Review
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Title: Across a Harvested Field
Author: Robert Goble
Publisher: Parables
Genre: Romance
Year Published: 2010
Number of Pages: 285
Binding: Paperback
ISBN: .978-1-4276-4685-9
Price: $14.95  

Reviewed by: Marilee McQuarrie for the Association for Mormon Letters

“Across a Harvested Field” is the story of Jordan Fairchild who recently lost his wife and two young children in a car accident. He is living in the home that belonged to his grandparents and has converted the basement into an apartment, hoping that by having someone live there he will fill the void in his life. All reminders of his wife and children have been put into boxes and stored away for some future time.

All Jordan wants is a simple life, teaching Spanish at the high school in Magna, Utah where he lives and working in his garden. He seems to be oblivious to everything but the pain he feels of having lost his family. He is unaware of the crush that his best student, Ashleigh, has on him or that his new renter, Nattie Hand, is not who she appears to be. However, he is not oblivious to the attractiveness of the females in his life, including the new renter.

In spite of wanting a simple life Jordan's is full of conflicts. He has three of the most obnoxious students in the same class. He has met a woman, Celeste, while on a visit to Virginia, who is smart, beautiful and ambitious and wants him to change for her. He wants to move on with his life but can't let go of the past. And he is beginning to have feelings for Nattie.

When Jordan finally learns the truth about Nattie, that she is the missing, famous rock star, Natalia Antonali, his life suddenly goes from being simple to very complicated. He is hounded by paparazzi and questioned by his students to the point that he finally loses it and lashes out at both the paparazzi and one of the obnoxious students. His life comes tumbling down around him and he loses everything except what matters most: his family, which includes parents and siblings.

When I first looked at this book, I wasn't under the impression that a man could write a romance novel and be any good at it. I have to admit that I was wrong. This was a very good book. It was one that, once I really got into it, I found hard to put down. I wanted to read it straight through. I found myself relating to the characters in this book on many different levels. I have wanted to just disappear and hide for awhile. I know how it feels to want to get drunk so that you forget everything and the pain goes away. (Don't worry, I have never given in to that temptation.) I understand how hard it is to go on when everything feels just too hard. And I know about starting over again. I think the part that got to me the most was when the older brother, Tracy, came to Jordan with his bishop and got him to finally face his feelings and let go.

I really enjoyed this book. I don't see it becoming a series but I do plan to read more of Goble's works. Great job.