A Heart Most Worthy

MITCHELL, SIRI

A HEART MOST WORTHY

In 1918 Boston, three seamstresses dare to dream of a better life. Fiery Julietta pursues love recklessly. Shy Annamaria falls for the wrong man. Secretive Luciana's past endangers them all.

Drawn together amid the opulence of Madame Fortier's dress shop, will each find the fairy-tale ending she seeks?

IN A WORD. MAGICAL. THIS WORKS ON SO MANY LEVELS WHEN, ACCORDING TO CURRENT CBA PUBLISHING STANDARDS IT SHOULDN'T. MITCHELL BREAKS ALL THE RULES IN ORDER TO CREATE THIS STUNNING, EPIC TALE THAT IS REMINISCENT OF CLASSIC LITERATURE.

FIRST SHE WRITES FROM THE OMNISCIENT POINT OF VIEW. THAT MEANS SHE TELLS THE STORY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MULTIPLE CHARACTERS -- INCLUDING A HOST OF SECONDARY ONES. AND, AS IF THAT ISN'T ENOUGH, SHE DIRECTS CASUAL ASIDES TO THE READER IN TRUE CLASSICAL LIT FORM. AND SHE 'HEAD BOUNCES' WITHIN EACH SCENE. THIS MEANS THAT THE POINT OF VIEW JUMPS FROM CHARACTER TO CHARACTER WITHOUT A BREAK OR PAUSE. (USUALLY EACH SCENE IS STRICTLY WRITTEN FROM ONLY ONE CHARACTER'S POV -- EVEN IN STORIES WHERE THERE ARE MULTIPLE VIEWPOINTS.) THESE ARE ALL 'MISTAKES' THAT NEWBIE WRITERS MAKE AND COPIOUS BLOGS ON WRITING CAUTION AGAINST USING ANY ONE OF THESE TACTICS, LET ALONE ALL OF THEM IN ONE BOOK!

SO, HOW DOES MITCHELL GET AWAY WITH IT?

SHEER BRILLIANCE...AND THAT TOUCH OF MAGIC I WAS TALKING ABOUT.

HER CHARACTERS ARE SO WELL DEFINED THAT POINT OF VIEW IS NEVER QUESTIONED -- EVEN IN THE SCENES THAT BOUNCE FROM CHARACTER TO CHARACTER. AND THEY ARE SO ENGAGING THAT IT'S EASY TO KEEP THE MULTIPLE CAST STRAIGHT (THOUGH SHE DOES PROVIDE A LIST OF CHARACTERS AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE BOOK.)

THE CLEVER PLOT HAS LOTS TO DO WITH IT TOO. MITCHELL WORKS SUPPOSEDLY LOOSE THREADS INTO A TIGHTLY WOVEN STORY THAT WILL LEAVE YOU SPELLBOUND. THERE'S A RICHNESS IN HER TONE, A STARTLING CLARITY IN HER TRUTHS, A RUSH OF EXCITEMENT IN HER SUSPENSE. A HEART MOST WORTHY IS PAGE TURNING PERFECTION.

AND THE SETTING -- SUCH A TUMULTUOUS TIME IN WORLD HISTORY...AND AMERICA'S IN PARTICULAR AS MORE AND MORE IMMIGRANTS TRAVELED TO THIS LAND OF PROMISE. MITCHELL PORTRAYS THEIR STRUGGLES REALISTICALLY. BUT SHE ALSO SHOWCASES THE IRONY OF THEIR PREJUDICES AS WELL. PEOPLE FLEEING PERSECUTION FOR A BETTER LIFE ONLY TO UPHOLD THEIR OWN PREJUDICES IN THIS SUPPOSEDLY FREE LAND. THEY ARE AS FETTERED IN THEIR NEW LIFE AS THEY WERE IN THE OLD ONE.

IF YOU CHOOSE TO PICK THIS BOOK UP AND READ IT (AND I HOPE YOU DO) BE PREPARED TO BE ENTHRALLED, THRILLED AND AMAZED AT THE POWER OF WORDS AND THE BRILLIANT MIND THAT WOVE THEM TOGETHER INTO AN UNFORGETTABLE TALE.

Reminder: If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchell, leave a comment below. A draw will be held on Sunday April 10 for all the books I read between April 1 - 10. For more information about the Giveaway check out the April Showers Bring Reading Hours blog posted on March 31.