Synopsis
A strange and wondrous friendship ignites the fire of love in May Seymour's life. Lovely and winsome May Seymour graduated from college with the world at her feet... and no idea what to do with it. A spontaneous mission trip to Africa brought a great surprise--love--and a strong sense of purpose. But in loving others there, she encountered a severe tragedy that left her deeply wounded. She comes to heal at the farm of Claudius Borne--a sweet, kind old man who understands plants and animals far better than people. And his farm becomes May's home. There on the farm, May renews a friendship with an old college flame named Eli whose path has taken unexpected turns too. As May tries to convince Eli to grab hold of life once again, he begins to pull May from her sheltered existence. Like old Claudius's farm in spring, May begins to blossom back into life. But no resurrection ever comes without sacrifice--and this sacrifice will forever transform May.
Publishers Weekly
Samson (The Passion of Mary-Margaret) goes after the big enchilada of theodicy--why a good God would permit evil--in this tale of a mildly dissolute but open-hearted young woman, May Seymour, whose mission trip to Rwanda shows her humanity at its most basic. Despite a warning, she remains in her village and is the only survivor of the genocidal onslaught. She returns to a Kentucky farm whose owner, Claudius Borne, extended paternal hospitality to her before her trip. She remains there for years in the grip of post-traumatic agoraphobia. The plot turns when May learns that college boyfriend Eli Campbell is on death row, and the two renew their acquaintance. Samson is bold as ever, exploring big questions through her vivid writing and memorable characters. But the plot creaks mechanically at points in this outing, with some key episodes and secondary characters not developed enough to reel the reader in. Eli's daughter Callie is unconvincing, and the exchange of letters between the imprisoned Eli and May is a little heavy-handed. Samson gets high marks for imagination and ambition, but points off for flaws in execution. (Aug.)