A novel based on C.S. Lewis' Narnia proves inspirational, writes Mike Crowl.
CAN’T HELP FALLING
Kara Isaac
Simon & Schuster
By MIKE CROWL
Kara Isaac is a New Zealand writer working in the inspirational romance genre. She published her first book at the beginning of this year. It was set in New Zealand, and had a distinct Lord of the Rings connection.
In her latest book, Tolkien gives way to C.S. Lewis.
This book is set in Oxford, England, and is focused on Emilia, an American with the ability to quote Narnia at the drop of a hat, and some nasty secret in her recent past.
The man who falls in love with her very early on is Peter, who is also a Narnia fan. More importantly, however, he is recovering from an injury to his shoulder, an injury that's taken him out of his place in an Olympic rowing team.
Both turn out to be connected to the recently deceased Anita, and keep meeting in ways that seem more than coincidental.
It took me a third of the book to realise that "inspirational'' is a publishing term for "Christian''. Several of the characters are practising Christians, though not Emilia, who is pretty much uninterested in the faith. And just to keep the Kiwi connection, Emilia's young landlady is a New Zealander.
There's a great deal of charm in this book, characters with grit and wit, and plotting that keeps the main characters from allowing themselves to admit until the last pages that they really are made for each other. Isaac admits she had to do a great deal of googling to provide us with an Oxford that stands up to scrutiny, and rowing information that comes across as realistic. She has managed this well.
Christian and non-Christian readers will get plenty of enjoyment out of this book.
Mike Crowl is a Dunedin author, musician and composer.
