Destined

January 2, 2012
Each chapter of this unassuming novel is illustrated with a card from the tarot, and the contents of each section are loosely related to the meaning of the corresponding card. Cleareâs narrative follows Emily, a young woman on a path of self-realization and awakening. She quits her unpleasant art gallery job and begins working at a mysterious rare-book store, whose owner, the eccentric Mr. Paradis, encourages her to explore her own psychic powers. Emily makes a new group of female friends in the neighborhood and meets a âtall, dark and very handsomeâ stranger, with whom romance seems sure to bloom. The story is a little slow moving, and there isnât much in the way of conflict; nevertheless, the novel is well plotted. Readers already interested in the tarot and its uses for divination will enjoy Cleareâs serious meditations on the meanings of the cards, and the way the tarot plays out in Emilyâs life. Whatâs more, Cleare offers a little bit of self-help and a little bit of chick lit, packaged together with a positive, make-your-own-destiny message: a pleasant, comforting read.