Becoming Lucy

November 2, 2009
The first installment in the Winds Across the Prairie series by Rogers (Not on the Menu
) is a serviceable, conventional novel. The plot promises entertainment: orphaned Lucinda Bishop moves from Boston to the Oklahoma Territory to live with her Aunt Amelia and Uncle Ben, and finds true love after Jake Starnes recognizes his need for Jesus Christ and faces his past. The writing, however, plods along in a rut of short, dry sentences: “He blinked and shook his head. He had to quit daydreaming and face reality. Lucinda Bishop would never marry him. He'd never marry anyone.” Plot twists occur, but with little fanfare or drama: Lucinda may be being stalked, Aunt Clara appears at the door and a tornado destroys the ranch house. Some readers will balk at the relegation of women to the kitchen (where they all love kitchen work) and the obvious Christian jargon throughout—“God loves you now and always will. He loved you enough to have His Son die for you”—but others will enjoy this traditional tale.