Women are multi-faceted people, usually wearing many hats in a complicated world. But it can generally be said that most women have a commitment to something, whether it be a way of life, a cause of some sort, or a relationship with another person. It is through these commitments that inner strength is born, nurtured and tested – when we decide if that is really where our loyalty belongs.
LDS fiction, particularly the suspense genre, highlights committed women who are strong and capable (yet still feminine), able to solve problems (but still need support from friends and loved ones), and are more like the multi-tasking modern woman of today. Women (as well as men) have to deal with emotional issues regarding family relationships, wanting to feel loved and accepted, wanting to make a difference in the world and be respected by peers. However, women are often called upon to draw upon an inner strength in order to feel successful in those commitments. LDS fiction illustrates this strength by characterizing strong women who deal with problems in a realistic way.
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For example, No Way Out by Christine Kersey shows a heroine who is committed to her marriage and uses that as a strong foundation for her family. Yet her hidden strengths as a person are revealed when she has to redirect her commitment to solve the mystery behind her husband’s disappearance. She must find out if her husband really is a criminal or defend the man she knew him to be – all the while holding her family together. It is when her commitment is tested that her personal strength is truly shown.
Should she stay with her husband? He’s had problems in the past; has he returned to his previous ways? What should she do?
The author takes the reader through all these questions and more as the story unravels and the heroine is forced to look closely at her marriage and where her loyalty lies. When she is at her breaking point, it is then that she realizes what she wants out of life – for both herself and her family. It is then that she truly knows for the first time that she has the strength to deal with it head on.
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An example of an entire family of strong women is in Jeffrey Savage’s new book, House of Secrets. He has crafted a multi-generational mystery of three women and the people who surround them, with the introduction of Shandra Covington. Shandra is committed to trying to sort out the family issues of why her grandmother ran away from the home she loved, why her mother never spoke of her past, and how these situations affected Shandra as a young girl and now a woman. Shandra needs that connection to her past and is committed to putting her family’s history together so she can move on with her life. Her commitment changes, however, when she is drawn deeper and deeper into a mystery that forces her to use an inner strength that she didn’t realize she had, not only to face her family issues, but also to preserve her life.
No woman lives in a vacuum however, and Shandra is no exception. There are police officers, co-workers, and others who live in her grandmother’s hometown to help her, support her, frustrate her and frighten her. The way Shandra shows her strength, however, is how she deals with the emotional gamut. When she discovers her family’s secrets, a part of herself that had been buried is also found. In the process, strength is born and nurtured, her commitment is tested as she is pushed to her limits, almost loses her life, and yet is able to learn from her own mistakes as well as her family’s. Jeffrey Savage does a good job of writing from a woman’s perspective, and House of Secrets addresses emotional issues that many women deal with on a daily basis.
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Another example of a strong heroine is Georgiana in Jennie Hansen’s new release, The Bracelet. Georgiana is a servant girl who has big dreams for her life, and is committed to climbing the social ladder. When her dreams are shattered, her commitment doesn’t change until she truly comes to a realization that her real purpose is in trying to better herself rather than her station in life and satisfy her need for knowledge. This commitment is immediately tested, however, when she finds herself with no money, no home, and not a lot of options. But she sticks to her moral standards, even as she is threatened to do otherwise. She is proactive in getting what she wants, sometimes to the extreme, but she doesn’t do anything half-heartedly.
Georgiana eventually finds friends and falls in love, building a support system for herself, but not giving up any of her individuality. She finds her talents, most quite by accident, but she is able to use them to improve her circumstances. Her thirst for knowledge spurs her to learn to read and she is given the opportunity to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ. She is compassionate and kind, but feels heavy guilt for mistakes she has made in her past that need to be reconciled before she can have a future. Her decision making processes are sometimes painful just because of the guilt that she feels. When she is finally able to move on and realize that once you have done all that is possible to make restitution then you need to let it go, she is able to commit to living the life she’d always dreamed about.
The hero in this book, Robert, is also very well done in that while he disagrees with some of Georgiana’s decisions, he supports her in making her own choices. He doesn’t derive his strength at the expense of the heroine. Though at times Georgiana’s decisions seem extreme, the reader can see the growth of the character from the first chapter to the last. Georgiana was obviously born with an inner strength to make it through the trials she was given, but that strength is refined and burns ever brighter as she is tested and pushed to her limits.
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Kerry Blair’s heroine in Mummy’s the Word quickly became one of my favorites.
When Samantha Shade commits to a cause, everyone else had better watch out. She has a strong sense of moral justice and she wades into a situation before she has all the pertinent information, which gets her in trouble, yet she sticks to her guns, even though it seems to be a losing battle. One statement she makes near the beginning of the book sums up her approach to life: “I might as well admit from the start it’s the ifs in situations that usually get me into trouble.” She knows she’s quirky and is unsure of herself, usually trying too hard and questioning her own motives, however, she is always wanting to appear like she knows what she’s doing.
Samantha is committed to proving to everyone that she is capable enough to take over the family detective agency, with her uncle’s partners as mentors and friends. These associates encourage her and help her see that her choices and decisions may not always be right, but her heart is in the right place and they don’t force their will on her. All of the members of the agency seem to be equally yoked, with skills that complement each other and build on their individual strengths. However they are aware of how committed Samantha is, and that it is this commitment that sometimes blinds her in a sort of tunnel vision.
She dreams of being a superhero and righting the wrongs of the world, and at the same time, is trying to figure out how to fit into the world around her by seeming more normal and less odd. Her commitment changes however, when she is drawn into a mystery of a mummy, and in the process finds herself and finds love – but not without the threat of losing it all if she can’t figure out the mystery before those she loves are harmed or killed.
Samantha’s strength as a character is that she takes commitment to the next level. When she says she’s going to do something, she does it with gusto and most of the time doesn’t think it through. She is endearing to the reader, however, because of her self-doubt, trying not to hurt anyone, hoping that she can ask for forgiveness later, and believing that she is doing what’s right.
Her hidden strengths are that she is morally strong and courageous in the face of adversity, she makes mistakes, but learns from them, she is compassionate without being a doormat, and realizes that while her family may be looked at as strange, they are solid and a good support system for her.
Samantha wants to prove herself in what is traditionally a man’s world and keeps trying even when everything seems to go wrong. Just for that reason alone, she is inspiring to others around her. When everything goes wrong, when things couldn’t look worse, Samantha Shade raises her chin – she is not beaten, and her inner strength is revealed.
All of these characters have one thing in common. At the core of each unique woman is an inner strength, an inner commitment and compass if you will. LDS fiction highlights this strength by showing the growth that is achieved when the heroine is tried and tested and draws from deep inside herself to stay true to the commitment she has made, no matter what that may be or how that commitment may have to be re-examined and re-directed. The heroines in each of these four books are women I would like to have as friends because they inspire me, they make me laugh, I can cry with them, but most of all I can identify with them as they struggle to find where their true commitment lies and in the process find their true selves.
No Way Out by Christine Kersey, Covenant Communications, softcover, 289 pages, $15.95
House of Secrets by Jeffrey Savage, Covenant Communications, hardback, 295 pages, $18.95
The Bracelet by Jennie Hansen, Covenant Communications, hardback, 296 pages, $18.95
Mummy’s the Word by Kerry Blair, Covenant Communications, hardback, 285 pages, $18.95
