Review
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Title: Pieces of Paris
Author: G.G. Vandagriff
Publisher: Shadow Mountain (imprint of Deseret Book)
Genre: Fiction
Year Published: 2010
Number of Pages: 258
Binding: Trade paperback
ISBN10: n/a
ISBN13: 978-1-60641-838-3
Price: $16.99
Reviewed by Jeffrey Needle for the Association for Mormon Letters
Annalisse and Dennis Childs, along with their son Jordan, have relocated to a small farming community, a way of pursuing Dennis' dream of leaving the big city and owning a farm. An attorney, he guesses he'll get enough business to supplement his income from the farm to support his family. Things seem to be going along well.
But, behind the scenes, Annalisse is going through a kind of torment that can only accompany one who has suffered great loss, one who has regrets for the past and no closure to a part of her life that continues to haunt her. Unknown to Dennis, Annalisse had been briefly married before, to man named Jules. An accomplished musician, Jules found himself invited to Paris to perform. He wants Annalisse, herself a wonderful pianist, to accompany him on his journey. At first reluctant, she finally agrees to go to Paris with Jules. There, they are married.
I can't reveal what happened to Jules without ruining the ending to this book. But Jules' presence in Annalisse's life continues to haunt her, affecting her in ways that puzzle Dennis , causing him to wonder if his marriage will survive. Indeed, we have to read past page 100 before Vandagriff uses the key words to describe the experience – “a haunting.”
Dennis soon finds himself embroiled in a controversy that sets him against his neighbors. A local corporation that has been polluting the environment and causing disease among some of the residents. Mix in a slimy politician with his hand firmly in the pocket of the corporation, a community willing to turn a blind eye to this corporation (a major employer in the town), and now Dennis, representing a dying man whose disease is directly linked to the pollution, and you have a heady stew of intrigue and political manipulation.
If it sounds like there's two stories going on here, you'd be correct. But Vandagriff is an accomplished and skilled writer, and she manages to weave the two threads together to form a compelling and utterly wonderful story of hope and redemption.
Interestingly, some of the story is autobiographical. Vandagriff outlines the intersections of fiction and fact, adding an exciting dimension to her story. It can be painful to relive portions of one's life and put them to paper for all to read. But sometimes it can be a balm to the soul. I trust the latter applies to this effort.
Toward the end of the story, Dennis' parents are introduced. They, in particular her father, emerge as some of the most attractive and wise people in this book. With their help, Dennis and Annalisse move toward a sense of healing and wholeness. Dennis' father, a local judge, is as wise a man as you'd hope to have in your life. I found myself deeply impressed with Dennis' father.
There are so many interesting aspects to this story. It is, in a sense, a love story. But in the broader view, it's a tale of pain, memory and loss, but it is also a story of redemption and hope. Both Dennis and Annalisse have journeys they must come to terms with, but can they find some peace in an increasingly hostile atmosphere in the town they've chosen to be their home?
“Pieces of Paris” is a lovely work, and will be enjoyed by so many readers. Vandegriff just gets better and better with each book. Give it a look.
Jeffrey Needle
Association for Mormon Letters
jeff.needle@gmail.comwww.aml-online.orgwww.LDSBookLovers.com/Needle.html
