3 out of 4 stars
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Taken Away by Patricia Yager Delagrange is a novel about a man whose wife and 9-month-old daughter go missing. The book is categorized in the Other Fiction genre. Jessee Bradford, a veterinarian, is married to Serena, a free-spirit painter who is the daughter of a wealthy philanthropist. When Jessee comes home one day to find both his wife and daughter gone, the FBI and local police work tirelessly to find them, to no avail. It’s as if they disappeared into thin air. The FBI believe Serena may have left on her own.
After six months, Jessee decides to move to Earlham, Iowa to take over his grandfather’s veterinary practice and try to leave the panic attacks and heartache behind. The FBI continues to stay in touch about the case, while the new environment gives Jessee a positive, calmer outlook on life. He starts dating Laura, a woman who brings in her sick dog for treatment. She also has a “hole in her heart” since her husband was killed in Iraq.
I really enjoyed this book. Jessee is realistically drawn and very likeable. I rooted for him to have closure and find happiness. His grandparents and Laura are also wonderful characters. Jessee’s close relationship with his grandparents is particularly touching. Even Laura’s dog Brewster is quite the scene-stealer! On the other hand, I found Serena too impersonal and self-absorbed; it was difficult to feel a connection to her right from the start. Serena’s parents are particularly one-dimensional characters who mainly care about money.
There is a nice, natural rhythm to the author’s writing style. The storyline moves seamlessly between California and Iowa and the author paints a detailed picture of the lifestyles of both places. I felt like I was right at the beach in California and in the small Iowa town where “everybody knows your name” and is genuinely nice. Grandpa Harper and Grandma Rose’s farmhouse is so wonderfully depicted that I could almost smell the fried chicken cooking.
There were a few things in the book that didn’t seem realistic. I thought it was too contrived that Jessee’s grandfather just happened to run a veterinary office and was ready to retire at the same time that Jessee wanted a fresh start. There is also a plot point that seems too coincidental and unrealistic, but I don’t want to reveal any spoilers. About halfway through the book, there is a secondary storyline about Kerryanne, a young woman who appears in Earlham. Not knowing too much about her background, Jessee gives her a job in the veterinary office and invites her to stay in his grandparents’ home. This seemed a bit far-fetched, although it gave a general sense of Jessee and Grandma Rose’s big hearts. The plot veered off course a bit with Kerryanne’s side story.
There are a few interesting twists that I didn’t see coming, particularly toward the end. The author makes a few errors regarding names and places. The author is incorrect with the first mention of the county that the town of Earlham is in. When Jessee moves to Iowa, it is stated that he reaches Winterset County where Earlham is located. This is incorrect since Earlham is in Madison County. After this initial error, the county is correctly mentioned as Madison County in subsequent sections. In addition, John Wayne’s real name is first stated correctly as Marion Robert Morrison. Then in another passage, his real name is mentioned as Michael Morrison aka John Wayne.
This book deserves 3 out of 4 stars. I cared about Jessee’s struggle to move forward in his life, while hoping his wife and daughter would be found alive. Although I thought the book had a few flaws, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story and felt connected to the characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books about starting over, romance, and a touch of mystery. I hope the author considers writing a sequel.
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Taken Away
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