Review by JodiBrozio -- The Spirit of Want

[JodiBrozio]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Spirit of Want" by William H. Coles.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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I rate The Spirit of Want by William H. Coles 3 out of 4 stars because it had an engaging plot, and the characters were well-rounded. There were a few obvious spelling errors, and one that required me to look up the word to see if it existed – it didn’t. This is what prevented me from scoring higher. It did not seem professionally edited, though it was indeed well-written. It was obvious that a lot of thought went into the book.

This book is ultimately about Lucy, the daughter of an important surgeon and well-bred mother. Lucy is introduced as a female lawyer who seems to have a chip on her shoulder about being treated as inferior, whether she is or not. She grew up knowing she was adopted, and felt she was always seen as lacking when compared to her sister. Lucy meets Luke at a party and seemingly falls in love with him, but questions arise if it is real love or not because she continues to be self-centered. When she finds out she is pregnant, she considers not having the baby because it does not fit into her plans. Ultimately, she goes through with the pregnancy and they have a daughter. Lucy names her “Jennifer” after her own biological mother in an attempt to evoke emotional connection.

Though Lucy cares about Jennifer, she falls in love with a television evangelist named Hower, and follows him to Africa. In Africa, Lucy learns she can be compassionate by helping people, and her affection for her now-distant daughter blossoms. She still cannot fulfill the role of mother, but does make an effort to be in Jennifer’s life. After Lucy returns to the United States, she continues to find herself and come to terms with what she has believed her whole life to be true. She realizes that she made mistakes and wants to make things right in the future.

What I liked best about the book was how William captured the struggles of each character. Luke was trying to be respectful of his mentor and father-in-law about the surgery scandal, but experienced internal conflict about how physicians are sworn to “first, do no harm.” He felt strongly against performing unnecessary surgeries, especially for financial gain. Elizabeth wanted to be recognized for her dedication to her mother, her father, her sister, her school children, and her niece. She was a kind-hearted woman who felt that no-one appreciated her, until she found and fell in love with Luke. Lucy was always insecure but had flashes of being insightful. Deep down, she wanted to do the right thing but kept getting caught up in pretenses of the world around her. Agnes was working hard to be a proper wife and a caring mother. She put her own discomforts and worries aside to be strong for the people she cared most about. A.J. was the stereotypical man-of-the-house and needed to be a good provider for his family, but also have the prestige as a lucrative medical professional. Even little Jennifer was trying to fit in to her academic world with other children her age, but still understand her role as a daughter to her estranged mother while being raised by her aunt and her father. As I got to know each of them, I found myself cheering them on.

What I did not like about the book was the unprofessionalism portrayed by Lucy. I did not like that she had affair with Hower, when she was supposed to be defending him. I did not like how she forced Luke’s hand to help her out after she abandoned him and cheated on him. I did not like how she worked with Maria. I did not like how she treated Fenly, even after she knew she was using him.

This book will appeal to anyone who believes change is possible. I honestly cannot say whom should not read this, because I think anyone would enjoy it.

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The Spirit of Want
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