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Winner of the 2009 Best Fiction for her book The Shape of Mercy, Susan Meissner does it again with her book White Picket Fences. I love how Meissner takes real life history and weaves it with a beautiful fictional story. In the book The Shape of Mercy she weaves the Salem Witch trials into her story, with White Picket Fences Meissner weaves the stories to two Holocaust survivors in with her fictional story of a family who seems to live the perfect life.
The Janvier’s live in a beautiful home, they each have great jobs along with two beautiful kids. They have the proverbial white picket fence around their life, but when Amanda Janvier takes in her sixteen year old niece Tally, hidden secrets begin to emerge. Amanda and Neil believe they can offer some stability to Tally, whose father (Amanda’s brother) has disappeared, but Tally just may be the answer to heal some hidden secrets that lie behind the white picket fence.
Chase Janvier, their teenage son, and Tally have not seen each other since they were young, and did not think having Tally around would affect him. But when they are paired up to complete a sociology project that includes two Holocaust survivors, hidden secrets begin to emerge and Chase relies on Tally’s steady friendship. Despite Neil and Amanda’s wishes to protect Chase, ignoring something tragic in the past won’t make it go away. How can the lives of these two Holocaust survivors be the salvation Chase needs in his life?
I have often said many people can write one great book, but it takes someone special to continue to write great books. Susan Meissner officially has become a favorite author of mine, she has proved herself as a great author who beautifully weaves history with fiction. Whatever Susan Meissner writes I will read!
About:
Susan Meissner cannot remember a time when I wasn’t driven to put my thoughts down on paper. Her novels include The Shape of Mercy, winner of the christian Book Award for Fiction, and Blue Heart Blessed. Susan and her husband, a pastor and a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves, make their home in Southern California. They are the parents of four grown children.
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