Review by johnson11 -- Kindred Journeys

[johnson11]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Kindred Journeys" by Marjorie Tapley-Olson.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Kindred Journeys by Marjorie Olsen-Tapley is the quirky story of Martha on a journey to find Farley, who is the father of her unborn child. He just could not take the pressure of being a dad, so he took off out west. There wasn't anything else for Martha to do. She got in Old Blue and together they were going to find him. Old Blue did not make it very far before it died and the baby decided today was the day. She made it to the barn of a midwife, who helped with the delivery, and to Martha's amazement, there was more than one baby. With no Farley, no money, little hope, and the ups and downs of life, the babies get left in different places.

Andy and Francesca end up in a writing class together. Andy's wife, Laura, points out their similarities. Which leads them on a journey of their own, to find their real parents. Their quest takes them to many towns as they follow their mother's trail. A series of coincidences leads them to one person after another with information of their parents and other possible siblings.

I enjoyed the book. I thought the author did a good job with the characters. You really got to know them and how they felt. I liked how the story was written. The country dialect made them real people. It helped Martha come alive and showed her true feelings. The story gives an apt description of how life can spin out of control, how fast time can get away from you, and how many things can be left undone at the end of the journey.

The humor in the book was contagious. Martha found that you could laugh at yourself and with yourself. It was even okay to talk to yourself. Then there were times that it hurt so badly that you cried for yourself.

I didn't like how the book ended so abruptly. I got frustrated to be left hanging. The children of Martha and Farley were getting so close to a conclusion and an answer to a lot of their questions.

I think the book would be good for any adult audience because there are a couple of light erotic scenes, but without great detail. I don't think it was professionally edited. There were some mistakes in the book for this reason, I gave it a rating of 3 out of 4 stars.

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Kindred Journeys
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