HALL
WAYS REVIEW: ✪✪✪✪✪* (with a caveat*). Anahuac: A Texas Story, Volume 2 is my
first book finished in 2018 -- and it leaves some big shoes to fill for all those
that come after it. Perhaps it has a
winning edge over others by including three of my favorite elements: Texas, the
1970s, and kick-ass female characters. Perhaps it’s because the story line grabs
you by the collar and pulls you right into small town Texas where life is slow
moving and change, progress, and outsiders are unwelcome intruders. Perhaps it’s
because the story is unconventional in how it unfolds, which is primarily
outside the courtroom.
“While
the house and Sarita both retained hints of grandness,
their best days were
behind them.”
Author William Darling NAILS
the setting of Anahuac in so many
ways. (As a Texan and child of the '70s, I can vouch for the accuracy.) In
addition to rich, detailed descriptions, Darling weaves in historical facts to
remind the readers that they are immersed in a different time. Texas was still covered
with sprawling ranches and more miles of undeveloped land and shorelines than
not. Radio programming was strong, and carbon paper and typewriters were how
most people made copies. Racial tensions were high, the Vietnam War was raging,
and terrorists marred the Olympics.
“The
beauty of this situation was that I could treat her like a man.”
A big part of Anahuac centers around the swirl of women’s
rights movements that were happening in the 1970s. Women were becoming a
presence in formerly male dominated professional fields, and it wasn’t necessarily
a welcome change. I am not sure whether author William Darling intended the story
to be so timely. Today women continue to fight many of the same equality demons;
some are clothed differently, and others wear the same tired coats from forty
(fifty? A hundred?) years ago.
All of the characters in Anahuac are well-crafted and fascinating
including an eccentric and independent ranch woman, an evangelical preacher
with a shady business manager, an old man with old money, and a small-town sheriff
with a big hold over the town. Despite a large cast, Darling does an
outstanding job of defining the players and making each unique and memorable and
familiar to readers. Readers get not only a clear visual but a peek at what
makes these multi-layered characters tick. The female characters in Anahuac are all kick-ass -- every single
one. From the first pages where we meet the tough-as-nails Sarita Jo Franklin,
to the legal secretary, Alice Ann, and the three powerhouse main women, Cooper,
Aurora, and Chinky, readers are treated to smart, independent women who know
what they want and are going for it despite the man-made hurdles. One of the
reasons readers will love main character Jim Ward is that he shows growth as he
questions the status quo, realizes that the women who surround him are on equal
footing (or possibly have the upper hand), and embraces the advantages they
can offer him personally and professionally. He respects them.
“It
was one of those "moving duck" moments: on the surface I was sailing along
calmly, below the surface I was paddling like hell.” [sic]
The plot was unexpected and
unconventional and a real delight. Anahuac
is full of the details one would expect with the main character an attorney and
the main story line being his defense of an accused murderer. Rather than being
a legal thriller, it’s character-driven and readers don’t spend much time in
the courtroom. By the resolution, readers
don’t necessarily know who is guilty or innocent, despite how the jury rules.
And that’s okay because readers learn so much more and are left with their
interest piqued as to what’s going to happen next in the lives of these
characters. I intend to go back and read book one in the series, Morgan’s Point, and sincerely hope that
there’s a third installment on the horizon.
Anahuac is
a top-notch story, and the story deserves a full five stars; however, there’s
that caveat*. (Those who regularly read my reviews probably know what’s
coming.) There are format issues and the book needs a thorough editing to
correct some repeated lines, dropped words, and very basic and repetitive punctuation
errors, several of which were glaring to these (Texan) eyes (Ya’ll? No, no, no.).
It is common knowledge that I am a freak about all things SPAG. Despite my
issue with the issues, that the errors didn’t sour me on the book attests to
the quality of the story – it’s that good. I sincerely hope that future
editions will be clean to take Anahuac
to the next level, where it belongs.
Thank you to Lone Star Book
Blog Tours and Orange Cone Agency for providing me a print copy in exchange for
my honest opinion – the only kind I give.
AUDIO
BOOK REVIEW: Even having read this book several months ago and knowing how it
would all turn-out, LISTENING to this story unfold, I was still absolutely
glued to it. It is such an excellent and believable plot, and hearing the
characters' voices makes it even more enjoyable, thanks to the fabulous
narration by Alan Adelberg.
Adelberg’s
narration is evenly delivered and -- with the exception of the pronunciation of
“voir dire” -- perfectly performed. From the deep Texas drawls to the evangelical
preacher to the British female, Adelberg nails the accents of the wide variety
of unique characters in the story.
In
reading with my ears, I am reminded of how much I enjoy the language that author
William Darling uses to help shape the characters and the settings. Now I am
even more anxious for the next installment in this series and ready for book
one, Morgan's Point, to get its own audio book treatment!
