Word Gets Around

Peach’s Picks Rating


Title:
Word Gets Around

Author:
Lisa Wingate

Illustrator:
none

ISBN:
978-0-7642-0491-3

Publisher:
Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House

Copyright:
2009

Length:
363 pages

Plot Summary:
Lauren Eldridge, young, attractive, and recently widowed, has relocated from Daily, Texas to work at a university in Kansas. She left behind a life of horse training and ranching, a loving father, and painful memories of her husband who died in a tragic accident. Lauren’s father and his crony need her help and pressure her to return. The two men invested everything they own into producing a movie script, “The Horseman”, which has been unsuccessfully kicking around Hollywood for years. They have connected with Justin Shay, a screen idol who is beginning to tarnish around the edges. Justin needs a vehicle to save his career and he believes this movie is his ticket back to fame and fortune. Justin snags Nathaniel Heath, a screenwriter, to help him with the task. They are childhood friends who grew up together in foster care. Lauren’s father pleads for her help. She reluctantly agrees to return to Daily and assist with horse training. Nathaniel halfheartedly agrees to accompany Justin to Daily. The book is told in alternating chapters from Lauren and Nathaniel’s point of view. The reader watches their pain heal and their affection for one another grow.

Critical Evaluation:
All the characters are flat, predictable, and stereotypical. As soon as the reader is introduced to Lauren and Nathaniel it is clear that they will become a couple. Of course, they do not realize this so Lauren’s meddling aunt and friends steer their relationship in that direction. Lauren experiences painful flashbacks where it is revealed that she and her husband were not happy and she considered ending their marriage. It seems that the writer killed Lauren’s husband because a dead husband is a better alternative than divorce in Christian fiction. The writer and editor are not familiar with Southern California terminology and awkwardly refer to locations by their map names rather than phrases used locally. Also, the film industry terminology is stiff and awkwardly phrased. The literary construct of alternating chapters between Lauren and Nathaniel’s voice helps the story move along and adds interest when viewing events from different perspectives. This is the second book in the “Daily Texas” series.

Reader’s Annotation:
Lauren’s father needs her back home in Daily, Texas, but she does not want to face the emotional pain she will find there. Nathaniel, a lonely Hollywood screen writer, is also on his way to Daily where he will confront his own emotional pain and come to terms with it.

Author Information:
Lives in Texas
Evangelical Christian
Has two sons
Began writing career as a journalist and technical writer
Her book “Tending Roses” was inspired by stories from her grandmother
Books ideas come from real-life inspirations
She is also a magazine columnist and inspirational speaker

Genre:
Christian Fiction – contemporary realistic

Curriculum Ties:
Use in connection with literature classes

Booktalking Ideas:
Lauren and Nathaniel are two lonely people yearning for love.

Take a trip and visit life in friendly small-town Daily, Texas where everyone knows everyone else’s business.

Hollywood meets Texas ranch life in this entertaining romance novel.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
High school / adult crossover

Additional Books by Author:
Talk of the Town (first in “Daily Texas” series)
Tending Roses
Drenched in Light
Many other books

Challenge Issues:
None, but if challenged; deal with challenge by having a challenge policy in place, selection policy in place (ALA policies). Meet with library administration if necessary. Provide positive review(s) from professional publications.

Why this work is included in Peach’s Picks:
The book received a positive review in Booklist and Lisa Wingate is a popular writer of Christian fiction. It receives one peach for being a forced, sappy novel.

Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Word-Gets-Around-Lisa-Wingate/dp/0764204912/ref=sr_1_1_oe_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271445230&sr=1-1

References:
Wingate, L. (2010). “Lisa Wingate”. The Official Site. Retrieved April 1, 2020, from http://www.lisawingate.com/