Stillness in The Air by Louise Goodman, published by iuniverse
"Stillness In The Air" is that special novel to pass along to a close friend or family member with a warning, 'This gets heavy at times."
Author Louise Goodman, a Family Therapist with a Doctorate in Psychology, gives us a vivid portrait of her characters and the relationship between them, love, impatience, anger, selfishness, struggles, moments of joy, sorrow, regrett or hatred. After a few chapters, we feel we have known these people for many years, even though most of us have never met anyone like them.
Although Goodman uses the main character Darla's point of view for most of the story, she allows the other characters a chapter or two so we get to know them also.
This powerful, sensitive story of a troubled family is touching emotionally. The writing is clear and crisp. The plot moves rapidly, engrossing us in scenes of love and lust, bombings, murders, rapes, birth and death. As we watch Darla's violetn family deny reality and struggle for life, we identify with her desires for a "proper" family. We rejoice when she comes close to her dreams and share her sorrow when she loses. "Stillness In The Air" is worth reading. It keeps you company while you're reading it and remains a part of your memory long afterwards.