B.D. Tharp, Feisty Family Values

Feisty Family Values

B.D. Tharp

Five Star, Feb 2010, $25.95

ISBN: 9781594148491

In the affluent Riverside neighborhood of Wichita, Kansas, widow Regina Morgan-Smith lives like a queen with her close friend chef Tillie Dawson. Her passion is painting, which she has been successful at, but outside of that her life is run by routines.

That changes when her impoverished battered frumpy cousin Annabelle Hubbard arrives seeking shelter having been thrown out of the house of her adult daughter Lydia. Whereas Tillie warmly welcomes the bruised Annabelle, Regina detests the impact on her regulated life. Adding to her troubles is her late mom begins lecturing her and Tillie's breast cancer returns. However chaos arrives in the form of Annabelle's frightened three grandchildren (thirteen years old Peggy, twelve years old Ted and ten years old Megan) with the boy having a broken arm. With Mr. Pickles the kitten and two men entering the lives of Regina and Tillie, the elegant widow wonders how her set lifestyle was nuked so quickly.

Although obviously a soap opera with too many critical topics being explored like breast cancer, abused elders and children, abandonment, drug usage and sexagenarian romances, fans will still appreciate Feisty Family Values as each of the ensemble cast comes across as genuine. The story line is obviously character driven with the audience pondering whether regal Regina will kick everyone to the curb as encouraged by her mom's spirit.

Harriet Klausner