Blue Skies

December 15, 2003
Anderson (Sweet Nothings
, etc.) again explores the ways in which a physical disability can impact a relationship in this moving contemporary romance, set in picaresque Crystal Falls, Ore. Blind since birth, Carly Adams is celebrating the surgical restoration of her sight with a friend at a Western bar when she meets rancher Hank Coulter. Hank plies Carly with liquor, intent on a one-night stand, but he gets more than he bargained for when he learns that their brief encounter has resulted in pregnancy. Neither consider abortion for a second even though pregnancy will have dire consequences for Carly's sight and her plans to attend graduate school. Nor does Carly worry that her child might inherit her condition, lattice dystrophy. Instead, Hank bullies her into marriage. Hank redeems himself as the story progresses, treating Carly with tender care as she deals with her pregnancy and her deteriorating sight, but his most daunting hurdle may be her emotional insecurities. It's evident that Anderson has thoroughly researched lattice dystrophy, and this, more than anything, will help readers gain a better understanding of Carly. The last-minute revelation that Carly was burned in a previous relationship feels superfluous, but readers will embrace Anderson's characters and her message—that love bridges all divides.