diagnosed with it. I had no idea this book referred to A.S. until I started to read it. When they say there are no accidents, they're right. Back to the story though - this is a wonderful book. I loved Ms. Reynolds' first novel and was not disappointed with this one. Although there are some complex twists and turns to the plot, she manages them with ease and clarity. The relationships between Jessica and her family are realistic & well-developed and the changes that take place are logical. I've spent very little time in the Pacific Northwest, but I enjoyed reading about the area and the Native American side of the story makes it even more interesting. I place Marjorie Reynolds right up there with Elizabeth Berg, Jane Smiley, and Anita Shreve in her ability to tell a good story about people you'd like to know.

This excellent novel was intriguing from the beginning to the end. Complex family relationships between mother and daughter, daughter and father, sister and brother unfold as the primary theme, the possiblility of gross injustice, is explored. Reynolds has created a cast of believable characters who grow in self-knowledge as the events in the novel affect their lives. Jonah, a young man diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism, is especially well-developed without traces of sentimentality. The author also very capably writes an inter-cultural romantic relationship with honesty and respect for the similarities and the differences of the couple. Readers who enjoy vivid descriptions, a bit of mystery, well-written dialogue, and writing that is sensitive in it's development of characters will appreciate and enjoy this fine second novel.

I thought The Civil Wars of Jonah Moran was a great book. It took place in the pacific northwest. It is about this woman in her mid 30s. She comes back to this town in the northwest. It is filled with romance, heartbreak, love, dedication to family, and a on going feud with her mother. It also has some mystery to it. If you are interested in this sort of thing you will like it. This was my first time reading a Reynolds book. It was excellent. I wouldn't mind reading something else of hers again!

In her wonderful second book, Marjorie Reynolds creates an intriguing story set in the logging town of Misp in Washington's Olympic Peninsula. From the gripping prologue, Ms.Reynolds carries the reader through Jessica Moran's profound search for truth that combines deep family angst with cultural bitterness and small town prejudices. I was hooked from the very beginning and read her book straight through. Jessica's journey for truth set against the backdrop of a vanishing part of Pacific Northwest life fascinated me.

Marjorie Reynolds once again delivers with strong themes and interesting characters. She is not afraid to address a cross-cultural romance and mental disablement. Her settings come off the page--I forgot I was on my own porch several times as I read her descriptions of the Olympic peninsula. An absorbing read by a writer who delivers what she promises.