Fathers of Edenville

LITERARY FICTION:  Tucker Stewart has been in love with Sylvia since the beginning their innocent friendship that developed during their childhood. Raised by her disapproving aunt since her mother’s death and father’s estrangement, Sylvia was heavily influenced to marry her now husband “Forty” Sumner. She is consistently plagued by demons in her life, which continually pile on trials for her to struggle with. Their lives are turned upside down when Tucker follows Sylvia and discovers her tryst with Jim Hart. Unfortunately for Tucker, Forty believes that Tucker is the one who Sylvia is having an illicit affair with.  When Jim Hart is discovered dead, the town goes into an uproar, upending the delicate balance to which everyone’s lives are set upon.

This creative novel by Corrine Ardoin brings to life a sleepy small town and the problems that exist for the people living within it.   One cannot help but feel for Sylvia and the trials that she has undergone throughout her life. However, the pacing of the narrative is not consistent, which can be very distracting. And the plot seemed to go in circles, to the point of disorientation, requiring readers to go back to reread passages in order to grasp what what was written. Ms. Ardoin does use beautiful language throughout her novel, but many of the sentences become long rambling statements that lead the reader down a path of more questions than answers. Many paragraphs include long-winded sentences with several grammatical and punctuation errors. Still, one can appreciate the beauty of Ms. Ardoin’s words as she breathes life into this fictional small town.

Jen Griffin