4 out of 4 stars
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The Spirit of Want by William H. Cole is a story built on love, desire, hate and betrayal. This story is one that further supports the saying; "Man is a collection of his decisions and the master of his fate". It goes to show that every decision made has significant effects on our lives as well as the lives of the people in it; as shown through the main character, Lucy, who out of certain insecurities and desires, made several wrong choices which eventually ruined her.
Luke Osbourne is an ophthalmic surgeon, and A.J. MacMiel is his senior colleague; a kind of mentor to him. A.J. and his wife, Agnes have two grown daughters, Elizabeth and Lucy. Luke decides to give marriage a second shot after losing his first wife; he marries Lucy who is a brilliant lawyer. The wedding was quick and rather impulsive, and was based on factors that were, to say the least, not genuine. Unfortunately, their marriage is bedevilled by conflicts from the get-go. Unable to find the kind of satisfaction she wanted, Lucy falls for Hower Bain, a client who is accused of rape. Disbarred for ethical misconduct, she abandons her family, including her daughter, and follows Bain to Africa where she is poisoned, apparently because of him. She eventually returns to the U.S and tries to reorganise her life, after being rejected by colleagues and family. Amidst all these, Hower finds his way back into Lucy’s life and she eventually comes to see him for whom he truly is.
The Spirit of Want is a very interesting book, full of thrills and twists at every turn right from the very beginning. I found it difficult to put the book down until I finished it. It’s a book with in-depth plot, powerful characterization and interesting subplots. The story explores and portrays the complexities of relationships on different levels and how the decisions we make affect the people who we’re in the relationship with; whether romantic or family relationship.
It is obvious that the author has done extensive research in the three major fields covered in the book; medicine, law and religion. The precise descriptions of medical procedures and use of appropriate terminologies are very impressive, as the legal discussions and proceedings show a realistic legal process at work. The issue of religion is a much dicier path for writers, however, the author limited the complexities involved to the characters; that is commendable.
I was very impressed with the character development which was very realistic and credible; each character had multiple dimensions and none was portrayed as entirely evil or absolutely righteous, rather, they were portrayed as having different characteristics in their “human nature”. I also like how the characters are independent in their developments and yet having similar traits; for example, Elizabeth and Lucy both had insecurities but of different forms and on different levels. It could also be observed how they reacted to their insecurities; Elizabeth becomes better, overcomes and manages hers, while Lucy allows hers to drive her into a lot of bad decisions. The author has an amazing way of placing readers inside the mind of the characters, making them understand the actions of the characters and the reasons behind them.
The Spirit of Want is an interesting book, beautifully written and professionally edited, with laudable grammatical constructions. The plots and subplots are a beautiful blend and are altogether interesting. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This story will appeal to people who enjoy suspense, mystery and intrigue.
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The Spirit of Want
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I'm also impressed that the author did extensive research for the book. It definitely makes the book more realistic.
