Potter Springs

Amanda got pregnant, so she and Mark, a Baptist minister, married hurriedly. Her ensuing miscarriage begins a painful emotional and spiritual crisis for the couple, both eased and complicated by overly involved in-laws and congregants. This uneven first novel is endearingly sweet and chock full of colorful Texans. For the most part, Carol Monda's narration serves the text, though she only skims the surface of important passages of soul-searching. Her characters are distinct, if neither dimensional nor particularly indicative of the milieu. She plays the drama, humor, and angst nicely, but one could wish for a more idiomatic and empathic approach. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

March 28, 2005
When Amanda Thompson, fiery and a tad impulsive, meets the handsome young pastor Mark Reynolds, they both know it's the love of a lifetime. But after learning the unexpected truth that she's pregnant with his child, their hasty marriage and subsequent trials reveal cracks in the foundation of their relationship. Mark takes a church in tiny Potter Springs, Okla., and Amanda spirals into depression; the story chronicles their gradual understanding of the reality of marriage and the depths of God's love and forgiveness. Coleman, a first-time novelist, overwrites in spots and employs some plot clichés, such as a climactic thunderstorm. Although Mark and Amanda are both nuanced and well-drawn, various minor characters (the self-righteous, meddling deacon; the congregation's voluptuous and ever-available divorcée) never transcend caricature. However, the story resonates with its essential message that "being lost is a good way to start getting found."