God's Peculiar Care

June M. Blurton is a retired speech/language pathologist.

Roscoe has had two books published. The first, a collection of short
stories, was greeted with enthusiastic reviews. These are unlikely to be
repeated with the second, a full-length novel. Although the author
writes with energy and is capable of producing an occasional memorable
turn of phrase, there is no theme in this book, nothing to hold its
disparate pieces together. Thus, the success of the novel depends on
bringing the characters to life.

Madeleine, the heroine, is a “searcher.” For what, it is not clear,
but when things start to go wrong she turns to an unfinished novel by
the late film star Frances Farmer. This novel had disappeared under
mysterious circumstances, only to resurface. Madeleine is ecstatic but
never explains why the book is of importance or how it will help her.

A newcomer to the city, she meets and befriends a group of
self-consciously odd characters, none of whom are likable and only two
of whom come across as real people. There are few clues as to their
thoughts, background, and motivations. The reader neither identifies
with them nor, in the final analysis, cares what happens to them.

One turns page after page in the constant hope of finding something
that will light up all the previous pages and reveal what the author is
trying to say; unfortunately, that something never appears.