G1057 Book Review of From Across the Room by Gina L Mulligan
Author: Gina L Mulligan
ISBN: 978-1-4328-3252-0
Publisher: Gale Cengage Learning
Type of book: 1888-1889, first love, money, old money, intelligence, writing, Henry James, America, epistolary, letters,
Year it was published: 2016
Summary:
Self-indulgent young writer Thomas Gadwell has traveled from Boston to the new Hotel Del Coronado in California to at last finish his novel when he meets the clever and headstrong Miss Mary Harting. At once Thomas tosses aside his literary pursuits for a charmed summer of romance that ends with the happy couple making future plans. However, Mary Harting is the only unmarried daughter of notorious railroad tycoon Charles Harting, and he has no intention of letting a useless wordsmith derail his own critical plans for Mary. The couple must continue a clandestine courtship, but Thomas' ingenuity has unexpected repercussions and he unwittingly uncovers a sinister plot of deception, greed, and blackmail. Guided by mentor Henry James, to win Mary, Thomas must step from the pages of the world he creates to explore his own insecurities, battle against worldly corruption, and expose family demons.
Told through a series of clever, heartfelt, and engaging letters, From Across the Room is a voyeuristic escapade that delights at every twist. Reflecting back to a time when letters were saved in the imagination of the reader, the lost art of letter writing brings to life the opulent Gilded Age and unfolds the universal passions of love, ambition, and the resilient bonds of family.
Characters:
Main characters include Thomas, a wealthy young man who is a struggling writer. He recently came to California to become inspired and to try to write a new book. He is intelligent, resourceful and observant. There is also Miss Mary Harding who is a passionate young woman who desires to do more than just establish a society marriage. She cares deeply for immigrants as well as women's issues and what matters to her is a heart rather than a wallet. There is also Miss Mary's father who pushes Mary to be with another man and is old fashioned. There is also Mary's suitor who has his own secrets and reasons for wanting to be with Mary, but he is not the type to go down easily. There is also Thomas's father who seems to share love/hate relationship with his son.
Theme:
One never knows what the letter reveal and what they conceal
Plot:
The story is in first person narrative completely from Thomas's point of view, and Thomas is a very busy man. At first I found the story easy to follow along, but then once the story is past their meeting and past the time they met, for me it became difficult to follow because there is so much going on in Thomas's life and it was difficult to follow the various threads as well as letters. Considering the ending, I sometimes was curious when he injected himself in the story and when he didn't.
Author Information:
(From HFVBT)
About the Author
Gina L. Mulligan is a veteran freelance journalist for numerous national magazines and the author of the award-winning novel, REMEMBER THE LADIES and FROM ACROSS THE ROOM. After her own diagnosis, Gina founded Girls Love Mail, a charity that collects handwritten letters of encouragement for women with breast cancer. She was honored for her charitable work on the nationally syndicated television talk show The Steve Harvey Show, People.com, and TODAY.com.
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS
Opinion:
This is an epistolary novel, which means a novel created from letters, but unlike previous epistolary novels I have read, letters are from one person's point of view. While the story is well-written and Thomas Gadwell was a joy to know, I couldn't really get to know his lady love nor his family members nor anyone else, which was a frustrating experience for me. What I did enjoy is the attention to detail that the author gives to the time period, and I also liked the vividness of Thomas's writing when it comes to events. Of a few letters, I am uncertain as to why they were included because they seemed a bit superfluous for me, and there wasn't a context to put them in.
This is for HFVBT
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4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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