The Ties That Bind

Deborah Dowson is a children’s librarian in Pickering, Ontario.

Episodes from the highly acclaimed Road to Avonlea television series are
packaged in a book format, featuring color photographs of the actors on
the cover and black-and-white photographs of scenes from the program
within the book. Heather Conkie based these “storybooks” on the
teleplays that she wrote for the television show.

The Ties That Bind follows the trials and tribulations of Olivia King
as she prepares to be married and finds it impossible to please her
fiancé, her sister, and herself. The decision to elope to avoid the
trouble of a wedding ends in comic disaster. Conflict is paramount as
Olivia’s sister Hetty takes over the wedding plans and irritates the
entire King family. Comic situations abound and, despite the obstacles,
the wedding predictably proceeds without problems. This is a light
comedy of errors in which everything turns out for the best. The skilled
descriptive talents of the author help the visual comedy to come through
successfully.

A story with much more to offer in the way of character growth, action,
and suspense is Felix and Blackie. A struggle for independence leads to
some very painful lessons for Felix King. Felix starts a delivery
service to raise money to keep his horse. The original goal is soon
forgotten, as Felix’s early success leads to arrogance and greed.
Following a series of disappointments, Felix makes a serious error in
judgment and suffers the heartbreaking loss of his beloved horse.

Although both titles are very readable and enjoyable, Felix and Blackie
is a more challenging and interesting story. One of the appealing
characteristics of these books is that the issues and problems facing
the characters in rural Prince Edward Island at the turn of the century
translate easily to modern family life. In fact, the scene of father
Alec King washing dishes and helping with the care of the children seems
more appropriate to the turn of this century. Recommended.