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Reviewed by Jeff Needle
10/19/2005 9:56:08 AM
The "Hearts of the Children" series began its life as another five-volume series titled "Children of the Promise." Begun more than a dozen years ago, these two series follow the life and challenges of the Thomas family, and constitute a multi-generational look at what may be the quintessential Mormon family for their times.
The current volume brings some closure to several branches of the Thomas legacy. One, located in Communist East Germany, is struggling with government suppression of religion, living in a totalitarian state, experiencing the highs and lows of such a challenge. Hans Stoltz lives behind the iron curtain in a small, cramped apartment. He has been courting Elli and they want to marry, but it doesn't seem possible at this
time. Life in East Germany is difficult, and Hans knows he must tread very carefully or some details of his past may come to life. There is one place in the book where the reader is thrilled when Hans finally finds his courage and defends himself before the Stasi, the police, with a rather unpredictable result.
The most compelling character in the book may be Gene Thomas. Back from Vietnam, witness to his best friend being killed, the demons haunt him incessantly. He is essentially dysfunctional, and this is taking a toll on his wife and child. An aspiring journalist, hot on the trail of the Watergate story, Gene needs to get things under control. And inasmuch as his father is a Congressman, it's all the more important for him to rein in his impulses. An explosion in the offices of the Salt Lake Tribune brings him to a point of critical decision.
Kathy Thomas is an outspoken woman who has been a worry to her family with her radical political and social agenda. A volunteer in the Peace Corps, she's now back home trying to find her place in life. Kathy was always one of my favorite characters in the series, giving voice to the horror that is war and the corruptive tendency of government.
Diane Thomas married Greg Hammond, but they are now divorced. At first pulled into the relationship by his charm and sure-footedness, Greg finally revealed himself as an abusive husband. Diane is now trying to get on with her life, but it's difficult to reconnect with single men when they learn that she's been married and has a young child. We follow Diane through several difficult relationships in this volume.
And making a timely appearance is the unpredictable Aunt LaRue, the "old maid" of her family who has her sights set on a BYU professor. In the previous volumes, LaRue was consistently wise and irascible at the same time, a delightful person I would have liked to have known.
It is to be understood that, while "So Much of Life Ahead" is intended to bring a close to the various storylines of the series, I would have liked one more volume to bring to a real close the stories of Gene Thomas and the rest of the family. One can infer from the story how things eventually work out, but some may want certainty. Of course, since a life's story is never really over, perhaps there was no other way to finish the series except as Hughes did. People like me are just never satisfied.
Dean Hughes is, as always, unafraid to face issues head-on. Vietnam and Watergate are at the forefront of this volume. I am a child of that era: born in 1950, draftable in 1968, witness to the Nixon fiasco -- a typical New York liberal, you might say. But I was just delighted with the honesty and rawness of the political discussions. They sounded real, something you don't find much in religious fiction these days.
And, for the record, married couples enjoy their intimacy, and they flirt with each other. Hughes does not shirk from including such scenes in his book, all in good taste, of course.
If you've read any of the volumes in this series, you'll find yourself diving right back into the story with little trouble. If you're new to the series, you can pretty much catch up by reading this volume. But I really think this is a series worth reading and owning. Its grand sweep and scope bring the reader into the lives of the Thomases and causes us to look, not just at our own religious commitment, but to the trajectories of faith that include politics, lifestyle and social conscience.
I'm saddened to see this saga come to an end; I look forward to Hughes' next effort.
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