Her entry begins:Except when I am researching, I am a very random reader. Lately, research for my next work (one completely unrelated to Adam Hope, the other a sequel) has soaked up my reading time. And my fiction reading since my book has been published, has been a reaction to who I am meeting. When I know I will be meeting authors, I try to read their books. I once had the privilege of squiring Michael Ondaatje around my hometown when he was a visiting writer. At the time I had not read any of his work. Turns out he is one of my favorite writers (I cannot get over In the Skin of a Lion). I blew my chance to thank him in person and to ask him questions about his work. I don’t want to make that mistake again! A couple weeks ago, I was at the Jr. League’s Annual Book & Author Dinner in Richmond (a very fancy literary fundraiser and lots of fun) where I met Leigh Newman. Her memoir, Still Points North, is an unflinching and engaging book about an incredible childhood and how much a breakup in a family can affect a child well into adulthood. I recommend it. Very well-written. Amazing stuff about...[read on]About The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope, from the publisher:
In the waning months of World War II, young Evelyn Roe's life is transformed when she finds what she takes to be a badly burned soldier, all but completely buried in the heavy red-clay soil on her family's farm in North Carolina. When Evelyn rescues the stranger, it quickly becomes clear he is not a simple man. As innocent as a newborn, he recovers at an unnatural speed, and then begins to change—first into Evelyn's mirror image, and then into her complement, a man she comes to know as Adam.Learn more about the book and author at Rhonda Riley's website and Facebook page.
Evelyn and Adam fall in love, sharing a connection that reaches to the essence of Evelyn's being. But the small town where they live is not ready to accept the likesof Adam, and his unusual origin becomes the secret at the center of their seemingly normal marriage.
Adam proves gifted with horses, and together he and Evelyn establish a horse-training business. They raise five daughters, each of whom possesses something of Adam's supernatural gifts. Then a tragic accident strikes the family, and Adam, in his grief, reveals his extraordinary character to the local community. Evelyn and Adam must flee to Florida with their daughters to avoid ostracism and prying doctors. Adrift in their new surroundings, they soon realize that the difference between Adam and other men is greater than they ever imagined.
Intensely moving and unforgettable, The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope captures the beauty of the natural world, and explores the power of abiding love and otherness in all its guises. It illuminates the magic in ordinary life and makes us believe in the extraordinary.
The Page 69 Test: The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope.
Writers Read: Rhonda Riley.
--Marshal Zeringue
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