BOOK REVIEW: AN INCONVENIENT MARRIAGE: THE KEEPING OF JAKE MITCHELL By Ruth Ann Nordin Reviewer: Rod Clark

Set in the U.S. in the horse and buggy era at the dawn of the 20th century, Ruth Nordin’s An Inconvenient Marriage is a light romantic comedy, a fresh entry in the rapidly growing Christian Romance genre. As she comments in her dedication, “All Scripture is taken from the new King James version of the bible.” While this genre does set taste parameters that preclude explicit sex or gratuitous violence, and has a world view framed by Christian values, this does not preclude a participating author from writing good literature. All genres have parameters set by public taste and the market place, and works should be judged by their quality, not the category they fall into.

In the quality department, Ms. Nordin does better in some areas than others. She is experienced in this genre, having written four previous novels, and certainly seems to know her audience. On the other hand, while the novels of Jane Austin (clearly one of Ms. Nordin’s favorite author) gave readers a fairly realistic view of middle class life in England during her era, Ms. Nordin’s America more closely resembles some of the more sentimentalized lithographs of Currier & Ives, a 19th century firm that helped establish a romantic vision of the growing nation before the invention of photography. While the love story of Jake Mitchell and Sue Lewis may not bear more than superficial resemblance to real living conditions in the America of 1899, it is only fair to add that that is not Ms. Nordin’s goal. Her purpose is to deliver light romance with a moral purpose—not to portray gritty reality. To that end the era she employs is merely a stage set, a sort of "proscenium arch" through which the reader may follow the tangled path of this somewhat unlikely couple as they fulfill their romantic destiny.

In brief, here is the plot. Sue Lewis, a somewhat abrasive, but beautiful and good-hearted young woman is struggling to save her family from bankruptcy and the sale of her family’s farm. To that end she has decided that her only option is to marry a rich (and probably older) man who can help her family. Jake Mitchell is a meticulous young banker in the same community who is obsessively neat, professional and conservative in his habits. However he also has a compassionate streak, and is capable of change—given the right stimulus. Out of the blue he finds out that his father has left him a significant legacy that he can only access by getting married and staying married for six months. While he and Ms. Lewis do not get along at all in the beginning, it soon becomes clear that getting married for at least six months is a pragmatic decision that will meet the financial needs of both parties. Putting aside their initial distaste for each other, the two get married and begin to share a household. As they begin their required six months together, the sparks begin to fly. Their differences are profound. Sue is a blunt speaking country girl who is fully capable of making scenes in public if she does not get her way. (She is nevertheless highly intelligent, literate, and when she makes the effort—a beautiful woman.) Jake, by contrast is a reserved and fastidious banker, always obsessed with making the right impression in public. Given the dramatic differences between them, initial conflicts are inevitable.

As the weeks pass, Sue’s Family decides that they like Jake and want to keep him in the family. Jake’s friends also contrive to make him jealous, and nudge him toward continuing a marriage they believe is in his best interest. As the volatile couple warms toward one another and try to come to terms with their real feelings—the entire community conspires to keep them together.