Believe it or not, it was the title that drew me to This Is The Place. From a savvy marketer like author Carolyn Howard-Johnson, I would have expected a title with a real splashy hook. From someone as enthusiastic as she, I would have expected a title with some oomph! This title seemed so '¦ so '¦ so out of character.

But that's because I knew nothing of Mormon history. Now I do. And so does anyone else who reads This Is The Place - a tale tossing on the stormy seas of a society divided by religion. 'This is the Place' is what Brigham Young had said when he first led his Mormon flock into the Salt Lake Valley, where they would be free from the persecution they felt in the East. Howard-Johnson writes: 'They were bringing with them a determination that would be tapped to deal with the harshness of this land that both defied life and nourished it with spiritual intensity. He had said, 'This is the place.' And it was.'

Howard-Johnson warned me that her novel is 'literary' and might not appeal to men. If literary means there is a lot of angst and torment and gnashing of teeth, or at least a valley full of soul-searching, then it is literary indeed. Howard-Johnson crafts very realistic characters struggling with prejudices, family pressure and their own internal contradictions.

Set in '1959

<-- Previous | Next -->

If you found "This Is The Place" interesting then check out our other :

Parking Facts and Other Articles

Parking.gs

Interesting :