Sydell Voeller A House Divided

A House Divided

Sydell Voeller

Five Star, Feb 2006, $26.95, 236 pp.

ISBN: 1594144354

Though he is a decade older than her, August and Rebecca met when he was filming in Freemont, Oregon, Winter Rose. They marry, move to Los Angeles, and have a daughter Wendy. However, their Hollywood love story ends tragically when a crazed fan kills August.

Rebecca returns to her hometown where her sister still lives. She wants to move into the Winter Rose where her memories with August are perfect; besides she can make some money leasing the place to Galaxy Productions that want to do a sequel there. However, owner Dr. Mark Simons plans to tear down the place and replace it with a halfway house for his patients. The psychiatrist believes this is God's command as a penance for him not being there for his mom when she committed suicide. While he seeks God's approval, she rejects God for allowing a bad thing to happen to a good person. Though they argue over the house and differ over God, they fall in love, but that seems not strong enough to form a relationship when their individual pasts haunt them.

A HOUSE DIVIDED is a two-character driven inspirational tale that focuses on the differing needs between a pair in love that though powerful seems not strong enough as each has not yet contended with tragedy in their pasts. The story line focuses on the struggles of the present relationship to cope with what has scarred their respective hearts, which includes how they disagree on God. Though the action caused by a "friend" seems unnecessary even if he "snapped" because the duo have more than enough on their baggage to cope with.

Harriet Klausner