About the Book

                                                                               Title: Hugo: Inspiring Southern Ambiance for Christian Readers (Painter Place #2)

Author: Pamela Poole

Publisher: Southern Sky Publisher

Released: October, 2017

September 21, 1989: Some monsters in the dark are real. Can Painter Place survive?

Hurricane Hugo came in the dead of night, slamming Category 4 power into Charleston, South Carolina at the worst possible time–high tide. Painter Place is scoured by the writhing Atlantic storm surge, forcing Caroline Painter Gregory to say goodbye to a life she loves and face a future that may hold the worst that can possibly happen. On the devastated South Carolina coastline of 1989 and then in Arles, France during the centennial of Van Gogh’s life there, Hugo continues the saga of Painter Place.

My Review

So, I wanted to see what the hype was about The Painter Place novels by Pamela Poole. Hugo, the novel I read, is the second in the Painter Place Saga.
I was excited to see a map at the front. Kudos! The forward, which many readers skip, was fascinating. The novel is set in September of 1989, a year I well remember.
“Saga” is a good word for this series, as it obviously involves quite a few people and their extended families. No two-dimensional characters here. Although, I rather wish there had been. There are so many people the story whips around and in between, I had trouble keeping them straight. By fleshing out so many characters so well, it was hard to focus on who the main characters really were.

This is a very turbulent narrative of a family in tumultuous times. At times I could identify with the characters, but many times their solutions made me feel like the average person would have not had those options, and would have been required to slog through those times without getting away. Would the characters still have come out as stronger survivors?

Poole packs a boat-load of truth into her book. I think I might have preferred only a few problems to be solved than several that meant there was an abundance of philosophizing and Bible explanation throughout the tale. Trying to balance story and truth, that is a hard feat to accomplish.

Quotable:
“That’s always the bottom line, isn’t it? No matter what a person accomplished, it has to end, and it turns out that the most important thing wasn’t what they left behind. It was where they’d spend eternity.”
As I finished the book, I wondered if it might appeal most to twenty-something readers. Or I may be one of a few who is not a huge fan. Try Hugo for yourself and let me know your thoughts.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required and all opinions are solely my own.

My Rating

About the Author

“Inspiring Southern Ambiance” 

Pamela Poole is an artist and author currently living in Raleigh, NC with her husband Mark, but they dream of moving back to the coast someday. Pamela’s love of living in the South is lavished into her creative subject matter. She believes that art and stories are only worthwhile when they are filled with beauty and hope that survive in spite of all life’s challenges.

Pamela is a member of various author and artist organizations. Her FREE painting demos can be found on her YouTube channel, and FREE coloring pages can be downloaded from her websites. Stay up to date with Pamela Poole Fine Art and Southern Sky Publishing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and Pamela Poole Art on YouTube.