A young, single Christian leaves small town life behind to head off to the Big Apple and make her way in the world. Such is the premise of Emily Ever After, a novel by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt. Unlike most Christian literature, the authors have taken care to paint a more 'worldly' character. Thus, Emily (the protagonist) shuns many of the conservative Christian tasks, remaining tounge-in-cheek about them. She strives to live in the world without being of the world. Thus she is more likely to be found clubbing with her coworkers in New York and ordering a drink with everything. When confronted with a more traditional crowd (ironically, a group she tried to find during her first year in the city), she thinks to herself, "This C.J. characcter does not need to hear my speech about being the salt of the earth and really relating to non-Christians on their turf. And he especially should be spared my skewering when I ask him what Jesus's first miracle was." That said, the authors have gone to special pains to show what happens when Emily drinks a little too much, and the care she takes afterwards to avoid a repeat performance. The novel was a fun and interesting read. The authors kept the characters alive and three dimensional, with all of their human foibles. I particularly enjoy the humerous banter between Emily and her friends, which adds an interesting dimension to the book. The interjection of Emily trying to match up her uncle also makes for an interesting side plot. Finally, as a writer, I particularly enjoyed reading about the publishing industry. All of that said, the storyline was rather predictable. It was apparent from his first appearance that Emily would fall from the boy from home and return to her small town life. Even the pair-up between Emily's uncle and his new love was easy to spot from the outsaid. And I was never altogether clear why Bennett wanted to find a 'nice Christian girl', making the relationship a confusing one. The authors strive to add an underlying theme to the story that I'm not overly sure manages to succeed. "Perhaps you were put in this spot for this very reason," her uncle tells her in a line reminiscent to Esther's uncle, Mordecai. I felt this theme could have used significantly further development in the novel. For instance, the subject of standing up for what you believe in doesn't arise until the novel is almost completed. I felt that more of a struggle would have aroused more interest. Finally, the parallel seemed a little weak; Esther risks her life, but Emily only risks her job. At the same time, I recognize that the delay in this theme came about because the authors were creating Emily's "hidden Christian" lifestyle. I also recognize that Esther strove to save her people's lives; Emily works to save their souls, which is of infinite value more. I particularly enjoyed the outcome, which was not one I expected. Perhaps it is the drinking that overall skews me. I can handle the predictability because the storyline kept me involved throughout. I can handle the Esther reference because it is very, very subtle. But as I read about how Emily herself admitted her drinking evolved with social pressure, and how even the biggest flake in the novel recognizes that drinking causes you to lose control and "anything could happen" and anything almost does I suppose I expected the lesson to be stronger and less worldly. Overall, the novel is a great read and an enjoyable experience. The characters were realistic and believable. The authors do a great job of dumping a small town girl who has always dreamed of New York smack in the middle of the city. And, as the concluding paragraphs note, Emily did manage to leave her mark, in some cases more subtly than others. |
