Matt McAvoy Book Review

This is a fine book, though I have to say its title is somewhat sardonic, as the Ward family at the start of the twentieth century endures some of the worst traumas one family can possibly go through.  You therefore need to accept that this is a book about faith most of all: faith in God, Heaven and that fortune will prevail.  Though, I don’t want to spoil the book, but I will say prepare yourself to take a beating from life, along with this unfortunate family.  Yet prepare yourself also for joy, love and hope, all of which deeply characterize Glynda’s writing.

The book ends with an afterword by the author, in which she reveals her own family connection to the Wards, which was a little confusing as a reader, for I went from thinking this book was pure fiction to then wondering if it was fully biographical; I still don’t feel this is made clear.  I believe from the submission that it is anecdotal semi-fiction, and that the Wards are based on real stories, hearsay and news items of people from those fateful days in rural Texas.  And that brings us to what is arguably the real star of this book: Glynda’s meticulous and hugely admirable research and work ethic are second to none; they are outstanding.  She has crafted a world which is both epic in its scale yet small enough to comprise the fate of one family.  The early scenes, in which the storm ravages the family’s hometown, are vivid and bold, and the whole thing, particularly the large setpiece scenes, feel like a vast palette painted with broad, tumultuous strokes.  She is a wonderful author, and her diction contains a great deal of warmth.  The Ward family are collectively and individually an example of virtue and faith, despite enduring incredible tests.   Personally, I couldn’t relate so much to the continual hope and faith in God, but at the same time, it is clearly the basis of a solid family foundation which runs like an artery throughout the whole book, regardless of the numbers.

If you like pre-WW1, rural southern-state fiction with a large dose of historical reality, and are inclined toward bleak family melodrama, this is a fine example of that.  I think that many will relate, particularly those whose family members have imparted tales of pre-war, pre-medicine and technology living in rural and farming communities.  This book, as I’m sure was the author’s intention, gives us an intimate and stark insight into both the woes and the pleasures of life in a time which is, sadly, perhaps fading from memory.  A recommended read for fans of warts-and-all, simmering emotional drama.