Heaven Should Fall

August 20, 2012
In her second novel (after The Kingdom of Childhood), Coleman again explores how ordinary lives can quickly devolve into tragedy. Despite how well things seem to be going for optimistic college students Jill and Cade, Cade is reluctant to introduce Jill to his family. But when Jill gets pregnant, to save money they decamp to Cade's family home in New Hampshire, where Jill encounters family feuds, insular politics, and a militia mentality. She forms a fragile friendship with Cade's brother, Eli, a hard-drinking vet suffering from PTSD after serving in Afghanistan. Jill, whose mother was an alcoholic, tries to help Eli, but her efforts seem in vain. Meanwhile, an increasingly resentful Cade retreats into his own paranoid revenge fantasy. Coleman's portrayal of a deeply damaged soldier is genuinely sympathetic and complex. But, despite chapters told from both Cade's and Jill's viewpoints, motivations (Cade's abrupt and jarring shift toward anti-government rhetoric; Jill's passive acceptance of her fate) remain murky, but chapters that adopt Cade's mother and sister's perspectives add layers to this hazy tale of family loyalty gone horribly awry. Agent: Stephany Evans, FinePrint Literary Management.

September 1, 2012

An unexpected pregnancy forces college students Jill and Cade to retreat to his family's rural New Hampshire farm until they can save enough money to return to school. Things are far from ideal, not least because Cade's family is abusive and unsupportive. Jill finds an ally in Cade's brother, Elias, recently returned from combat in Afghanistan and plagued by demons of his own. Although she tries to get help for Elias, she is unable to reach him in time. Soon Jill and her infant son are at risk as Cade seeks revenge for his brother. VERDICT Coleman's second novel (after The Kingdom of Childhood) is an engrossing examination of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the toxic ties of family. Fans of Jodi Picoult will enjoy this suspenseful depiction of a hot-button issue told from multiple viewpoints. The well-developed characters earn readers' empathy in this dark tragedy.--Carly Thompson, Chicago Ridge P.L., IL

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