Writing a novel from the perspective of multiple protagonists must be daunting. Having the reader be able to discern each character and enter a new headspace has to be difficult and I give it up to any writer that goes for it. Erin Zak tackles it head-on and introduces three amazing women that love with all their hear even in the toughest of circumstances.
Jackie Mitchell, a successful lesbian romance author. This writer is an introvert, often going long periods of time writing and avoiding human contact. She does have a close group of friends that are a great support system for her. Jackie, for the most part, enjoys women when she wants companionship but keeps it strictly friends with benefits. She does not want a relationship and is often leery of meeting new people. Jackie’s well-constructed world is turned upside down when the daughter she gave up at birth arrives on her doorstep.
Sixteen-year-old Beth Weber hitch-hicked her way from Savannah to St. Petersburg to meet her bio-mom Jackie. Beth has no idea what to expect of Jackie but she has to see for herself and damn the consequences. Since the teen found out she was adopted her mind constantly wonders about the woman who gave her up and what the circumstances were that brought her to that decision.
Beth’s adoptive mother is Susan Weber. Susan is really the catalyst for Beth and Jackie moving from the nice to meet you phase into something more. Here is where things get tricky in the story. Susan is being abused by her husband. He has affairs, stays away from home for days on end and he also puts his hands on his wife when he becomes angered. Susan would tell any woman in her shoes to leave but for some reason cannot make herself go. When the husband finds out that Beth reached out to Jackie things go from bad to worse very quickly. Finally, she is pushed to run.
I was intrigued by the three points of view concept. I think multi-protagonists is often times really hard to pull off because you cannot dive all the way in. Most times you are constantly pulled in another direction at too fast of a speed. With that being said, it was really neat to be able to hear what was in Jackie, Beth and Susan’s head but I almost always for wished I could have just a little more each time. This book tackles seriously heavy issues. Abuse, coming out, self-worth, divorce…and at times it felt like the romance (I can’t believe I am writing this) took over when we should have been fleshing out the major complex emotional issues. Things were glossed over just a bit too smoothly for the weight of the issues in my opinion. I liked the story, I liked the characters, I just wanted more. I felt like everything was wrapped up with a perfect ending when we needed more chapters to hammer this out in a realistic way.
3 out of 5 stars
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
- https://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/books/create-a-life-to-love-by-erin-zak-2948-b
