The Sight of the Stars

December 22, 2003
In bestseller Plain's 21st novel, the son of a Jewish shopkeeper and an Irish farm girl seeks, and finds, his fortune in Texas. The saga begins in 1900, when 13-year-old Adam Arnring learns his parents had never married. His father and stepmother are good people, but he never really wanted to work in the family shop, so at 19 he hops a westbound train from New Jersey with $150 in his pocket. In the small but prosperous and growing town of Chattahoochee, Tex., he parlays his family grocery store experience and a moment of serendipity into a start-up job in a local clothing store. Thanks to years of hard work and a bit of luck, Adam takes over the business and becomes a wealthy and successful man; he even marries Emma Rothirsch, the formidable founder's beautiful and musical niece. Plains speeds forward as Adam and his family in Texas and back in New Jersey suffer the tragedies of World War I, the Great Depression and World War II. She shows Adam turn from a bachelor to a father of five, then to a grandfather and a great-grandfather. Her characters are pleasant and her plot is well paced, with dashes of intrigue, family feuds and secrets to spice things up. However, a side plot involving one of Adam's half-brothers, the hapless misfit Leo, who buries himself in mysterious books and comes to a fortune through blackmail, completely misses the mark. There's nothing revelatory here, just a lot of characters living their lives, and as such, it's an entertaining enough tale.

August 1, 2003
Morrison and son continue their retelling of Aesop's fables.

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2003
Plain's latest offering is the story of Adam Arnring, who heads off for the American West at the beginning of the twentieth century to make his fortune. He ends up in Chattahoochee, California, and soon finds himself working at a store owned by the persnickety Mrs. Rothirsch. Adam's suggestions help to turn the small, insignificant clothing store into a supplier of the most fashionable women's clothes. Adam's success brings prosperity, but he sends most of the money he earns back home to his elderly father and his two brothers. Adam finds himself drawn to Mrs. Rothirsch's beautiful, talented niece, Emma, and she returns his feelings. Adam boldly goes to Mrs. Rothirsch to ask for approval to marry Emma, and much to his surprise, she acquiesces. As Adam and Emma begin their life together, a tragedy shakes Adam's family that will have repercussions for years to come. Though billed as a multigenerational saga, this novel really is the tale of one man's life, from his youth to his struggles to establish himself to his life as a husband and father and beyond. Plain's many fans will be pleased by this sweet, moving tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2004
Plain (Looking Back; Her Father's House) chronicles the life of Adam Arnring. It is 1907, and the 19-year-old leaves home for the West, landing in Chattahoochee, TX. He rooms in a boardinghouse and takes a job in a small clothing store that has seen better days. There, he meets and almost immediately falls for the wealthy niece of the store's owner, Emma; success at the store, marriage to Emma, and an impressive mansion follow in due course. Meanwhile, Adam's "good," would-be doctor brother is killed in World War I after receiving a Dear John letter from his fiancee. Lumpish, jealous brother Leo blackmails Adam, who had a one-night stand with his late brother's fianc e. Adam confesses all to his wife, who takes it badly. And so on, through the next generation. While fans will undoubtedly enjoy Plain's familiar story, there is nothing particularly memorable or exciting here. Recommended for popular fiction collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/03.]-Elizabeth Mellett, Brookline P.L., MA

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