| From Publishers Weekly In this latest novel from the bestselling author of The Cliff Walk， Snyder seeks so obstinately to charm and inspire that verisimilitude is nearly abandoned. For the first third of the novel， Snyder's cajoling almost works， as he reminds readers of life's little "coincidences" and their power to transform lives， but the relentless sweetness soon begins to pall. Terry McQuinn is a wealthy Hollywood agent who returns to his childhood town in Maine when he finds out that his estranged father， a caretaker of an oceanfront retreat of summer cottages for the rich， is deathly ill. After his father dies， Terry revisits his father's shop， where he discovers a final work order. The note reminds Terry of the long ago night when he met Charles Halworth and Charles's daughter， Katherine. That night， Mr. Halworth skidded off the road， striking and killing a mother and her baby， and that same night Terry left his family forever. The work order is from Katherine， who has decided to return to the beachfront cottage for Christmas. Terry prepares the place and in doing so discovers things about his father， and himself. Snyder adroitly handles dialogue and a presentation of the perils of self-absorption. Unfortunately， Terry's transformation is virtually seamless， sped along by characters eager to help and by his almost preternatural ability to tap experiences for lessons. The result is a sentimental tale sure to win a few hearts， but more likely to test the patience of those who demand that inner discovery produce more than truisms and who believe miracles stem not from fantasy but reality. (Oct. 9)Forecast: Snyder achieved fame as the author of two popular memoirs， but he has yet to score with his fiction. Still， Pocket will market this as a Christmas title， and those who prefer their holiday fare bland may gravitate to it. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Library Journal Fallen Angel is an emotional tale about a young boy confronting a tragedy. Eight-year-old Terry McQuinn lives in Maine with his father， a caretaker for summer cottages on beautiful and charming oceanfront property， a haven for the rich. The Halworth family owns Serenity Cottage and asks one Christmas for the place to be opened upon their arrival. Terry and Mr. Halworth's daughter Katherine take a car ride one fateful afternoon with her father when he accidentally hits a woman and her baby on an icy road， killing them. Terry grows up， haunted by his thoughts of the accident， becomes estranged from his father， moves to Los Angeles， and becomes a rich and successful actor's agent. Thirty years later Terry returns to Maine to make peace with his dying father and finds his father has already died. Among his father's possessions is a note saying， "Open Serenity for Christmas，" which leads him to reassess his life， think about his failed relationship with his father， and find love with Katherine Halworth， who now owns Serenity Cottage. Trite and obvious in its sentimentality， this audio， read by Ian Peakes， is loaded with coincidence and is too predictable. Public libraries should purchase only for demand. Carol Stern， Glen Cove Lib.， NYCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition. See all Editorial Reviews |
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